Students for Energy Efficiency Program
Boise, Idaho-based Idaho Power has recently launched the Students for Energy Efficiency program.
The program is a student-driven project focused on lighting efficiency and is aimed at content around energy measurement and consumption. These student-led teams will focus their time on school building characteristics, use of energy resources and peak usage.
Idaho Power, which serves 487,000 residential, business and agricultural customers in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon, is sponsoring and guiding the project with the involvement of a community advisory group comprised of representatives from the Idaho State Department of Education, Office of Energy Resources, Idaho Public Utilities Commission, and a handful of Idaho teachers and community leaders. The program is targeting high schools within Idaho to participate in the school energy assessments.
Idaho Power Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Incentive Programs
Idaho Power offers a complete suite of energy efficiency programs for its commercial and industrial customers. The Custom Efficiency program assists large commercial and industrial customers in identifying and paying for energy efficiency improvements.
Easy Upgrades offers incentives of up to $100,000 for energy-saving retrofits within existing commercial and industrial buildings. The Building Efficiency program offers incentives of up to $100,000 per project to offset part of additional capital expenses for more efficient lighting designs, cooling systems, controls and building shells in new commercial and industrial construction projects.
FlexPeak Management, a demand response program, offers commercial and industrial customers recurring payments for reducing a set amount of electricity consumption in response to Idaho Power’s peak demand and other system needs.
One example of how these Idaho Power efficiency programs are helping businesses comes from Boise, where Oppenheimer Development Corporation, a commercial real estate development, property management and maintenance company, recently purchased a parking garage from the Capital City Development Corporation.
The lighting in the garage was out-dated, expensive to operate and consisted of discolored, halide lights. They were looking for brighter lighting that could be operated for less money.
After consulting with lighting experts, Oppenheimer decided to look into motion-activated fixtures so that the majority of the lights only came on when there was motion. The garage was previously lit 24/7 even thought it was closed from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. with virtually no traffic during that timeframe. Oppenheimer replaced each metal-halide light fixture in the garage with a three-tubed T-5 fixture, which included motion sensors. Now there is always one of three lamps on until the sensors activate and then full lighting is employed.
Through its Custom Efficiency program, Idaho Power provided a $28,399 incentive to Oppenheimer Development Corporation for the lighting upgrades. The incentive allowed the company to realize an energy savings of $300 to more than $600 per month, which took effect the first month they installed the new lighting. The energy savings provided a full project payback within 14 months of completion.
Energy savings for the project are 237,938 kilowatt-hours per year, which is equivalent to the planting of 45 acres of trees, or the average energy use of 18 typical Idaho homes.
Another example of how Idaho Power is helping its customers save energy comes from a Chevrolet dealer in Mountain Home, ID. Performance Chevrolet occupies a 20,000 square foot building that included a service area with old lighting fixtures that “buzzed.”
They decided to replace them with high output T5 fluorescent lights. And by using the high efficiency T5 fluorescent lighting, they learned that they could reduce their energy bills while earning an incentive from Idaho Power’ Easy Upgrades program.
With their shop lighting replaced, they found the shop area was much quieter, brighter, has better color and uses less energy. Almost immediately, the service staff noticed the improved lighting output and quieter workspace. Now they are moving on to change the lighting in their showroom too.
After the lighting retrofit, Performance Chevrolet has enjoyed lower electric bills. Their energy savings is about $1,200 per year. Idaho Power’s Easy Upgrades program provided an incentive of $2,250. When the incentive is factored in, Performance Chevrolet’s investment in new shop lighting is providing them with a return of over 50 percent each.
For more information about Idaho Power and their support of Energy Awareness Month, please visit www.idahopower.com/energyawareness.