SaskPower Energy Conservation Initiatives
Although SaskPower is in the business of selling power, it is actually helping its customers use less of its product through a variety of energy conservation initiatives. Not only does it make good sense for the environment, it also is a smart financial decision: by helping customers use less electricity, SaskPower can delay the need to build more high cost electrical generation facilities, which can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. A number of the projects are outlined below:
Energy Performance Contract Service:
SaskPower continues to work with large clients to help them save money and electricity through its Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) service. The EPC service is an important part of SaskPower's efforts to tackle the issue of climate change, by helping customers reduce their use of energy in a cost-effective way. Heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation, and building automation systems at customers' facilities are retrofitted through this service. The capital costs of the project are generally financed through energy savings.
Energy efficiency pilot projects with rural Saskatchewan communities:
In the spring of 2003, the community of Watrous was selected to participate in SaskPower's first Community Energy Management Service pilot project. Energy efficient lighting, motors and system controls will be installed at community facilities during the pilot project. These energy efficiency retrofits will help Watrous save energy as well as money by lowering operating costs. Energy savings will pay for the retrofits. Based on the outcome of this and other pilot projects, SaskPower will consider implementing a permanent Community Energy Management Service as part of its Energy Solutions program. The next community pilot project could include a wider base of facilities and operations within a community or communities, including private businesses.
Lighting Information Campaign:
SaskPower is launching an information campaign to help its residential customers find ways to reduce their power bills and help protect the environment. The campaign focuses on energy efficient lighting by promoting the benefits of ENERGY STAR(r)-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs use up to 75 per cent less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs and last up to ten times longer.
Lighting accounts for about 20 per cent of an average Saskatchewan homeowner's power use. Because they are more energy efficient than traditional bulbs, switching to CFLs can have a direct impact on lowering customers' power costs.
The power-savings campaign will be distributed through a bill insert to all customers and a supplement in the province's weekly and daily newspapers.