DTE Offers Energy Credits To Business Customers, Seeks Efficiency RFPs
DETROIT -- DTE Energy has debuted a new incentive and reward program for its large commercial and industrial customers that is designed to increase energy efficiency and save companies money.
DTE Energy also announced it plans to issue Requests for Proposals to add energy efficient programs to its electric profile.
In a first-of-its-kind program, DTE Energy will offer 125,000 White Tag energy optimization credits to its electric and natural gas customers to buy over the next two years. White Tag credits represent a unit of energy saved and the environmental benefits of that conservation.
Qualifying large commercial and industrial customers who can demonstrate measured energy savings as a result of process improvements or other energy-efficiency projects will receive financial compensation for many megawatt hours of electricity or thousands of cubic feet of natural gas conserved.
"This is a breakthrough, performance-based program that rewards our commercial and industrial customers for their energy efficiency and brings them new revenue that can be reinvested into additional efficiency improvements that provide even more value," said Robert Fegan, principal energy analyst for DTE Energy's energy optimization program.
The pilot program, which is being administered by Atlanta-based energy marketer Sterling Planet, will pay DTE Energy C&I customers over the next two years. A training session with more than 50 DTE Energy customer representatives has already taken place.
The environmental benefits of the program will be significant. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 25,000 White Tags from electric energy and natural gas savings will compare to about a 25,870- pound reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. That is the equivalent of taking 4,600 cars of the roads for a year.
Sterling Planet will measure and validate the energy savings, and then provide the resultant White Tags to DTE Energy. The company will use the credits to help comply with Michigan mandates for improvements in energy efficiency.
"We signed up for Sterling Planet's White Tags program because we saw it as an innovative, powerful way to give added support to our ongoing customer relationships," Fegan said. "It also helps us achieve the energy efficiency gains that the state of Michigan requires."
As for the RFPs, Detroit Edison is seeking bids from qualified Michigan energy efficiency implementation vendors to provide energy-saving programs for two of the company's programs: EnergyStar and Commercial & Industrial.
DTE Energy is seeking to increase the adoption of high-efficiency EnergyStar products through retail markets. In addition, the products will have more exposure to customers and better placement in stores, through market support of retailers.
The RFP for the EnergyStar program is designed to do the following:
* Influence customers to purchase efficient lighting products, such as CFLs and LEDs, in order to save energy and money
* Influence the purchase of qualified EnergyStar appliances by providing online and mail-in rebates
* Provide retailers marketing support to increase awareness of energy efficient lighting and appliances through associate training, point of purchase signage and in-store events
* Overcome market barriers of price, retailer participation and lack of awareness and knowledge of the benefits of energy efficient products
* Ensure that the customer participation process is clear and easy to understand for the customer
For the commercial and industrial program, DTE Energy wants to increase awareness and adoption of energy efficient measures by offering incentives for business customers who upgrade their facilities with energy efficient equipment. The program offers comprehensive incentives for the installation of energy efficient measures, thereby motivating commercial and industrial customers to select high-efficiency equipment when making purchasing decisions.
The RFP for the commercial and industrial program is designed o do the following:
* Provide incentives to facility owners and operators for the installation of high efficiency equipment and controls
* Provide the necessary knowledge and market demand to justify the marketing of high efficiency measures by electrical contractors, mechanical contractors and their distributors
* Ensure that the participation process is clear, easy to understand and simple
* Overcome market barriers of price, lack of awareness and knowledge of the benefits of energy efficient products
All implementation contractors interested in receiving more information about the RFPs should send their contact information via email to energyop@dteenergy.com no later than Friday, Sept. 23.
More at www.dteenergy.com.
