Cullman Utilities CEO Allison Bright welcomed several of the city’s industry leaders to the company’s first “Lunch and Learn” community luncheon on Thursday, May 11, where representatives from the Tennessee Valley Authority outlined free programs designed to reduce energy costs and incentivize the implementation of energy saving measures.
“Cullman Power Board is offering these services in partnership with TVA at no cost to our customers. I know that’s hard to believe,” Bright said. “The purpose of these programs that we have is to identify opportunities and to help solve problems to make your business more profitable or to save money for your business.”
TVA Principal Power Utilization Engineer, Hugh Smith described the existing perk available to Cullman Power Board customers, to have a comprehensive analysis performed on an existing electrical equipment and the system it is connected to. Smith described how the program can entail a range of customized options ranging from a simple walk through of a facility to more technical analysis such as infrared scans on equipment, to ultrasonic leak detection for compressed air systems which can identify potential issues before the equipment is able to be damaged.
Smith said during these surveys, customers can also request for the company to identify any shortcomings, along with the recommended way they should be addressed, which might be causing excessive energy consumption.
Smith said a number of these same services were available, upon request to Cullman Utilities, to residential customers hoping to identify problem areas within their homes.
TVA commercial and industrial program manager, Michael Clement, discussed a number of updated incentives available to energy conscious business owners. Those exchanging existing forklifts from a gas to electric powered fleet, for example, can not only reduce fuel costs by up to 80% (according to TVA estimates) but also comes with a $1,000 incentive for leased vehicles or $2,000 for purchased ones.
Clement said swapping to a more energy efficient HVAC system brings up to a $80 per ton incentive and a $250 per ton incentive towards the purchase of a new heat pump system.
Smith said customers can sometimes be confused over the way these programs reward lower energy consumption. “I think we’re about the only company that rewards you for using less of our product,” he said. Ultimately though, he said they were mutually beneficial in nature by removing possible financial barriers which might deter future businesses and allowed TVA to continue to improve its efforts to reduce its overall carbon footprint.