Technician installing VFDs on well pumps at a water treatment plant
by Rebecca Mauser-Hoye
Eversource’s Business Energy Advantage (BEA) Program is designed to provide cost-effective, turnkey services for medium-sized business customers to help them achieve energy efficiency targets, lower their carbon footprint, and improve building operations. The goal of the program is to help them make small investments that together can generate large benefits for their bottom line and for the environment.
A customer is eligible to participate in the BEA Program if they are a current Eversource commercial customer in Massachusetts or New Hampshire and have an aggregated annual electric usage of 1.5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) or higher, or an aggregated annual natural gas usage of 40,000 therms or higher. Other program offers are available for commercial Eversource customers in Connecticut as well.
The BEA program can help businesses in a number of sectors, including restaurants, offices, and manufacturers. The program offers a wide variety of rebates on products and technologies that help businesses save energy and lower the cost of installing energy efficiency or decarbonization solutions. Some of the qualifying technologies that can be incentivized and upgraded include, but are not limited to:
- LED lighting and/or controls (state dependent)
- HVAC upgrades and controls
- Weatherization (i.e., insulation, reducing air infiltration, duct sealing/repair, weatherstripping)
- Refrigeration controls upgrades
- Motors and pumps
- Variable frequency drives (VFD)
- Heat pumps (heat pump rebate program)
The following measures may be able to be installed at no cost to the business:
- Thermostats
- Pipe insulation
- Vending machine miser
- Energy efficient power strips
- Instant savings gas measures (i.e., kitchen spray valves, pipe insulation, faucet aerators)
The first step in taking advantage of the BEA Program, its benefits, and rebates is to contact Eversource or an Eversource authorized BEA Contractor to identify qualifying projects, whether the business has project(s) in mind or are interested in an energy assessment to identify projects.
For more information on programs and support available for medium-sized businesses or Eversource’s role as a sponsor and utility partner of these statewide initiatives, visit MassSave.com or NHSaves.com.
Weston & Sampson is an Eversource-authorized BEA Contractor and is available to help customers navigate through the program. This may include coordination with Eversource, pre-audit and energy audit assessments, energy usage and savings calculations, completing and submitting incentive applications, project installation, and getting post-inspections scheduled.
Contact Rebecca Mauser-Hoye at mauserr@wseinc.com or (603) 263-9296, Sam Alpert at alpert.sam@wseinc.com or (781) 909-4032, or Patrick Owens at Eversource at patrick.owens@eversource.com or (781) 441-8010 for more information.
Published in High Profile, November 2024.