Find out if Peak Day Pricing is right for your business

We'll send you an alert the day before an Event Day so you can plan ahead to conserve or shift your energy usage. Visit your online account.

How can I come out ahead with Peak Day Pricing?
Prepare a conservation plan for your business by following these steps:

1. Spread the word. Notify people at your workplace when an Event Day is coming and plan to reduce energy use between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.
2. Invest in overall energy efficiency. For example, replace light bulbs with LEDs to reduce energy use every day, not just on Event Days.
3. Consider your schedule. Move energy-intensive activities outside of Event Hours (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.).
4. Conserve. Take actions during Event Hours to reduce energy use, like turning off lights in unused areas.

Find more tips below.

What are the main drivers of energy use?
For most businesses, energy use falls into several categories that can help you focus your efforts.

1. Cooling. Especially during the summer, air conditioning and refrigeration are the single biggest sources of energy use for many workplaces.
2. Lighting. Recent advances in lighting technology have reduced its energy footprint, but this is still one of the larger sources of energy use in most buildings.
3. Plug load. Computers, copy machines, monitors, etc., individually use a small amount of power, but collectively they add up to significant demand.
4. Special equipment. Whether you’re a dry cleaner, a food processing plant, or a factory, you likely need special equipment to run your operations. Often large machinery has a high demand for electricity.

Knowing the biggest sources of energy use in your workplace is the first step in preparing an effective conservation plan. Read on for tips targeted at each of these energy categories.

How can I reduce energy use from air conditioning?
Many of these tips cost nothing to implement and will lower your energy bills year-round:

• Adjust the temperature up a small amount. If a change of one degree is comfortable, consider trying two degrees next time. Keep going until you find the optimal balance of savings and comfort.
• Clean the evaporator and condenser coils of your A/C units. Clean them yourself using a plastic brush, or bring in a professional to perform an annual inspection and cleaning. This will also improve air quality, boost comfort, and prolong the life of the equipment.
• Maintain your refrigerators and freezers. Clean the condenser coils. Make sure refrigerant levels are topped up. Check that automatic door closers are working.
• Check the thermostat for your refrigerators, walk-in coolers, and freezers. Your refrigerators and freezers should be kept at the right temperature. For most uses, refrigerators should be kept between 38° and 42° F, and freezers between 0° and 5° F.
• Change your air filters. Swapping filters (or cleaning reusable ones) keeps the air cleaner, electricity bills lower, and expensive HVAC equipment running longer. Change them monthly during peak cooling season and every three months during the rest of the year.
• Shade your windows. The more sun you let in, the harder your air conditioner has to work. Use awnings, blinds, or landscaping, especially on windows that face south or west, to reduce the amount of direct sunlight hitting your interior in the afternoon.
• Keep doors and windows closed. Letting conditioned air rush out of the building is like letting dollars fly out of your wallet.
• Turn off A/C (or close vents) in unused spaces like storage areas.
• Pre-cool your workplace. Turn the A/C up in the morning to get your space nice and cool, and then turn it down at 4 p.m. on Event Days. It may take a while before your workplace heats back up. This strategy doesn’t reduce your overall energy use, but it does shift it to times when electricity is less expensive.

How can I reduce energy from lighting?
There are many ways to reduce the electricity use from lighting:

• Upgrade to LEDs. Prices have come down dramatically. These super-efficient light bulbs last for an incredibly long time, give off a pleasing light, and help keep your space cooler.
• Turn off all outdoor lighting during the day.
• Turn off some lights in hallways or other areas where partial or natural light will work.
• Put occupancy sensors in bathrooms, stairways, storage rooms, and other infrequently-used spaces. Or, just post a sign asking people to keep the lights off when not in use.

How can I reduce energy use from plug load?
A lot of electricity is used to power appliances: computers, monitors, printers, phone chargers, and other gadgets you use to get your work done. Shut off anything that isn’t in use, especially equipment like copiers that spend much of their time sitting idle. Some equipment draws power even when in standby mode, so turn it off or consider putting it on a power strip that can be used to fully disconnect it from power.

How can I reduce energy use from special equipment?
Many businesses require specialized equipment. Restaurants have walk-in refrigerators. Manufacturers have fabrication tools. Often this type of equipment draws a lot of electricity, and therefore represents a savings opportunity:

• Do you have any discretion over when the equipment runs? Schedule use around the 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Event Hours to avoid Peak Day Pricing charges.
• Does the equipment require charging? Charge the equipment outside of Event Hours. For example, electric forklifts can be charged overnight when electricity is cheapest.
• Is the equipment tuned to run with optimal efficiency? Maintain equipment in accordance with manufacturer guidelines to get the best use out of it.

Learn about Peak Day Pricing

As a solar customer, you're eligible to participate in Peak Day Pricing. It's a rate option that gives businesses a discount on regular summer electricity rates in exchange for higher prices during 9 to 15 days per year. These Event Days typically occur on the hottest days of the summer.

Solar customers can participate risk-free for the first 12 months with Bill Protection. If you pay more during your first year on Peak Day Pricing, we credit you the difference. After Bill Protection has ended, solar customers can use Net Energy Metering (NEM) credits to offset Event Day charges. Note: NEM True-Up statements are separate from Peak Day Pricing Bill Protection credit statements.

Contact your Business Energy Solutions representative if you have questions about rate plans, energy assessments or our programs. You can also contact the Solar Customer Service Center weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 1-877-743-4112.