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BusinessWise Program Continues to Reduce Energy
For more than a decade, the BusinessWise program initially developed by the Westerville Electric Division and supported by the City of Westerville Economic Development team has continued to benefit not only business entities but the community as a whole.
The program was implemented in 2014 to provide businesses in Westerville with energy-efficient tools to help lower utility bills. Essentially, BusinessWise offers commercial and industrial electric customers of all sizes with an incentive-based program targeted at energy efficiency and overall conservation. The incentives are based on efficiency measures within annual electric usage.
“At its core, BusinessWise is a program set in place to help nudge our business community to make more energy-efficient decisions,” said Chris Monacelli, Electric Utility Manager for the City of Westerville.
Affording businesses efficient options and incentives has resulted in impactful energy savings year-overyear for the City of Westerville as a whole.
“Bottomline, the program has been effective. Over the last five years, we've incentivized the reduction of more than one million kilowatt hours a year,” said Monacelli. “That translates to taking the equivalent of 200 homes off the energy grid on average per year. Over the course of the 11 years of the program, that equates to taking 2,300 homes off the grid.”
The savings Monicelli points out are even more dynamic when considering the implementation of renewable energy sources to accommodate the City’s future power needs.
“When you put in the more efficient item, it stays. It's sticky,” said Monacelli. “The light bulb doesn't get less efficient as it stays in place. Those are valuable things that help us save money and pass those savings on to our customers. It’s a cumulative effect. It's a strong differentiator in our business community.”
Rachel Ray, Economic Development Director for the City of Westerville, agrees that BusinessWISE is a game-changer for Westerville businesses.
“Whether the business has corporate sustainability goals to achieve or is simply interested in saving money on their utility bills, the City can support Westerville companies of all sizes through the BusinessWISE program,” said Ray.
For more information on the BusinessWise program, visit www.Westerville.org/BusinessWise.
