The SBDC has partnered with the agencies Renew St. Lawrence County and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to link business owners with the best resources to build new or renovate existing businesses.

The agencies will be presenting two free workshops at:

• 9 a.m. Monday, June 18, at the Potsdam Civic Center; and
• 4 p.m. Monday, June 18, at Ogdensburg’s Dobisky Center.

“NYSERDA provides free energy audits for existing businesses to help existing businesses plan energy efficient renovations,” said SBDC Director Dale A. Rice. “They will be able to provide free information and recommendations about energy efficient heating and lighting solutions. Business owners may also be eligible for economic incentives to renovate or build new brick-and-mortar businesses or storefronts.”

A NYSERDA Outreach Specialist will be presenting the workshops as a means to help business owners gain access to funding available from a wide range of state resources. The SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center is available to assist business owners with all of the necessary steps and assessing the cost-benefit of implementing new energy efficiency measures.

For more information, or to secure a seat at either of the two free workshops, please contact the SBDC Office at SUNY Canton, 315-386-7312, sbdc@canton.edu.

The 90-minute application session will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at SUNY Canton in Wicks Hall 006. The hands-on workshop will allow participants to complete the online Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) during the session with assistance from SBDC business advisors.

The NYSERDA study provides a comprehensive evaluation to identify cost-effective methods to reduce energy use and cost and to identify economically viable improvements that will yield substantial energy savings. The study is available to business owners who either own or lease their facility and is free if the building’s average electric demand is less than 100 kilowatts a year.

Small businesses and not-for-profits can also obtain generous financial incentives to implement the recommended energy-efficiency measures.

Attendees should bring the following information: estimated annual electric expenses and consumption (in kilowatt hours), estimated annual natural gas expenses and consumption (in therms) and square footage of the building(s). An email address is also needed to complete the online application.

Space is limited and registration is required. To register, contact the SUNY Canton SBDC at 315-386-7312.

SUNY Canton is hosting ‘Transforming North Country Housing: The Deep Retrofit Opportunity’ beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 21 in the College’s Woodcock Conference Suite 212, located in the Richard W. Miller Campus Center.

The training and discussion will especially appeal to energy-conscious builders and contractors, groups involved in energy and housing work, as well as local government officials curious about improving the community. The session will be the technical-detailed culmination of the training required for implementing deep energy retrofit practices and improving all aspects of the exterior parts of buildings and homes in a comprehensive module.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Gregory A. Pedrick, CEM, Buildings Research and Development Project Manager, will be providing the training and facilitating the discussion. Pedrick has over 24 years of  engineering experience in the fields of power systems and generation, distributed control system automation for manufacturing facilities, research and development with specialty in infrared analysis, transmission and distribution system design, industrial energy efficiency, and Advanced Building features.

The event is free and open to all interested individuals, and 1.25 continuing education units (CEU) are available to Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified attendees. In order to be credited for CEUs, attendees need to bring their candidate identification number from their BPI Certified Professional ID badge.

The event is being offered in partnership between NYSERDA and SUNY Canton’s Canino School of Engineering Technology.

For more information or to RSVP for the event, contact Art Garno, Site Coordinator for BPI recognized training given by SUNY Canton, at (315) 386-7197 or garnoa@canton.edu. Walk-ins are also welcome to attend.

Arthur S. Garno, a Building Performance Institute (BPI) Site Coordinator from SUNY Canton, is offering an informational presentation beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23 in Payson Hall Room 124 on the College’s campus. There is no cost to attend the session.

The presentation will be geared towards those looking to become a BPI-accredited contracting company for construction projects that include energy efficiency measures. BPI is a leading developer of technical standards, training and professional credentialing for home performance assessments, building envelope retrofits and HVAC system retrofits.

SUNY Canton is the area’s training center for becoming a BPI-certified home energy auditor.

Only BPI-accredited contractors with BPI-certified staff are eligible to participate in New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Home Performance with ENERGY STAR^® program that provides incentives to homeowners for energy efficiency retrofit work.

For more information or to RSVP for the event, contact Garno at (315) 386-7197 or garnoa@canton.edu. Walk-ins are welcome.

