OPA's Incentive Program
What does this program mean to Ontario Manufacturers?
Every day residents of Ontario hear comments and rumours regarding the possibility that many of the progressive energy management incentive programs in Ontario may be cut in 2012. This has created a real sense of urgency to move forward and take advantage of these incentives before they disappear. What would it mean for medium and large manufacturers if they were able to reduce their electricity consumption by 10% - 15%? For most, this would mean over $100,000 in savings each and every year! Now, if you use these incentives to help fund many of the conservation efforts, it means that you can implement an energy strategy for pennies compared to the dollar savings that are available! OPA's "save on energy" program for industrial clients will give you this opportunity.
Ontario Power Authority's recent launch of Save On Energy program for businesses is exciting news for any manufacturing customer that is looking to reduce the cost of electricity in your business. The program consists of a numer of areas to help large electricity consumers the opportunity to implement conservation programs while being highly subsidized by the OPA. For those manufacturers looking for long-term, sustainable programs that provide this fastest return on investment, the Process and Systems incentive program is one that should be investigated first. This program consists of two complimentary streams:
1. Energy Efficiency Upgrades A 3-step feasibility process to find, study, & act on the best conservation opportunities
2. Energy Management and Monitoring Long term initiatives designed to maintain and grow your savings for the future
Energent provides software and services related to the Energy Management and Monitoring stream. Energent's Energy Analysts provide the services of an Energy Manager for your business. This person will help manage the process of implementing an energy strategy using Energy Monitoring and Targeting software, and executing on the Energy Efficiency Upgrades stream, which highlight key areas to achieve energy conservation. The OPA will fund 80% of the cost of an Energy Manager. Energent's core product, EnergentET, provides all of the capabilities that are required to execute on the monitoring and targeting aspect of the OPA incentive program.
What is the OPA Incentive Program worth to me?
The OPA Save on Energy program can fund up to 80% of an Energy Manager and 80% of EnergentET, our Monitoring and Targeting solution, for 2 years. This means that a comprehensive energy strategy can be implemented and executed for 20% of the value of the system. The return on investment in this scenario is almost immediate, and will set your company up to lower your electricity bill and increased profits moving forward.
How to you Qualify for the OPA Incentive Program?
The qualifications are relatively straight forward and Energent can help you understand the process and steps.
- Electricity Consumption - Do you consume more than 15,000 MWh of electricity per year?
- Embedded Energy Manager - Do you have someone to liasson with your LDC to manage the project?
- Local Distribution Company (LDC) - Do you have a relationship with your current LDC?
Once these basic qualification steps are met, or addressed, Energent will help you complete the application to move forward on the program. The application process requires setting targets to reduce consumption, and drawing up a plan to achieve these targets. Although many companies find this challenging to commit to specific consumption targets, Energent will help you understand how to easily achieve these targets for a sustainable future.
How much money do I have to invest to take advantage of the OPA Incentive Program?
Simply put, you are responsible for 20% of the cost of EnergentET for 2 years. The absolute dollar amount for this part is variable, but the approximate cost will be between $15,000 and $25,000 over 2 years, giving a 2 year savings of approximately $200,000!
The cost of an Embedded Energy Manager is fully subsidized by the OPA, and, if you use an Energy Analyst from Energent, there will be no employee costs!
What are the next steps to get involved?
Contact Energent to find out how we can help you access these incentive programs quickly and easily. We will manage the process from beginning to fulfillment, ensuring you maximize your return, maximize your savings, and minimize your investment.
Contact Joe Bomans at jbomans [at] energent [dot] com or by phone at 519-725-0906 x2002 now to get involved.