Get it done

Commercial buildings present many opportunities for improving energy efficiency. You can tackle it alone and upgrade your lighting and heating/cooling systems on an as-needed basis, paying for each improvement through tax credits, utility incentives and short-term notes from your bank.

But if you want to be smart and invest your money in the projects that will decrease your energy costs and improve your bottom line the most, consider a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) project.

You’ll find a wealth of information on how PACE works in these pages, including an application packet and program report available for download. You can also access the electronic Proposed Energy Project Spreadsheet that you will need to complete as part of your application. But your first and best source of information is the PACE Administrator who can walk you through the pre-application phase and make sure you’re on the right track.

Commercial building auditors

The energy analysis or “audit” lays the foundation for a successful energy project. There is a great variability among auditors and types of energy analysis. For that reason, if you are considering a PACE special assessment, you must* use a pre-qualified auditor.

Pre-Qualified Auditors for Ann Arbor PACE Program

* There are certain circumstances when you will not need a full energy analysis, including if you have had an ASHRAE Level II or III audit in the last three years or if your property received an audit sponsored by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. You should check with the PACE Administrator to find out if you need an energy assessment to get started.

Contractors

Once you’ve identified the work to be completed on your property and you’re ready to get started, you need to partner with a professional contractor to get your job done. You may use any qualified contractor(s) for your PACE project, but you will want to refer to the application packet for a complete definition of “qualified contractor.”

In general, you need to be sure your contractor:

• Is properly licensed in both the City of Ann Arbor and State of Michigan
• Carries liability and workers’ compensation insurances
• Is experienced in the area of work requested
• Has good professional references (which you should check)
• Uses standard work contracts
• Has additional certifications from professional organizations, if possible

Looking for a contractor? Start with our a2energy Contractor Partner network, using the search fields to filter for Commercial contractors. a2energy Contractor Partners have met stringent technical and business standards to achieve authorization from Michigan Saves and have completed an application program with the City of Ann Arbor committing to promoting energy efficiency to all their customers. 

For larger projects

If your project is likely to cost more than $250,000 but less than $350,000, you are still eligible for a PACE assessment but you are required to work with an energy services company, or ESCO. ESCOs, also known as performance contractors, act as project developers, provide technical assistance and assume the performance risk associated with energy efficiency projects. Learn more about ESCOs or take a look at the member directory for the National Association of Energy Services Companies (NAESCO).

The Energy Services Coalition has outlined best practices for working with ESCOs; their website also includes case studies of successful projects around the country.