The more energy efficient your business is, the more cost efficient it is. SMECO offers energy-saving programs to help you improve the efficiency of your business—plus incentives to make upgrades more affordable.
Business Solutions
Learn about incentives for upgrades to improve energy efficiency. Whether you’re renovating an existing building or replacing old, inefficient equipment, we can help.
Small Business Solutions
Energy efficiency can make a big difference for small businesses. Reduce your energy costs by retrofitting existing equipment with energy-efficient technologies. Find incentives for your upgrades.
Instant Savings
Get discounted pricing on qualifying energy-efficient products. Find participating local distributors to save on lighting and HVAC equipment.
Building and HVAC Tune-ups
Get help fine-tuning your facility’s operations and HVAC equipment. Keep equipment performing at its best, and improve comfort for employees and customers. SMECO incentives can cover up to 75% of your costs.
New Construction
Build in energy efficiency from the ground up. Find cost-effective ways to design better performance into your new facility.
Education and Training
Get training to improve and manage your building’s mechanical systems, plus find courses that count toward professional certifications. SMECO incentives can cover up to 80% of the cost of eligible courses.
Combined Heat and Power
Generate clean, efficient power and thermal energy from a single fuel source. Find incentives up to $2.5 million to help offset the costs of qualifying projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Incentives are funded through Maryland Public Service Commission approved energy efficiency charges applied to customers’ electric bills (EmPOWER Maryland charge).
The current programs are approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission through December 31, 2023.
ICF is an energy consulting company that was selected by SMECO to implement the co-op’s portfolio of energy efficiency programs. ICF has extensive experience managing similar programs throughout the country. ICF has a local office in Columbia, Maryland.
Eligibility and Participation
In general, all non-residential customers who receive electric service through SMECO, regardless of their electric supplier, are eligible. Additional details on eligibility can be found in the Terms and Conditions section of the Business Solutions applications.
Local Service Providers can help you identify which measures are right for your facility. Service Providers listed on the SMECO website have received program training and are familiar with the rules and requirements of the program.
You are not required to use a specific contractor to install energy-efficient equipment at your facility. Customers are free to select their own contractors or use in-house staff. If you choose to use in-house staff to install program measures, please leave the contractor information blank on your application form.
Electric energy-efficient equipment that is not included on the prescriptive application forms may be considered as a custom measure. In general, this equipment must exceed the prescriptive requirements and not be required by Maryland energy code nor considered standard industry practice. The proposed project or equipment must have verifiable electric energy savings and pass the program cost effectiveness criteria.
To become a SMECO Service Provider, visit the Application Center.
Forms and Applications
If the scope of work changes or the equipment specifications change, you must notify the Business Solutions team immediately. They will review your application to determine whether the revised project is eligible for an incentive and the amount of the incentive. If the revised potential incentive is greater than the original amount, the Business Solutions team will determine if there are funds available to increase your incentive amount. There is no guarantee that funds will be available for payment above the previously approved amount.
You do not have to select a contractor before submitting an application as long as the equipment for the project meets the eligibility requirements. But, because of the six-month window for retrofit project completion and the one-year window for new construction completion, it is strongly recommended that customers have a contractor selected before an application is submitted. SMECO will not accept multiple applications from more than one contractor for the same customer project.
The Business Solutions team must verify that you have an active SMECO account and are eligible to receive incentives.
Both the customer and contractor will receive a pre-approval letter once the application has been reviewed and approved. Applicants who submit incomplete applications will be notified and asked to provide additional detail so the review process can be completed. Once the project has been completed, and the associated paperwork is submitted, the Business Solutions team will review all necessary material. Once payment has been approved, the customer and contractor will receive a letter indicating payment approval and amount. The party receiving the payment will typically receive the payment within four weeks after payment approval. Customers may contact the Business Solutions team at any time with additional questions about the process or status of an application.
SMECO customers or their Service Provider/contractor can submit applications.
You are not obligated to go through with the work. Once the funds associated with your project are approved, you have six months to complete retrofit installations and one year to complete new construction installations. If you start a project and decide to complete only a portion of the work, you will only be paid for the completed portion. If you know that you are not going to complete a project or are only completing a portion of it, please contact the Business Solutions team so that we can redistribute funding appropriately.
Incentives
No. Used or refurbished material is not eligible for incentives nor does SMECO allow equipment that is removed to be re-installed within the SMECO service territory.
The pre-approval letter guarantees payment of the incentives at the full amount as long as all conditions of the pre-approval letter have been met. Any change in equipment specifications, quantities installed, or other factors affecting energy savings and project costs may result in changes to the incentive amount. Any changes from the original pre-approval letter conditions must receive SMECO approval before being implemented to guarantee incentive payment.
No. Program pre-approval is required for all projects prior to the purchase or installation of equipment in order to be eligible for incentives(noted in the Terms & Conditions on the application form).
Eligibility And Participation
In general, all non-residential customers who receive electric service through SMECO, regardless of their electric supplier, are eligible. Additional details on eligibility can be found in the Terms and Conditions section of the Business Solutions applications.
Local Service Providers can help you identify which measures are right for your facility. Service Providers listed on the SMECO website have received program training and are familiar with the rules and requirements of the program.
You are not required to use a specific contractor to install energy-efficient equipment at your facility. Customers are free to select their own contractors or use in-house staff. If you choose to use in-house staff to install program measures, please leave the contractor information blank on your application form.
Electric energy-efficient equipment that is not included on the prescriptive application forms may be considered as a custom measure. In general, this equipment must exceed the prescriptive requirements and not be required by Maryland energy code nor considered standard industry practice. The proposed project or equipment must have verifiable electric energy savings and pass the program cost effectiveness criteria.
To become a SMECO Service Provider, visit the Application Center.
Questions?
Get answers. Call 877-818-4094 for more information or email business@SMECO.coop.
EmPOWER Maryland programs are funded by a charge on your energy bill. EmPOWER programs can help you reduce your energy consumption and save you money. Learn more about EmPOWER and how you can participate.