Manitoba Hydro expands its Power Smart for Business offering with a new program designed to meet the needs of small business owners. The Power Smart Shops program promotes energy efficiency to independent small business owners who operate retail stores, restaurants, services, and offices.
“Small business owners are the backbone of Manitoba’s diverse economy.” says Hon. Greg Selinger, minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro. “This new program is designed to reach out to those business owners who would like to improve their energy efficiency and save money. The new Power Smart Shops Program will provide them with support through resources and financial incentives to help businesses achieve their efficiency goals and reduced energy consumption.”
Green Manitoba has partnered with Manitoba Hydro on the pilot program, and is providing funding for the first year to encourage water and waste conservation measures, creating an integrated and full-service offering for small commercial customers.
“By investing in this pilot program we are driving home the importance of energy efficiency for small business owners,” says Hon. Jim Rondeau, minister responsible for Science Technology, Energy & Mines. “Participating business owners will see reductions in their costs, improvements in their bottom lines while also helping to reduce their carbon footprint.”
“The Power Smart Shops program supports Manitoba Hydro’s corporate goals to provide our customers with exceptional value and to be a national leader in implementing cost-effective energy conservation programs,” says President & CEO of Manitoba Hydro, Bob Brennan.
“Manitoba Hydro is one of a few utilities in Canada to offer a dedicated program that promotes energy efficient measures directly to small businesses. This program enables us to engage with a unique customer segment.”
Upon completion of a successful pilot year, the Power Smart Shops program will be expanded to achieve annual energy reductions of eight GW.h, one MW, and bill savings of over $450,000 per year. The program will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by approximately 5 700 tonnes by 2018/19 (equal to taking 1,000 cars off the road for one year).
The program will offer two levels of participation. The first level offers an energy, water and waste assessment to identify efficiency opportunities to help small business owners reduce consumption and lower utility and maintenance costs. The assessment is provided at no cost to the business owner. During the assessment, the small business owner will receive a number of low-cost technologies, including compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), faucet aerators, and hot water tank pipe insulation, among others. The technologies will be installed free of charge by a Manitoba Hydro representative.
Business owners are then encouraged to implement retrofit recommendations outlined within the assessment report, and following successful implementation, the business outlet will be designated a Power Smart Shop. This designation enables business owners to promote their environmental stewardship within the community.
Participants that choose to implement retrofits will receive further support through pre-negotiated pricing for lighting and refrigeration efficiency improvements, and financial incentives from Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart for Business programs.
The program will start working with the small business community in May 2009, with a goal to reach approximately 300 businesses in its first year, and over 3000 businesses overall.
Since 1991, Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart initiative has supported small business energy efficiency needs. Manitoba small businesses have received nearly $4.4 million in financial assistance through Power Smart. Energy efficient upgrades have resulted in 27 GW.h and six MW in electricity and demand savings, 2.5 million cubic meters of natural gas savings, energy bill reductions of $2,100,000 and GHG reductions of 25,000 tonnes, equivalent to 2.7 million trees left standing for one year. Through the province-wide Power Smart initiative, Manitobans have prevented more than 965,000 tonnes of carbon equivalents from being released and saved over $275 million dollars on their energy bills.
