{"id":1315980,"date":"2019-10-23T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T14:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/?p=989907"},"modified":"2019-10-23T08:00:07","modified_gmt":"2019-10-23T14:00:07","slug":"free-energy-consult-can-add-to-businesss-bottom-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/free-energy-consult-can-add-to-businesss-bottom-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Free energy consult can add to business\u2019s bottom line"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: Sponsored content brought to you by Garfield Clean Energy<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n
Courtesy Image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

From
\npoorly insulated buildings to old lighting to out-dated heating systems, energy
\ninefficiencies cost more, aren\u2019t environmentally-friendly and often make
\nbusiness less comfortable for customers and employees.<\/p>\n

Garfield
\nClean Energy offers free walkthroughs to help local businesses reduce their
\nenergy bills by improving efficiency, increasing comfort and reducing their
\ncontribution to climate change.<\/p>\n

Garfield Clean Energy is a program funded by seven local governments plus RFTA and Colorado Mountain College and administered by Carbondale-based CLEER (Clean Energy Economy for the Region). One of its primary purposes is to help local businesses become more energy efficient and identify financing options that include rebates \u2014 sometimes thousands of dollars in rebates.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are
\nhere to help from start to finish and to make the process as smooth as
\npossible,\u201d said Maisa Metcalf, an energy consultant at CLEER. \u201cWe have helped
\ncomplete over 340 commercial upgrades in the past decade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Energy Assessments<\/strong><\/p>\n

When a
\nbusiness enrolls in Garfield Clean Energy\u2019s commercial program, it receives a
\nfree walkthrough with recommendations on how to improve energy performance.<\/p>\n

GCE
\ncoaches start by talking to the business owner about their various systems and
\nthe building\u2019s overall condition. They look at lighting, heating and cooling,
\ninsulation, windows and doors and make an assessment that they share with the
\nbusiness owner or manager.<\/p>\n

For
\nbusinesses that decide to make improvements, GCE energy coaches remain available
\nto provide contractor referral, review proposals from the contractors, and
\nassist with rebates and financing.<\/p>\n

Metcalf
\nsaid the most common energy inefficiency is old, inefficient lighting \u2014 both
\nindoors and outdoors. But there are many ways a building can be made more
\nenergy efficient to lower costs and improve comfort.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur
\ncoaches also find poorly insulated buildings, leaky windows and doors and
\nopportunities for heating system upgrades,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Solutions to inefficiencies<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here
\nare the solutions GCE has been helping businesses to implement in order to
\nbecome more energy efficient, save money and have a lighter impact on the
\nenvironment.<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> Lighting:<\/strong> For all businesses, switching to more energy efficient light bulbs indoors and
\nout can save money right away.<\/p>\n

Modern
\nLED lighting is more cost effective and lasts for years, whereas incandescent
\nand fluorescent bulbs burn hot, burn money and burn out much more quickly than
\nLED lighting. Installing LEDs is a simple way to reduce maintenance costs for a
\nbuilding or business owner.<\/p>\n

Lighting
\ncontrols and occupancy sensors also increase comfort and save on utility bills.<\/p>\n

Installing
\na system to manage parking and security lighting is a great and often easy way
\nfor businsses to achieve significant energy savings. Metcalf said GCE coaches
\nhave seen the price of such lighting systems come down in recent years with
\nsignificant improvements in quality.<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> Temperature
\nControl: <\/strong>Upgrading heating and cooling systems have saved hundreds of
\nbusinesses working with GCE tens of thousands of dollars on their utility bills
\nover the last decade.<\/p>\n

For
\nlarger businesses with a large space or multiple buildings, a more
\ncomprehensive plan may be worth considering. GCE coaches will help identify all
\npossible areas of improvement and help develop a plan to meet the specific
\nbusiness\u2019s needs. That may include additional insulation, replacing single-pane
\nwindows, or installing an up-to-date, highly efficient HVAC system.<\/p>\n

But
\nsometimes the solution is as simple as the thermostat on an office wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d
\nbe surprised how much more efficient your heating and cooling systems can be
\nwith a new thermostat,\u201d Metcalf said. \u201cIt\u2019s a low-cost solution that can bring
\nbig savings.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Industrial settings:<\/strong> GCE coaches also have
\nexperience working in complex industrial settings. In workshops and garages,
\nGCE coaches can identify opportunities for installing variable speed pumps and
\nmotors, controls on ventilation equipment, and other maintenance measures which
\ncan improve the efficiency of equipment while also extending its life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Improving
\nheating and lighting systems makes businesses more comfortable, which can
\nequate to an increase in its employees\u2019 productivity and customer\/client
\ncomfort. Retailers have said better lighting improves their displays and art
\ngalleries say LED lighting protects the art they sell.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a
\nbuilding addresses air leakage by sealing the leaks and adding insulation,
\noccupant comfort increases immensely and can also make the space quieter,\u201d
\nMetcalf said.<\/p>\n

Rebates and benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paying
\nfor upgrades may give some business owners pause, but there are actually many
\nresources available to reduce costs and make larger investments possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere
\nare several different rebates available through utilities and local
\norganizations for both heating and lighting systems to help reduce the upfront
\ncost and the payback time,\u201d Metcalf explains. \u201cGCE can help you find and sign
\nup for those rebates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Black
\nHills Energy, Xcel Energy, Glenwood Springs Electric and Holy Cross Energy all
\noffer rebates and incentives to encourage businesses to become more energy
\nefficient. The Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) also offers
\nrebates in the Roaring Fork Valley.<\/p>\n

CLEER
\nis also registered to offer The Colorado Commercial Property Assessed Clean
\nEnergy (C-PACE) financing to businesses in Garfield County. Repayments are made
\nthrough an assessment on the property\u2019s county tax bill, with no upfront
\ncapital outlay.<\/p>\n

C-PACE
\ncan be used to finance a variety of improvements, including new heating or
\ncooling systems, lighting, water pumps, insulation, solar panels, and other
\nrenewable energy projects, and water efficiency upgrades.<\/p>\n

The
\neasiest way to learn about rebates and financing opportunities is to call CLEER
\nat 970-704-9200 and talk to an Energy Coach.<\/p>\n

For
\nmore information about GCE\u2019s programs for businesses, visithttp:\/\/garfieldcleanenergy.org\/com-free-energy-consulting\/<\/a><\/p>\n

via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: Sponsored content brought to you by Garfield Clean Energy Courtesy Image From poorly insulated buildings to old lighting to out-dated heating systems, energy inefficiencies cost more, aren\u2019t environmentally-friendly and often make business less comfortable for customers and employees. Garfield Clean Energy offers free walkthroughs to help local businesses reduce their energy bills by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1315980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-06 16:48:32","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1315980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1315980\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1315980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1315980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1315980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}