The following article was submitted by Rob Friend of Energy Smart which is part of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, a GMG member. He writes about how to reduce energy usage within your business and the benefits of doing so. Are you part of a Greater Mankato member business and have an interest in writing a guest blog for us? Send 500-800 words to [email protected] or reach out to Greater Mankato Growth with further questions.

Energy Smart, a program of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, will be conducting no cost energy consultations for Mankato area businesses in the months of September and October. The consultation identifies no cost, low cost, and investment-level energy efficiency opportunities to lower the utility bill.

Energy Smart finds opportunities to reduce energy costs and guides you through the steps to receive financial incentives. Walk through any company and there is usually plenty of low-hanging fruit such as replacing light bulbs – projects that can be accomplished with minimal effort and at minimal cost. We’ll also help you tackle more extensive and expensive projects like replacing heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems. No matter how small, big or complex the project, we guarantee you’ll realize a return on your investment.

Energy Smart can help:

• Assess how energy is used in your business
• Tap into financial incentives to reduce upfront cost of improvements
• Capture rebates for recently-installed equipment

Energy Smart is offering two grant programs for rebate-eligible improvements:

• 20% match on project cost after rebate up to $2,500 for electric improvements
• 50% match on project cost up to $3,500 for natural gas improvements

To learn more or schedule your appointment, contact:

Chris Rustad – Program Manager, C.E.M.

651-292-3902

[email protected]

Energy Smart partners with Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy to provide these services at no cost to the business. Businesses outside of this territory are eligible for no cost services if they are members of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.