Successful Features
- Focus on one geographic region
- Focused outreach directly to the Longmont Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) organization, Chamber of Commerce members, and other eligible businesses through outreach events and personal visits to businesses
- Single point of contact and support to navigate multiple organizations and rebates
- Cash for implementing projects
- Customized information with which to make good business decisions
Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Audit Program
A Successful Partnership in the City of Longmont, Colorado
A model for collaborative energy support for small commercial utility customers, the City of Longmont’s Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Audit Program navigates the intricacies of multiple utility providers and rebate programs, city and county boundaries and overlap, and building ownership and occupancy issues for small businesses.
Working closely with the City of Longmont and its utility arm and electricity provider (Longmont Power and Communications and Platte River Power Authority, respectively), Boulder County’s Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE), and Xcel Energy, Brendle Group provides mid-level, investment grade assessments – more than a walkthrough audit resulting in a simple engineering judgment-based report but less than an hour-by-hour comprehensive integrated energy analysis – and implementation support for commercial enterprises in Longmont that help these businesses identify energy efficiency and conservation opportunities and applicable rebates, and access the City’s grant program for projects with short paybacks on investment but long-term energy savings.
While this project is not unique in its technical service offerings, the approach is unique in that it leverages Xcel Energy’s existing assessment program and informs and simplifies the rebate and incentive process in an area that is served by two separate utilities – Xcel Energy and Platte River Power Authority – each with its own efficiency programs. Furthermore, the program is bolstered by grant funding available to participants, providing up to $5,000 toward energy or water conservation capital projects.
Working closely with the City of Longmont and its utility arm and electricity provider (Longmont Power and Communications and Platte River Power Authority, respectively), Boulder County’s Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE), and Xcel Energy, Brendle Group provides mid-level, investment grade assessments – more than a walkthrough audit resulting in a simple engineering judgment-based report but less than an hour-by-hour comprehensive integrated energy analysis – and implementation support for commercial enterprises in Longmont that help these businesses identify energy efficiency and conservation opportunities and applicable rebates, and access the City’s grant program for projects with short paybacks on investment but long-term energy savings.
While this project is not unique in its technical service offerings, the approach is unique in that it leverages Xcel Energy’s existing assessment program and informs and simplifies the rebate and incentive process in an area that is served by two separate utilities – Xcel Energy and Platte River Power Authority – each with its own efficiency programs. Furthermore, the program is bolstered by grant funding available to participants, providing up to $5,000 toward energy or water conservation capital projects.
