Manitoba Hydro offers a palette of energy incentives for industrial partners

Manitoba Hydro offers a palette of energy incentives for industrial partners

Manitoba Hydro customers have numerous opportunities to reduce their energy consumption and costs through a host of incentive programs including funding for biomass-to-fuel conversion projects, lighting retrofits, natural gas optimization as well as general process and performance improvements.

Industrial clients can benefit from incentives and technical support that offset the costs of biomass-to-energy conversion system, which enables conversion of waste streams and/or by-products into heat and power. Under the Bioenergy Optimization Program, feasibility studies can receive up to 50 percent of the initial $10,000 and 25% of the remaining cost for a maximum incentive of $15,000.

Biomass projects can also benefit from an implementation incentive, which is based on 15¢ per kWh for annual electricity reduction and 30¢ per cubic metre for equivalent natural gas reduction per year. Incentives can reach a maximum of 50 percent of the eligible project cost or $1,000,000 on electrical and $250,000 on natural gas load reductions, respectively.

For industrial customers who want to improve the efficiency of their natural gas systems and equipment, the Natural Gas Optimization Program provides support for all steps in a project. The program evaluates a system in a step-by-step approach by looking at supply equipment and controls as well as the demand side.

Under the Natural Gas Optimization Program, feasibility studies are funded to 50 percent of the initial $10,000 and 25 percent of the remaining study cost. If a project is implemented, incentives are calculated at $0.30/m3 annual energy saved and to a maximum of 50 percent of total project cost or $100,000.

Manitoba Hydro also offers financial incentives and technical support to promote lower operating costs and improved system performance through its Performance Optimization Program. This program includes Variable Speed incentives, which provide $100 for each horsepower in 1 to 20 horsepower pumping systems. Other eligible technologies include the installation of flow controllers, receiver tanks, and other upgrades for compressed air systems, large pumps, fans and blowers, and industrial refrigeration systems.

Manitoba Hydro also provides support for industrial energy management with a site walk-through, a historical analysis of energy use and control demand. The utility helps identify basic energy management system projects, including budget pricing. The utility's Lighting Program is offered to Electrical General Service Rate customers. Incentives are available for various types of LED lamps and fixtures, and vary with lamp wattage.

More recently introduced is Manitoba Hydro's energy profiling tool, EnerTrend, which was specifically designed for large electric and natural gas customers in order to help companies in managing their energy consumption. With advanced interval metering, EnerTrend generates energy profiles that indicate energy use details that enable managers to reduce peak demand. The software helps organizations measure the effectiveness of energy efficiency programs, chart the power and load factor of an operation, and identify malfunctioning equipment.

For more information about Manitoba Hydro's incentive programs for industry, visit the website or call 204-360-3676, 1-888-624-9376 (outside of Winnipeg), or email.