There are numerous incentives and tax benefits available to owners of commercial properties who decide to complete energy efficiency projects. You just have to know where to look. Extensive documentation and research from reliable sources is readily available to commercial property owners to help ensure that your energy efficient building project has a positive impact on your bottom line along with the environment.
The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) is a comprehensive resource that is an effective place to start researching opportunities. DSIRE was established in 1995 and is an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. This comprehensive database contains listings of commercial and residential tax deductions, tax credits, tax incentives and utility rebate programs for energy efficiency projects.
The incentives and policies included in DSIRE are reviewed regularly to ensure that the most current information is available, and each program summary is dated to indicate when it was last updated or verified. DSIRE’s comprehensive listings include information on the policy type (rebate program, tax credit or net metering); whether it is federal, state or implemented by a utility; which technologies are eligible for the program; and which sectors are eligible. In addition to summarizing the incentive or policy, the listings also contain links to the incentive or policy website, contact information, and links to relevant legal documents, authorizing statutes and regulations.
DSIRE includes information on federal incentives and policies for renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, as well as a U.S. map for locating state incentives and policies. DSIRE Solar provides information on incentives and policies specifically for solar energy projects.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is another valuable source of information for commercial property owners considering energy efficiency projects, and the website (www.usgbc.org) features a variety of resources for all commercial property owners.