CPS Energy is offering incentives for new commercial building construction that will result in lower maintenance and utility costs for the owner/occupant and is good for the environment!

CPS Energy incentives for new commercial construction are based on a “whole building performance” concept.  To receive an incentive for energy efficiency in new commercial construction, the building must be at least 15% more energy efficient than the City of San Antonio (CoSA) building codes (IECC 2009) implemented in January 2010.  The building codes and related efficiency incentives were adopted from recommendations provided by the Mayor’s Task Force on Sustainable Buildings, a diverse community stakeholder group.  Recommendations for building codes and incentives were formalized in the City's Sustainable Building Codes ordinance.

The Commercial New Construction program promotes the implementation of energy efficient technologies during the design and construction of new facilities that result in permanent energy and demand savings.  Because of the diverse nature of energy uses in the commercial sector and the goal of the program to encourage integrated, optimized energy efficiency solutions that go beyond single measures and common efficiency practices, the program does not define a specific list of eligible measures.  Parties interested in solar rebates (photovoltaic and hot water heater) or geothermal heat pumps may be eligible for a rebate in addition to their energy performance incentive. 

For buildings achieving more than the minimum 15% savings, the program has established three tiers of performance, as follows:

• Tier 1:  Savings of 15-24.9% above code
• Tier 2:  Savings of 25-34.9% above code
• Tier 3:  Savings of 35% or greater above code

Savings are based on the total energy consumption for the building, including all fuel types, and are typically calculated in British Thermal Units (BTUs), which allows for straightforward conversion from fuel-specific energy units such as kilowatt-hours of electricity and CCF of natural gas. 

Incentive amounts are calculated individually for each participating building based on the kWh and kW savings that the building achieves beyond code, as follows (Energy Incentive Peak Demand Incentive):

 For more information on Ordinance 2009-10-01-0777D, please visit the City’s Planning & Development Services website or refer to the ordinance document.