2018 Maryland Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Grant Awards Celebrate Fifth Year Anniversary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jahmai Sharp-Moore | 443-694-3651

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) today announced awards for the 2018 Commercial and Industrial (C&I) grant program. Marking its fifth year, the C&I grant was created to encourage Maryland businesses and nonprofit organizations in the commercial and industrial sectors to implement energy efficiency projects in their facilities that reduce baseline electricity consumption by at least 15 percent.

“Commercial and Industrial grants for energy efficiency support Maryland businesses and nonprofits while continuing our commitment to clean energy,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Our administration is proud to collaborate with these innovative organizations to deliver both energy and cost savings for Marylanders.”

The 2018 C&I program was modified to boost cost-effective energy efficiency projects that would maximize potential electricity savings via equipment retrofits and other facility upgrades. Grant awards were calculated in a tiered structure this year to maximize potential electricity savings. Grant applicants were also encouraged to target improvements that would yield short payback return—10 or fewer years—and leverage multiple funding sources.

“Energy efficiency is a smart investment that turns your facility into an ATM,” said Maryland Energy Administration Director, Mary Beth Tung.

A total of seven organizations will receive $811,070 in grant funding this year. The estimated annual energy cost savings is $432,772 and the projected annual energy savings are 3,780,519 kilowatt-hours. That is equivalent to powering over 350 homes for a full year.
The 2018 Grantees comprise a diverse portfolio of business and nonprofit types whose projects will upgrade many different types of facilities. Some notable recipients include the following:

• Notre Dame of Maryland University has provided postsecondary education programs in Baltimore City for more than a century. The campus will implement a comprehensive, deep retrofit energy efficiency project consisting of lighting upgrades, building automation system upgrades and the retrocommissioning of some inefficient HVAC systems. Their grant award of $150,000 dollars will reduce their annual electricity consumption by more than 1 million kilowatt hours, which translates to more than $115,000 in annual cost savings.

• The Sheraton Baltimore North hotel in Towson, MD is partnering with Ecosave, Inc., to implement a comprehensive facility-wide energy efficiency project comprised of many different energy conservation measures. The hotel will use their grant award to implement lighting and control upgrades, an automated kitchen exhaust system, variable frequency drives (VFDs), a semi-automatic pool cover for the indoor swimming pool as well as HVAC system and air handling units. Ecosave will provide the equipment to the Sheraton Baltimore North under a 15-year service contract, and the MEA Grant funds were used to reduce the monthly service payment required. The project will reduce annual electricity consumption by more than 1 million kWh, or more than $100,000 in annual cost savings.

Applications were reviewed based on amount of electricity savings, project cost-effectiveness, number and types of energy conservation measures implemented, leveraged funding sources, and project feasibility. Applicants pursuing projects with numerous and diverse energy conservation measures, leveraged funding sources, and the inclusion of innovative technologies could earn bonus points in the review.

Award totals ranged this year from $9,500 to $175,000. The tiered incentive structure issued awards of up to 30%, 40%, or 50% of total project cost, based upon electricity saved. A list of all awardees can be found here: 2018 Commercial and Industrial Grant Listing. Examples of some of the energy upgrades were lighting; temperature controls; variable frequency motors and drives; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; refrigeration; chillers; and transformers. Funding for the program comes from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, which was created from public auctions of carbon credits through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. For more information on the program please visit: http://energy.maryland.gov/business/Pages/incentives/empowermdcigp.aspx

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Maryland Energy Administration
The mission of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is to promote affordable, reliable and cleaner energy for the benefit of all Marylanders.  To achieve its mission, MEA advises the Governor and General Assembly on matters relating to energy policy.  MEA administers grant and loan programs to encourage clean energy technologies in all sectors of Maryland’s economy: Residential, Commercial, Agricultural, and Transportation. For more information about the Maryland Energy Administration, visit www.energy.maryland.gov and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.