Tucson Electric Power Co. is amping up its energy-efficiency programs for 2016, including a new pilot program to pay for energy-saving measures at local schools.
TEPβs 2016 energy-efficiency plan was approved last week by the Arizona Corporation Commission, to help the company meet a state energy-savings mandate.
TEPβs new program offerings, which will roll out in the coming months, include bigger and new rebates for homeowners and a program to help schools cut their power usage.
Schools have participated in other TEP energy-efficiency programs, but the new pilot program will be developed specifically for their needs, TEP said. Preference will be given to schools that have not installed energy-efficiency measures in the past three years.
The energy-efficiency rebates are funded by a ratepayer surcharge that was reduced 17 percent for 2016, which will run the typical home customer less than $2 a month. TEPβs overall budget for energy-efficiency programs in 2016 is about $23 million.
Other upgrades and additions to TEPβs energy efficiency plan include:
- A new program to provide instant discounts at participating retailers for residential customers who buy certain Energy Star-certified products, including air conditioners and washing machines.
- An increase in the rebate for installing an energy-stingy pool pump, to $200 from $120 previously.
- New incentives for homeowners and apartment owners who improve the efficiency of their heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems with βadvanced tune-upβ measures, a low-cost way to boost efficiency, TEP says. Besides a discount on a tune-up through TEP-certified contractors, participants can buy programmable thermostats at a discount.
- Expansion of rebate programs available to small business and commercial and industrial customers, including incentives for installing things like LED lighting, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, window films and equipment controls.
While things like the increased pool-pump incentive are already in place, the new programs will take weeks or months to get going, TEP spokesman Joe Barrios said.
Information about existing programs is available at tep.com/efficiency, which will be updated with information on new programs as it becomes available.
Other existing programs include discounts on high-efficiency compact fluorescent and LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs through retailers, an appliance recycling rebate, weatherization help for low-income customers and a shade-tree program.
The schools energy-efficiency plan was added to TEPβs program by the Corporation Commission, which approved a similar pilot program for Arizona Public Service Co. in November.
The program will have a total budget of $1 million for calendar years 2016 and 2017, and TEP will develop the program within the next 90 days. TEP will pay a rebate to participating schools, covering 100 percent of the project cost up to $250,000.
In remarks following approval of TEPβs plan, Commissioner Tom Forese said schools will be able to put the money they save on energy back into classroom uses.
Under a mandate adopted by the Corporation Commission in 2010, public utilities such as TEP and Arizona Public Service Co. must achieve annual energy savings of at least 22 percent of their retail power sales by 2020.
TEP has been running behind its mandated savings and had to get a waiver of the rules. Under TEPβs original plan, the utility forecast it would reach just over 11 percent in cumulative energy savings in 2016, compared with the incremental standard of 12 percent.
About half the states have adopted such energy-efficiency standards, with varying percentage savings mandates, with the idea that saving energy can reduce customersβ costs, reduce environmental impacts and limit the long-term need for new power plants.
Information about existing programs is available at tep.com/efficiency. Information about new programs will be added to the website as it becomes available.
