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Saturday, March 13, 2010
PNM Program Pushes Efficiency
By Michael Hartranft
Journal Staff Writer
The latest PNM customer-help program is targeting small business owners who want to reduce their energy use without busting their budgets.
The PNM Quick Saver program can help business cut power costs by hundreds of dollars in such areas as lighting and refrigeration, which account for the bulk of a business' overall energy use.
The program, launched in the fall, is available to any PNM small power and general power customer whose monthly peak energy demand is 100 kilowatts or less during the previous 12 months.
"To put it simply, it's small- and some medium-type customers," PNM energy efficiency manager Don Maez said. "Examples might be a doctor's office in a strip mall, an Allsup's-type convenience store, a small neighborhood grocery store, or a small restaurant."
For a customer interested in the program, a PNM-approved contractor would visit the business to identify potential energy-saving measures and present a proposal to the customer.
"If the customer and contractor agree to go forward, we pay a set fee for the measures identified in the program to the contractor directly," Maez said. "Whatever the contractor's price is versus what we are willing to pay, the business owner pays the difference to the contractor."
The amount of the PNM payment is based on an analysis of the value of the energy savings and value of the cost, Maez said. It is also set to allow the customer to achieve a payback on his or her investment within a year or less in most cases.
Maez said interested customers can consult the PNM Web site to contact an approved contractor. He said contractors can also market the program themselves. He added, "We're always looking for contractors as well."
Customers can look at their bills to determine if they are eligible or can ask when they call to apply. Call Alena Gilchrist at 505-241-4428 or email energyefficiency@PNM.com.
How PNM Quick Saver Works
Take a business, for example, that operates 11 hours a day, five days a week and replaces 10 standard T12 fluorescent lights and fixtures with 10 high-efficiency T8 lights and fixtures.
The total project cost is an estimated $675. PNM would pay the contractor $420, leaving a balance of $255 for the owner to pay. With an annual estimated utility savings of $280, however, the owner's out-of-pocket costs would be paid for in about 10 1/2 months.
Bonus: T8 bulbs and electronic ballasts provide brighter, more natural light, last longer and eliminate the hum and flicker associated with fluorescent lights.
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