6-28-13

20B — June 28 - July 11, 2013 — Green Buildings — Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal

www.marejournal.com

G reen B uildings

By Ken Sheehan, Genova Burns Retrofitting clean and green technology with the State’s help

 Monitor and Control your Heat and Hot Water Remotely  Manage Your Residential or Commercial Properties, Assisted Living Facilities or Garden Apartment Complex  Impact the Environment by Reducing Wasteful Energy Consumption  No Building is too Big or too Small to Benefit from our System

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here may not be any such thing as a free lunch, but there is

missing here?) to has been lead- ing the charge for the develop- ment of new and innovative funding mechanisms for the installation and retro-fitting of commercial, industrial, and multi-family dwellings should make sure to take full advan- tage of a number of programs for new and retrofit buildings. Under State law, N.J.S.A. 48:3-60, all gas and electric public utilities in the State col- lect an SBC or “societal benefits charge.” This SBC is designed to allow for the recovery of the costs associated with a number of State programs, including so-

cial programs, nuclear decom- missioning, energy efficiency and renewable energy, remedia- tion and financial assistance to low-income customers. The SBC is collected on the retail sale of electricity and natural gas from any of the State’s public utility companies, and, according to the 2011 New Jersey Energy Master Plan, consisted of 3.6% of an average bill. Each and every customer of a public utility in the State has been paying into this fund with every energy bill they pay. Cus- tomers are unable to be relieved from the obligation to pay, but they can minimize the impact in one of two ways – pay less or take back more. Under the recently enacted SBC Credit Program, commer- cial and industrial ratepay- ers may take a credit against the SBC for energy efficient products and services they purchase. In essence, rather than paying the State, and then having the State in turn provide an incentive or rebate, the SBC Credit Program cuts out the middleman. Under this program, commercial and industrial customers receive a credit of 50% of the total project costs, capped at 50% of the total SBC yearly payments. While the products and services must be eligible for incentives under the existing Clean Energy Program, this process allows the customer to immediately re- duce their energy costs through both the credit and through the installation of energy efficient products and services. In addition, traditional re- bate and incentive programs continue to operate in the State. Under the Smart Start Buildings program, rebates are available for both new and retrofit projects, and cover ma- jor equipment such as chillers, water heaters, lighting control, and refrigeration. These re- bates range from $10 for lamps to $1,000 per freezer units, up to $450 per ton for gas absorp- tion chillers. The equipment must be pre-approved, and the State is currently offering increased incentives for Hur- ricane Sandy repairs. Under the Pay For Perfor- mance program, large energy users who can develop and implement a plan to reduce energy savings at least 15% in a renovation or come in 15% un- der the standard code for new construction are eligible for a continued on next page

no shame in trying to get y o u r “ f a i r share.” but t T h e N e w Jersey Board of Public Util- ities (“BPU”) is may be tak- ing with one

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Ken Sheehan

hand, but they have developed a number of programs that give back with the other, and owners and developers of trying to at least get you easy access (words

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