Businesses, Schools Get Paid for Energy Efficient Upgrades

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Bob Brooker, Ute Mountain Travel Center and Casino General Manager, receives a rebate check from Dellinger.

Bob Brooker, Ute Mountain Travel Center and Casino General Manager, receives a rebate check from Dellinger.

Empire Electric Association’s general manager, Josh Dellinger, has been busy presenting substantial rebate checks to two local businesses and a high school that recently improved their buildings’ energy efficiency.

Montezuma-Cortez High School Superintendent Alex Carter received a check for $138,400 for the ground source heat pump installation in the new high school. EEA and its power supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmission, each provided rebates of $69,200. The heat pumps are controlled by a computerized system that maintains constant classroom temperatures between 72 and 74 degrees.

The Ute Mountain Travel Center and Casino received a rebate check for $11,603 for the installation of LED parking lot lighting. The new lighting is more efficient and brighter than previous lighting and will save money each month on the casino’s electric bill.

Dellinger presents a rebate check to Eschallier.

Dellinger presents a rebate check to Eschallier.

One of the owners of Kokopelli Bike & Board of Cortez, Pete Eschallier, received a rebate check for $2,878.50 after installing LED lighting in the showroom. There are now fewer lights operating at less cost while providing brighter lighting for customers.

Towns Swap Traditional Lights for LED Streetlights

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Delta-Montrose Electric Association’s LED streetlight initiative is making a tremendous energy-savings and aesthetic impact in the Delta, Montrose and surrounding areas, and the reception has been positive.

In the fall of 2015, the town of Cedaredge made the switch to LED streetlights, cutting its monthly street lighting costs in half. In addition to using less energy than traditional lights, LEDs last much longer. On average, LED lamps last 10 to 15 years as compared to 4 to 6 years for older technologies. By swapping out the town’s 92 streetlights, Cedaredge will see significant savings on its energy bill and also cut DMEA’s maintenance and material costs.

“We’re very happy with the LED lights. They are a lot brighter, and many people have commented that they just feel safer. The new LEDs provide a better quality of light. And of course, the reduced electric bill for the town of Cedaredge is a huge plus,” said Kathleen Sickles, Cedaredge town administrator.

“Credit must be given to our town governments, like Cedaredge, for recognizing the value of LEDs, both from an efficiency standpoint and a quality standpoint. I’m proud to see our small towns leading the way and making changes that haven’t even happened in some of the largest cities in the U.S.,” said Phil Zimmer, DMEA energy services supervisor.

The towns of Crawford and Cedaredge already made the transition to all LED street lighting. Montrose made the switch for its highest rated lamps, trading in 400-watt mercury vapors for 38-74 watt LEDs. Olathe and Hotchkiss are next. Both recently approved plans to move forward with LED street lighting.

“Our board of trustees is constantly working to find ways to use taxpayer money in the most efficient way possible. DMEA’s proposal to transition our streetlights to LEDs provided an opportunity to reduce our energy costs and improve the quality of lighting throughout town. With a payback period of just 3.5 years and the potential for future savings, it just made sense,” said Patty Gabriel, Olathe town administrator.

DMEA proposed plans for transitioning to the energy-saving technology to all towns and cities within the co-op’s service territory.

An “Ace” in Energy Efficiency

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La Plata Electric Association continues to aid its member-owners with their energy efficiency endeavors through guidance and its rebate program.

Terry Smith, owner of Terry’s Ace Hardware in Pagosa Springs, turned to LPEA to help with the high electric bill for the expansive store. Not only did CFO Dennis Svanes work with Smith to manage his bill, Svanes planted the seed that Smith should look into energy-efficient LED lighting to reduce costs. Coincidentally, Ace Hardware corporate also launched an efficiency initiative, encouraging stores to switch to LEDs.

“We went to an Ace convention and the guys from Feit had a program that analyzed the size of our store, how many bulbs we had,” Smith said of the lightbulb manufacturer. “They plugged it in and showed us how much it would cost us, but also how much we would save.”

Unfortunately, store manager Susan Garman discovered that updating to LEDs in a large facility with multiple applications is not that simple, and she was flooded with a variety of sales sources. That’s when LPEA’s project specialist Ray Pierotti stepped in.

“A lot of people don’t realize the benefits of a cooperative,” Pierotti said. “We’re here to help people – not to make a profit.”

Pierotti helped Smith change out more than 1,600 lightbulbs. Although the total job cost was nearly $30,000, Smith received a $5,716 rebate from LPEA, will realize more than a $9,000 per year reduction on his stores electric bill and will see a return on investment in less than three years.

Another benefit is that lighting throughout the store has improved dramatically, particularly in the furniture department, according to Garman. “With the other lighting, it was dim and the colors got distorted,” she said. “Now this is a true color, which we didn’t get with the old fluorescents.”

Terry’s Ace Hardware is now a flagship for LEDs, offering a wide variety for its Pagosa neighbors.

“We did a reset on our lighting department,” Smith said. “All of us here are committed to reducing our carbon footprint. We do have customers coming in who are madder than wet hens that they can’t get their 60-watt incandescent bulbs anymore, but we are cheerleaders for the future and are here to educate. And LPEA has been a great partner.”

Co-op Members Save with Energy Efficiency Rebate Program

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Energy efficiency extends the power generated by coal, natural gas, nuclear power and renewable energy by stretching the energy generated by those fuels. Simply put, energy efficiency makes the power on the grid go further and last longer while promoting the smart use of fuels and conservation of resources.

When members of Mountain View Electric Association participate in one of the electric co-op’s energy efficiency programs and make the “fifth fuel” work for them, they not only use less electricity and save on their monthly electric bill, but they are also helping to reduce the overall demand for electricity within the co-op’s territory. The decrease in demand, especially during peak hours, allows MVEA to offset the impact of increasing wholesale power costs by reducing the amount of power it needs to purchase.

MVEA, with offices in Falcon and Limon, offers members a rebate on up to 50 Energy Star certified LED lightbulbs per year (per member account) through its Co-op Cares Energy Efficiency Rebate program.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission, MVEA’s power supplier, partnered with the co-op to offer an Energy Efficiency Rebate program that extends beyond LED lightbulbs. Members can offset the cost of upgrading to more modern, energy-efficient appliance models with specific rebates that include electric water heaters, central air conditioners, refrigerators, dishwashers and other appliances.

Energy efficiency helps us all save. It is a team effort. And it can start with something as small as a lightbulb.