With 100% of costs covered for a three-year subscription, this new program for Evergy business customers offers major incentives to adopt energy efficiency technology that reduces costs and carbon footprint
RESTON, VA. – September 27, 2022 – GridPoint, a leader in building energy management and optimization technology that decarbonizes commercial buildings and drives grid modernization, today announced a new partnership with Evergy, an electric utility serving more than 1.6 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in western Missouri and eastern Kansas, and global advisory and digital services provider ICF to launch a virtual energy management program for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
The new program will provide Evergy Missouri business customers with energy advisory support and training, helping them decrease energy costs, reduce carbon emissions, and apply valuable data insights to their energy strategies – all to accelerate sustainable building operations. Participants in the program can expect to reduce energy costs by 10%. The partnership program serves as a model for utilities in other U.S. regions seeking to accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy future.
“SMBs have great potential for contributing to sustainability goals in the energy and facility management space, which is why we’re thrilled to offer this program to our small business customers,” said Natalie Gray, manager, energy efficiency products and services at Evergy. “Our partnership with GridPoint and ICF creates a valuable opportunity for SMBs to implement energy efficiency technologies in buildings, set sustainability goals and achieve a smaller carbon footprint – all while contributing to decarbonization across western Missouri.”
There is a clear opportunity to improve the energy efficiency and operations of commercial buildings, which have been historically under-represented in energy programming because the needs of each building site and portfolio vary widely. Buildings generate nearly 40% of global GHG emissions, and in the U.S., commercial buildings consume 35% of total electricity. This means a sustainable future is not possible without reducing energy consumption of the built environment.
Participants in the program will employ the GridPoint energy management platform to automate efficiency in their building(s), using advanced controls and patented algorithms to identify savings opportunities, evaluate equipment performance and recognize the effects of building operations on energy costs.
Evergy will help SMBs overcome financial barriers to enrolling in the sustainability program by covering 100% of the cost of a three-year subscription. To qualify, participants must operate within the Evergy Missouri service territory with five locations or less and attend at least one Evergy workshop focused on optimizing energy system performance for businesses. Providing support and training as the Evergy program implementer, ICF will work closely with each business to maximize benefits of the program, including gaining a deeper understanding of their building’s energy usage, utilizing GridPoint’s energy manager platform effectively and optimizing energy consumption based on data analysis.
“As we work to maximize benefits and value for Evergy customers, GridPoint’s technology and platform is a great fit with our efforts to help business owners identify, manage and achieve sustainable building energy practices,” said Kyle Wiggins, ICF senior vice president and commercial energy lead. “The Evergy program not only provides the energy efficiency technology, it also offers a deeper training component to improve customer engagement. This educational element will drive greater impact and the program has great potential to expand to include other utilities in other markets.”
“We’re constantly working toward a sustainable energy future, and we’re seeing an opportunity to grow an impactful network of energy-efficient buildings through utility programs,” said Evan Conley, vice president of strategic partnerships at GridPoint, which participates in more than 20 utility program markets. “This program will make it easier for Evergy customers to adopt sustainable building technology in a cost-effective way, accelerating the energy transition in the process. The benefits are clear and we’re excited to join ICF in this new partnership.”
To learn more about the Evergy program, click here. To read further about other utility programs led by GridPoint and ICF, click here.
About GridPoint
GridPoint is a leader in building energy management and optimization technology that decarbonizes commercial buildings and drives grid modernization. GridPoint’s data-driven platform connects energy grids with the built environment and behind-the-meter distributed energy resources, enabling the ability to optimize energy and sustainability goals for businesses and the grid at the same time. GridPoint’s technology platform is deployed in 16,000+ commercial buildings across multiple industries. Leveraging data analytics, intelligent automation and machine learning to deliver unprecedented visibility into complex building operations, GridPoint reduces energy costs, maximizes decarbonization, provides actionable facility insights and strengthens resiliency – building by building. Networked together, buildings with GridPoint Intelligence™ aggregate the reliable, precise and instantaneous capacity that energy grids increasingly require. GridPoint’s intelligent energy network of buildings is driving grid modernization and accelerating the transition to a sustainable energy future. For more information, visit gridpoint.com.
About Evergy, Inc.
Evergy, Inc. (NYSE: EVRG) serves approximately 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri. We were formed in 2018 when long-term local energy providers KCP&L and Westar Energy merged. We generate nearly half the power we provide to homes and businesses with emission-free sources. We support our local communities where we live and work and strive to meet the needs of customers through energy savings and innovative solutions.
About ICF
ICF is a global consulting services company with approximately 8,000 full- and part-time employees, but we are not your typical consultants. At ICF, business analysts and policy specialists work together with digital strategists, data scientists and creatives. We combine unmatched industry expertise with cutting-edge engagement capabilities to help organizations solve their most complex challenges. Since 1969, public and private sector clients have worked with ICF to navigate change and shape the future. Learn more at icf.com.