Keeping a Watchful Eye on Incentive Program Updates
May 10, 2018
With thousands of utility rebate and incentive programs across the country there are a lot of moving parts and program details to track.
EMC’s Incentive Team works hard to research these programs, ensuring we deliver the most accurate and up-to-date rebate information to our customers. Every rebate estimate we provide is thoroughly researched by one of our team members. Sometimes that research uncovers a program change that can impact past, present and future projects.
Program Changes
How can a program change affect a project?
The answer is not as black and white as you would expect, but ultimately, it can result in a project getting less rebate dollars than expected, no rebate dollars at all or more rebate than anticipated. This is why it is so important to learn about these changes as soon as possible.
In many cases, program change alerts prevent missed rebates because we are able to reschedule installations to adhere to the new program requirements.
Value of Relationships
There are times when a rebate loss is unavoidable. A utility can change or stop their program at any time and in many cases, without notice.
That is where we realize the extreme value of our team’s relationships with utility representatives. Our regular communication with utilities keeps our team in the know of what’s upcoming.
Alert Types
There are two main types of alerts: a program reduction or discontinuation and a bonus or new rebate measure. As we near the midpoint for 2018, there are some significant program updates that fall into each of these categories.
Program Reduction/Discontinuation
As we first shared in January, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), with a service area covering most of Tennessee plus portions of Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky, is getting rid of its energy efficiency incentive program effective October 1, 2018. Projects completed after July 1, 2018, will not receive incentives.
Bonus/New Rebate
PECO – PA, in contrast has added new TLED, LED floods, LED wall-packs and parking garage/canopy fixture incentives for certain counties in Pennsylvania as of May 1, 2018.
With this everchanging and complex world of incentives it’s time consuming and less effective to try to manage them alone. EMC Incentives Team experts will keep watch for you and let you know if something could impact your lighting and controls project.
We also publish these alerts each month in our MAXXed Monthly online newsletter. Subscribe today and keep informed!
Jolene Fenn is Energy Management Collaborative's Lead Incentive Analyst and Incentive Team Supervisor. In this role she utilizes her knowledge of incentive programs nationwide to expedite the application process and secure maximum incentive dollars for EMC customers.
