Save Energy. Save Money. Save the Planet, with Pepco’s Energy Saving Program

Pepco offers a suite of programs to help you save energy and money. These programs support Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s EmPOWER Maryland initiative to reduce energy consumption in the state 15 percent by 2015. Not only will you save, you’ll be doing your part to make Maryland a cleaner and greener place to live.

For homeowners, the Quick Home Energy Check-up is a great way to get started. An energy professional will complete a high-level assessment of your home and install energy-saving products such as CFLs and low-flow shower heads, making it easy for you to save right away.

Or, receive up to $750 in rebates when you upgrade to more efficient cooling and heating equipment and have your duct system evaluated  to seal any leaks, fix holes or be properly connected, which improves your home’s comfort and indoor air quality. Both services are provided by Pepco’s participating contractors.

If you are thinking about a new appliance, be sure to choose an ENERGY STAR® certified one and get up to $150 in rebates from Pepco.

Or, choose to save automatically with Energy Wise Rewards™. Residential and commercial customers alike can sign up and choose a web-programmable thermostat – a $150 value – or an outdoor switch, both professionally installed at no charge. Then, receive up to $160 off your bill in your first year of participating. For a few hours on Peak Savings Days, Pepco will automatically cycle off and on your central air conditioner or heat pump compressor while your fan continues to circulate already cooled air. You have two opportunities to opt out of a Peak Savings Day each year.

Next summer, look for a phone call, text message or email from Pepco the day before a Peak Savings Day, alerting you to voluntarily reduce your electricity use. With the Peak Energy Savings Credit program you will receive a $1.25 credit off your bill for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) you reduce below your baseline.

Residents of multi-family apartment buildings and condominiums, don’t fret! You can also benefit from rebates for appliance purchases, get a Quick Home Energy Check-up, and participate in the Peak Energy Savings Credit and Energy Wise Rewards programs.

There are even programs for commercial customers, small business and nonprofits through the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Energy Saving Programs. Participating organizations have saved more than $16 million in energy costs since 2009, which goes straight to your bottom line. Plus, your customers know you’re making a difference in Maryland’s environment.

Learn more about Pepco’s Home Energy Saving Programs and the C&I Energy Saving Programs to start saving energy and money today.

 

EmPower MD save$ energy for condos

by Alan Cohen

There’s good news for condo associations in Maryland that are looking to save money while improving their environmental performance. Through a state-mandated surcharge, all utility customers are already paying to fund “EmPOWER Maryland,” a voter-approved initiative to cut statewide energy consumption by 15%. Why is that good news? Because three “EmPOWER Maryland” energy efficiency programs can help mass-metered condo associations cut costs while modernizing their homes and communities. Each program is either partially or even entirely funded by this state initiative, and one even pays you to save energy! Let’s now take a brief look at each opportunity:

1. Quick Home Energy Check-ups (QHECs) – A Quick Home Energy Check-up (QHEC) is a fast, easy way for residents to reduce energy consumption and costs, and is already fully funded, so you receive the service at no additional cost. During a QHEC, a trained energy technician will assess your home’s current energy use, recommend energy-saving improvements, and install up to $150 worth of basic energy-saving devices, which may include efficient light bulbs, showerheads, and “smart” power strips. To take part, your board will need to approve community-wide participation, plus provide some basic information on your community and access to residents’ homes. For details, please go to QHEC-Pepco.
2. Pepco’s Walk-Through Energy Assessment (WTEA) Program for Small Business – Through the same suite of programs, some Pepco  multifamily communities – including condo associations – are also entitled to rebates of up to 80% on the installed cost of common-area lighting, HVAC, and building exterior upgrades. You begin the process by selecting a Pepco trade ally specifically approved to deliver the small business program, booking a time for your audit and providing your energy auditor with copies of recent common-area lighting bills. Next, trained energy engineers perform a brief audit of your common areas, which can include high-consuming areas such as pools, fitness centers, stairwells and parking garages.  This audit is usually at no cost, and includes a number of free “direct install” measures that will begin saving you energy immediately. Next, with your approval, your energy auditor will install cutting-edge LED lighting upgrades and other improvements, which can normally be financed to be cash-flow positive from the first month. For more information, please visit Small Business Program – Multi-Family_Pepco.
3. Energy Wise Rewards – Under this innovative program, Pepco will give you bill credits in exchange for installing a programmable thermostat or outdoor switch at your property and “cycling” it during peak-use times to cut overall energy demand – reducing the need for new power plants. Each condo association and unit owner who decides to participate gets bill credits, plus a per-unit cash bonus if the association itself installs the equipment. The program begins with a free analysis to determine whether your condos’ HVAC systems are compatible with the Energy Wise equipment, and to calculate the size of your cash rebate. For details, please go to Energy Wise Rewards-Business_Pepco.

