The Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance, in partnership with the Community Environmental Council, are launching their newest pilot program, kWh Countdown, funded by the California Energy Commission.
kWh Countdown offers two services for businesses located in the cities of Thousand Oaks, Ventura, and Moorpark:
Free energy benchmarking to all business that enroll
A limited number of comprehensive energy audits to businesses that demonstrate a willingness to invest in energy efficiency projects.
“kWh Countdown is designed to help businesses save money on utility bills and invest in energy efficiency projects with confidence,” said Sue Hughes, VCREA’s Executive Director. “Business owners often bypass cost-saving energy efficiency projects because of uncertain payback periods or lack of technical expertise. kWh Countdown aims to reduce the uncertainty surrounding energy efficiency projects by clearly explaining the benefits of energy efficiency.”
Selected companies will receive free American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers level II energy audits, valued at over $5,000 each. These energy audits provide businesses with a detailed analysis of potential energy efficiency projects, including payback periods, funding sources, and packages of projects that best align with the individual company’s goals and objectives. Due to the cost of providing such a high-level assessment, a limited number of these audits will be conducted. Auditing services will be completed by TRC, Inc. a Southern California-based energy company that was selected through a competitive Request for Proposal process.
Companies that are not selected to receive free high-level energy audits will still receive a benchmarking analysis. Benchmarking uses an online platform called ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® to compare a building’s energy usage to that of similar buildings. This evaluation provides businesses insight to their energy usage and helps identify opportunities for energy conservation. Additionally, commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet with no residential accounts are mandated to be benchmarked by Assembly Bill 802. kWh Countdown helps buildings owners meet this benchmarking requirement.
If your business would like to participate in the program, visit www.kwhcountdown.org and fill out an online application or contact Heather Allen at [email protected].
