Michelle Blassou

Michelle Blassou serves as a Technical Contact for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), providing critical expertise in the evaluation and oversight of building inspection and energy performance assessments. In this role, she supports NYSERDA’s mission to accelerate decarbonization and energy efficiency across New York’s built environment by ensuring technical rigor in procurement processes for compliance, auditing, and verification services. She interfaces directly with vendors to validate technical proposals, assess methodological soundness, and align deliverables with state energy codes and performance standards, primarily managing task orders under indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts for building envelope diagnostics, thermal imaging, and energy modeling validation. While no specific contractor relationships are currently documented, Blassou collaborates with a diverse pool of technical service providers specializing in building science, energy auditing, and third-party verification. Her working relationships emphasize technical competence over vendor size, fostering partnerships with firms capable of delivering standardized, data-driven inspection protocols aligned with ASHRAE, IECC, and NYSERDA’s own technical guidelines. She consistently prioritizes vendors with demonstrated experience in retrocommissioning, envelope leakage testing, and HVAC performance validation. Blassou’s procurement activities reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of acquisitions issued without set-aside designations. This approach underscores NYSERDA’s strategy to maximize technical capability and market responsiveness rather than restrict competition based on socioeconomic criteria, though small businesses remain eligible and frequently compete on technical merit. Her primary procurement focus is centered on NAICS 541350 (Building Inspection Services), encompassing services such as energy code compliance inspections, blower door testing, infrared thermography, and building performance certification. She specializes in procuring technical services that support NYSERDA’s programs in building decarbonization, including the NY Clean Heat initiative and the Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS), requiring deep domain knowledge in energy modeling, envelope integrity, and HVAC system diagnostics.