TEP Recognizes Customers’ Energy Efficiency Savings During ‘BrightEE’ Awards

Tucson Electric Power (TEP) presented TEP BrightEE Awards today to 12 customers and contractors who used the company’s cost-effective energy efficiency (EE) programs to achieve significant energy savings and environmental benefits.

The TEP BrightEE (pronounced “brighty”) Awards highlight the benefits of EE programs that have helped TEP customers save more than 842,000 megawatt-hours – enough energy to power nearly 84,000 homes for a year. These savings help TEP work toward the goals in Arizona’s Energy Efficiency Standard, which calls on utilities to achieve cumulative energy savings of 22 percent by 2020.

“We’re proud of all the BrightEE recipients because they’ve participated in cost-effective programs to produce energy savings and benefits for our environment,” said Catherine E. Ries, Vice President of Customer and Human Resources. “Energy efficiency programs give us an opportunity to work directly with our customers as their trusted energy partner to help them achieve their objectives.”

To be eligible for a BrightEE Award, a customer must have participated in at least one of TEP’s customer-funded EE programs, which are reviewed and approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission. The programs have been proven to be cost-effective for all customers – not just those who participate – by reducing TEP’s long-term need for new energy resources. Participation helps to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, resulting in reduced air emissions and water usage.

This year’s winners, selected by TEP’s energy efficiency team, include:

• Commercial Contractor – GLHN Architects & Engineers: By incorporating energy efficiency into its designs, GLHN helped customers save more than 2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2015. Recent projects include the University of Arizona’s Environment & Natural Resources 2 building and Pima County’s new Public Service Center.
• Residential Contractor – Russett Southwest Corporation: With nearly 70 years of operation in southern Arizona, Russett participates in multiple TEP EE programs and has helped customers save more than 480 MWh.
• Government Entity – Davis-Monthan Air Force Base: Davis-Monthan has installed energy efficient lighting fixtures, air conditioners and heat pumps at multiple facilities to save more than 2 million kWh since 2009.
• Large Business – Tucson Medical Center: Tucson Medical Center showed a healthy interest in reducing energy consumption by installing efficient lighting fixtures and taking other steps to save more than 2.7 million kWh in 2015 alone.
• Small Business – Desert Sports & Fitness: Desert Sports & Fitness installed new energy efficient light emitting diode (LED) bulbs and exterior lighting at all three of its locations.
• Public School District – Tucson Unified School District (TUSD): Energy efficient improvements at more than two dozen TUSD schools and other facilities helped the district save more than 6.5 million kWh in 2015.
• Schools - Private or Charter – Green Fields Country Day School: Green Fields, which has operated on the same campus for more than 80 years, installed efficient light bulbs, fixtures and door signage to save more than 113,500 kWh.
• Non-Profit Organization – Amity Foundation: This long-term drug and alcohol recovery treatment center installed LED fixtures to save more than 236,000 kWh in 2015.
• Professional Business Organization – Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: The group, which represents more than 500 southern Arizona businesses, partnered with TEP to promote free energy assessments for businesses and referred members to TEP’s Commercial Energy Advisor team for additional services.
• Homebuilder of the Year – D.R. Horton: For more than a decade, D.R. Horton has participated in TEP’s residential new construction programs. The company has built more than 200 highly energy efficient homes in partnership with TEP’s Energy Smart Homes Program.
• Demand Response – Arizona Canning Company: By participating in TEP’s DemandSMART program, Arizona Canning voluntarily reduces its energy use during periods when other TEP customers are using the most power.
• TEP Big Picture Award – University of Arizona (UA): This inaugural award was designed to recognize customers that show consistent dedication to achieving energy savings by investing in new EE technologies while improving business operations. Since 2009, the UA has completed over 68 projects that saved just more than 16,000 MWh, enough to power about 1,600 homes for an entire year.

TEP also recognized retired employee Linda Douglas-Worthey with an award for lifetime achievement in residential energy efficiency. Douglas-Worthey was instrumental in launching and sustaining several TEP EE programs, including the successful TEP Guarantee Home Program.

TEP is offering expanded EE programs for residential and commercial customers in 2016 that include incentives for commercial customers that install energy-efficient lighting equipment and controls, air conditioning equipment and leak-repair measures.

TEP provides safe, reliable electric service to approximately 417,000 customers in Southern Arizona. For more information, visit tep.com. TEP and its parent company, UNS Energy, are subsidiaries of Fortis Inc., which owns utilities that serve more than 3 million customers across Canada and in the United States and the Caribbean. To learn more, visit fortisinc.com.

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