As part of Energy Trust’s diversity, equity and inclusion effort, Energy Trust is working to ensure that all utility customers can directly benefit from our services. That commitment extends to our work to support and engage COBID-certified contracting firms that are contributing to job creation in the state of Oregon.
As part of this effort, Energy Trust launched the Small and Medium Business Direct Install lighting offer in June. We created this offer to more intentionally reach and serve small- and medium-sized commercial, industrial and multifamily businesses, many who haven’t worked with Energy Trust in the past.
You can learn more about this offer and the customers we are trying to reach by reading the frequently asked questions outlined below.
Q: What is this offer and how is it different than Energy Trust’s other lighting incentives?
Energy Trust is providing free lighting assessments, technical expertise, energy-efficient lighting recommendations, and free lighting and controls upgrades to assist qualified small- and medium-sized business customers, industrial customers and multifamily building owners/managers in making their building(s) more energy efficient.
If a business requires additional electrical or other work to accommodate new lighting, they may request a quote from their installer or separately engage a contractor of their choice to provide a quote. That work would need to be completed before Energy Trust could install the lighting project.
Q: Why is this lighting offer free but other upgrades are not?
Upgrading to energy-efficient lighting is the best first step for many customers to save energy. And because lighting is often one of the largest energy uses in a business, benefits from an upgrade can be immediate and installers can upgrade lighting with minimal disruption to businesses.
Q: What businesses qualify for this offer?
Businesses located in Oregon in an existing commercial building, multifamily property, or industrial facility, that use less than 100,000 kilowatt hours per year and less than 3,500 therms per year and are served by Portland General Electric or Pacific Power, are eligible. Other eligibility requirements may apply.
Q: How did Energy Trust decide to focus on small and medium businesses for this offer?
Small, locally-owned businesses have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a way to help ensure all utility customers can directly benefit from our programs, and to support those businesses that could benefit from lower energy bills, Energy Trust is focusing our effort here for this offer.
Q: If a business is already working with an Energy Trust trade ally will they be offered free lighting upgrades?
No. Energy Trust doesn’t want to disrupt any work that’s ongoing between a business and a trade ally contractor. If a customer is already working with a trade ally, our program staff will not share information about the direct install offer.
Q: Who will be reaching out to eligible businesses?
Our Program Outreach Contractor for this offer, FCI Management, will begin in-person outreach to eligible small- and medium-sized businesses in mid-June. They will also perform lighting walkthrough surveys, and handle field quality control and installation coordination activities for this offer.
Within PGE service territory, outreach staff from the utility will also be talking with eligible customers about this offer and will be forwarding these leads to Energy Trust. If customers aren’t eligible for this offer, they’ll make those leads available to other trade ally contractors.
Q: Who will perform the installations?
We have a pre-selected number of qualified, COBID-certified lighting contractors to perform installations.
The lighting contractors selected for this direct install offering will schedule installation dates, order materials, complete installations, and remove and recycle old lighting fixtures.
Q: Can businesses receive these free lighting upgrades if they self-install or have another contractor install?
No. For this direct install offering, installation of the new lighting system must be performed by the lighting contractor provided by Energy Trust. Businesses are not eligible to receive any compensation for the lights or labor if they install on their own or hire an outside contractor.
Energy Trust has negotiated special product pricing and requires specific quality control standards from the contractors selected for this direct install offering to ensure that the lighting products installed function as intended.
Q: How long does a customer have to decide if they would like to take advantage of this offer?
Once the lighting walkthrough survey is finished, the customer may opt to sign an installation agreement immediately or they have 14 days to decide if they would like to sign the installation agreement.
This is a limited time offer and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis while funding lasts.
If you have additional questions about this offer, please email the lighting team at lighting@energytrust.org or call us at 1.800.326.2917.