Skip to main content

U.S. Rebates & Incentives Update: Q1 2020

Published Date

Schneider Electric helps organizations identify, qualify, pursue and obtain energy efficiency incentives. Each month our experts compile important news and notes. Here are this quarter's rebates and incentives from around the U.S.

5 Energy Trends That Will Impact Your Rebate Program in 2020

Approximately 25 state and provincial governments across North America enacted climate programs in 2019, introducing carbon-pricing mechanisms and financing or incentivizing wind and battery storage technology.

As we move into 2020, utility and state-sponsored programs continue to offer rebate and incentive programs ranging from bonus programs on lighting, rebates and state funding of EV charging stations, and custom programs for business management systems, to name a few. In reviewing the diverse programs across the country, we’ve identified a few trends that may impact your rebate program.

  1. Electric Vehicles

Among American adult consumers, 15% said they were probably going to own an electric vehicle (EV) in the next 5 years, and 34% said it would probably be in 10 years. We are seeing an increase in the number of utilities offering rebate and incentive programs for EV charging stations (five of them are cited in the Market-Specific Rebates below).

  1. Mid-Stream, Up-Stream Programs

Utilities that have offered rebates directly to clients (ratepayers) in the past have, or are moving to, incentivizing equipment vendors and manufacturers through up-stream or mid-stream programs.  Up-stream programs are designed to provide incentives for manufacturers, encouraging them to make more efficient products. A mid-stream program provides incentives for vendors to stock and sell a higher percentage of highly efficient products.

  1. The Impact of Renewables

Regulators, investors, customers, and employees will continue to push the market towards renewable energy, potentially offering new rebate and incentive opportunities.

  1. The Changing Climate for Rebates

Utility rebate programs will continue to vary in type and rates. Programs may be subject to change based on the availability of funds. Monitoring those projects and providing updates to our team is important in optimizing program potential.

  1. The Need for Active, Responsive Rebate Management

Energy is not an expense that should be passively managed in the 2020s. This is also true of rebate and incentive programs. Creating and maintaining a successful program depends largely on commitment, response, reporting systems and the right “point person”.

Market-Specific Rebates

Salt River Project (SRP)

Workplace Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Rebate

Salt River Project (SRP) offers a rebate to business customers who purchase and install Level 2 EVSE for use by their employees. The rebate is $500 per Level 2 EVSE charging port installed, limited to 12 per business. Rebates are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, including eligibility requirements and how to receive the rebate, see the SRP Rebates website.

California - State Incentive

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Rebate – Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino

Funded by the California Energy Commission (CEC) and implemented by the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), the Southern California Incentive Project (SCIP) promotes access to electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure by offering rebates of up to $80,000 for the purchase and installation of eligible public EV chargers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties – with a total of $29 million in available funds. Final rebate amounts are determined by the total eligible project costs.

Burbank Water and Power

Commercial customers who purchase and install EVSE can receive up to $2,000 for each charger and up to four rebates per fiscal year.

LADWP

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) provides rebates to commercial customers who purchase and install EVSE for employee and public use. Customers can receive up to $5,000 for each charger, with up to $750 in additional rebate funds per extra charge port. Rebates do not cover the cost of installation. Eligible customers may qualify for up to 40 rebate awards, depending on the number of parking spaces at the installation site.

Massachusetts – MassEVIP State Program

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (MassEVIP) Workplace Charging (WPC) Program provides incentive funding to employers in the Commonwealth to cover a portion of the purchase price for EV charging stations. You are not eligible for funding if you order the EV charging station before you receive an approval letter from MassDEP. Applications for funding will be considered on a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED basis until program funds are exhausted.

NV Energy

PowerShift by NV Energy offers incentives for buildings that exceed energy code requirements by 5% or more. NV Energy bases its new construction incentive payments on a tiered structure:

  • Tier 1: $0 - $100,000 = 100%
  • Tier 2: $100,001 - $500,000 = 50%
  • Tier 3: $500,001 - $1,000,000 = 20%
  • Tier 4: $1,000,001 and up = 10%

Commonwealth Edison

ComEd is offering new incentives traditional and franchise grocery stores, convenience stores, retail chains, drug stores with refrigeration units and liquor stores with a peak demand between 100–400 kW.

New incentives include:

  • Kitchen ventilation controls: $500/HP
  • ENERGY STAR® commercial kitchen appliances: up to $2,000 per appliance
  • Packaged or split A/C and heat pump replacement: $100-$135/ton
  • Advanced rooftop unit controls: $40-$100/ton

ComEd is also offering lighting and custom heat incentive programs:

Lighting Discounts

  • ENERGY STAR fixtures ≤ 40W: $10 off per lamp
  • ENERGY STAR fixtures > 40W: $25 off per lamp
  • TLED-signage: $5 off per lamp

Stand-alone Custom Rebates

  • CHP – $0.12/kWh
  • Computer room air conditioning – $0.12/kWh
  • Uninterruptable power supply – $0.12/kWh
  • Closet to colocation – $0.10/kWh

Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy is hoping bonuses will motivate customers to upgrade more equipment to LEDs this year.

Bonus Details:

  • Double rebate on linear tubes and mogul based lamps
  • 25% bonus rebate on indoor fixtures for customers using a promotion code

Rebates will be capped at 75% of equipment and labor costs. The rebate forms will not contain the bonus amounts, but the bonus will be added to the rebate check.

For more information on how energy efficiency and utility rebates and incentives in North America can benefit your organization, join our free Rebate Update e-mailing list. Or, to capture energy incentive dollars you may be missing, contact a Rebates & Incentives Energy Analyst.