Mar 28 2008
Getting paid to eat the low-hanging fruit of conservation Part 1
Energy-efficiency guru, Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute, is famous for talking about the low-hanging fruit available to companies through energy efficiency. He contends that there’s so much low-hanging fruit that it “is mushing up around our ankles and spilling in over the tops of our waders while the tree pelts our heads with more fruit.”
For businesses in Silicon Valley, there are some particularly delicious fruits that companies can essentially get paid to eat! I’m referring to incentive programs that subsidize corporate expenditures on programs that result in saving money and resources.
Water Conservation Programs
The WET (Water Efficient Technologies) program is administered by the San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant and the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Rebates of up to $50,000 per water conservation project are available for projects that reduce annual water usage by 100,000 cubic feet (100ccf) or more. The rebates can cover up to half the total project cost.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District offers two other rebate programs: the Irrigation System Hardware Rebate Program which offers up to a $4,000 rebate on irrigation system and the Weather Based Irrigation Controller Rebate Program with rebates up to $1,100. Beware that funds are limited for these programs and there are expiration dates.
The water district also offers free site evaluations which have shown potential savings of up to $1,000 per acre of landscape.
Businesses with old-fashioned water-hog toilets can get high-efficiency toilets installed free-of charge, while supplies last! And there is a rebate of up to $400 for replacing commercial washing machines with high-efficiency models.
Even if you’re not in Silicon Valley, your business may qualify for rebates from your local water or pollution control districts or municipality. Check it out!
In Part 2, I’ll cover some sweet energy conservation incentives.
In addition to the great programs mentioned above, the Santa Clara Valley Water District also offers free Indoor Water Use Surveys to businesses in the Silicon Valley area.
Includes an onsite inspection of your facilities, collecting data on all water using equipment, plumbing fixtures and processes. After the data is evaluated you get a report showing all the “low-hanging fruit” available, with recommendations for upgrades or replacements. The report includes costs, savings and payback times for all recommendations. It also includes all the rebate and incentive information ( including those listed in the post above, and more).
For information or to request participation, call the water district’s contractor, WaterWise Consulting at (866) 648-2925 or the program’s manager at the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Karen Morvay at (408) 265-2607 ext. 2707.
[...] Part 1 of this two-part post, described some of the great water conservation incentive programs available to Silicon Valley companies. There are also a number of ways to get paid for eating the low-hanging fruit of energy conservation. Some of these programs are so sweet that demand outstrips the budget allocated for the programs. So, businesses are well-advised to act now! [...]