Earn incentives for saving energy, lower your bill
Our Commercial Strategic Energy Management (CSEM) program helps commercial customers earn incentives for making low- and no-cost changes that reduce energy usage and energy bills. Changes are largely to operations, maintenance and behavioral practices. We provide the training and guidance you’ll need to begin your energy-management journey.
Case studies
Check out the carousel at the bottom of this page to see more case study videos. You can also read even more in our case study library about the successes our CSEM customers have had.
Kitsap Bank case study
With training and guidance from our CSEM program, Kitsap Bank saved more than $84,000 in energy costs and earned about $30,000 in incentives.
What you get
If you qualify for our CSEM program, we'll help you:
- Identify energy-saving opportunities during walkthroughs conducted with a PSE engineer. We offer walkthroughs of up to three sites (per customer).
- Track your utility usage and costs with PSE’s web-based software.
- Earn financial incentives based on performance. Current incentive rates are listed below.
Year 1 incentive schedule
Up to $10,000
$0.02/kWh saved, up to 3% of baseline electricity usage+
$0.035/kWh saved beyond 3% of baseline electricity usage
$0.15/therm saved, up to 3% of baseline natural gas usage+
$0.25/therm saved beyond 3% of baseline natural gas usage
Up to $56,000
Up to $10,000
Up to $2,000
Years 2 and 3 incentive schedule
$0.02/kWh saved, up to 5% of baseline electricity usage+
$0.035/kWh saved beyond 5% of baseline electricity usage
$0.15/therm saved, up to 5% of baseline natural gas usage+
$0.25/therm saved beyond 5% of baseline natural gas usage
Up to $56,000
Up to $10,000
Up to $2,000
* Maximum total for all incentive values based on annual usage of 20,000,000 kWh or 2,700,000 therms. Actual maximum incentive values pro-rated based on your portfolio's actual energy usage. * Performance incentives only eligible for documented energy savings from RCM program measures.
Start-up incentive
If all of the deliverables and task requirements listed below are completed within the first year of your program, you receive a one-time start-up incentive.
Performance incentive
For each year of your program where all tasks are completed and all deliverables submitted, you receive a calculated performance incentive using the rates in the table above.
Performance incentives can only be earned for documented energy savings from CSEM program measures.
Target incentive
For each year of your program where all tasks are completed and all deliverables submitted, and your combined electric and natural gas energy savings meet the required targets above, you will receive a target incentive.
Target incentive may also be earned through the Continuing Engagement Credit (CEC) pathway of earning credits for actions taken by your company-appointed energy champion.
Training allowance
Each year of your program, you are eligible for reimbursement of educational courses or software purchases pertaining to your energy usage.
How you qualify
To be eligible for our Commercial Strategic Energy Management program:
- You must be a current PSE business electric and/or natural gas customer.
- Your business site must be within PSE's electric and/or natural gas service area(s) and use electricity and/or natural gas from PSE.
- Buildings targeted in your CSEM portfolio must collectively use greater than 1,000,000 kWh or 135,000 therms (or a combination of both) annually.
- You must hire, contract or designate an existing staff member as your energy champion. This person acts as a liaison between your business and PSE, and is responsible for completing program deliverables and tasks, communicating energy-saving initiatives to your staff, and managing your site's energy bills. This position must be filled for a minimum of three years.
Deliverable and task requirements
Resource Management Plan (RMP)
An RMP provides an organizational guideline for effective and efficient management of all utility resources, including electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater, refuse and recycling. At a minimum, your RMP must address your lighting and HVAC operating schedules, as well as your temperature set points.
Your energy champion must complete, implement and submit an RMP for your portfolio within the first year of your program contract in order to be eligible for the start-up incentive.
Annual meeting
Your energy champion must touch base with your PSE engineer at least once a year at a PSE office or the energy manager site. The goal of this meeting is to manage your business' progress through the program and collaborate on ways to maintain your cost- and energy-savings targets.
Facility Action Plans (FAPs)
FAPs, or a Portfolio Action Matrix (PAM), outline specific action items to be implemented that will reduce utility usage in each facility. These action items are typically identified during building walkthroughs and interviews with your staff and occupants at each site.
Your energy champion must complete, implement and submit FAPs or a PAM for all targeted buildings in your portfolio within the first year of your program contract in order to be eligible for the start-up incentive.
Site Quarterly Checklists (SQCs)
Your energy champion must complete and submit a summary of energy-related activities and changes that impact energy usage in the building each quarter of your program contract for all targeted buildings in your portfolio that consume greater than 100,000 kWh or 5,000 therms.
Questions? Get in touch with us at csem@pse.com.
For personalized advice, contact an Energy Advisor.
Or call, 1-800-562-1482
