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| ComEd Smart Ideas Incentives |
Learn & Save with Connexion's Energy Solutions and ComEd's Smart Ideas for your Business program.
June 1, 2011 begins the start of ComEd's incentive program Year-4; $30 million dollars of incentives are available for rate payers in the ComEd and Ameren service territories.
ComEd created these fact sheets to help customers find ways to lower energy costs for their businesses. As a ComEd Trade Ally, Connexion can offer our guidance and ensure your next facility project earns the maximum allowable incentives. Please contact us for details.
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 | ComEd's Smart Ideas for Your Business Incentive Program |
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ComEd Ups the Ante on Energy Incentives
Customers that have already participated in the Smart Ideas for Your Business incentive program can get a 10% bonus incentive on their next energy-efficiency project. This special bonus is available only for projects at facilities that have completed a Smart Ideas for Your Business project before December 31, 2011.
Please note:
- The bonus coupon must be submitted with the complete final application. The account number on the application must match the account number of a previously submitted application. Bonus coupons received without the application will not be processed.
- The coupon can be submitted with one final application only and cannot be reused.
- Program incentive caps, equipment specifications and terms and conditions apply (see applications).
- The coupon must be signed by the customer.
- This coupon is good for ComEd's Smart Ideas for Your Business prescriptive and custom incentive program only.
For more information: contact a Connexion Energy Solutions team member
This bonus offer expires on May 15, 2012
Big news for larger projects
Effective immediately, ComEd's Smart Ideas for Your Business® has changed the incentive calculation for larger projects. Incentives are now paid at 100 percent of the calculated incentive up to $200,000, plus 50 percent of the calculated incentive above $200,000, up to $1 million per program year (June 1 through May 31) limit.
Previously, the 50 percent calculation started at $100,000, so a calculated incentive of $150,000 became a check for $125,000. Now that check will be $150,000 -- good news for you and your customer.
The incentive cap is still $1 million per program year per facility (any combination of prescriptive and custom incentives). Incentives will still be capped at 50 percent of the project cost.
For more information: contact a Connexion Energy Solutions team member
Per-Fixture Cap on New T8/T5 Fixtures Raised to $150
The Smart Ideas for Your Business program has raised the per-fixture incentive cap for new T5 or T8 fixtures to $150.
The new higher cap will primarily affect projects in which metal halide fixtures of 500 system watts or more are replaced. Typically, these high-wattage metal halide fixtures are found in large industrial or warehouse spaces with ceiling heights of 30 feet or more. The higher cap means higher incentives and faster payback, which will encourage customers with these facilities to upgrade their lighting.
For example, the typical retrofit for a 1000W metal halide is a 10- or 12-lamp T8 fixture or an 8-lamp T5 fixture. With the extra lamps and fixtures, replacing high-wattage metal halides can cost twice as much as replacing lower wattage metal halides. Raising the incentive cap to $150 could increase the incentive amount to 25% of the project cost.
Replacing high-wattage metal halide fixtures means significant energy savings. Let's say your customer replaces one 1000W metal halide fixture (1,080 fixture watts) operating for 4,946 hours a year with an 8-lamp T5 fixture with a wattage of 468W.
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1000W or 1.08 kW x 4,946 hours = 5,342 kWh/year
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New fixture
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468W or .468kW x 4,946 hours = 2,315 kWh/year
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At 10 cents per kWh, the customer will save $303 per fixture per year! The cost of installing a 8-lamp T5 fixture is approximately $500, which means the payback for this project would be 19 months without the incentive or 14 months with an incentive of $150.
Note: The 50%-of-project-cost cap and per-facility cap still apply.
Rooftop HVAC Unit Incentive Discontinued December 31
Effective December 31, 2011, ComEd's Smart Ideas for Your Business® program will no longer accept new incentive applications for rooftop unitary and split air conditioning systems or air source heat pumps (RTUs).
Code changes now require higher efficiency for RTUs, and an analysis of data from the Smart Ideas program and similar energy-efficiency programs indicates that the energy savings from these units in the ComEd service territory are not sufficient to keep the payback period under seven years as the program requires.
Pre-approval incentive applications for rooftop units submitted before December 31 will be processed. Projects with reservations can be completed through final application and payment, subject to the program's terms and conditions. However, no new pre-approval applications or final applications without reservations will be accepted after December 31. We will not extend reservation periods for any rooftop unit project.
ComEd's Smart Ideas for Your Business Increases Incentives for T12 Upgrades
With the looming obsolescence of T12 lighting, ComEd's Smart Ideas for Your Business® is launching a full-scale initiative to encourage customers to upgrade to T8/T5 lighting.
ComEd is offering bonus incentives for T12-to-T8 retrofits between September 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012. Incentives for most T12-to-T8 retrofit measures will increase $2 per unit; incentives for lamp-only measures will increase $0.50 (see below for list). After March 31, 2012, incentives will be reduced. They will never be this high again!
