As business people, we’re all looking for ways to increase productivity or decrease operating costs. Thurston Energy and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) provide a new way to deliver an old and trusted concept – doing more with less, specifically less energy.
Thurston Energy collaborates with PSE to provide an understanding of how your business might be wasting energy. Thurston Energy also collaborates with LOTT Alliance, local lending institutions and local contractors to provide a streamlined approach towards cutting your operating costs through energy efficiency.
The Pathway to Savings:
1) Assess current energy usage
2) Walk through building to understand current systems
3) Provide recommendations for energy efficiency upgrades
4) Plan and implement energy-efficiency upgrades
5) Measure success
Depending on the retrofit measures, a medium-sized business with multiple upgrade opportunities can potentially cut operating costs by $2,000 to $8,000 per year.
To start the process and see if your business qualifies, contact:
Joshua Cummings, Business Manager – Thurston Energy: [email protected] / 360.754.6320
Farra Vargas, Energy Efficient Communities Program Coordinator – PSE: [email protected] / 360.570.6819
After an initial discussion to explore if your business is a strong candidate for improving energy efficiency, we’ll take the next step by scheduling a joint walk-through by PSE and Thurston Energy. The walk-through will review the building’s operating systems:
– Lighting
– Heating and Cooling
– Equipment and Appliances
– Water Systems (hot water heating, toilets, sinks, irrigation)
– Building Envelope (insulation, windows, etc)
PSE will replace up to 12 incandescent bulbs with CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights) and install faucet aerators for no charge – these measures can have an immediate effect on your utility bills.
After completion of the walk-through, PSE will provide you with a letter detailing our findings and recommendations, as well as potential financial incentives for energy-efficiency upgrades. Thurston Energy can then assist you in implementing these recommendations and gather other potential incentives to further mitigate the cost of improvements.
Thurston Energy has a list of certified local contractors to provide you with bids, or you’re welcome to use any other contractor with whom you’re comfortable. Thurston Energy also has built strong relationships with local lending institutions (O Bee Credit Union & TwinStar Credit Union) to provide loans for energy-efficiency upgrades.
Upon completion of upgrade measures, Thurston Energy will again assess your business’s energy usage, quantify the success of your energy savings and reduction in operating expenses and certify you as a “Thurston Energy Saver”.
Thurston Energy’s goal is to create and help retain local jobs through energy efficiency upgrades and to motivate businesses to do good for the environment while doing well for their bottom-line
For more information on the Thurston Energy program, find us at www.ThurstonEnergy.org or 360.754.6320. For more information about PSE’s energy efficiency programs, visit www.PSE.com.