Efficiency Maine's Business Program
The Efficiency Maine Business Program helps organizations save energy and money by providing cash incentives for the installation of energy efficient electric products.
Efficiency Maine has pre-established cash incentives on qualified lighting, HVAC equipment, NEMA Premium® energy efficient motors, and system controls. Energy saving cash incentives 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. Certain pre-established incentives, such as energy efficient exit lights, controls for vending machines, and selected lighting measures are only available to all existing (K-12) public and private schools and to small businesses.
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.
Who is the end user/customer of the program?
More than 25 public and private schools (K-12) in Maine, including the Fort Fairfield School System, have received cash incentives for purchasing and installing qualifying energy efficiency electric equipment through Efficiency Maine's Business Program. The Fort Fairfield School System is comprised of two facilities in the Central Aroostook area of Maine. With a $5 million budget, the schools educate 636 students in grades K-12 each year.
What was the situation prior to the program's implementation that the program hoped to correct or mitigate?
Prior to becoming involved with the Efficiency Maine Business Program, the Fort Fairfield School Systems was experiencing rising energy and maintenance costs and decreasing levels of student and teacher comfort.
Did the program include any customer incentives such as rebates?
All Efficiency Maine incentives are capped at $50,000 per business, per calendar year, and are available for retrofit applications or new construction projects.
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 incentives provided to the Fort Fairfield school system total $13,503 to date.
What improvements were made as part of the program?
When the Fort Fairfield School System became eligible for Efficiency Maine's cash incentives, several energy saving projects were initiated and led by Jim Everett, Fort Fairfield's physical plant supervisor. Jim attended Efficiency Maine's BOC training program and used what he learned to help the school system install:
T8 lamps and ballasts. This highly efficient lighting equipment replaced old lights (T12) in that were failing and requiring more frequent maintenance. T8 lamps provide a higher quality of light, resembling natural light, and reduce power consumption by up to 40 percent. T8 lamps operate cooler and quieter than older systems, to enhance occupant comfort.
T5 lighting systems. Placed in the cafeterias and gymnasiums, this lighting equipment is more efficient and provides a higher intensity of light output than T8 lamps. Their small size enables their use in smaller fixtures that can be spaced closer to the ceiling, in rooms with lower ceilings, and farther apart than fixtures using T8 lamps.
Compact fluorescent lighting. CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.
LED exit signs. LEDs produce relatively low amounts of heat and most of the energy they generate goes directly into producing visible light. LED exit signs can be found with low input wattages of two watts or less, compared to up to 40 watts for an incandescent exit sign.
Occupancy controls. To control lighting, heating and cooling in intermittently occupied areas, occupancy sensors were placed in closets and storage rooms. These controls can save up to 80 percent of the lighting and HVAC energy when properly applied.
VendingMisers®. Vending-Misers, installed on 5 vending machines, save energy by cycling the machine off when no one is around and powering the machine back up when the sensor detects movement. The devise is also used to maintain proper product temperature.
What was saved as a result of the program; and how much?
The Fort Fairfield School System achieves electricity savings of approximately 146,000 kWh per year as a result of the efficiency improvements made possible through cash incentives from Efficiency Maine.
Were there non-energy benefits as a result of the improvement?
In addition to saving energy, the school facilities have greatly increased comfort and productivity levels for both students and teachers. The improved lighting equipment reduces glare and gives off little heat or noise which reduces distraction and helps students to see and hear better in the classroom. Also, student safety is enhanced with more reliable exit signs.
What do customers say about the program?
"We've been pleased with what we have been able to do so far and are always working to spend less on energy and more on education." - Jim Everett, Physical Plant Supervisor, Fort Fairfield School System, Maine
For more information on the Efficiency Maine Business Program, read Efficiency Maine's Energy Efficient Schools case study, or access Efficiency Maine's Web site.
