Your next air compressor upgrade could put money back in your pocket.
Many businesses delay equipment upgrades because of upfront capital costs. Incentive programs like the Duke Energy Smart $aver program can return a portion of that project cost directly to the customer, making high-efficiency equipment a more attainable investment. The program encourages businesses to install equipment that improves facility performance and reduces overall energy demand.
For Duke Energy customers in our Kentucky region, these incentives can reduce your upfront investment and improve the overall return on a project.
What is the Duke Energy Smart $aver Program?
The Duke Energy Smart $aver program is available to qualifying business customers who install approved high-efficiency equipment. It offers two primary paths for incentives.
The first is a prescriptive incentive, which provides set rebate amounts for specific types of equipment. The second is a custom incentive for larger or more complex projects, where incentive payments are calculated based on the overall energy-efficiency upgrade.
Prescriptive Rebate Offers for Kentucky Customers
This post covers incentives specifically for Duke Energy customers in Kentucky, as our service area includes the Northern Kentucky market. Additional information and rebate offers in other states can be found on the Duke Energy Industrial Equipment page.
Several incentive categories apply directly to compressed air systems, and some rebates are available for new construction projects in addition to existing facilities.
Efficiency improvements for existing compressed air equipment include the following.
- Cycling compressed air dryers at $2.00 per SCFM
- Engineered nozzles at $40.00 per unit (also available for new construction)
- Air receiver tanks at $2.50 per gallon (also available for new construction)
- Compressed air audit and leak repair at $20.00 per SCFM of repaired leakage
Process pumping rebates offer some of the program’s highest savings. High efficiency pump rebates start at $122.00 for a 1.5 HP pump and scale up to $400.00 for a 20 HP pump. Variable speed drives qualify at $40.00 per horsepower. High-efficiency pump rebates, excluding variable speed drives, are also available for new construction, making them worth factoring in during the planning phase of a new facility or expansion.
In general, prescriptive rebates and incentives are capped at 75% of the customer’s project cost (equipment and external labor only).
How Do You Apply?
Duke Energy offers an online application portal and a paper application process. Before applying, gather your equipment specifications, installation documentation, and invoices.
If you have questions about program requirements or whether your equipment qualifies, Duke Energy’s team is available by phone at 866-380-9580 or through their website.
Incentive Requirements for Kentucky Compressed Air Businesses
Industrial equipment projects must often meet these general requirements:
- The facility must be a Duke Energy non-residential electric customer.
- Equipment must be installed in a Duke Energy service area.
- The equipment must meet program efficiency requirements.
- Some projects require approval before equipment is purchased and installed.
- The project may require documentation such as equipment specifications, project cost, and savings calculations.
- The project may be subject to inspection after installation.
Reviewing these requirements with Duke Energy before moving forward is the best way to make sure your project qualifies.
Know Your Options Before Your Next Upgrade
Equipment upgrade decisions involve more than the sticker price, and programs like the Duke Energy Smart $aver program are a good example of why. Rebate amounts and program availability can change, and we encourage our customers to be on the lookout for incentives available in their areas. We also monitor the market and keep an eye on programs like this one so our customers are aware of opportunities that could impact their next purchasing decision.
Upgrading your compressed air system is a sound investment in its own right. Pairing your investment with Duke Energy Smart $aver incentives makes it an even easier decision to move forward.
When the time comes to upgrade your compressed air system, contact us, and we’ll talk through your options.
With office locations in Sidney, Loveland, and Gahanna, Air Handling Equipment has provided compressed air system solutions to the Midwestern and Southern Ohio markets since 1977. This includes proudly serving the greater Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Lima, and Findlay, Ohio areas. We also proudly serve the Northern Kentucky Market. For questions about our selection of air compressors, call one of our locations or fill out our online contact form, and someone from our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
