N.Y. Public Authorities Law § 1885: Mechanical insulation energy savings program

§ 1885. Mechanical insulation energy savings program. 1. Definitions.

For purposes of this section:

(a) "Applicant" shall mean any school district and may at the

discretion of the authority include any public housing or public

hospital, with a building or buildings that have a potential need for

mechanical insulation upgrades. The minimum size for any single building

to be considered shall be twenty thousand square feet.

(b) "Mechanical insulation" shall mean insulation materials, facings

and accessory products used for thermal requirements for mechanical

piping and equipment, hot and cold applications, heating, ventilation,

and air-conditioning applications.

(c) "Qualified audit" shall mean a mechanical insulation audit of a

building by a qualified contractor, which identifies missing, damaged or

improperly installed mechanical insulation. Such audit shall include an

estimate of installation costs along with estimated energy and cost

savings. Such audit shall be provided by the qualified contractor at no

cost to the authority or applicant.

(d) "Qualified mechanical insulation expenditures" shall mean the

purchase of insulation materials, facings and accessory products used

for thermal requirements for mechanical piping and equipment, hot and

cold applications, and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning

applications and all associated labor costs properly allocable to

on-site preparation, assembly and original installation, so long as

performed by a qualified contractor and in accordance with sections two

hundred twenty, two hundred twenty-b and two hundred twenty-i of the

labor law.

(e) "Qualified contractor" shall mean an insulation contractor that is

party to an apprenticeship agreement, as defined in section eight

hundred sixteen of the labor law, which is in good standing, appropriate

for the type and scope of work to be performed, including the minimum

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning

Engineers Standard 90.1-2007, providing the energy standard for

buildings except low-rise residential buildings.

2. Subject to monies made available to the authority for the proper

administration of the program created pursuant to this section, the

authority is hereby authorized and directed to establish and administer

within one year of the effective date of this section, a mechanical

insulation energy savings program to issue competitive grants on a first

come first served basis for applicants that have completed a qualified

audit, which will cover at least fifty, but no more than seventy-five,

percent of the qualified mechanical insulation expenditures.

The authority may coordinate with another state agency or authority,

or an office thereof, to establish and administer this program.

3. The authority shall develop and publish guidelines establishing the

evaluation criteria and competitive application process for the

mechanical insulation energy savings program pursuant to this section.