Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

Colorado

Utility Energy Efficiency Programs
Updated: January 2008

Overview

Colorado has seen a growth rate in population of 1.8% per year on average from 2000-2006. The energy consumption growth rate has been 2.1% per year on average from 2000-2006. Meanwhile, the energy expenditures per capita is $2,567, which is ranked 42nd among all US states.

The state is served by two investor-owned utilities - Xcel Energy and Aquila. Xcel is the largest electric utility with over 1.3 million customers and providing 55% of Colorado's electricity. Aquilla has a smaller share of the electricity load in the state with nearly 4% and nearly 91,000 customers. Twenty-six rural electric associations and twenty-nine municipal utilities handle the remaining electric customers in Colorado. Natural gas is provided by Xcel Energy, Colorado Natural Gas, Eastern Colorado Utility Company, and Source Gas along with six municipal utilities.

Below is an update on the energy efficiency programs in Colorado:

Electricity Demand-Side Management

(scroll down to view the details)

Electricity Demand-Side Management

Xcel Energy

Under a settlement agreement with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and other interested parties, Xcel will be spending up to $196 million on its demand-side management programs through 2013. Below is a list of energy efficiency programs currently offered by Xcel for their residential and business customers:

Business Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs
Xcel Energy offers a suite of rebate programs to its Colorado commercial customers for motors, lighting, compressed air, heating and cooling, and custom energy efficiency products. In conjunction with these prescriptive and custom rebate programs, Xcel also offers design assistance and recommissioning diagnosis for customers. For details, click here.
Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs
Xcel Energy residential customers are eligible for rebates of up to $200 for the purchase of new evaporative coolers. Evaporative coolers must be new and have a minimum Industry Standard Rating (ISR) airflow of 2,500 CFM (cubic feet per minute), and the unit must be a permanently installed direct, indirect or two-stage evaporative cooler. Portable coolers or systems with vapor compression backup are not eligible, nor is used or reconditioned equipment. This rebate is being offered for a limited time and on a first-come, first-serve basis. For details, click here.
Saver's Switch
Xcel residential customers are also eligible for the Saver's Switch program. Customers that install a switch to allow Xcel Energy to cycle their air conditioning on and off are eligible for a bill credit of $25 during each summer month. For details, click here.
Time-of-Day Pricing to Residential Customers
This program works with customers who choose between three plans to move much of their electricity use from on-peak hours (June through September, Monday-Friday from 2-8 pm) to off-peak hours. The plans include Choice Daily Savings, Choice Savings on Demand, and Combination Rate of Choice Savings Daily and On Demand. For details, click here.

Colorado Springs Utilities

Colorado Springs Utilities is the second largest electricity service provider in Colorado, serving more than 550,000 customers. Below is a list of their energy efficiency programs:

HomeVantage Home Improvement Financing
Colorado Springs Utilities, in partnership with Ent Federal Credit Union, provides $1,000 to $50,000 loans to finance energy efficiency projects for its residential customers. The loans may apply to installation of energy efficient kitchen appliances, washer/dryers, insulation and weather stripping, new windows, central A/C, new water lines, water-efficient landscaping, and new propane and septic tanks. The program also provides and Energy Efficiency Profile and Water Efficiency Profile to see where installations will provide highest savings. For details, click here.
Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
Colorado Springs Utilities offers a variety of energy efficiency incentives to its residential customers through their Residential Rebate Program. Rebates are offered for insulation, air sealing measures, furnaces, windows, lighting, programmable thermostats, clothes washers, and dual-flush toilets. Rebates range from $15 to $150, depending on the initial cost of the improvement. For details, click here.
Commercial Lighting Energy Efficiency Rebate Program
Colorado Springs Utilities offers an incentive for its business customers to upgrade their facility's lighting through the Business Lighting Rebate Program. The rebate is offered only for retrofitting and the amount is on a per-fixture basis, and varies by the number of lamps in each fixture. For details, click here.

Fort Collins Utilities

Fort Collins Utilities, the City of Fort Collins municipal utility, offers its residential and commercial customers a variety of opportunities to save energy. See list of programs below:

