Underwriting Electric and High-Performance Buildings

HPD is committed to working toward the City’s goals of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050, while focusing on the resiliency and health of our buildings and our residents. To achieve these goals, we have committed to fast-tracking equitable decarbonization and releasing Design Guidelines and initiatives that will ensure that these goals can be met across our portfolio of projects.

To support this work, HPD has also developed policies, standards, and tools to support electrification and high-performance buildings:

• HDC’s 2023 Maintenance and Operations Standards: The new All Electric Maintenance and Operating Expense Standard covers electric heating, hot water, and owner-paid cooling, and has a separate heating standard for Passive House.
  
  
• HPD’S Underwriting High Performance Worksheet (coming soon): Passive House projects may choose to underwrite to a higher performance level using HPD’s Underwriting Hight Performance Worksheet if they have an energy model. Please ask your project manager or contact the Sustainability Office if you need to access the worksheet.   
  
  
• HPD’s 2023 Utility Allowance Table for Electric Heating, Hot Water and Air Conditioning.  
  
  
• HPD’s Electric Heating Policy: Outlines HPD’s policies around electric heating and hot water, including information about which equipment may be used and when resident-paid heating is allowed.
  
  

• HPD's Heat Pump System Decision Matrix: This tool provides examples of various heat pump technologies paired with information on building typologies, appropriate billing strategies for each technology, and cost information. 
  
  

• HPD’s Resident-Paid Heat Policy: Outlines HPD’s policies and guidelines for resident-paid heating and hot water, which is allowed for certain HPD programs and with HPD’s prior approval.
  
  
• HPD Resource Packet for Residents: Must be provided to residents who pay for their own electric heating and hot water and is a useful resource to any resident who has heat pumps or pays for utilities. The packet includes the following material:
  • Residential User Tips for Air Source Heat Pumps
  • NYC’s Utility Assistance Programs and Resources
    
    
• HPD’s Retrofit Electrification Pilot: In addition to information about how to apply to this program, the page includes many resources about building electrification.
  
  
• HPD’s Future Housing Initiative: The Future Housing Initiative will provide gap funding to high-performance all-electric construction for selected projects in HPD’s New Construction pipeline.