Energy Efficiency

Austin Energy offers incentives for the construction and major renovation of commercial buildings within its service territory. The program rewards customers by using a tiered payment format, which provides incentives to customers for using efficient measures and techniques throughout the entire construction process. Tier 1 payments are based upon assessments of the planning and design phases of construction. Tier 2 payments are based upon conditions after the project receives building permits but before receiving the certificate of occupancy. Tier 3 rebates are awarded based upon conditions after the certificate of occupancy has been issued. These incentives levels are based upon the percentage of rebates for which the customer qualifies under Austin Energy's commercial rebate program. 

Austin Energy offers incentives for commercial customers to increase the energy efficiency of facilities through the Commercial Rebate Program. Rebates are available for qualified HVAC equipment, ceiling/roof insulation and reflective coating, chillers, custom technologies, energy recovery ventilators, lighting equipment, motors, solar technologies, variable frequency drives, and window treatments. Austin Energy has also created an incentive schedule for new construction projects, which awards incentives based upon specific project conditions. Custom measures include wire-up sizing, day lighting controls, elevator drives, desuperheater heat recovery water heaters, cooling towers and others. 

Interested businesses must first fill out a Customer Information Request Form. An Austin Energy Representative will then contact the business to schedule an initial assessment of the facility, during which, project related documentation, applications and additional energy saving opportunities will be discussed. A rebate application accompanied by the required technical documentation on the proposed equipment must then be submitted before any new equipment is installed. Austin Energy will then perform a preliminary inspection of the existing equipment, followed by a final inspection after the work is complete.

APS Solutions for Business incentives help businesses increase energy efficiency and reduce energy use. APS nonresidential customers (including schools, small businesses, industrial facilities and public agencies) can choose energy efficiency measures with rebates for existing building and new construction. Under the Express Solutions Program, schools of any size and businesses with a demand of 100 kW or less can receive incentives covering up to 90% of lighting and refrigeration project costs.

Generally, prescriptive incentives are available for both retrofit and new construction projects. Incentive levels for qualifying measures are provided in detail in the application for prescriptive measures. To qualify for the incentive, all final applications must be submitted within six months of project completion. 

Anaheim Public Utilities (APU) offers commercial, industrial, residential, and institutional customers the Green Building Incentives Program to offset construction, installation and upgrade costs of energy efficient equipment.  Customers interested in participating in this program can choose from a variety of third-party rating and certification programs including but no limited to:  LEED, Build it Green, California Green Build, and Green Globes.  

Anaheim Public Utilities (APU) offers several Business Efficiency Incentives Programs to commercial facilities interested in energy efficiency. Eligible businesses may apply for rebates for efficient lighting, heat pumps, exit signs and various custom measures. Contact APU to learn more about initiating the rebate application process. Incentives are available for the following measures:

Customized Energy Incentives 

Lighting Incentives Program 

Heat Pump Incentives 

Efficient Exit Sign Program 

Economic Development/Business Retention Incentive Rate

Anaheim Public Utilities (APU) offers commercial, industrial, and institutional customers the New Construction Incentives Program to offset construction and installation costs of energy efficient improvements and equipment.

Interested customers must contact APU to set up initial consultation. Working with a design team and builder, APU will contribute rebates for the installation of energy efficient equipment and measures involving lighting, building envelopes, mechanical equipment, and design reviews. Rebates levels are either $400 per kW saved or $0.15 per kWh saved, whichever is greater. Total rebates can be up to $50,000 per measure and $200,000 per project. After the completion of construction, the utility will inspect the facility to verify that installed measures exceed Title 24 standards. Participating customers will receive a rebate check within 6 weeks of receiving paid itemized project invoices and project inspection. 

Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) offers the following grant and rebate programs to AMP customers. Projects will only be funded if AMP receives and approves the application and performs a pre-installation inspection before work begins. A post-installation inspection must also be completed by AMP before the customer receives reimbursement.

Design Assistance Grants
Grants are available for design assistance which includes analysis, building modeling, and research.

Whole Building Approach
Rebates are available for proposed buildings that exceed Title 24 by at least 10%. The analysis can be conducted by an energy consultant or the design team itself. Analysis must be completed using a comprehensive energy simulation tool that can model Title 24 requirements.

Building Systems Approach
Rebates are available for individual systems within a building, including HVAC and lighting.

Alameda Power and Telecom offers financial incentives for its commercial customers to install a range of energy efficient equipment and measures. HVAC rebates include efficient variable frequency drives, air conditioners and heat pumps. Custom rebates based on kWh savings are available for motors, lighting, HVAC, refrigeration, and computer systems.  Higher per kWh rebates are offered for equipment qualifying as "advanced technology."  

To qualify for incentives, customers must first fill out the application forms available on the program web site, and schedule a pre-installation inspection. Alameda Power and Telecom will then award the rebate once they receive the proofs of purchase and conduct a post-installation inspection. The incentives vary according to the type and efficiency of the equipment installed, and the type and efficiency of the equipment being replaced. Full details and rebate schedule are available on the application forms.  

AEP's Commercial & Industrial Standard Offer Program (C&I SOP) pays incentives to service providers who install energy efficiency measures in commercial or industrial facilities that are located within AEP's Arkansas service territories. A variety of prescriptive rebates are available to commercial and industrial customers in a range of industries. Schools, non-profits, hospitals, government buildings and institutional facilities are all eligible for incentives under this program. These facilities must have a maximum demand of more than 50 kW and must receive their electricity from AEP Southwestern Electric Power (Arkansas service territory only).  Incentives are based upon projected annual energy savings and peak demand savings. All equipment must meet efficiency requirements listed on program brochures. Custom measures are also available to customers who wish to reduce energy consumption and peak demand. 

Public Services Company’s High Performance Business Program pays incentives to customers who install energy efficiency measures such as retrofitting existing equipment, new construction, major renovation, addition of new equipment, and end of life replacements for non-residential facilities that are located within PSO’s service territory. The program offers prescriptive incentives, which pays a flat dollar rate per unit installed or a custom incentive for measures not available on a prescriptive list. The custom incentive pays $0.06 per kilowatt-hour and $175 per kilowatt for both energy and demand savings. Incentives can be paid to either the customer or the contractor doing the work. Custom projects are capped at 50% of the project cost and 75% of the incremental costs for new construction projects. A project is not eligible if the payback period is 1.5 years or less without the incentive.

The program offers a trade ally program to help customers find contractors, engineers, and consultants to assist them in finding energy efficiency opportunities. It also helps pay for Technical Assistance programs, which provide detailed engineering analyses to determine the economics and technical feasibility of one or more energy efficiency projects within existing buildings. The Design Assistance program feature offers detailed support to design teams on new construction projects when evaluating multiple efficiency options on a whole building basis. The program also provides Master Energy Planning services to governmental and educational facilities. 

The program offers a Retro Commissioning to help customers identify and implement low-cost/no-cost improvements to operating systems within existing buildings. This program feature focuses on existing system performance rather than equipment replacement. There are two retro commissioning tracks available: 

Full RCx Services, which is available for facilities at least 75,000 square feet (sqft) in size with complex HVAC systems and controls, and

Enhanced O&M Services, which is available for facilities less than 75,000 sqft in size and industrial processes. 

Incentives are available to cover up to 50% of the cost of RCx study and are capped at $20,000 for Full RCx and $15,000 for EO&M.