Open Forum

Can anyone share experiences they've had concerning incentive programs or grants for energy efficient facilities upgrades? (via State or local gov't, utilities providers, foundations, etc.) Are there resources out there specifically for museums or nonprofits just waiting to be discovered that you could direct me to? We are beginning to make the transition to LED lighting and I'm aware of a rebate program through our local utility provider but I'm hoping to identify other options. This is specifically for New York City, and our utility provider is Con Edison, and I know the specific terms of this kind of thing would vary depending on location, but any feedback or words of wisdom on this topic are welcome.

------------------------------
Patrick McIntyre
Assistant Operations Supervisor
Noguchi Museum
Long Island City NY
------------------------------

The museums I worked for until recently benefitted greatly from a program by our power supplier, National Grid, about a year and a half ago. I had begun introducing LED bulbs in the largest museum as soon as they were available, but only a little at a time. The cost of the bulbs was one consideration, and the quality and intensity of the light was the other. Some of the first examples proved unusable in public areas, but eventually I could re-lamp a hallway, for instance, and no one would notice (meaning that the new lamps did not intrude upon the museum experience). After one unsuccessful attempt to get started with National Grid, we were able to go through a site audit (which also included our carpentry mill), which enumerated how many of what items we would receive. I was able to review all items destined for public areas of the museum, and we received the items I specified. All of the new interior and exterior lamps and fixtures were supplied and installed at no cost to us. I don't have the figures for the power bills, but specifically for lighting, I believe we reduced power consumption by about 70%. There is currently a project under development in the main museum to install new HVAC equipment (the main energy hog) and I believe that National Grid will support that, as well, though not as extensively.

------------------------------
Bruce MacLeish
Curator Emeritus
Newport Restoration Foundation
Newport RI
------------------------------

Our experience was similar to Bruce's, in that the only incentives available when we started switching to LED's was through our power provider.  

The process was fairly simple.  First there is an inspection by the incentive provider or their representative to determine what type of equipment you're currently using.  You either install or contract to install the Energy Star or DLC listed equipment, and another inspection verifies that you did the upgrades.  The energy savings of the new equipment is calculated to determine the rebate amount, and the check is cut.  Of course there is a raft of paperwork involved, but we've had good luck navigating all that with help from the power provider.

Eventually, our local incentive program got so big that our power company started using a third-party entity to manage the incentives.  This was a plus for us, as the third-party entity was very helpful with handling the details of the process. One thing you need to be aware of is that some of these programs have a short life-span.  Our power provider is not offering any incentives to convert fluorescent lighting after this year, for example.

Hope this helps,

------------------------------
Curtis Morris
Exhibits Manager
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
Springdale AR
------------------------------