Energy Trust of Oregon

“Sustainability is very important to us. We like to set the standard and adopt green technology wherever we can,”

“We’ve also seen a 10-fold reduction in maintenance needed to change bulbs, allowing employees to focus on other critical maintenance,”

“We have twice the light we had before, making it much safer, particularly for our graveyard and swing shifts,”

““Energy Trust is an excellent resource in protecting the environment by supporting businesses committed to sustainable business practices,””

““The more we save, the more we can produce, which translates into more jobs and higher wages.””

““Thanks to Energy Trust, our energy use per unit has dropped steadily and significantly,” said Andy Couch, director of engineering. “We reinvest that savings in new, modern equipment that helps expand our business.””

“It just so happened that I needed a gas water heater about a week later,” Rhea recalled. “Because I knew about the program, we installed a high-efficiency gas model and got an incentive.”

“I was surprised how easy the program was to use,”

““Energy Trust incentives were a vital element in our project investment,” said Dan Kirkpatrick, lean coach. “We’re a business. A dollar saved is a dollar earned.””

““We knew we wanted to put in solar at the school but for us to pay out of pocket just didn’t pencil out at the time. Solar ready allowed us to keep that door open,””

““We’re pleased with the level of attention and service from the Energy Trust team, not to mention the performance and return on investment,””

““Residents love the fact that we’re trying to be as green as possible, and the employees love the new equipment,” said regional vice president Russ Peterson. “We’ve seen a significant reduction in required maintenance—the LEDS, for instance, require fewer replacements so our staff isn’t constantly replacing bulbs.””

““I’ve had amazingly low utility bills,” Martin said. “My gas bill was about one-third of my previous home’s bill this winter.””

“My customers love the Energy Trust Mobile Homes program since it not only saves them money on their energy usage but they are also being offered a service that enhances their well being,”

““Residents appreciate the energy- and water-saving improvements,””

““The quantity and quality of light since we installed LEDs is a frequent topic of conversation among residents, all of whom are elderly and some of whom disabled,””

““We’re able to make full use of all of our benches year round.””

““Generating our own renewable power keeps the savings coming in and supports our growing sustainability program,””

““Local partners like Energy Trust are important in helping us fund innovations and push the envelope in construction practices,” said Ben Sturtz, housing development manager at REACH Community Development. “We believe Orchards will become a replicable industry model for building affordable passive housing.””

““We wanted to make the facility as energy efficient as possible, and took advantage of all opportunities available.””

““The system is more responsive,” Gross said. “We’re able to lower the temperature before a swim meet in about a day; before it took days.””

““I’ve had multiple residents tell me the aquatic center is the best thing to happen to Newport in 30 years,” said Tim Gross, public works director, City of Newport.”

“We weigh the upgrade options with what our facilities will need in the future,” said owner Ben Verhoeven. “While the energy-efficient option may come with a higher price tag upfront, Energy Trust makes the payback doable.”

“Whenever we can save money on operating costs, we free up more resources for other projects in the facility that help us fulfill our educational mission.”

“It’s been phenomenal,” said Poe. “We’re on to a really good thing here, and we’re not done yet.”