Custom Efficiency for Trade Partners

Our rebates are designed to encourage your customers to install equipment or make process improvements that lead to energy savings. Through our Custom Efficiency program customers can get cash rebates for buying and implementing measures that are more energy-efficient than standard options but aren’t covered under our other energy conservation programs.

Summary

• Custom Efficiency program overview
• The more energy the project saves, the more your customer can earn in rebate dollars
• Examples of qualifying equipment may include (but are not limited to):
  • Lighting projects that are not one-to-one conversions
  • Replacing non-400W HID high bay fixtures with linear fluorescent high bay fixtures
  • High-efficiency compressors, motors and other equipment
  • Controls for ventilation, energy recovery, lighting or refrigeration
  • Energy-efficient windows, window film
  • Elevator modernization (DC to AC)
  • Process equipment
• List of frequently-approved projects

As a trade partner, here’s what you need to know to ensure you help clients get the highest rebates available:

• All Custom Efficiency projects require preapproval.
  Please remind your customers to get preapproval from Xcel Energy before taking any steps to purchase new equipment or systems. To qualify for a rebate, the preapproval date must come before any/all:
  • Purchase order dates
  • Equipment order dates
  • Equipment ship dates
  • Invoice dates
• Rebates are up to $200 per kW saved.
• Rebates cannot exceed 50% of the project or incremental cost.

Newly approved prescriptive measures (no longer submitted through the Custom Efficiency program):

• Low-wattage 4 ft.T8s (28w and 25w) qualify for an extra $0.50 per lamp rebate. Submit these through the Lighting Efficiency program.

Rebate application and guidelines

• Complete page 1 of the Custom Efficiency rebate application.
  • Be sure to have the customer sign the application.
• Complete page 2 of the Custom Efficiency rebate application.
  • Provide information about the existing equipment or the standard option a customer could have chosen. Include cost information for the standard option.
• Provide information about the proposed equipment. Include detailed cost information broken out by material, labor and engineering costs, if applicable.
• Provide additional project details, proposals or analysis as attachments to the application.
• Include the proposed product specification sheet(s).
• Consider providing estimated O&M savings. This may help your project get approved.
• Submit the applicable technology worksheet, if available.
  • Anti-sweat heater control worksheet
  • Cooling evaluation worksheet
  • Elevator evaluation worksheet
  • Evaporative condenser worksheet
  • Lighting evaluation worksheet
  • Motor operation worksheet
  • Product cooler worksheet
  • Refrigeration compressor worksheet
  • Roofing evaluation worksheet
  • Variable frequency drive worksheet
  • Window evaluation worksheet
• Remember that when the project is completed, if the project scope has changed or if the project costs vary by more than 10% from what was submitted for preapproval, Xcel Energy will recalculate the rebate (could go up or down).

Resources

• Simple payback calculator