HeatSmart CNY is a community campaign to help people more efficiently heat and cool their homes through air sealing, insulation, and heat pump installation. Together, we are building our local economy, reducing our environmental impact, and making homes healthier and more comfortable.
In Central New York, many of us live and work in drafty buildings which heat and cool with expensive and inefficient HVAC systems. As a result, we suffer discomfort, unhealthy indoor air quality, and high energy bills. This hurts our quality of life and our planet. HeatSmart CNY seeks to change this. We know that most people can benefit from weatherizing their home or business or by switching the way they heat and cool their space to heat pumps. But we also know most people don’t know where to start. Our mission is to make this as simple and easy as possible by providing accurate information and by connecting people with reputable businesses to do the work.
In August 2018, NYSERDA awarded funds to eight “Clean Heating and Cooling Community” campaigns around the state. Central New York won funding for an educational outreach campaign for heating and cooling, building on the successes of “Solarize CNY.” Our team also won funding for workforce development including on-the-job training and incentives for low-to-moderate income households, bringing $500,000 into the Central New York economy. HeatSmart CNY is supported by a partnership between the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB) and Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE). Visit heatsmartcny.org for more information, including details on technologies, contractor partners, and financing information.
Air Source Heat Pumps at
The Sinclair of Skaneateles
Our campaign offers information and help with energy efficiency retrofits and the latest energy efficient technologies, such as geothermal systems, cold climate air source heat pumps, and hot water heat pumps. We invite anyone in Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga, Madison and Oswego Counties to sign up to get a no obligation quote from one or more of our carefully vetted local home performance and heat pump installers, and we are here to help every step of the way.
Do you know someone with HVAC experience who would like to join this growing industry? We are working to connect people to local jobs through paid mentorship and on-the-job training opportunities.
The net-zero energy Skaneateles Village Hall is heated and cooled by a ground source (geothermal) heat pump powered by a solar array on the roof.
Creating an Equitable and Efficient Energy Future
Changing how we heat and cool our homes and businesses not only saves money for those using expensive fuel sources such as oil, propane, kerosene, or electric resistance heating, it also benefits our health and our planet. Heat pumps can eliminate or greatly reduce carbon monoxide and other indoor air pollution that damages our health. Heat pumps dramatically reduce New York’s greenhouse gas emissions, 38% of which come from heating and cooling our buildings. Heat pumps also support efficient utilization of our electrical grid, reducing demand spikes in the summer and using more of the grid’s capacity during the heating seasons. A broad consensus is forming between scientists, energy experts, and policy makers that heat pumps are key to a reliable energy future.
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How You Can Help
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Provide meeting space or refreshments for workshops and events
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Pass municipal resolutions in support of HeatSmart CNY
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Promote our campaigns and events:
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Distribution of flyers, brochures, fact sheets
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Mention and link to HeatSmart CNY in your newsletter, mailings, articles, websites, or social media
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Participate
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Enroll your home, business, house of worship or other building for an energy assessment and no obligation heat pump quote
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Volunteer or help us recruit volunteers
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Sign up for notifications of upcoming events to share with your networks
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Municipalities - consider a local community campaign in partnership with HeatSmart CNY. This could also help your community receive points and grants in the Clean Energy Communities program!
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Pump up interest if your building has a heat pump, or you know of buildings with heat pumps
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Host an open house, provide testimonials for the website, and/or participate in a case study
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Prepare your community
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Help with coordinating outreach to community groups and local elected officials
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Invite HeatSmart CNY to speak with your group, or notify us of tabling opportunities.
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For more information, visit heatsmartcny.org/ or contact:
Lindsay Speer, Campaign Manager, at Lindsay@HeatSmartCNY.org or 833-315-4328 x1,
Chris Carrick, Campaign Director, at 315-422-8276 x1213 or ccarrick@cnyrpdb.org, or
Dick Kornbluth, Home Energy Advisor, at 833-315-4328 x2.
Air Source Heat Pumps powered by solar energy at the Preble Town Hall replaced a fuel oil-powered furnace to provide heating and cooling at the facility.
Air Source Heat Pumps installed at the Village of Cazenovia's Fire Hall provide cooling and supplemental heating at the facility.