Best practices in energy efficiency programs in the Northeast
Efficiency Maine's Business Program
Efficiency Maine is a statewide effort that promotes the more efficient use of electricity to help Maine residents and businesses reduce energy costs and to improve Maine's environment. Efficiency Maine is funded by electricity consumers and is administered by the Maine Public Utilities Commission.
Among Efficiency Maine’s services is its Business Program, which helps organizations save energy and money by providing cash incentives for the installation of energy efficient electric products including qualified lighting, HVAC equipment, NEMA Premium® energy efficient motors, and system controls. Incentives are available for retrofit applications or new construction.
In addition to cash incentives, the Efficiency Maine Business Program offers education and training, including Building Operator Certification (BOC), which prepares building operations and maintenance staff to manage their building systems in a more energy and resource efficient manner. Self-survey tools are also available to help businesses identify and evaluate electricity savings opportunities. The Business Program provides information on purchasing energy efficient equipment and products and can help customers locate participating suppliers and contractors, known as Efficiency Maine Program Allies, who will assist in the installation and maintenance of energy efficient electric equipment.
Who is the end user/customer of the program?
The benefits of Efficiency Maine’s Business Program are available to all Maine businesses including nonprofit organizations, public and private schools (grades K-12), colleges, local and county governments, farms, airports, water and waste-water facilities, quasi-governmental and other regional systems.
The Jackson Laboratory became involved with Efficiency Maine’s Business Program in 2003. The Lab, located in Bar Harbor, is a nonprofit biomedical research organization renowned world wide as a leading provider of genetically defined mice. Jackson Laboratory mice are used for medical research projects in 12,000 labs and 63 countries. With more than 1,200 employees and a research staff of over 450, the Jackson Laboratory conducts research in six major areas including neurological and sensory disorders, development and age-related diseases, immune system and blood disorders and cancer. The Jackson Laboratory is one of 21 basic cancer research centers designated by the National Cancer Institute.
What was the situation prior to the program's implementation that the program hoped to correct or mitigate?
The mouse production and research conducted by the Jackson Laboratory requires a stable and controlled environment, which the Lab found could be dramatically improved through energy efficiency measures. In addition, the Lab sought to improve its cost effectiveness to create the best value possible through its work.
Did the program include any customer incentives such as rebates?
Maine businesses can receive up to $100,000 in cash incentives from Efficiency Maine in a single year, but cannot exceed this amount over two calendar years. In other words, in 2006 businesses are allowed to accept an “advance” on funds that otherwise would be available for projects in 2007.
While the majority of cash incentives are provided at pre-established levels for particular equipment, custom cash incentives are also available but must be approved by Efficiency Maine. For retrofit projects, the custom incentive may be up to 35 percent of the total cost of the efficiency project. For new construction and major renovations as well as replacement of failed equipment, the incentive may be up to 75 percent of the incremental equipment cost. The incentive cap applies in all cases.
The Jackson Laboratory received a total of $46,683 in incentives for installing efficiency measures that meet the criteria of the Business Program.
What improvements were made as part of the program?
In 2003, the Jackson Laboratory began measuring and benchmarking its energy use by installing a metering and software system that allows energy use to be controlled from office computers. Working with Northeast Mechanical Corporation, the Lab installed adjustable speed drives and advanced burner controls on the primary boiler plant allowing for much more efficient total operation. In the mouse room, contractors installed high performance T8 lighting systems. Variable speed drive equipment was added to existing boilers.
All savings are monitored and recorded through the benchmarking software and energy efficiency is a consideration in the development of the organization’s business plan.
Energy awareness and conservation have become annual facilities performance goals and have been explicitly noted on departmental and individual performance evaluations. The Lab has established a policy to incorporate the highest efficiency systems and equipment in all new construction and renovations to operate at lowest life cycle cost. Energy efficiency purchasing practices have been implemented in both the IT and Purchasing Departments to assure ENERGY STAR compliant equipment procurement. The Lab has supported training and further education of its engineering and operations staff, which currently holds two certified energy managers, and three certified building operators.
Quote from the end user/customer
“Our goal is to ensure our buildings run in the most energy efficiency way possible. The cash incentives from Efficiency Maine are helping us to do more. We are continually reinvesting the incentives in more lighting upgrades.” –John Fitzpatrick, P.E., Acting Director of Engineering and Facilities, Jackson Laboratory
“Whether we are talking about research or mouse production, we have a responsibility to do our work in a way that is cost effective. Any business in Maine faces energy as a key cost, so being energy efficient is a critical component of creating the best value we can.” – Dr. Charles Hewitt, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Jackson Laboratory
What was saved as a result of the program, and how much?
The energy efficiency projects undertaken at Jackson Laboratory have resulted in energy savings of nearly 300,000 kWh annually - an amount equivalent to the total electrical energy used by 50 average Maine households for one full year. These energy savings are equal to a total annual dollar savings of $222,000. Since the inception of the energy efficiency program in 2003, the Jackson Lab has achieved an eight percent unit decrease in the consumption of electricity and a 16 percent unit decrease in fuel oil consumption, while growing the facility space by over 100,000 gross square feet (100 kGSF). The new research facilities were designed from the outset to include energy efficient equipment, building methods and technologies to ensure that the lowest operating costs possible can be achieved while meeting the Lab’s business requirements.
Were there non-energy benefits as a result of the improvement?
The Jackson Laboratory now has a fully integrated energy management system that allows for the tracking and controlling of the Lab’s energy use from any computer. This level of detail and control helps staff identify problems before they arise. Greater control can therefore be exercised over the environments in the mouse rooms and the laboratories.
Quote from the program administrator
“The management at the Jackson Laboratory serve as a shining example of how businesses, schools, and nonprofits alike can incorporate energy efficiency successfully into their business and construction plans.” –Steven Diamond, Commissioner, Maine Public Utilities Commission
The Jackson Laboratory and Efficiency Maine were honored by NEEP through the Business Leaders for Energy Efficiency program launched last month at the 2006 Northeast Energy Efficiency Summit. For more information, please visit the Summit Web site.
Interested in submitting a case study for NEEP Notes? Please contact Catherine Attardo for more information.
