Baton Rouge, La., May 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delivering solutions to create more energy-efficient communities is vital to decreasing energy usage and increasing renewable energy generation. APTIM plays a key role in helping utilities, residents, various industries, and government entities achieve these goals.
In Louisiana, APTIM serves as the administrator of Entergy Louisiana’s energy efficiency program, Entergy Solutions. As program administrator, APTIM supports its utility partner Entergy Louisiana, by creating and delivering award-winning energy efficiency solutions through program design, implementation, innovative marketing initiatives, and managing a team of consultants.
How it Delivers
Entergy Solutions offers programs for Entergy Louisiana customers to save energy and money by reducing the up-front cost of a variety of energy efficiency upgrades. A small portion of money received from Entergy Louisiana’s business and residential customer utility bills is allocated to fund Entergy Solutions. The program partners with participating trade allies, contractors, and retailers to help customers select and install equipment and complete energy efficiency upgrades. These partners help identify where upgrades can be made and how to maximize dollar and energy savings. For businesses, Entergy Solutions provides cash incentives for completing energy efficiency improvements to existing and new buildings.
In January 2022, Entergy Solutions announced that it will expand offerings to better serve the state’s agriculture and agribusiness industries. Farmers in Acadiana and throughout the state know how costly agriculture-energy expenditures can be. Entergy Solutions’ newly launched Agriculture Solutions program can help with these costs by providing a variety of ways to decrease unnecessary energy usage and save on expenses while maintaining a modern, safe, and most importantly, profitable operation. The program provides cash incentives to local farm owners for upgrades to ventilation, lighting, refrigeration and irrigation systems, variable frequency drives, and more. Additionally, customized incentives for farm equipment based on the specific goals and needs of certain agriculture projects are available.
“Between price inflation and deflation, COVID-19 restrictions, and natural disasters, Louisiana’s farmers and their families have faced unprecedented obstacles over the past couple years,” said Heather LeBlanc, Entergy Louisiana, Regulatory Affairs. “This program not only helps customers decrease their usage but also sets them up for long-term financial security.”
Providing energy efficiency, money-saving resources to Louisiana’s agriculture industry continues to be a priority for Entergy Solutions in 2022. The organization hopes to increase its impact in the months ahead to amplify and support more Louisiana farmers, who represent a critical segment of the state economy.
Sign-up and participation in the Agriculture Solutions program is a simple process. Once a customer or contractor identifies a project, they work with an Entergy Solutions energy advisor to complete an application. After an application is pre-approved, a project plan is developed, and materials specific to the project are ordered and installed. Upon project completion, program representatives schedule a post-installation site visit and distribute the incentives.
A Case Study: Ragan & Massey
Ragan & Massey, Entergy Solutions’ first agriculture solutions customer, is a U.S. manufacturer of premium-quality herbicides, insecticides, and seed. The company reduced energy consumption by upgrading inefficient lighting and cooling equipment and installing occupancy sensors. By working with Entergy Solutions, Ragan & Massey’s HVAC project led to decreased electricity consumption and increased dependability of the cooling system critical to its production process. Entergy Solutions also worked with the customer to replace its old metal halide and fluorescent fixtures with LED lighting, which created a brighter, safer, and more comfortable facility. Overall, Ragan & Massey received over $27,000 in incentives and is estimated to save over 196,000 kWh in 2022.
Leveraging Partnerships
In addition to helping customers and expanding its Agriculture Solutions program, Entergy Solutions has also been strengthening relationships with local organizations that support Louisiana’s agriculture industry. In June 2021, the program partnered with the LSU AgCenter for its annual Rice Field Day, where team members were able to distribute program information, answer questions, and network with local rice farmers. Entergy Solutions is also a member of the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association, the Louisiana Rice Growers Association, the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, and more. Through its growing network of partnerships statewide, Entergy Solutions looks forward to increasing program awareness, reaching more customers, and safely participating in events that benefit the state’s agriculture and agribusiness industries.
