Going Green: The Financial Benefits Are Now Significant

By Grant Sojnocki, President, Able-One Systems

going_green In recent years “going green” and “green business” have been commonly heard buzz words.

At Able-One Systems we made it such a priority that one of our six solution areas is termed “Green Data Centre”. Although it is something that most people realize the importance of, many of our clients are asking “at what point does it make business sense?”

Generally speaking, people want to do what they can to positively impact the environment, but still need to prioritize the needs of their business. That being said, with the many advances in green technology, we are beginning to see many truly strong business cases for “green” investment both in the data centre and in many other areas.

Although the business cases can be strong on their own, when you consider the additional financial incentives that are currently available such as those offered by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in Ontario, it is apparent that there is no better time than now to consider your green options.

Why go green?

ROI and payback periods have become more compelling than ever
Improved public image; customers are beginning to favour green companies
Current government incentive programs such as those offered by the IESO that make it easy and affordable to assess and implement

The IESO has aggressive mandates around energy consumption and utilization over the next several years, and their strategy for hitting their targets is largely attributed to conservation. Over the next 5 years, they are providing $1.9 billion through programs designed to incent businesses to reduce their energy consumption. It is important that you take the time to understand these programs and their specific requirements, or work with a firm who specializes in this area, as (like many government programs) they can be a challenge to navigate. However, it is well worth that effort as some of these programs will fund up to 100% of your costs! How do you like that for a return on investment?

Energy Programs

The programs are:

Audit
Retrofit
Process & Systems
Metering

The program that is most utilized among our clients is the process and systems assessment. The reason being is that it includes a 100% government funded study (up to $50,000) to assess your current systems and processes; in addition to up to 70% of capital costs for energy efficiency upgrades. Upon completion of the assessment you receive a stamped and approved engineering study detailing the benefits of implementing various policies or upgrading certain equipment.

Currently, there is no obligation for you to implement anything in the document but will allow you to effectively evaluate your options and potential for savings. Able-One Systems, through a partnership with a speciality engineering firm, offers a free site walkthrough in order to predetermine whether our clients would qualify for a fully funded assessment.

If you would like more information on these programs you can visit our page on energy assessments and download the PowerPoint. Also please feel free to reach out to me directly at Grant.Sojnocki@ableone.com.

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