2010 Grant Awards
The following grants were awarded through a competitive process. The Commission issued a Request for Proposals in May 2010 requesting proposals in three categories:
- Program Continuation
- Large Energy Users
- Improved Energy Efficiency and Reduce GHG Emissions in the Affordable Housing Sector
Twenty-nine applications were received requesting an aggregate total of $78 million. Applications were evaluated and rated by a screening committee consisting of staff from the Commission, the Department of Environmental Services, and the Office of Energy and Planning. Ten of the applicants were interviewed by the screening committee. The committee then passed its findings on to the three PUC Commissioners, who in turn carried out their own review process and made final decisions on all grants awards.
Category I, Program Continuation
Business Finance Authority of New Hampshire (BFA) - $2 million. The BFA will expand its energy conservation revolving loan fund for businesses and non-profits, established through a $2,000,000 GHGERF grant in 2009. This fund has already committed $1,960,000 to NH businesses to make energy efficiency improvements. These loans, which would not have been funded through other lending institutions, will help the loan recipients to lower energy expenses and improve their competitiveness. Loan repayments are reinvested in the fund and used to help additional businesses finance their energy improvements, making the fund self-sustaining in the long-term.
- BFA proposal
- BFA contract
- Quarterly Reports
Retail Merchants Association of New Hampshire (RMANH)- $2 million. The RMA, in partnership with the non-profit Jordan Institute, will expand its highly successful 2009 Energy Efficiency program for retail businesses. The program will help retain businesses to identify energy savings opportunities and support them in implementing measures to reduce energy costs. The program will also showcase some of the best examples of these energy investments to spur other New Hampshire retailers to take similar actions. This program will enroll 50 new businesses in 2011, up from 25 in 2009-2010 and move 20 businesses to the second phase of the program by the end of 2011.
- RMANH proposal
- RMA Contract
- Quarterly Reports
Department of Resources and Economic Development, Division of Economic Development/Lakes Region Community College - $400,000.The state’s New Hampshire’s Division of Economic Development (DRED), in partnership with Lakes Region Community College (LRCC) and supporting partner, Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative (PAREI), will continue to provide job training classes to prepare New Hampshire’s workforce for green energy jobs in the energy efficiency sector. In this new phase of the program courses will be expanded to cover a wider range of job skills. Classes are supported by a Mentoring Support program to give qualified candidates supervised hands-on experience with both energy audits and installations. This program will help to ensure that weatherization and energy efficiency measures will be implemented through well trained locally-based businesses who can guarantee that their energy efficiency and weatherization installations are both sound and safe.
- DRED/LRCC-PAREI proposal
- DRED/LRCC-PAREI contract
- Quarterly Reports
Category II, Large Energy Users
TRC Energy Services - $5 million. TRC will establish a program, Pay for Performance (P4P) that takes a comprehensive, whole-building approach to saving energy in large commercial and industrial facilities while linking incentives directly to energy savings. The Program will develop a network of qualified Partners who provide technical services under direct contract to building owners. Partners will develop an Energy Reduction Plan (ERP) for each project with a whole-building technical component of a traditional energy audit, a financial plan for funding the energy efficient measures, and a construction schedule for implementation of the facility improvements. An energy verification component ensures a minimum source energy savings of 15%. The P4P program provides three levels of incentives (based on the projected savings outlined in the ERP) designed to encourage large energy users to fully implement energy efficiency measures. CO2 reductions through this program are estimated to be 147,388 metric tons.
| Pay for Performance Partner information and application materials. |
- Quarterly Reports
Category III, Improved Energy Efficiency and Reduce GHG Emissions in the Affordable Housing Sector
New Hampshire Community Loan Fund - $2 million. The Community Loan Fund will provide deep energy efficiency retrofits in approximately 425 manufactured homes located in a score of resident-owned communities throughout the state. GHGERF funds will be leveraged with funding from the United States Department of Energy; GHGERF funds will allow, for the first time, the replacement of roofs on manufactured homes that will greatly enhance energy efficiency. In addition, this funding will provide training to the state’s six Community Action Agencies on basic rehabilitation and energy efficiency measures for manufactured homes. It is estimated that annual savings will average about $614 per home per year at current energy prices and CO2 reductions for all homes are estimated to be over 10,000 metric tons.
- Community Loan Fund proposal
- Community Loan Fund contract
- Quarterly Reports
New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority (NHHFA) - $2 million. The NHHFA and its partners in this project, the state’s six Community Action Agencies, will implement the Greener Homes Program (GHP) to provide rigorous energy audits, and energy efficiency upgrades for low-income apartment units in New Hampshire. The program includes energy audits performed by qualified third-party energy consultants to establish a baseline and provide cost-effective recommendations for equipment and building envelope upgrades. Audits are followed by a detailed energy analysis using the Weatherization Assistance Program approved modeling software to allow for more accurate and comprehensive savings. The annual target of the GHP is to upgrade the energy efficiency to approximately 785 low-income units, particularly “at-risk” affordable housing (publically financed affordable housing at, or nearing, the end of their periods) to foster the extension of affordability restrictions for an additional 20 years. The CO2 reductions for this project are estimated to be over 80,000 metric tons.
- NHHFA proposal
- NHHFA contract
- Quarterly Reports
