Incentive Programs

A variety of very helpful financial incentive and rebate programs supporting energy efficiency for businesses is available from -

1. The NV Energy Sure Bet Program
2. The State of Nevada
3. The Federal Government.
4. Local Jurisdictions and Utility Entities as Applicable – Cities, Counties, and Towns.
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These programs can do a great deal to help provide financial support for incorporation of energy efficient technologies into your business. All of these programs contribute to helping businesses incorporate energy efficient technology into their existing or proposed buildings thereby saving money on utility bills, improving facilities and operations through modern design, and help protect the environment through reduced energy use. Many of the measures and technologies involved pay for themselves in three years, and often less than that. (See “Case Studies” below).

1 ) NV Energy Sure Bet Program – NV Energy has a very active and generous program that provides cash incentives to businesses wishing to incorporate energy efficient technologies into their businesses. The program is for NV Energy customers only and is aimed at electricity use reduction. Many of the measures and technologies involved pay for themselves in three years, and often less than that. (See “Case Studies” below).The program is outlined on the NV Energy Sure Bet website:

The telephone number for the Sure Bet Program is 1-800-342-5452

The Sure Bet program is structured to serve:

1. Southern Nevada and
2. Northern Nevada

And is further structured to serve both

1. Existing Buildings, and
2. New Construction.

Details on the existing building program are available in the “Application Package for Existing Buildings, PDF Version“, and the “Application Package for Existing Buildings, Excel Format” listed on the website.

Details on the new construction program are available in the ” Application Package for New Construction, PDF Version” and the “Application Package for New Construction, Excel Version” listed on the website.

The general process involves:

1. Submit a Pre-notification Application Cover Page and Project Information Form

2. Obtained a funding reservation letter

3. Purchase and Install measures

4. Submit a Project Completed Application / Agreement

5. Provide Documentation as directed

6. Receive Incentive Payment within 4-6 weeks after approval (See “Sure Bet Third Party Incentive Program”, below)

Incentives are provided for two types of measures:

1. Prescriptive, and
2. Custom.

Prescriptive measures have fixed incentive schedules according to the technology employed and include lighting and lighting controls, cooling equipment, variable speed fans and pumps, programmable thermostats, window film, hotel HVAC occupancy sensors, escalator motor controls, commercial pool/spa variable speed drives and two speed pump controls, commercial kitchen equipment including refrigeration.

Custom measures are those involving technologies not covered by the prescriptive measures schedule, and are compensated at $0.10 per on-peak kWh saved annually, and at $0.05 per off-peak kWh saved annually. Pre-notification is required. Documentation of systems and energy savings must be provided.

Sure Bet Third Party Incentive Programs: The third party incentive program allows the incentive to be paid to a third party such as the contractor or design firm involved in the project so as to streamline the billing process and minimize the building owner, manager or leaseholder’s out-of-pocket expense. These programs are targeted to specific types of business retrofits, and/or specific geographic areas.

Case Studies: Great examples of examples of energy efficient technologies employed in real businesses throughout Nevada and across a wide variety of types of measures employed are available on the Sure Bet website. These measures often pay for themselves in a few years.

2) State of Nevada Incentives and Programs: State of Nevada incentives and programs are summarized on the DSIRE website:

The State of Nevada provides a partial property tax abatement for green commercial buildings. The program provides tax credits for projects achieving LEED certification and scoring certain points for energy efficiency. The building must obtain a LEED Silver, Gold or Platinum rating.

Green Building Tax Abatement Regulation

Registration for the tax abatement with Nevada State Office of Energy

NV Building material purchase sales tax exemption

3) Federal Government Incentives and Programs: Federal Incentives are summarized on the DSIRE website

1. Corporate Tax Deduction: $0.30 to $1.80 per square foot depending on technology employed and amount of energy use reduction

1. Basic Requirements –
   1. Available for new or existing buildings
   2. $1.80 per square foot if building’s energy and power cost reduced by 50% or more compared to reference building using certified computer modeling
   3. $0.60 per square foot available for measures “that would reasonably contribute to an overall savings of 50%, if additional systems were installed”.
2. Equipment/measures covered -
   1. Equipment insulation
   2. Water heaters
   3. Lighting
   4. Lighting controls/sensors
   5. Chillers
   6. Furnaces
   7. Boilers
   8. Heat Pumps
   9. Air Conditioners
   10. Caulking/weather-stripping
   11. Duct/air sealing
   12. Building insulation
   13. Windows
   14. Doors
   15. Siding
   16. Roofs
   17. Comprehensive measures/whole building

2. Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System (MACRS) + Bonus Depreciation (2008-2009)– This is a an accelerated corporate depreciation schedule for renewable s

1. 1. Property types –
      1. a variety of solar electric and solar thermal technologies, including “hybrid solar lighting”
      2. fuel cells and microturbines
      3. geothermal electric
      4. direct-use geothermal and geothermal heat pumps
      5. small wind (100 kW or less)
      6. combined heat and power (CHP).

3. Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC) – Provides 30% tax credit for renewables including solar, fuel cells, and wind, 10% for geothermal, microturbines, and CHP.

4. USDA Rural Energy for America Program: REAP, or the Rural Energy for America Program, (formerly known as “Section 9006” in the 2002 Farm Bill, but now renumbered Section 9007 of the 2008 Farm Bill) is part of the Energy Title of the 2008 Farm Bill. It provides grants and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to help purchase renewable energy systems, make energy efficiency improvements and perform renewable energy feasibility studies. It also funds an energy audit and technical assistance program to serve ag producers and rural small businesses.
4) Local Jurisdictions and Utility Entities as Applicable – Cities, Counties, and Towns, Coops.

Property Tax Financing – Summary (From the DSIRE website):

“Property tax financing” allows property owners to borrow money to pay for energy improvements. The amount borrowed is repaid through an increased property tax assessment over a period of years. Nevada has authorized local governments to create and manage “special improvement districts” to provide financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements.

At the time of this webpage development no local entities had yet established such programs.

Please check with your local jurisdiction about the availability of such a program.