Energy Efficiency Plan - for South Dakota customers
Approved by the SD PUC to begin September 1, 2008
Otter Tail Power Company has received approval from the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission to launch the following portfolio of energy-efficiency programs.
Commercial and industrial programs
- Lighting - The Lighting Project provides rebates to commercial and industrial customers that purchase energy-efficient lighting technologies such as T8 lamps and electronic ballasts, metal halide and pulse-start lamps and fixtures, Hi-bay T8 lamps, compact fluorescent fixtures and lamps, LED exit lighting, and motion-sensor lighting controls. Rebates for most hard-wired systems are 20 cents per watt of demand reduction. Screw-in compact fluorescent rebates are 5 cents per watt of demand reduction. Certain program guidelines and limitations apply.
- Motors - The Energy-Efficient Motor Rebate Project is designed to encourage customers to purchase higher-efficiency replacement motors. The qualifying efficiencies are based on motor horsepower and NEMA Premium-Efficiency program standards. The NEMA Premium-Efficiency program aims to standardize the values of premium-efficiency motors industrywide. Rebates vary with motor size.
- Air-source heat pumps – Check back for availability of rebate funds
- Geothermal heat pumps - Check back for availability of rebate funds
Residential programs
- Air-conditioning control - The CoolSavings program offers residential customers a $7-a-month credit for four summer months (June, July, August, and September) during which Otter Tail Power Company may cycle (15 minutes off/15 minutes on) participating customers' central air conditioners during peak periods. Cycling air-conditioning units as part of our CoolSavings program normally does not inconvenience customers. Other utilities' program evaluations, as well as Otter Tail Power Company's results, have shown that most direct load-control customers are not aware of their air conditioners being cycled.
- Air-source heat pump - Check back for availability of rebate funds
- Geothermal heat pump - Check back for availability of rebate funds
- Residential Demand Control – Under the Residential Demand Control program a customer receives $300 toward installing an RDC unit. An RDC unit is a monitoring device that notifies the customer of high demand and energy use and allows Otter Tail Power Company to control energy for electric space heating and for appliances, such as water heaters and clothes dryers, during peak periods. In return for allowing this control, the customer qualifies for an exceptionally low rate on all electricity used.
Advertising, education, and training
This program primarily includes educational materials such as newsletter articles, web-based educational information, and educational assemblies in schools. For the latter, Otter Tail Power Company will partner with the Minnesota Science Museum.
