Businesses with up to 400 kW peak demand now qualify for extra savings on compressed air upgrades — including a 25% bonus on VSD compressors and other energy-saving improvements between now and March 31, 2023.
For small to midsize Illinois manufacturers in the ComEd service area, the timing has never been better to upgrade to a VSD air compressor or make other energy-saving improvements to compressed air systems. The already-generous ComEd Small Business Energy Incentive program has been expanded to include more customers and provide even larger rebates on many improvements, including VSD compressors:
- The Small Business program has been expanded to include businesses with up to 400 kW of peak demand (up from 200 kW peak in 2022), making the most generous rebates available to a broader range of businesses.
- ComEd is now offering a 25% bonus on incentives for VSD compressors and other energy-saving improvements. That raises the rebate on a new VSD compressor from $400/HP to $500/HP — which could cover 50-75% (or more) of the cost! The Early Bird bonus is available immediately and will run through March 31, 2023.
Funding is limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re planning to make energy-saving improvements to your compressed air system in 2023, it makes sense to get your application in early in the year. If you have opted for a third-party electricity supplier through the Customer Choice program, you can still take advantage of these incentives, as long as your power is delivered through ComEd.
What Is the ComEd Small Business Energy Incentive Program?
ComEd, like most large power companies, offers incentives to help business customers make energy-saving improvements to their facilities. Power companies offer these programs to help reduce the overall load on the power grid and help them even out supply and demand. These programs are paid for through taxes and fees added to your electricity bill. Compressed air systems offer one of the biggest opportunities for energy savings for many manufacturing and industrial users.
For small businesses (up to 400 kW peak demand for 2023), ComEd offers additional rebates and incentives above and beyond those offered for larger customers. The ComEd Small Business Energy Incentive program provides generous rebates to make upgrades to compressed air systems (and other energy-using systems) more affordable for smaller businesses.
Don’t Miss the Early Bird Bonus!
Between November 11, 2022, and March 31, 2023, ComEd is offering a 25% bonus on energy rebates for companies that qualify for the Small Business Program – up to an additional $25,000! That makes their already generous incentives for small businesses an even better deal. These rebates will cover the majority of the cost of the upgrade.
To qualify for the 25% bonus, pre-approval requests must be submitted by March 31, 2023. If you submitted a pre-approval request after November 11, 2022, the Early Bird bonus will be applied retroactively.
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Contact usGet 50-75% Off the Cost of a New VSD Air Compressor!
One of the best deals for small businesses in 2023 is an upgrade to a new Variable Speed Drive (VSD) air compressor. The current 25% bonus raises the rebate from $400/HP to $500/HP for a new VSD compressor. That’s enough to cover 50-75% of the cost of upgrading to a new VSD. Here’s what that could look like:
| Example of the Incentives: | $400/HP | 25% Bonus | Cost to Customer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5HP Rotary VSD | $6,500 | $2,000 | $500 | $4,000 |
| 10HP Rotary VSD | $10,500 | $4,000 | $1,000 | $5,500 |
| 15HP Rotary VSD | $12,000 | $6,000 | $1,500 | $4,500 |
| 20HP Rotary VSD | $13,000 | $8,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| 25HP Rotary VSD | $17,500 | $10,000 | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| 30HP Rotary VSD | $19,000 | $12,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 |
| 40HP Rotary VSD | $21,000 | $16,000 | $4,000 | $1,000 |
| 50HP Rotary VSD | $29,000 | $20,000 | $5,000 | $4,000 |
| 60HP Rotary VSD | $36,000 | $24,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 |
| 70HP Rotary VSD | $43,500 | $30,000 | $7,500 | $6,000 |
| 100HP Rotary VSD | $53,000 | $40,000 | $10,000 | $3,000 |
| 125HP Rotary VSD | $63,500 | $50,000 | $12,500 | $1,000 |
*Does not include delivery and installation.
To qualify for these rebates, you must be replacing an existing fixed-speed air compressor with a VSD compressor.
Aire Tip: Switching from a fixed-speed air compressor to a VSD air compressor could save up to 70% on energy consumption for compressed air. Read more: Why Choose or Upgrade to a Variable Speed Drive Air Compressor?
2023 Compressed Air Energy Savings for ComEd Small Business Customers
ComEd offers a number of other energy incentives for compressed air system upgrades. Small businesses with up to 400 kW peak demand qualify for the most generous incentives. These include:
- $600/Zero-Loss Condensate Drain, which eliminates the loss of compressed air during manual or timer-based draining. Now $750 with 25% bonus!
- $75/High-Efficiency Air Nozzle, which reduces compressed air losses during use. Now $93.25 with 25% bonus!
- $10/CFM for a High-Efficiency CA Refrigerated Dryer to replace a standard non-cycling refrigerated compressed air dryer of the same capacity. Now $12.50/CFM with 25% bonus!
- $150/HP for added compressor air storage. Now $187.50 with 25% bonus!
- $75/compressor for compressed air pressure reduction. Now $93.75/compressor with 25% bonus! Read more: Reduce Plant Pressure to Save Money and Energy.
Do You Qualify for ComEd Small Business Energy Incentives in 2023?
For 2023, the ComEd Small Business Energy Incentive Program is open to business customers with peak demand of up to 400 kW. Peak demand is the maximum energy draw for your business at any one time. If your demand has not exceeded 400 kW at any time over the last 13 months, you qualify for the Small Business incentives.
How do you know? You’ll need a recent ComEd bill with your account number to verify your eligibility. Your account number will be in the top left-hand corner of the first page of your ComEd bill. You can enter the account number yourself on the ComEd website to see your peak demand for the last year.
Or, we’ll be happy to help you determine your eligibility — just contact your Fluid-Aire Dynamics representative or fill out the form here:
Getting Started with ComEd Energy Incentives
Fluid-Aire Dynamics is an authorized ComEd service provider under the ComEd Industrial Systems program. For Small Business Incentive Programs, we partner with Duralec, a Schaumberg-based company specializing in ComEd Energy Reduction Programs in Compressed Air, High-Grade LED Products, HVAC, and Weather Proofing. Together, we make the whole process easy, from pre-approval to final installation. We can even fill out all the paperwork for you. Things to know:
- You must get pre-approval for projects under the ComEd Small Business Energy Incentive Program. (Don’t worry, we’ll help you with the paperwork.)
- When you complete a project with an authorized service provider under the ComEd Energy Incentive Program, you are only billed for the amount in excess of what the program covers. Your service provider will bill ComEd for the rest. That means you don’t have to worry about coming up with the total capital cost up front and waiting for a rebate — you just need the amount not covered. When you work with Fluid-Aire Dynamics, we’ll make sure you know exactly what is covered and what your share of the costs will be, so there are no surprises after the fact.
- The program is first-come, first-serve: when the funding runs out, no more projects will be authorized. So it pays to be among the first in line when planning a large project like upgrading to a VSD compressor.
- Don’t qualify for the Small Business program? Don’t worry; there are still plenty of incentives offered under ComEd’s standard prescriptive rebates and custom energy incentive programs. Custom programs cover a broad range of project types with rebates of up to $0.12 per kWh of energy saved. We can help you find the right program for your business and project type.
Contact us to get started with your energy-saving project.
