Burton Energy Group was invited to attend a private dinner on January 15th, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Embassy Suites at Centennial Olympic Park exclusively for Georgia Power’s Commercial Energy Efficient Partners. That’s us! And I got to go.

Natasha Reynolds with Georgia Power started by speaking to us about meeting their 2018 savings goals. Overall, Georgia Power Commercial Customers saved 271 GWh of energy. Nearly $11.8 million in incentives were paid out to Georgia Power customers on more than 2,930 individual projects. I got a chance to speak one on one with Natasha and she was really happy to see someone there from Burton Energy Group. She made a point of introducing me to all the key players there, which allowed me to speak one on one with Cindy Swan and Jeffrey S. West from ICF. I got a chance to explain to them that I felt there was a need for one centralized database for all utility’s rebate offerings across the country. They thought that was a great idea, but admitted it would be a difficult feat to achieve.

They also spent some time going over the 2019 Program Updates – which was – no news is good news. There were no program updates or rebate changes for 2019 at that time. They reminded us to continue to submit rebate applications using the Online Intake Tool.

Here are a few preapproval tips to keep in mind when submitting your application:

  • For Custom Savings projects, preapproval prior to equipment purchase is still required. Eligible Custom Savings project types include chiller replacements, advanced lighting controls, energy management systems, controls for HVAC systems, and more.
  • For equipment types receiving Prescriptive rebates, you must submit a rebate application before your project begins. Prescriptive rebates include retrofit or new construction lighting, food service and grocery, thermostats and VFDs, water heating, reflective roofing, data center servers and agricultural.
  • Required documents still include:
    • An itemized invoice for all equipment in your application
    • Spec sheets for all equipment in your application
    • Signed W9
    • Signed Terms and Conditions

I mingled, made new friends, and saw a lot of old friends and colleagues. I’m glad I was able to attend and realize there are many people that know of us and have a lot of respect for who we are and what we do. Again, it’s always nice to be in good company with people who respect what we do. That was not a reflection of me being there, but instead, it’s a reflection on all the work we’ve done previously by all of us who work here.