Businesses get a shot in the arm from Aspen

There has never been a better time for an Aspen business to invest in energy efficiency. The city of Aspen electric utility and the Community Office for Resource Efficiency have teamed up to offer attractive rebates for businesses that take steps to reduce their energy consumption.

If you've been thinking about replacing that old boiler or refrigeration system; if you've been waiting to switch to energy-saving light bulbs; if you've considered installing new insulation to trap the heat in your leaky building, then now's the time.

"If you have a qualifying improvement or retrofit, we will pay 25 percent of the project cost up to $2,500," said Jeff Rice, utility efficiency manager for the Aspen utilities division. "And CORE will match that. So, between the two of us, we'll cover 25 percent of the project up to $5,000."

CORE and Aspen Electric are serious enough about the threat of climate change and the need to reduce energy consumption that they'll help pay for it. Rice said energy conservation is good for the utility, and that's why he's meeting regularly with business owners and advising them on ways to reduce their power consumption.

"The less energy that people are using, the farther our resources go and the longer our resources last," Rice said.

Additionally, the city has a goal of reducing citywide carbon emissions 30 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 from the 2004 baseline. The loss of the November advisory vote on a proposed new hydroelectric plant was a setback in the city's effort to meet those emissions goals, so city officials believe energy savings can be achieved by working with local businesses on a voluntary basis.

"We're hoping they want to participate because it makes smart business sense, but there will also be a carbon benefit to the city," said Lauren McDonell,You've determined that a solar photovoltaic system is the right choice for you. environmental initiatives manager for the city.Compare prices and buy all brands of solar module for home power systems and by the pallet.

For the business owner, the incentive is a significant reduction in electrical bills and often greater comfort with less maintenance. Gordon Keating, of Keating Fine Art in Aspen, has seen a 60 percent reduction in his utility bills thanks to a recent installation of energy-saving LED light bulbs and lighting timers.

"I don't like to think of myself as a green person, but I do appreciate efficiency," Keating said. "The biggest difference I've discovered is the LEDs produce a lot of light and very little heat. The bulbs I had before produced a lot of heat and a little light."

Keating's old halogen bulbs generated so much warmth that, during the summer, he had to cool his gallery with an air conditioner. Switching to LED bulbs both lowered his lighting-related energy consumption and enabled him to turn off the AC.

"I will assure people who have misconceptions about LED bulbs that they only think that way because they haven't seen them," he said. "It's better lighting."

CORE is the local outlet for Energy Smart Colorado, a program that has focused on energy efficient upgrades to residences in Pitkin,Exit signs, emergency light and fire extinguisher are vital parts of life safety systems. Eagle and Gunnison counties. The new push in Aspen is essentially applying the Energy Smart model to businesses. Here's how it works:

The first step is a visit from an energy expert such as Rice. With a quick visual inspection of a given business, he can recommend ways to lower electric consumption through one or more upgrades — lighting, refrigeration, weatherization or something else. If an owner decides to pursue an energy-saving recommendation, then Rice or someone from CORE can render advice — about good technologies,Use residential wind turbines to generate electricity and charge into storage battery group. about trained contractors, even how to analyze different cost estimates.Easily installed solar mounting systems for flat roof racking and pitched roofs. This "energy coaching" helps simplify and streamline the process for the owner.