According to Nick Skari, Atlantic City Electric’s senior program manager of Commercial & Industrial Energy Efficiency Programs, Atlantic City Electric serves an array of businesses across the region, and is here to help organizations of all sizes and industries reduce energy use.
“That’s a main focus of our programs: achieving cost savings and understanding that challenge for customers,” Skari begins. “More energy efficiency and more energy-efficient equipment, of course, helps [keep] business customers’ costs down—but also, on the utility side, it helps keep our costs down, as reducing demand for our customers in the short-term can help us offset the costs of those more expensive upgrades to our equipment, like transmission lines and adding more generation.”
Atlantic City Electric’s Energy Solutions for Business programs offer a variety of opportunities designed to help businesses. South Jersey Biz recently chatted with Skari to learn more.
Why does Atlantic City Electric offer incentives to help businesses use less energy?
It might seem counterintuitive at first: Why would an energy company encourage customers to use less of the product they sell? But there are several strategic and economic reasons why we offer rebates for energy-efficient equipment:
* Grid Reliability and Cost Management: We’re dedicated to ensuring we can meet our customers’ demands, especially during peak hours (like hot summer afternoons). Energy-efficient equipment reduces energy during these times, helping our company avoid costly upgrades to infrastructure or the need to buy power from other sources.
* Regulatory Requirements: Our company operates under regulations that require us to promote energy efficiency. Our energy-efficiency programs are part of New Jersey's Clean Energy Act, which requires utilities to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by 2035.
* Cost Savings: Reducing demand can be cheaper than increasing supply. Building new power plants or upgrading transmission lines can be expensive. Encouraging customers to use less energy and offering rebates is often a more cost-effective way in the short-term to manage growth.
* Environmental Goals: Our company has sustainability targets and are part of broader climate initiatives. Promoting energy-efficient equipment helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and aligns with our clean-energy goals.
How does Atlantic City Electric help businesses save energy?
The Energy Solutions for Business program offers a variety of ways to help businesses save energy and reduce costs. From upgrading to energy-efficient equipment to optimizing existing systems and training staff in energy management, we provide financial incentives to help offset upfront expenses.
What’s the most popular program?
Our Direct Install program is available to nearly 97% of commercial customers. It’s designed to make energy-efficiency upgrades easy and affordable, helping businesses save both now and in the future. Participants can save up to 80% on the upfront cost of equipment upgrades like lighting retrofits, HVAC systems (including smart thermostats and other controls), commercial kitchen equipment and refrigeration controls. To date, we’ve paid more than $19 million to support local businesses.
How many businesses or organizations have taken advantage of the program?
To date, we have helped nearly 300 local businesses and organizations with updating their equipment to new energy-efficient models.
Who’s eligible for the Direct Install program?
Eligibility is simple: You must be a non-residential Atlantic City Electric customer with an average peak demand not exceeding 300 kW per month and 40,000 therms per year, which is information you can find on your monthly bill. All work must be completed by one of our approved contractors, or Trade Allies.
What does the process look like?
Start by scheduling a no-cost, on-site energy assessment with one of our Trade Allies. After the assessment, you’ll receive a customized report with recommendations and detailed cost estimates for energy-saving upgrades. Your Trade Ally will handle the installation of equipment and Atlantic City Electric will cover up to 80% of the costs. Incentives are applied instantly—there’s no waiting for rebate checks.
How are Trade Allies vetted?
We have several requirements that they need to meet to participate in the program, in terms of general insurance requirements and things of that nature, to make sure that they’re the correct contractors to represent Atlantic City Electric out in the community.
What are the benefits of working with a Trade Ally, and how do they help Atlantic City Electric deliver individually tailored results?
We have a great network of contractors—Trade Allies—across the territory that cover all areas of potential projects. Through that network, we’re able to meet our customers’ needs. If a customer doesn’t have a firm idea of who they want to work with or who can best meet their project needs, that’s where we can come in and connect them with the right contractors to complete their projects. Our Trade Ally network, over this calendar year, has grown dramatically—which really shows increased interest in the program, by contractors and our customers.
How does a business get started?
Getting started is easy, and our account representatives are here to help at any time. You can speak with one to find a Trade Ally or visit atlanticcityelectric.com/DISavings to locate one directly. Once connected, your Trade Ally will manage the project from start to finish, so you can stay focused on running your business.
Atlantic City Electric
Serving South Jersey
(833) ACE-PAYS (833-223-7297)
AtlanticCityElectric.com/SNJBusiness
