Worth knowing before you build a recommendation around it.
Two of my cultivation clients have been rejected from utility prescriptive and custom efficiency
programs. The stated reason in both cases is that the program is funded through a mechanism with
federal nexus and the utility will not disburse to an operation that is federally illegal.
This matters for audit recommendations because the LED conversion, the HVAC upgrade, and the VFD
retrofit all pencil very differently without rebate. On one client the LED project moved from a 2.6
year payback to 4.4 years.
Two things I have found that partially work.
Some state-funded programs administered outside the utility do not have the same restriction. Worth
checking whether your state has an energy office program separate from the utility.
Some equipment vendors have manufacturer rebates that do not care.
I am not aware of anyone successfully challenging a utility's refusal here and I would not advise a
client to spend money trying. Include it as a constraint in the recommendation rather than an issue
to litigate.
Two of my cultivation clients have been rejected from utility prescriptive and custom efficiency
programs. The stated reason in both cases is that the program is funded through a mechanism with
federal nexus and the utility will not disburse to an operation that is federally illegal.
This matters for audit recommendations because the LED conversion, the HVAC upgrade, and the VFD
retrofit all pencil very differently without rebate. On one client the LED project moved from a 2.6
year payback to 4.4 years.
Two things I have found that partially work.
Some state-funded programs administered outside the utility do not have the same restriction. Worth
checking whether your state has an energy office program separate from the utility.
Some equipment vendors have manufacturer rebates that do not care.
I am not aware of anyone successfully challenging a utility's refusal here and I would not advise a
client to spend money trying. Include it as a constraint in the recommendation rather than an issue
to litigate.