Seinergy delivered a 55% increased rebate to an Oklahoma grower. Another example of how advocacy, utility collaboration, and subject matter expertise paid off.
“If you don’t use Seinergy, you are leaving free money on the table,” was the grower’s takeaway.
Last August, Jake was gearing up to equip and open a grow facility in Inola, Oklahoma. He wanted Luxx LEDs and Quest DEUs but knew he couldn’t afford them without rebates. As part owner and financial director of a mid-sized operation, he had good numbers sense. Jake knew growing with high quality fixtures was the best for his product and pocketbook over time. But the upfront cost of capital and expense of LEDs were a huge barrier.
Thanks to his local retailer’s relationship with Hawthorne, Seinergy was brought in to navigate the utility rebate opportunity. Luckily, his facility was in Public Service Co of Oklahoma (PSO) territory; Seinergy knew some rebate compensation was available.
Seinergy’s original estimate for the $140,000 order was $40,000 cash-back. However, there was a degree of uncertainty. In addition, Jake was in a tight timeline and needed pre-approval with a threshold $-back from PSO before committing to the equipment.
Unfortunately for Jake, PSO’s review took longer than expected. And when it arrived, their offer was lower than expected – $28,725. Seinergy debated with PSO about certain inputs and calculation methodologies. Ultimately we compromised, agreeing to an M&V (measurement and verification) plan that would open up the possibility of a higher rebate payout.
Feeling disgruntled with the process, Jake purchased his Quest DEHUs and Luxx LEDs. Once up and running, he invited the utility for a post inspection. They checked his dimming setpoints, and installed some light loggers to validate lights-on lights-off schedules. Luckily, the inspector found Jake growing in the same manner that Seinergy originally highlighted. After a few more weeks of data collection and analysis, PSO came through with an incentive check that was 55% higher than the pre-approval amount.
Six months after Jake first talked to Seinergy, he received a $44,708 cash deposit for his investment in premium Hawthorne equipment – Luxx LEDs and Quest dehumidifiers. The process had its ups and downs. However,, the 32% cash-back award for investing in the best equipment was worth it.
Lessons learned or reinforced from this project:
- It pays to invest in premium equipment
- The utility is here to work with you to achieve your goals
- Show your work, know your inputs, own your analysis, and advocate for the grower
- Don’t leave your rebate application to chance; hire the experts to get it done right
More on Grow Lamp Rebates in Oklahoma A bit dated, but still relevant.
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