For many water systems, the electric (or energy) bill is one of the largest operating expenses regularly incurred by the water system. It is also one of the most controllable operating expenses a water system will have. However, even after energy assessments have been completed, energy usage baselines have been constructed, and project ideas have been drawn up and prioritized, water system managers may lack ideas for how to pay for it. This webinar focused on energy savings performance contracting (ESPC). In ESPC, an energy services company (ESCO), a financing firm, a measurement & verification (M&V) firm, and a customer (the water system) come together to design, finance, and build energy improvements at the water system.

Learning objectives:

• Participants gained an overview of the energy savings performance contracting (ESPC) method of designing, building, and paying for energy management projects.
• Participants heard from a representative of an ESCO about performance contracting for energy management projects, especially for water (and possibly wastewater) systems.
• Participants heard from a small drinking water system professional about financing energy management projects for the utility, especially using an energy performance contracting model to pay for it.

Resources:

Powerpoint Presentation

Webinar Recording