Small and Mid-Size Businesses: Make Energy Efficiency a To-Do in 2020

This article is part of a series that focuses on energy efficiency for small businesses, from our Business Sustainability Program's partnership with Eversource Energy.

Did you know that small- and medium-size businesses consumed about 20 percent of the country’s energy in 2019?

If you're a business owner, energy efficiency may not be at the top of your “to-do” list. It can seem like a daunting task when you’re managing day-to-day operations and you don’t have staff dedicated to energy management.

However, thanks to the partnership between the NH Small Business Development Center and Eversource, you have an energy management team at your side. With several resources available to help small and mid-size businesses cut energy use and save money, you can easily cross energy efficiency off your “to-do” list this year.

Eversource Energy Efficiency Solutions for Your Business

Eversource works with customers every day to help them save energy in a variety of ways. Our innovative energy-saving solutions not only save you money, but also enhance operations and growth while making your business more modern, comfortable, and green. Some examples of Eversource solutions include:

• Small and Mid-size Business Programs: If you have an existing facility with working systems, we can help you make cost-effective equipment upgrades that will save energy and reduce maintenance needs, saving you money. It often starts with an Eversource-authorized professional contractor conducting a no-cost, no-obligation energy usage evaluation of your business, inside and out. You'll then receive a customized proposal with costs, incentives, financing, and details on how the energy savings will translate to dollar savings.

• Whole Building Solutions: If you’re building or renovating a facility, we can help in the early stages by working with your architectural and design firms to identify efficient technologies that will help you operate efficiently for the life of the building.   

• Controls Tuning: Tuning your existing equipment or using advanced controls can help maintain occupant comfort and save you money by prolonging the life of your equipment and ensuring that your building systems are performing at their best.

• Technical Assistance Studies: We help bring knowledgeable experts into your facility to complete an engineering study to assess the savings potential of new equipment.

• Demand Response: You can earn incentives for reducing your energy use in a variety of ways during times of peak demand. Eversource and our trusted contractors will work with you to create a plan that helps you maximize your incentives and minimize operational impact.

An easy first step is to create an Energy Savings Plan, located in the Save Money & Energy section of Eversource.com. This online portal empowers businesses to better understand their energy consumption and manage energy costs. Through the plan, you can see how much energy your facility is using and can compare your usage to previous months or years and track your progress against goals that you set for yourself. By filling out your profile, you can also receive customized recommendations for ways to save money in your facility.

Learn More About How We Can Help You Save

Eversource business customers can also learn more about ways to save money and energy by calling the Eversource Business Contact Center at 866-554-6025 to schedule a visit and evaluation. If Eversource is not your utility, you can find more information on  NHSaves.com or by contacting your electric or natural gas utility.

NH SBDC’s Business Sustainability Program can help you navigate your energy project wherever you are located and can help you structure the financing so your bottom line sees immediate and lasting results. Contact andrea.obrien@unh.edu or 603-641-4379.

- Thanks to Kate Peters, Supervisor, Energy Efficiency, Eversource Energy for this article.