Commercial

Update on Business Lighting Program

August 12, 2024

Energy Trust will pause accepting new downstream lighting incentive applications from commercial and industrial customers on Friday, August 23
at 4 p.m.

While we increased the downstream incentive budget for 2024 by approximately 70% over 2023, customers have responded at even higher rates than expected. High customer participation was in part driven by HB 2531, which motivated customers to upgrade to LEDs before the law triggers the sunset of some of Energy Trust’s lighting incentives in 2025.

In the last few months, we made several changes to try and reduce demand for incentives, including making changes to horticulture lighting incentives and reducing marketing activities. These changes were effective in reducing the pipeline, but not enough. At this point, the pipeline of downstream projects has exhausted our current funding.

We know that Energy Trust incentives help drive demand for project installations, and this disruption will be challenging for both trade allies and customers. However, we feel this is a necessary step to manage the remaining lighting budget given much higher customer participation than expected so far this year.

Small Business Direct Install and Instant Discounts for Business Customers (i.e., Midstream) will continue according to those program requirements, budgets and timelines.

We plan to resume incentive applications for 2025 projects once Energy Trust’s 2025 budget is approved by our board of directors in December 2024. Updates on the budget will be shared via email and the Insider.

When we resume applications for downstream business lighting projects, we expect to implement some reduced incentive amounts and lower the per project incentive cap to balance customer demand and available budget.

Please reference the details below on how projects will be handled through the end of 2024. We will also post this communication to Insider.

We appreciate your understanding as we take this needed step to manage our budget.

Please contact your regular point of contact for the Business Lighting program with questions.

Details on Project Handling

Energy Trust will pause incentive applications for any new downstream lighting projects at 4 p.m. August 23, 2024.

Energy Trust will continue processing incentives for committed and completed lighting projects, per signed incentive agreements (Form 120L).

In-progress projects will be handled as follows:

New proposed 2024 and 2025 projects with a complete lighting tool and all corresponding documentation submitted to LightingDocuments@energytrust.org by 4 p.m. August 23, 2024, will be reviewed, and will receive a Form 120L incentive application if eligible and pending funding availability.

  • The lighting tool and Form 103L must be complete and all required documentation must be submitted with the lighting tool prior to 4 p.m. August 23, 2024.
  • Incomplete projects or projects without proper documentation will not be reviewed.
  • If pre-verification is required, the trade ally and customer must coordinate with Energy Trust by no later than September 13 to schedule that process, or the proposed project will be removed from the review queue and no longer be eligible for further processing or an incentive application.
  • Requests for extensions will not be considered.

Proposed projects submitted prior to this announcement and that have not received a Form 120L incentive application will be reviewed and will receive an Form 120L incentive application if eligible and pending funding availability.

  • The lighting tool and Form 103L must be complete and all required documentation must be submitted with the lighting tool prior to 4 p.m. August 23, 2024
  • If pre-verification is required, the trade ally and customer must coordinate with Energy Trust by no later than September 13 to schedule that process, or the proposed project will be removed from the review queue and no longer be eligible for further processing or an incentive application.
  • Requests for extensions will not be considered.

Proposed projects that have received an incentive application (Form 120L) prior to August 23, 2024, but have not yet returned a customer-signed copy to Energy Trust must return the customer-signed incentive application by the deadline indicated on the Form 120L.

  • Applications submitted after the submittal deadline listed on the application (Form 120L) will be void and will not qualify for an incentive reservation.
  • Requests for extensions will not be considered.

Projects that have a customer-signed Form 120L in effect must complete installation and submit all required documentation by the expiration date listed on their incentive agreement.

  • Requests for extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Projects removed from the program queue in 2024 may be resubmitted when the program reopens and will be subject to program eligibility requirements and incentives in effect at the time the application is submitted.

Trade allies working with K-12 school districts on ODOE-funded, 1149 lighting projects may continue using Energy Trust’s lighting tool to calculate energy savings for project applications to ODOE without an Energy Trust incentive listed.

Small Business Direct Install and Instant Discounts for Business Customers will continue to be processed according to those program requirements, budgets and timelines.

Energy Trust program details and incentives are subject to funding availability and may change. Please contact your regular point of contact for the Business Lighting program with questions.

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