Residential Programs
The ZILCH (Zero-Interest Loans for Conservation Help) program offers interest-free loans of up to $2,300 to homeowners who want to save energy and/or water by adding insulation, replacing a furnace, repairing or replacing leaking water lines, or removing old wood stoves. The utility also offers weatherization services for income-qualified customers through its REACH (Residential Energy Assistance through Community Help) program. For details, click here.
Business Electric Efficiency Program
The Electric Efficiency Program (EEP) is designed to support building efficiency improvements, save money and lower electric bills. Cash incentives are provided for upgrades that reduce electric demand and energy use, including, central plant upgrades; motor replacements; variable frequency drive applications; process or mechanical equipment upgrades; building envelope improvements; and custom projects. Incentives must be approved before the project starts and are available until funds are expended to all Fort Collins Utilities commercial electric customers. Pre- and post-project measurements to verify existing conditions and projected savings may be required. For details, click here.
Integrated Design Assistance Program (IDAP)
IDAP helps owners, designers and contractors deliver high-performance buildings that are more energy efficient than required by the city's building code. Two IDAP options are available:
1. The Whole Building Approach is for projects that apply prior to completion of schematic design. IDAP will help with design-phase costs, such as daylighting and/or energy-efficiency consultants, and favors projects that prioritize energy efficiency early in the design process, and
2. The Prescriptive Approach encourages the use of more energy-efficient systems and building integration, and offers incentives for the selection of pre-specified energy-efficient equipment.
To participate, the project shall obtain the services of a qualified commissioning agent, whose responsibilities shall include, at a minimum, developing a commissioning plan, performing functional performance testing, and completing a commissioning report. The commissioning scope shall cover, at a minimum, all heating, ventilating, air conditioning and lighting systems and associated controls. For details, click here.
Refrigerator and Freezer Recycling Program
Fort Collins Utilities electric residential and commercial customers are eligible for this program. Customers may recycle up to two refrigerators or freezers per account, as long as the unit is in working condition and is between 10 and 27 cubic feet in size. For participating, each customer receives a one-time $35 electricity bill credit. For details, click here.

Platte River Power Authority

The Platte River Power Authority provides electricity to its four member communities through their municipal utilities, including Estes Park Light and Power, Fort Collins Utilities, Longmont Power and Communications, and Loveland Water and Power Department. The programs described below are generally available for all customers served by these four utilities.

The Electric Efficiency Program (EEP)
EEP provides incentives for commercial customers to upgrade to more energy-efficient equipment. Incentives are based on the project electric energy or demand savings, the project cost, and the annual electric savings. Customers may receive incentives for any energy efficiency measure as long as it produces verifiable energy savings or summer demand reduction; achieves savings due to installation of more efficient equipment or systems; and has a minimum useful life of ten years. Measures may be installed in either new construction or in retrofit applications. For details, click here.
Cooling Rebate Program
This program offers cash rebates to commercial electric rate customers for upgrading to energy-efficient cooling equipment. Rebates are available for new and replacement equipment that are split system, single package central air conditioners or heat pumps, or packaged terminal air conditioners or heat pumps. Equipment must be powered by three-phase electricity, and meet minimum efficiency ratings. For details, click here.
Lighten Up
This program provides rebates to commercial and industrial customers to retrofit facilities with new, energy-efficient lighting technologies. The maximum incentive available is $100,000 per customer per year. Funding beyond this maximum may be available on a case-by-case basis. For details, click here.

Holy Cross Energy

This electric cooperative has developed a voluntary carbon reduction strategy designed to slow the growth of carbon dioxide emissions created in the generation of electricity used by its customers. To that end, it provides customers cash rebates for energy efficiency and energy conservation activities efforts. For details on all programs described below, click here.

Commercial and Industrial Grant Program
Holy Cross's commercial and industrial consumers may apply for a grant of up to 20% of their previous 12 month billing, up to a maximum of $10,000, for energy efficiency and/or conservation measures. The grant may be used for 1) up to one-half the cost of a professional, engineering grade energy use evaluation of the consumer's facilities, as long as the consumer agrees to spend an amount equal to the grant on labor, equipment and/or materials to implement energy saving measures identified by the energy evaluation within 12 months of the evaluation, or 2) up to one-half the cost of actual labor, equipment and/or material costs to install energy saving measures identified by an energy use evaluation, the consumer's staff, and/or by Holy Cross personnel.
Appliance Rebate
This program provides cash rebates for customers who purchase eligible ENERGY STAR� and other energy-efficient appliances for their home. The list of qualifying equipment includes refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, compact fluorescent light bulbs, programmable thermostats, and conventional electric water heaters.
Energy Audits
The cooperative also offers residential energy audits at no cost to the consumer. The energy use of the house will be examined during the audit, and one standard compact fluorescent bulb will be installed in a fixture of the consumer's choice and an insulating water heater blanket will be installed on the customer's water heater at no cost.

Longmont Power and Communications

Longmont Power is offering its residential and commercial customers rebates for the purchase of ENERGY STAR-rated clothes washers and dishwashers. Purchases of these appliances are eligible for a $50 rebate. Residential customers can apply for one rebate per appliance, while commercial customers can apply for three rebates per appliance. For details, click here.

Mountain View Electric Association (MVEA)

Mountain View Electric Association, Inc. (MVEA) and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc., MVEA's power supplier, will pay credits to MVEA residential customers who install selected electrical heating systems and/or selected electrical appliances. Rebates are available for water heaters, heat pumps, air conditioners, and motors that meet certain performance requirements. For details, click here.

Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association (REA)

This REA offers its residential customers an energy efficiency rebate program for qualified water heaters and heat pumps. For details, click here. For details, click here.

United Power

United Power offers its residential customers an energy efficiency rebate program for qualified water heaters, heat pumps, and motors. For details, click here.

� 2002-2008 Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
2260 Baseline Rd. Suite 212, Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 447-0078 fax: (303) 786-8054 info@swenergy.org

Last Updated: 01/30/2008