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Businesses: Conserving Energy
Boost your bottom line with energy efficiency
Businesses large, small, and everywhere in between find that improving energy efficiency is an easy way to reduce overhead expenses and even improve productivity. Nonprofits can join in the savings too!
Here are some resources to help you get started going green, making your improvements affordable, and finding smart answers to your energy questions.
Free assessments
Here are some easy (and free!) ways to explore your business’s opportunities for efficiency.
One-stop efficiency shop
The One-Stop Efficiency Shop® is a full-service program available to Xcel Energy's Minnesota small business customers (those with a monthly electric demand of 400 kilowatts or less). One-Stop representatives can offer suggestions to improve lighting and HVAC systems, and they will walk with you through all the steps to savings — from the initial audit to submitting rebate paperwork.
612-244-2427
Commercial refrigeration efficiency
Refrigeration systems can be a significant source of energy use in grocery, liquor, and convenience stores. Xcel Energy’s free, on-site refrigeration assessments offer a convenient way to determine how your business can reduce energy use and costs. Plus, you'll receive complimentary, energy-saving products that will be installed on the spot. Xcel Energy electric customers with a peak monthly demand of 400 kilowatts or less are eligible.
Commercial refrigeration assessment
612-455-7803
Minnesota Energy Smart
An Energy Smart staff member will walk through your facility, look at energy-consuming equipment, and identify strategies to reduce energy usage. You receive a summary indicating top energy-saving opportunities, next steps, and a list of the financial incentives that may available. Energy conservation improvement options will be broken down by level of opportunity to provide a great sense of which opportunities are most promising.
Energy Smart on-site energy consultation
651-292-3902
Multi-family building efficiency
Multi-family buildings have many opportunities for energy savings — from lighting to cooling and heating. You can begin saving by scheduling a free, whole-building energy audit to help you determine the best approach to energy savings and incentive potential. Multi-family properties that have common entrances and in-unit kitchens are eligible. Visit the web page for eligibility details.
Multi-family building efficiency
844-545-7455
Whole building energy audits and assessments
When your business needs more information to make the right decisions and get the most from an energy efficiency project, there are resources to help. Larger businesses and those with specific needs can especially benefit from the assessments and studies listed. If you have an Xcel Energy account manager, you can always reach out to them with any questions about how to save energy.
Turn Key services
With Turn Key services, an energy advisor will conduct an ASHRAE Level 1 assessment at your facility to identify what types of equipment upgrades would have the biggest impact on reducing your energy costs. Plus, if your building is less than 250,000 square feet, you'll also receive a recommissioning or tune-up analysis to identify low- and no-cost adjustments that can be made to existing equipment to reduce energy use.
855-839-8862
Energy assessments and system studies
When you need smart insights and great advice, Xcel Energy offers other energy assessments and system studies to keep you and your organization in the lead.
To see which of these may be a good fit for your company or organization, visit Xcel Energy’s website.
Compressed air and fluid system optimization
855-839-8862
Rebates
There are valuable rebates available for a wide variety energy efficiency projects. You can learn about program specifics, including updates and new offerings, by calling 855-839-8862.
HVAC and refrigeration
Save energy and money by taking steps to boost the efficiency of your HVAC and refrigeration systems. Or, if it’s time for a replacement, upgrade to a high-efficiency system. You can earn rebates on a wide range of energy efficient equipment.
Food service equipment
A great option for restaurants: Xcel Energy offers rebates for efficient food service equipment to help offset the initial cost of installation. With new, efficient equipment, you’ll enjoy energy savings and lower operating costs year after year.
Food service equipment rebates
Lighting
Save your business money with lighting efficiency improvements. With Xcel Energy’s lighting rebates, you can lower your upfront costs and speed up payback on a wide range of lighting efficiency improvement projects, including LED upgrades.
Custom efficiency
If you want to install energy-saving equipment for your business that doesn’t fit under an existing rebate category, there’s still a great option to receive an incentive for those savings! This program is designed for projects and equipment that save energy but do not meet the requirements for standard rebate offerings. You must get pre-approval before purchasing equipment or making improvements in order to qualify.
Financing
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
PACE is a new way to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades for commercial property owners. Project financing is repaid as a separate item on the owner’s property tax assessment for a set period. PACE eliminates the burden of upfront costs by providing low-cost, long-term financing.
Trillion BTU financing
Trillion BTU financing can cover up to 100% of the costs for energy projects and is offered through a partnership between The Saint Paul Port Authority, Xcel Energy, the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE), the Minnesota Legislature and the U.S. Department of Energy, with Xcel Energy covering most of the program’s operating expenses.
Commercial Energy Efficiency Loan Program
The Commercial Energy Efficiency Loan Program provides up to $100,000 in financing to businesses making cost-effective energy efficiency improvements.
Nonprofit organizations interested in making energy upgrades can apply for loans of up to $25,000 through the Energy Savings Fund for Nonprofits.
Go green with renewables
Clean energy is becoming more available and affordable every day. And now you don’t have to commit to capital expenditures like solar panels or windmills to use clean, renewable energy in your facilities.
Windsource
Xcel Energy’s Windsource® is simple, affordable, and local renewable wind energy subscription that can be customized to fit your needs. A Windsource subscription helps your business generate goodwill, meet sustainability goals and earn LEED certification points. You'll also be supporting rural economies through tax revenue and jobs.
Community solar gardens
Solar*Rewards Community® is your opportunity to support solar development and clean energy without the hassle of installing panels on your business. Subscribe directly to a third-party owned community solar garden and receive credit on your monthly utility bill for the solar energy the garden contributes to the Xcel Energy grid.
On-Site Solar
Solar*Rewards
Solar*Rewards is your opportunity to power your business with solar power you produce, and get credit for participating. It's an incentive program, so monthly payments are made to the owner of the solar installation in exchange for Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) for the energy produced. If you produce more than you need, the extra energy is added to the Xcel Energy grid and will be credited to your bill.
Net metering
If you want to own an on-site solar array and keep all of the RECs you produce — perhaps to meet sustainability goals — you can install on-site solar and sign up for net metering.
Advisors to guide you through the process
If you have any questions about where to start saving energy, check in with the business solutions center for support — it’s free to reach out!
Xcel Energy’s Business Solutions Center has a team of dedicated energy advisors to guide you on everything from improving equipment performance to filling out rebate forms — all designed to help you save time and money.
855-839-8862