South Shore Chamber Presents ComEd's "Smart Ideas for Your Business" Program
The South Shore Chamber, Inc. presented ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Business program during its monthly meeting last month, to inform area business owners about reducing their energy consumption through the use of modern technology.
Smart Ideas for Your Business is an application based program for ComEd, North Shore Gas, and People’s Gas utility provider customers who use less than 100,000 KW of electricity and less that 60,000 therms of gas. The program estimates a 60% reduction in energy usage. To accomplish this, ComEd replaces older technology with new, up-to-date technology that both saves energy usage and monitors it.
The program was presented by Elliot El-Amin, Managing Director of Global Generation Group Energy. Global Generation Group Energy is an independent M/WBE and DBE certified company and serves as a trade ally to ComEd, meaning, representatives of the company have been trained in the processes and procedures of Smart Ideas for Your Business. The representatives primarily promote Comed's Small Business Energy Savings (SBES) program (which falls under the umbrella of the Smart Ideas for Your Business Program).
The SBES program offers to business owners:
· Free compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), faucet aerators, and pre-rinse sprayers
· Up to 75% off electric-saving improvements such as efficient indoor and outdoor lighting upgrades.
· Up to 100% percent off natural gas-saving improvements such as programmable thermostats and steam/hot water pipe insulation.
“[The program] saves the client money on upgrading their facility which they’re going to have to do eventually because a lot of the lighting products that we use now are obsolete; they’re not being made any more, so we’re not going to be able to buy them anymore to maintain these light fixtures,” said El-Amin. “The program pays us to change to more modern technology to get us up to date and it saves us energy.”
Nicor Gas customers can participate in the SBES program as well.
Smart Ideas for Your Business is based off of two Illinois statutes including the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) and the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).
Taking effect in 2008, EEPS mandated a reduction in energy usage by utility companies by 0.2%; the percentage will gradually increase until it reaches 2% in 2015. The RPS took effect in 2008 as well and called for utility companies to obtain 2% of their power from renewable energy sources; that percentage will gradually increase until it reaches 25% in 2025.
“The utilities companies ComEd, Northshore Gas, People’s Gas and Nicor Gas administers about 75% of these funds and those funds are for the private sector like non-for-profits and private businesses and things of the nature,” said El-Amin. “The [Illinois] Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (IDCEO) administers about 45% of those funds for the public sector.”
Funding for programs like Smart Ideas for Your Business and SBES is obtained through fees added to every ComEd, North Shore Gas, and People’s Gas customer.
For more information visit ComEd.com/BizIncentives or call (855) 433-2700. For more information on the South Shore Chamber, Inc. call (773) 955-9508.
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