Originally Published in Lightrail Connect, June-August 2011 Edition

Did you know the typical Phoenix family spends about $1,600 a year on home utility bills? Unfortunately, too much of that energy is wasted.  The good news is that a new program called Energize Phoenix is now available to help residents and business owners along the Energize Phoenix Corridor, a 10-mile stretch along the light rail line, save money by saving energy.

The Energize Phoenix program is funded by a $25 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Better Buildings Program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) awarded to the city of Phoenix in partnership with the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University and support from Arizona Public Service.

The program aims to achieve specific goals that include: shrinking home energy consumption by up to 30 percent; reducing commercial energy use by up to 18 percent; eliminating carbon emissions by as much as 50,000 metric tons per year; and upgrading up to 2,000 homes and 30 million square feet of office and industrial space for greater energy efficiency.

Energize Phoenix is designed to create 1,900 to 2,700 new direct and indirect jobs, most of which will be “green jobs.” These will include jobs for energy auditors, efficient-equipment installers, and traditional trades, along with residential energy consultants to install electricity feedback devices that show residents how much energy they are using, as well as simple steps to reduce their energy use.

Programs

The programs offered within Energize Phoenix will match most existing APS rebates and help pay for the majority of your energy efficiency improvement project costs.  Nationally, thousands of homes and businesses that participated in this type of program have achieved savings of up to 30 percent on their energy bills. A few small changes can save you big money!

There are many reasons to improve the energy performance of your home or business, including:

• Saving money on your utility bills
• Increasing comfort in every room
• Improving the health and safety for your family or employees
• Increasing the durability and value of your home or business
• Improving environmental quality in your community

Depending on housing type and household income, residents living along the Energize Phoenix Corridor may quality for specific programs with incentives for duct leakage repair, air sealing, attic insulation, lighting, shade screens, heating and cooling system replacement and water heater upgrades. Residential programs include:

• Residential Rebate Match – Provides rebates for homeowners of single-family residential, condominiums and townhomes;
• Residential 60/40 – Provides a conditional grant for 60 percent of eligible energy efficiency upgrade costs with 40 percent provided by the single-family detached low-to-moderate income residents.

Business owners may also qualify for specific incentives depending on the size of the business and location within the Energize Phoenix corridor.

The Energize Phoenix Business Program leverages existing APS Solutions for Business rebates by providing a matching rebate (not to exceed 100 percent of project investment) for businesses and non-residential APS customers. Energy efficiency projects eligible for these rebates include, but are not limited to, lighting, HVAC, motors, and refrigeration.

Another option available for business owners is the Energize Phoenix Small Business Program, which works in conjunction with APS Express Solutions Program. If you represent a school of any size or a business with average monthly demand of 400 kilowatt or less (approximately $14,000 per month or less in utility expenses), you may be eligible for the APS Express Solutions Program.  The energy saving measures in this program target common lighting and refrigeration improvements.

Keep in mind you must use an Energize Phoenix Approved Contractor in order to access any of the Energize Phoenix Program Rebates. Approved contractors have been educated on the APS and Energize Phoenix rebate programs’ rules and processes.

If you would like to find out if you are eligible for any of these unprecedented cash incentives visit www.energizephx.com or call our hotline at (602) 495-5275.

Data Collection

In mid-February, 2011, Arizona State University began deploying undergraduate students to canvas the Energize Phoenix corridor and survey residents’ and businesses’ attitudes towards energy efficiency.  Working in teams, the surveyors ride the light rail to assigned neighborhoods and walk door-to-door administering surveys.

They are generating valuable analysis data, awareness of and interest in the program, and a street-level, property-by-property view of the people and businesses that stand to be impacted by this urban-scale energy efficiency effort.