A special application, with all the increased incentives highlighted, will be available on the ComEd web site.
The initiative includes more than an incentive increase. It will be backed by marketing and sales tools available only to Smart Ideas Trade Allies:
- A "Top Three Reasons to Upgrade Your T12 Fluorescent Lighting Now" flyer is available free to Trade Allies. Trade Allies may also order the flyer imprinted with their company logo and contact information, and there is a small cost for these.*
- Coming soon: An interactive online T12 upgrade savings calculator on the ComEd web site will engage customers, show them the savings they can achieve, and refer them to the Trade Ally list.
- The T12 phase-out will be a major topic at the Energy Efficiency Expo September 7.
- In addition, Smart Ideas awareness advertising, banner ads and customer newsletters will reinforce the message.
Please note the following:
- The increased incentives will apply to complete final applications submitted between September 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012.
- Incentives will be reduced on April 1, 2012.
- Applications can include just T12 upgrades or T12 upgrade plus some other lighting measure.
- A pre-approval application is required for the delamping incentive.
- The complete final application must be received by March 31 to qualify for higher incentive.
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Measure
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Regular Incentive
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Bonus
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Total Incentive Until 3/31/12
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2-ft Lamp and Ballast
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$3
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$2
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$5
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3-ft Lamp and Ballast
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$5
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$2
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$7
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4-ft U Tube T8 and Ballast
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$3
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$2
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$5
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4-ft HP T8 and ballast
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$5
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$2
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$7
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4-ft Reduced Wattage T8 and Ballast
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$5
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$2
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$ 7
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4-ft Reduced Wattage T8 Lamp Only
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$1
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$0.50
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$1.50
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8-ft Reduced Wattage T8 and Ballast
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$6
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$2
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$ 8
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8-ft Reduced Wattage T8 Lamp Only
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$1
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$0.50
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$1.50
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1-lamp 8-ft T12 to 2-Lamp 4-ft HP T8
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$5
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$2
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$7
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1-lamp 8-ft T12 to 2-lamp 4-ft RW T8
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$5
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$2
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$7
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Retrofit T12 Fixtures with T5 Lamps and Electronic Ballast
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$5
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$2
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$7
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Remove 2-ft
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$3
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$2
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$5
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Remove 2-ft lamp and install reflector
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$6
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$2
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$8
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Remove 3-ft
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$5
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$2
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$7
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Remove 3-ft lamp and install reflector
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$10
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$2
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$12
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Remove 4-ft
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$6
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$2
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$8
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Remove 4-ft lamp and install reflector
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$12
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$2
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$14
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Remove 8-ft
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$8
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$2
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$10
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Remove 8-ft lamp and install reflector
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$16
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$2
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$18
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 Additional Information on T12 Upgrades
including the 'Phase Out' legislation, lamp technology choices and financial incentives. Also, get a preview of ComEd's New Small Business incentive program!
In a ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Business® announcement made on July 13, 2011:
- Effective immediately, ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Business® has raised the per premise incentive cap to $1 million per program year. That means that one customer location could receive any combination of prescriptive and custom incentives up to $1 million per program year.
- Incentives are paid at 100 percent of the calculated incentive up to $100,000, plus 50 percent of the calculated incentive above $100,000 up to the $1 million per program year (June 1 through May 31) limit. Incentives will still be capped at 50 percent of the project cost.
- There is more good news: ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Business has increased the incentive for most custom projects to 8 cents per first-year kilowatt-hour saved for Program Year 4. As of June 1, the higher incentive applies to all custom projects with a measure life of five years or more, except compressed air projects (see below). A new custom application is available in both PDF and Excel formats.
- It is not necessary to resubmit pre-approval applications. Custom projects that have already been submitted and have not yet been approved for payment will automatically be updated to reflect the incentive increase.
- Incentives for compressed air custom projects are 5 cents per first-year kWh saved. In addition to capital measures that improve energy efficiency, projects may now include measures that reduce compressed air system demand, waste-reducing measures (such as no-loss condensate drain valves and high-efficiency air nozzles), and improved control and sequencing optimization of compressors. Use the new compressed air custom application to apply for these incentives.
If you have questions about incentives, please use the form below to contact your Connexion Energy Solutions Team. - or call us at: 847-499-8300.
Small Business Energy Savings helps Chicagoland Business Owners
Learn how other small business customers took advantage of a free, on-site energy-use assessment from ComEd’s Smart Ideas® Small Business Energy Savings program to save money on their gas and electric bills. If you decide to move forward with any of the assessment’s qualified savings recommendations, ComEd and the local Gas utilities can help you offset the costs of the energy improvements.
View the video to see small businesses that are excited about energy they saved from SBES.
Watch Video
The Small Business Energy Savings (SBES) program can help reduce energy usage and improve the bottom line. The SBES program provides a free energy usage assessment and free installation of energy savings products such as compact florescent lamps (CLFs), vending machine controls and low faucet aerotors, pre-rinse sprays. The assessment also provides a high-level, no obligation, report identifying energy efficiency capital investment improvements and incentives/rebates.
