CPS Energy is offering incentives for new commercial building construction that are not only good for the environment but result in lower maintenance and utility costs for the facility.

CPS Energy incentives for new commercial construction are based on a “whole building performance” concept. The building must be at least 15% more energy efficient than the City of San Antonio building codes (IECC 2009) to receive an incentive for energy efficiency.

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. The goal of the program is 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. A post-inspection may be necessary to verify the implemented measures. 

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):

Submit questions regarding the New Commercial Construction rebate to your CPS Energy account manager or to CPS-newconstruction@cpsenergy.com.