Energy Efficiency Financing for Small Businesses Energy Efficiency Conference for Long Island Businesses April 4, 2013 Melville, NY

Transcription

1 Energy Efficiency Financing for Small Businesses 2013 Energy Efficiency Conference for Long Island Businesses April 4, 2013 Melville, NY

2 WELCOME NYSERDA and LIPA: Working together to help small businesses and notfor-profits on Long Island reduce their energy costs.

3 What is NYSERDA? New York State Energy Research & Development Authority A public benefit corporation established in 1975 Works to help New York meet its energy goals: reducing energy consumption, promoting the use of renewable energy sources, and protecting the environment. Offers objective information and analysis, technical expertise and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

4 What is NYSERDA? Other NYSERDA financing programs Residential: Home Performance with ENERGY STAR audits with incentives and financing opportunities, max loan $26,000 Unsecured loans from 3.49% or 3.99% OBR loans: 3.49% Multifamily: Participation loans: 50% of project cost, maximum of $5000 per unit or $500,000, at 0% interest

5 Small Commercial Programs The Case for Energy Efficiency Energy efficiency (EE) improvements can help small businesses reduce their energy bills.

6 Small Commercial Programs The Case for Energy Efficiency NYSERDA & LIPA Programs help small business customers: Identify opportunities to improve EE May provide financial incentives to reduce the first cost of making EE upgrades Through NYSERDA s financing program, can offer low-interest financing options to help small business access capital

7 Presentation Overview NYSERDA s Small Commercial Energy Assessment Program Accessing Low-interest financing: How LIPA programs work with NYSERDA NYSERDA s Small Commercial Energy Efficiency Financing

8 NYSERDA s Small Commercial Energy Assessment Program

9 Small Commercial Energy Assessment Program Program Overview and Eligibility NYSERDA offers free energy audits to small business customers with an average annual electric demand of 100 kw or less. The energy assessment helps small businesses identify opportunities to improve their energy efficiency and reduce their energy bills.

10 Small Commercial Energy Assessments Who provides the energy assessments on LI? Region 1: C.J. Brown Energy Lisa Grabenstatter Region 3: Daylight Savings Felicia Van Doran Region 2: L&S Energy Services Michelle Wooddell Region 4: EME Group Brendan Liffey

11 Small Commercial Energy Assessments How does the Energy Assessment Program work? 1. Small business customer submits a Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) to NYSERDA 2. Regional energy consulting firm schedules site visit with the customer. 3. Energy consultant visits customer s site to conduct an energy assessment of the building 4. Energy consultant identifies energy saving opportunities. 5. Consultant generates an energy assessment recommending improvements that can help the customer lower their energy bills.

12 Small Commercial Energy Assessments More information For more information on NYSERDA s Small Commercial Energy Assessment Program, visit

13 Accessing Low-interest financing: How LIPA programs work with NYSERDA

14 Requirements to Access Financing Energy Assessments Required A Small Business must have a Qualified Energy Assessment to access low-interest financing. Qualified Energy Assessments recommend EE improvements the customer can make to improve their EE/lower their energy bills.

15 Requirements to Access Financing Energy Assessments Required NYSERDA offers free Qualified Small Commercial Energy Assessments to customers throughout the state. LIPA Energy Assessments and Assessments from Qualified Energy Consultants that meet NYSERDA guidelines are also eligible.

16 Requirements to Access Financing Only measures identified in an energy assessment can be considered for financing. Measures may include: Lighting Furnaces and Boilers Motors Commercial Refrigeration Commercial Kitchen Equipment Insulation and building envelope Health and safety measures

17 Requirements to Access Financing Other Requirements Any available incentives will be used to reduce the financed amount. Projects must have a simple payback of 15 years or less to be eligible for financing.

18 Requirements to Access Financing Program links for energy assessment information

19 Financing Options: Traditional Loan or On-Bill Recovery? Small Commercial Energy Efficiency Financing

20 Energy Efficiency Financing Program Overview NYSERDA works with Lenders statewide to offer small business customers access to two low-interest energy efficiency financing options: Participation Loan On-Bill Recovery Loan

21 Energy Efficiency Financing Participation Loans NYSERDA provides 50% of the project cost, up to $50,000, at 0% interest and the lender provides the rest of the loan principal at market rate. By choosing a Participation Loan, eligible small businesses can access energy efficiency financing at about half the market rate.

22 Energy Efficiency Financing Participation Loan Example: $30,000 loan Cost share 50% NYSERDA interest rate 0% Lender interest rate 7% Blended interest rate ~3.5% NYSERDA provides $15,000 at 0% interest The lender provides $15,000 at 7% interest Result: Borrower receives a $30,000 loan at ~3.5% interest.

23 Energy Efficiency Financing Participation Loan Eligibility Small Business Has 100 employees or less Owns the building, or Manages or leases all or part of a building, and has the owner s release to seek financing for the project Has a qualified energy assessment from NYSERDA, LIPA, or a qualified energy consultant Meets Participating Lender s underwriting criteria

24 Energy Efficiency Financing How does a small business repay a Participation Loan? Small businesses make regular loan payments to their lender. The lender takes care of paying NYSERDA back.

25 Energy Efficiency Financing On-Bill Recovery (OBR) Loans Participating lenders offer NYSERDA loans of up to $50,000 at 2.5%* interest Eligible small business customers can repay the loan on their LIPA electric bill. *interest rate is subject to change

26 Energy Efficiency Financing On-Bill Recovery (OBR) Loan - Eligibility Small Business Has 100 employees or less Owns the building, or Manages or leases all or part of a building, and has the owner s release to seek financing for the project Has a qualified energy assessment from NYSERDA, LIPA, or a qualified energy consultant Meets NYSERDA s underwriting criteria

27 Energy Efficiency Financing NYSERDA s underwriting criteria Credit score of 650 or better Org. in existence at least 2 years No bankruptcy in last 5 years No current judgments/ liens in excess of $5,000 Debt service coverage ratio of 1.2 or greater

28 Energy Efficiency Financing On-Bill Recovery (OBR) Loan Eligibility cont. Small Business cont. The borrower must be named on the utility account of one of the following participating utilities: Central Hudson, Con Edison, Long Island Power Authority, National Grid (upstate NY customers only), New York State Electric and Gas Corporation, Orange & Rockland, Rochester Gas and Electric.

29 Energy Efficiency Financing OBR Requirements Expected annual energy cost savings must exceed annual loan installment payments. NYSERDA establishes a minimum loan term to ensure the customer is cash positive. Maximum loan term cannot exceed 10 years.

30 Energy Efficiency Financing How does a small business repay an OBR Loan? Customer has 90 days to complete the energy efficiency project after receiving loan proceeds Once the project is completed, a loan installment charge is added to utility bill

31 Energy Efficiency Financing How to Apply Participation and OBR loans Small business customers may seek either a Participation Loan or an OBR Loan Submits a Request for Financing Package (RFF) to NYSERDA RFF includes the energy assessment and other documents and identifies the measures to be financed. NYSERDA reviews the package, and if approved, the customer may select a participating lender to make the loan. Any lender doing business in NYS can make a loan through the Program once the lender signs an agreement with NYSERDA.

32 For More Information Contact: Marilyn Dare, LC, CEM Project Manager , ext

33 Thank you! Questions?