Buildings of Excellence Competition

Buildings of Excellence Competition

Supports zero-carbon multifamily building innovation in New York through competitive grants.

The NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence Competition funds the design, construction, and operation of low- and zero-carbon, climate-resilient multifamily buildings in New York State. Administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) through the Clean Energy Fund's Market Development portfolio, the program has provided cumulative funding of $68 million to $83 million across multiple rounds. Round 3 awarded $13.5 million to 14 projects, while Rounds 4 and 5 each made $10 million available, with Round 5 awarding approximately $7 million to 9 projects. Example winning projects include 819 Grand Street in Brooklyn, a senior housing development with onsite solar, and Three Arts in Harlem, a carbon-neutral-ready building featuring advanced HVAC systems.

Eligible applicants include architects, developers, and building operators working on multifamily residential projects in New York State. Single-family and commercial properties are outside program scope. Projects must target at least one of the following outcomes: zero-carbon or carbon-neutral design, energy efficiency improvements, climate resilience, or community health benefits. The competition runs multiple rounds and has funded both demonstration projects and early design support categories. Funding flows through the Clean Energy Fund, which is financed by a System Benefits Charge on New York utility customer bills.

Applicants should monitor the NYSERDA website for Round 5 final award announcements and Round 6 opening. Competitive projects in prior rounds combined deep energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, and resilience features simultaneously, rather than optimizing for a single criterion. Applying teams that can demonstrate cross-category performance — especially community health co-benefits alongside zero-carbon design — have historically fared best.