Orange, CT – To help Connecticut large and small businesses reach their energy efficiency goals for 2020, more resources are being dedicated to support cost-saving upgrades and projects to help streamline operations. United Illuminating (UI), Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG) and Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG), subsidiaries of AVANGRID Inc., are helping customers assess opportunities, execute updates and secure incentives that cover up to an unprecedented 75% of project costs.
UI, SCG and CNG have developed these enhancements for retrofit projects to support large Commercial and Industrial (C&I) businesses with rebates and incentives, however projects must be submitted by mid-December to qualify. Up to 75% of install measure costs for retrofit projects completed in 2020 can be covered under the current program offerings for projects estimated to realize at least 30% energy savings upon completion. Business customers are encouraged to begin planning for 2021 projects to take advantage of funding while it lasts.
Commercial property owners, energy modeling firms and architectural firms can also obtain attractive incentives for new construction. Eligible projects are based on whole building outcomes, including those that are using high performance interior and exterior lighting (LED), sustainable office design and system controls to meet or exceed green building certification requirements. In addition, there are now more than 40 available incentive measures for HVAC and food service equipment. For the latest in available incentives, visit
https://www.energizect.com/events-resources/energy-articles/incentive-status.
For micro-businesses like local restaurants, small retail operations, doctors’ or lawyers’ offices and private companies; virtual, no-contact energy pre-assessments are now available through the Small Business Energy Advantage (SBEA) program to support electric and gas cost-saving measures. The assessment allows business owners to address energy-saving improvements remotely with UI, SCG, CNG approved contractors, using mobile devices to share and identify areas where upgrades could improve energy use.
In addition to lighting systems or controls upgrades, measures can include sealing and weatherization, refrigeration controls and cooler upgrades, pipe insulation, HVAC system upgrades and controls or custom energy efficiency measures.
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After the assessment, a self-install kit of energy-saving measures will be mailed to the customer at no charge. At no cost, follow-up site visits following safety protocol might be coordinated to identify any additional skilled or licensed labor needed, such as specialty equipment installation.
For more information about incentives for large and small C&I energy efficiency projects, customers are encouraged to reach out to their UI, SCG or CNG program administrator. Visit BusinessEnergyCT.com to sign up.
In one recent project, a retailer serving Trumbull, North Haven, Fairfield and Bridgeport areas upgraded its LED lighting and lighting control system with enhanced incentives that covered 75% of the total $553,700 project cost. Without the newly enhanced incentives, roughly $137,7000 would have been provided toward the project; with current incentives, the retailer will receive roughly $415,000 toward project costs.
“By providing these larger incentives, we can help our customers get back on track with their energy efficiency goals in 2020 and financially prepare for 2021,” said Elizabeth Murphy, supervisor at AVANGRID Inc. “These upgrades provide businesses with operating cost-savings during a critical time, supporting long-term sustainability and the viability of their business operations to meet new requirements or modifications.”
A large-scale, New Haven-based bakery recently leveraged an additional $32,000 in incentives, utilizing a total of $155,000 in incentives for their $186,000 project. With these funds, the bakery upgraded and installed LED lighting and a high-efficiency blast freezer, increasing overall production efficiency to support their nationwide distribution of pies and baked goods.
“Virtual assessments help micro-businesses, many of whom are feeling the negative impacts of the pandemic and continue to search for ways to save costs in daily operations,” said Murphy. “It’s important that we continue to provide strong support for small businesses to reach and maintain financial and energy efficiency goals and the self-install options can help them realize savings right away.”
