Range of Utility Incentives for Laboratory and Data Center Efficiency Projects
Fran Boucher, CEM, LEED AP®, National Grid
Note that this session will be offered at 8 a.m. and again at noon, with the noon start time to accommodate attendees who are commuting to the conference and are unable to make the 8 a.m. session.
The energy intensity of laboratories, pharmaceutical facilities, and data centers make them ideal candidates for efficiency improvements supported by the electric and gas utilities. Existing facilities and new construction and renovation projects are all candidates for incentives covering up to 75 percent of the cost of the efficiency enhancements. Loans, at rates as low as zero percent, are also available for some customers. Most customers in New York and New England are eligible for some incentive, though levels are strongest in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York.
Owners, contractors, consultants, and vendors are all invited to come and learn how to tap into technical services and available capital upgrade incentive (rebate) funding. During this roundtable, you will learn how to work with utilities to identify the virtually limitless types of projects and technologies that they support. Despite these programs being available for 25 years, opportunities for laboratories and data centers have been largely untouched. This has changed over the past two years. The laboratory and pharmaceutical markets are discovering opportunities to reduce laboratory utility costs by as much as 20 percent with simple paybacks as low as one year. Best of all, customers have often been able to make improvements that have been a welcome relief to those responsible for health and safety as well as maintenance in these facilities. For data centers, there have been dramatic improvements in HVAC design practices and uninterruptible power supply system specifications that offer tremendous opportunity to reduce energy costs while preparing facilities for denser loads. The funding available has as much as tripled over the past three years, with well over $100 million available in New England for 2011 alone.
You'll hear how you might follow in the footsteps of firms that have received up to $750,000 for a single project or saved over $250,000 annually without the need to replace any existing or add any new equipment to their facility. Vendors, as well as owners, will benefit from this session.
Biography:
Fran Boucher is currently a program manager for National Grid's Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Group. Mr. Boucher is a certified energy manager and a LEED accredited professional. Mr. Boucher has more than 25 years of experience in energy efficiency, facility management, and commercial construction, including work with notable firms, including Beacon Properties, State Street Bank, and Tufts University.
Mr. Boucher was the sustainability coordinator for the design and construction of National Grids' 318,000-square-foot LEED® Platinum corporate office in Waltham, Massachusetts . Mr. Boucher is also member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Zero Net Energy Building Task Force and the recipient of the 2007 Association of Energy Engineer's Region One Energy Professional Development Award. Mr. Boucher has been a primary contributor on the voluntary team that created and maintains the New Building Institutes Advanced Building Program for the design of high-performance buildings.