Alan Cohen is a writer specializing in environmental technology and clean energy. He works with Zerodraft Maryland, a full-service energy management company.

 

Solar & Green Home Expo — May 11 @ Bethesda Green

by Jennifer Roe

Are you interested in greening your home?  Do you want to save money and create a healthier environment for your family?  If so, plan now to attend Bethesda Green’s 4th annual Solar & Green Home Expo, Saturday, May 11, 10 am – 3 pm.

The event will be held at the Bethesda Green offices, 4825 Cordell Avenue, 2nd floor above the Capital One Bank. All are invited to attend this FREE community event, explore and participate in workshops, and discuss practical ways to green your home.

Representatives from the Montgomery Department of Environmental Protection Energy and Pepco will answer questions about costs, benefits, tax credits, and other incentives.  Learn about the advantages of going solar in your home!

Local green businesses will showcase products and services that can help homeowners go green.  Participating companies and organizations include: Solar Energy World, Standard Solar, ecobeco, Growing SOUL, Savenia Labs, A.I.R. Lawn Care, Bethesda Systems, Energy Squad.  Click here to see a complete list.

Workshop topics will include:

• Composting 101: In Your Home or Backyard
• Deep Green Homes, Living in Harmony with Nature and not the Utility Company
• Community Solar Power Purchasing: Solar Power for the other 80%
• County, State and Federal Tax Benefits for Energy Efficiency and Solar Power
• Efficiency Incentives: Pepco Rebate Programs for 2013

Learn more about the Solar & Green Home Expo and see a detailed program schedule here.

 

How Small Businesses Can Go Green and Save Money

Jennifer Kaplan speaks at Bethesda Green.

One author and two Pepco program representatives brought a big message for small businesses to Bethesda Green, Tuesday, March 9: Going green can save your business money, with a modest amount of effort.

Jennifer Kaplan discussed her book, ‘Greening Your Small Business,’ which came out last fall. Her top three tips: Use less, buy and source locally, and start small. In the use less category, she recommended turning off your company’s computers at night to save energy. Also, consider getting rid of your fax machine and instead sending and receiving faxes electronically (this saves paper and electricity).

Buying and sourcing locally means you’ll pay lower transportation costs for those items (and eliminate environmental impacts of long-distance transport). Buying locally also supports the local economy and has a cultural impact in your community—you get to know your suppliers, who are more likely to help you with custom orders.

As for starting small, Kaplan said businesses should consider doing the little things—such as buying recycled products and using less paper—that can add up when multiplied by the 29 million small businesses in America. Her book offers dozens more tips and examples of small businesses implementing green practices across the country.

Kaplan is an adjunct faculty of marketing at Marymount University in Arlington, Va., and founder of Greenhance LLC, a business consultancy that provides marketing and communication strategies to small businesses going green.

(L to R) Pepco's Manuel Vera, author Jennifer Kaplan and Pepco Commercial Energy Savings program manager Nick Keller

The two other speakers, Nick Keller and Manuel Vera of Pepco’s Commercial & Industrial Energy Savings Program, discussed how small businesses can qualify for rebates for making energy efficiency improvements.

Keller noted that companies can save about 30 percent on their energy bills with very little effort. The program helps offset costs for energy efficient upgrades in three ways: providing rebates of certain dollar amounts for certain products, such as lighting; providing custom rebates for other energy-saving solutions companies come up with; and reimbursing energy efficiency training costs for building managers, up to $1,000 or 80 percent of the training.

In addition, the program has a network of trade contractor allies that are pre-approved to do energy efficiency work.

Companies seeking a custom rebate must get pre-approval from the program. Keller noted that the program’s funding comes from electricity bills; you’re paying for it, so might as well take advantage of it. To learn more, visit pepco.com/business and click on “Energy Efficiency Programs.”

Some 20 people attended the lunchtime event and there was a lively Q&A after the presentations. Access Montgomery TV filmed the event; they’ll use some of the footage in the ‘Think Green’ TV show, which airs Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. on Channel 21 on RCN, Comcast and Verizon services.

Bethesda Green Executive Director Dave Feldman noted that Bethesda Green will be launching a program for small businesses in May, in partnership with the Bethesda Chamber of Commerce. Stay tuned for details.

Do you know ways small businesses can go green and save money? Have you implemented such actions at your small business? Post your comments here!