Embargoed for release until:10:00 AM – Thursday, April 18, 2019
San Isabel Electric awarded the largest rebate check in the co-op’s history on Thursday, April 18.
Pueblo County School District 70 is saving more than half-a-million dollars thanks to the $110,000 commercial lighting rebate and about $414,000 in anticipated electric bill cost-savings.
The rebate was provided by San Isabel Electric and the local cooperative’s power supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.
Tri-State supports San Isabel through energy efficiency programs that are designed to promote energy efficiency products, including LED lighting. In 2018, Tri-State and their members rebated $3.3 million and reduced lifecycle energy usage by almost 32 million kilowatt hours.
The rebate check was presented to District 70 Board of Education President Tony Montoya for upgrades to LED lighting in nine schools served by the local electric cooperative.
Rebates help lower member’s electric bills, but they also help keep power supply demands down for the co-op, therefore keeping rates low.
The co-op’s energy efficiency program includes a total of 38 residential rebate options, which are all listed at siea.com/rebates, along with the co-op’s commercial lighting rebate programs.
Rebate amounts vary but can be substantial and the energy savings can really add up, especially in the case of District 70.
The LED upgrade project was part of the District’s Energy Performance contract, which had a purpose of identifying ways to save energy and money to fund other necessary projects and repairs, such as replacing boiler systems, air conditioning, roofs and other repairs.
“The main thing that helped pay for the repairs was retrofitting the old lights to LED. Lighting rebates were a huge factor in making the Energy Performance Contract work,” explained District 70’s Director of Business Services TJ Vinci, who oversaw the project.
Every accessible light bulb and fixture that could be retrofitted with LED in every District 70 building was upgraded, except for some football stadium lights.
A total of 19 schools, 9 of which are located outside of San Isabel Electric’s service area, were also included in the District’s upgrade project.
SIEA offers both commercial and residential lighting rebates. However, residential lighting rebates are expiring soon. Residential members of San Isabel Electric have until the end of 2019 to claim a rebate up to $400 for purchasing LED lightbulbs or fixtures or any combination of the two. The co-op will reimburse members up to 50 percent of the cost to purchase light bulbs or fixtures up to $8 per bulb/fixture and up to a maximum of 50 bulbs or $400.
To claim the rebate, member-owners must fill out a Rebate Request Form, which is available online at siea.com/rebates or a hard copy can be picked up at any San Isabel Electric office location. A receipt or paid invoice must be returned with the completed Rebate Request Form within 120 days of the product’s purchase to claim the rebate. The rebates are exclusively available to San Isabel Electric members only.
Together, SIEA and Tri-State G&T have been promoting the efficient use of electricity, by paying co-op members cash when they purchase or install certain energy efficient appliances, lighting, insulation, heating equipment and more since 1985.
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As a not-for-profit cooperative utility, San Isabel Electric provides affordable, reliable electricity with exceptional service to communities throughout southern Colorado. Serving nearly 20,000 Member-owners and 24,000 meters, San Isabel Electric has been keeping the lights on since 1938. We don’t just serve communities. We are part of communities.
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