Commercial, Demand Management, Energy Efficiency, Utilities  -  November 4, 2016

Detroit offers businesses $7k for efficiency upgrades

The city of Detroit and the electric utility that serves it, DTE Electric Co., have teamed up to make the business case for installing energy saving equipment even more convincing for local businesses. 

The electric utility's parent company, DTE Energy Co., announced  Nov. 3 that it will be "energizing" the city's Project Green Light program by offering thousands of dollars in bonus rebates to Detroit companies who install high-efficiency LED lighting and other energy-savings equipment at their businesses.

There are 52 Project Green Light businesses in operation currently, according to the utility's Nov. 3 news release. DTE's incentive program will reward new Green Light businesses that install energy-efficient lighting and multiple energy efficiency upgrades, as well as use Michigan-made products. Under the program, qualifying Detroit-based businesses may receive:

• As much as a 65% bonus rebate over DTE's standard energy efficiency rebates, an average of up to $7,000 per business
• 0% financing on initial energy efficient lighting purchases 

The utility said businesses owners appreciate the program because it also allows their businesses to be more environmentally friendly.

"The DTE lighting upgrade rebates allows small businesses like mine to be more energy efficient and provides a well-lit environment for our customers. It makes us doubly green," Nasser Beydoun, who owns several participating Project Green Light businesses, including the Marathon gas station where the announcement was held, said in a statement. 

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