Small Business Energy Savings is available to:
- Small businesses that are jointly served by ComEd, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas, and North Shore Gas.
- Small businesses with electric demand of 100 kilowatts or less and small businesses that use less than 60,000 therms per year.
How it works:
It's easy as 1, 2, 3
- Call Connexion to schedule an in-person visit from the Energy Advisor to your facility to conduct a free onsite energy assessment and install free energy saving products.
- Each business will receive a high-level report recommending energy saving improvements such as more efficient facility lighting, exit signs, furnace and boiler tune-up, and programmable thermostats that can further improve the energy efficiency of a business.
- An Energy Advisor or Trade Ally will assist in completing the SBES application for incentives/rebates of up to 50% for ComEd and up to 70% Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas and Northshore Gas in energy efficiency improvements.
 Download our SBES Information
What's New in Lighting for Program Year 4
- Redesigned Application
- Prescriptive Incentives Now Include:
- Reduced Wattage T5 HO Lamps
- Occupancy Sensor with Daylighting Controls
- New LED Incentives - Track or Monopoint Fixtures
- Ceramic Discharge Metal Halide (Indoor & Outdoor)
How Prescriptive Incentives are Determined
- Average Hours of Operation by Local Building Type are Considered
- Average Demand Savings by kW are Calculated
- Two Averages are Multiplied to Develop the deemed Energy Savings for Each Specific Measure Category
Average Hours of Operation X Average Demand Savings = Average kWh Savings
- Incentives Offered by Other Energy Efficiency Programs are Considered and Analyzed Carefully for Relevance and Potential
The PY4 Lighting Application
- Offers a Distinct New Program Year Look
- Includes New Quick Reference Guide for Popular T12 Lighting Retrofits
- Offers Easy-to Use Worksheets
- Separate Outdoor and Indoor Versions
- Designed for Easy and Repetitive Use
For additional information please contact our energy solutions team
Download ComEd's Smart Ideas energy incentive program applications.
Please use the contact form below if you have questions or need assistance.
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Overview
ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Business® program provides financial incentives to help you achieve your energy efficiency goals. Learn more about what Smart Ideas® from ComEd can do for your business.
View Fact Sheet
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How To Apply
Whether your business is large or small, whether your building is new or old, upgrading to energy-efficient equipment can provide savings that go to your bottom line. Learn how to apply for incentives.
View Fact Sheet
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Compressed Air
Most manufacturing plants in the U.S. use compressed air to drive a variety of equipment. 76 percent of the cost of compressed air is electricity, so energy savings in this area can have a significant effect on your bottom line.
View Fact Sheet
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Food Service
The average restaurant or food service operation uses more than twice the energy of other commercial buildings. The good news is ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Business® offers many opportunities for energy savings in almost any food service operation, whether it’s an elegant restaurant or the company cafeteria.
View Fact Sheet
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HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning can account for as much as 30 percent of a building’s annual energy use. Discover ways to improve the energy efficiency of your HVAC system.
View Fact Sheet
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Lighting
“Keeping the lights on” is a significant cost for most businesses. Fortunately, ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Business® program offers financial incentives to help you reduce your energy usage and save money.
View Fact Sheet
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Lighting - LED
LED lighting can be more durible, versatile, and longer-lasting than incandescent and fluorescent lighting. With their low energy consumption, good performance in cold environments, and breakage resistance, LEDs are well suited to a variety of business needs.
View Fact Sheet
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Lighting - Outdoor and Parking
The ENERGY STAR® Building Manual notes that "well-designed outdoor lighting is cost-effective, controls light by directing it where it is needed, reduces glare, distributes illumination evenly and reduces light trespass." Learn how LEDs offer potential advantages over metal-halide and high-pressure sodium lighting.
View Fact Sheet
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Lighting - Calculating Savings
When considering energy efficient upgrades, it is necessary to weigh the cost of the upgrade against the savings that will be achieved over time. Learn simple ways to calculate potential energy savings in your facility.
View Fact Sheet
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Motors
More than half of the electric energy consumed in the United States is used by electric motors. More efficient motors can be a key element in saving energy and reducing operation costs for your business.
View Fact Sheet
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Refrigeration
A typical food service business or grocery store spends about $4 per square foot on energy. Fortunately, ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Business® incentives can help you lower your energy costs.
View Fact Sheet
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Refrigerated LED Display Case Lighting
LEDs can offer an efficient, flexible and cost-effective alternative to fluorescent lamps in refrigerators and freezers. See how your business can qualify for incentives by making the switch to LED technology.
View Fact Sheet
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Retro-commissioning
Retro-commissioning identifies energy-saving opportunities through a systematic evaluation of energy-using systems. See how ComEd's Smart Ideas® Retro-commissioning service can assist you in implementing no-cost and low-cost energy-saving improvements.
View Fact Sheet
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Images and program descriptions courtsey of Commonwealth Edison
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