Click image to enlarge

Faculty experts from SUNY Canton’s Alternative and Renewable Energy Systems program will be providing valuable Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified Building Analyst training, beginning Feb. 23 in Watertown.

“Every building works as a system,” said Michael J. Newtown, an Assistant Professor in the Alternative and Renewable Energy Systems program and BPI Instructor. “We show contractors why some homes fail, why some excel, and how to resolve residential heating and cooling problems.”

Newtown said that the training uses a “whole house” performance-based approach with the end result of a more comfortable, safe, and durable home.

Upcoming SUNY Canton BPI trainings include courses beginning at:

• 3 p.m., Feb. 23, at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Watertown.
• 9 a.m., March 2, at ComLinks in Malone.
• 9 a.m., March 15, at Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh.
• 3 p.m., April 19, at SUNY Canton.

Newtown and his staff of highly trained professionals will also be offering Envelope Professional training beginning at 9 a.m. April 5 at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Watertown.

“The knowledge contained in the BPI trainings make contractors more marketable to prospective clients,” Newtown said. “As end consumers look to save money and be ‘greener,’ building efficiency is becoming a necessity rather than a luxury.”

The BPI training includes 24 hours of classroom instruction and 12 hours of field training. Topics include identifying building performance problems such as ice dams, air quality issues, calculating energy consumption and analysis, and analyzing buildings using “blower door” technology. Written and field exams for the Building Analyst Professional certification follow the trainings.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will reimburse 75 to 100 percent of the training program fee upon successful completion of the course.

For more information or to register, visit www.canton.edu/bpi/ or contact Art Garno at SUNY Canton at 315.386.7197 or garnoa@canton.edu.

The SBDC Seminar will outline adoptable renewable energy systems and energy efficient business models.

Tax incentives and low-cost loans are available for business owners

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at SUNY Canton will be helping business owners adapt to a completely new set of energy demands through their upcoming seminar “Energy Challenges and Solutions for Business in the 21st Century.”

The seminar will be held in conjunction with the North Country SBDC in Plattsburgh at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 28, at ComLinks located at 343 West Main Street in Malone. Seminar speakers will outline the opportunities to adopt renewable energy systems and creating energy efficient business models. The event is free and open to the public.

The New York State SBDC, in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC), has formulated an Energy Savings Program that will encourage business owners to implement energy efficiencies that will allow their firms to compete on a favorable basis in a global economy.

Seminar speakers Anthony Presti, Program Coordinator for the SBDC’s Energy Savings Program, and NYSERDA representatives will detail measures which, when implemented, will produce maximum savings for the business owner.

Business owners will learn how they can work with NYSERDA and SBDC Advisors to: implement energy efficiency projects; secure the financing to achieve energy efficiency or even to build green buildings; evaluate other renewable energy sources such as solar and wind; improve environmental performance by being greener; evaluate energy efficiency opportunities in all areas; and improve their bottom line.

Under the Energy Savings Program, an SBDC advisor reviews the NYSERDA suggested efficiencies with the business owner to analyze the potential savings of implementing the changes. Eligibility is open to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as industrial and commercial facilities and the New York State SBDC will subsidize one half of the cost of the NYSERDA review for the first 100 statewide clients of the program.

There is no charge for the program, but pre-registration is required. Contact the Canton Small Business Development Center at: 315-386-7312 or email sbdc@canton.edu to register and to obtain up-to-date information.

The Canton and North Country SBDCs work one-on-one in a confidential setting with emerging, existing, and expanding entrepreneurs. SBDC staff members provide these services at no cost to clients in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Warren, and St. Lawrence counties. The Canton and North Country SBDCs are part of a statewide program funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the State of New York. Visit the North Country SBDC online at www.NorthCountrySBDC.org or the Canton SBDC online at www.canton.edu/sbdc.

SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor’s, associate, and certificate programs, as well as three master’s degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. Most of SUNY Canton’s new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 100 courses online each semester. The College’s athletic teams belong to the NAIA’s Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years. Construction is now underway for the College’s new Convocation, Athletic, and Recreation Center.

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.