Energy costs in schools are the second-highest expense after salaries, even exceeding the money spent on supplies and books. Wisconsin K-12 public school facilities spend more than $175 million on energy costs each year. While schools have actively reduced their energy use by 20% since 2006, there is still over $40 million in potential energy savings to be realized with improved technology and new operational strategies.
FOCUS ON ENERGY® provides financial incentives for equipment upgrades that deliver measurable energy and financial savings for school facilities. Focus on Energy’s team of dedicated Energy Advisors are here to help your school achieve its energy-saving potential.
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Starting a project?
Review the Summary of Services and Incentives for Businesses, Equipment Catalogs and the Custom Incentive Guide to determine equipment eligible for incentives.
Consult your Energy Advisor to identify energy-efficient equipment.
Work with a Focus on Energy registered Trade Ally. Trade Allies are committed to saving energy and helping your business thrive.
Schools across Wisconsin are taking steps to become more energy-efficient and control their energy costs. But don’t take our word for it. Hear directly from customers in these case studies:
Use our Enrollment Wizard early in design, to submit your contact and project information, then instantly see the incentives potential for your project
Once the project application is approved and the customer/design team provides design drawings and narratives, a meeting is scheduled to review the whole building estimated energy performance
The integrated effect of multiple energy models are analyzed simultaneously and in real-time, utilizing the Net Energy Optimizer (NEO®) tool, to determine the net effect on energy use, costs, and potential program incentives
NEO supports a wide variety of different mechanical systems and hundreds of whole building refinement options, allowing design teams and owners to optimize choices for their specific building type and customize the mix of space uses
Results for each individual measure, three “bundles” and three selected HVAC scenarios are then presented to assist in optimizing the final building design
Once the design has been finalized, submittals are provided to the Design Assistance Team for verification; customer incentives are paid upon building construction completion
Eligibility & Requirements
Potential building types include all commercial and industrial buildings as well as multifamily buildings with four or more units.
Buildings must be served by a participating Wisconsin electric or natural gas utility.
New buildings include free-standing buildings, adaptive reuse, substantial renovations and major additions to existing buildings.
The minimum project size is 5,000 square feet for typical building uses. Additional requirements may apply for mixed-use space or some type of facilities.
Other qualification criteria may be established on a case-by-case basis. Projects must also meet the program timing requirements to qualify.
How to Receive Incentives
Use our Enrollment Wizard early in design, to submit your contact and project information.
A Design Assistance Program representative will contact you within two business days to discuss your project and determine if your building is a good fit for the program.
Once accepted into the program, you’ll receive a customized analysis to assist with energy efficiency decisions and information regarding potential owner incentives. Design team incentives are provided upon completion of the analysis.
After the building has been completed, the implementation of the energy efficiency measures will be verified by Focus on Energy. At this time, the building owner will receive financial incentives.
