With efforts to “go green” on the rise, Kentucky businesses are saving in a big way by reducing their energy usage, starting with small changes.
The Lexington Tennis Club, one of the largest indoor tennis facilities in the United States, requires constant lighting and consistent temperature to keep its 15 tennis courts running smoothly.
Originally the courts used 180 metal halide fixtures to light their courts, with each lightbulb having a lifespan of four to 12 months. The club spent about $10,000 per year on the bulbs alone.
To tackle the cost of cooling its courts, the club installed industrial-sized fans from Lexington-based Big Ass Solutions, formerly Big Ass Fans. The fans allowed the club to better maintain the temperature of the courts without relying solely on air-conditioning systems.
It was then that commercial rebates from Kentucky Utilities were suggested to aid in the cost of these upgrades, and to replace the metal halide lighting with energy-efficient alternatives, according to Lexington Tennis Club CFO Ralph Currie.
“The contractor for Big Ass Fans assisted in the rebate application process,” Currie said. “They were very helpful in getting the rebate.”
“We needed lighting, and we used a product that would get us that rebate,” Currie added.
KU’s commercial rebate program is available to all LG&E and KU commercial customers. Customers can apply for one or more rebates on any qualified improvements made since April 1, 2008.
The commercial rebate program awards up to $50,000 per facility per year for making energy-saving improvements, such as upgrading certain equipment, including lighting, air conditioners, chillers and other approved changes.
Offering this incentive saves both KU and businesses money in the long term, according to KU Media Relations Manager Cliff Feltham.
“One of the things you want to do when you’re in a business is save as much money as you possibly can,” Feltham said.
“If it’s an opportunity to save money in one of the things you can control, like your energy usage, then you want to at least explore it.” Feltham said.
The tennis club isn’t the only business to take advantage of what the rebate offers. Others, such as the Galt House Hotel, Republic Bank, and Hubbuch & Co., reported significant savings, mostly from simple changes such as switching to more efficient lighting fixtures, he said.
The Galt House Hotel in Louisville switched from incandescent lighting to LED for more than 50 of its chandeliers, among other changes, and qualified for $77,000 in energy rebates. Republic Bank received $16,000 for certain equipment improvements, and Hubbuch & Co. received $2,000 for improving their lighting.
“If a business has a need, then the rebate makes it more affordable,” Currie said.
After switching out the tennis club’s light bulbs for more energy-efficient fluorescent ones, Currie noted electric usage went down by about 20 percent compared to the same time the previous year. He said the club’s electric bill decreased as much as $2,000 in a single month.
“It was a substantial amount of money,” Currie said about the rebate. “In our case it was probably over 10 percent of the total cost.”
“The commercial rebates have ranged all the way from the colleges and the universities here in Kentucky down to individual businesses that have contacted us,” Feltham said. “It’s become a very workable program. If someone is willing to step forward and explore it, we can put them in touch with people who have gone through the program, and [explain] the kind of steps they need to take to save themselves money.”
More information on the rebates and the specific changes made by each business, as well as an application for those interested in the rebates, can be found on KU’s website.