Minnesota Energy: Retrofit Programs

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Energy Management Services offers a full range of energy-related professional services for state agencies and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities:

Guaranteed Energy Savings Program	Short-term data logging
Shared Energy Savings Program	Public building benchmarking
Utility rebate programs	Energy supply management
Utility rate evaluation and analysis	Utility contract management
Energy monitoring program

Guaranteed Energy Savings Program

Energy Management Services offers the Guaranteed Savings Program to all State agencies and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.

The program was developed under Minnesota Statute § 16C.144 to implement comprehensive energy efficiency improvements in existing buildings partnering with Energy Services Companies.

The funding of energy efficiency improvement projects is through tax-exempt lease purchase agreements.

Through the Guaranteed Energy Savings Agreement, the Energy Services Company shall:

Conduct a comprehensive energy audit
Design and install the utility cost-savings measures
Provide a written guarantee that the utility, operation and maintenance cost savings will meet or exceed the total payments of the lease purchase agreement
Provide measurement and verification services under the direction of Energy Management Services and the state facility

The term of the Guaranteed Energy Savings Agreement may not exceed fifteen (15) years.

Through the Lease Purchase Agreement, the financing company shall:

Provide tax-exempt financing

The term of the Lease Purchase Agreement may not exceed fifteen (15) years. The State agency, college or university makes lease payments to the finance company based on utility, operation, and maintenance cost savings.

Typical projects qualifying for the Guaranteed Energy Savings Program include:

Lighting retrofits
Electrical equipment upgrades (energy efficient motors, adjustable speed drives)
Energy management systems (where the mechanical system is adequate)
Boiler controls
Boiler system parts
HVAC retrofits
Miscellaneous energy savings opportunities

Shared Energy Savings Program

Energy Management Services offers the Shared Energy Savings Program to all State agencies and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities served by CenterPoint Energy. The program received its initial funding through CenterPoint Energy under Minnesota Statute § 16B.32 Subdivision 3. Depending on the fund's balance, the Department of Administration can provide interest-free financing to implement thermal energy efficiency improvements with a simple payback of up to ten (10) years.

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Utility Rebate Programs

Many state utility suppliers, from large investor-owned utilities to smaller municipalities, offer rebate (incentive) programs that can be applied to qualifying energy-efficient equipment purchased by their customers.

Energy Management Services (EMS) has developed a utility rebate program to assist interested State agencies or facilities in obtaining potential rebates as part of any remodel, retrofit or new construction project.

Acting as an agent for your facility, EMS works with the local utility as well as with your architects, engineers and contractors to identify, apply and follow-through on applicable incentive programs offered by the utility.

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Utility Rate Evaluation and Analysis

Energy Management Services can help determine if you are being billed under the most advantageous utility rate. Our review process may entail analyzing the merits of installing backup generation or a backup fuel source.

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Energy Monitoring Program

Energy Management Services can provide standardized reporting of your facility’s energy consumption and costs.

Energy use and cost information is sent to us by your facility or finance manager. We use this data to create a report comparing three years of usage and costs. Typically, one year is designated as a base year and the two most current years are shown against the base year’s data. Data is prorated among the appropriate months according to meter reading dates, avoiding false impressions of energy usage. Our software accounts for mixes of various fuels and brings all the costs back to an easily comparable table of usage, cost and unit cost.

We are also capable of special customized reports on a time-available basis.

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Short-term Data Logging

Energy Management Services maintains a comprehensive collection of data loggers and sensors enabling the measurement of Indoor Air Quality determinants. These devices can be temporarily installed to measure amperage in a circuit, temperatures, and 4-20 mA control signals. Logging intervals are variable from sub-seconds to hours. We conduct logging of IAQ parameters such as CO, CO2, temperature and relative humidity. Reports summarizing the collected data typically take the form of Excel spreadsheets.

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Public Building Benchmarking

Public Building Benchmarking legislation was enacted in 2001. The resulting program includes the identification and ranking of energy-inefficient facilities and the development of a strategic plan for improving energy efficiency in Minnesota public buildings.

In addition to benchmarking, the program promotes energy measurement, tracking, and strategic planning to increase public building owners’ participation in existing and new energy conservation and environmental programs. An important goal of the program is to encourage public building owners to develop and implement energy sustainability plans.

Energy Management Services provides the building and energy data for the State- owned buildings component of the Public Building Benchmarking program.

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Energy Supply Management

Energy Supply Management is an energy cost savings program for State facilities that can switch between natural gas and No. 6 fuel oil in their heating plants.

At the end of each winter month, Energy Management Services (EMS) takes natural gas and No.6 fuel oil price quotes from respective vendors and analyzes cost savings by switching from one fuel to another. Participating State facilities are then notified of the potential cost savings and the more economical fuel.

Energy Management Services works with Materials Management Division (MMD) in the annual procurement process of No.6 fuel oil.

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Utility Contract Management

Energy Management Services can review and process contracts for electricity, natural gas, hot water, steam, propane, boiler water treatment chemical and cooling water treatment supplies for state facilities.

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