As a community, the City of Bloomington has long been a leader in sustainability. Recently recognized as one of the 105 cities worldwide leading in climate and sustainability action, ample programs exist for residential users on the City website.
Despite this, it is often difficult for local businesses to implement sustainable practices due to high upfront costs. This page hopes to provide resources to Chamber members and the larger Bloomington business community to assist in taking the sustainable plunge.
Duke Energy Audits
Through their Small Business Energy Saver program, Duke Energy will provide a totally free energy assessment of your business. A representative will travel to your location to inspect your property and energy usage, looking for where inefficiencies or improvements are possible. Afterwards, they will prepare a recommendation of what your business can do to solve these issues. If your business is eligible, Duke will pay up to 80% of the costs of energy efficiency improvements upfront with no need for a rebate.
For more information, visit the Duke Energy website.
LED Bulbs
One common area of focus for sustainable energy use are LED bulbs. The US was scheduled to ban the sale of tradition incandescent light bulbs starting in 2020 and many countries around the world have similar bans implemented. Even though the federal ban on incandescent bulbs was scrapped, LED bulbs will soon be the industry norm.
More importantly, LED bulbs are on average 50-90% more energy saving than traditional bulbs which passes on huge cost savings on your energy bills.
Duke’s $mart Saver Business offers cashback rebates to help offset the cost of switching to LED.
Here is a tool that can be used to calculate cost savings of switching to LED bulbs.
Monroe County Green Business Network
Joining the Monroe County’s Solid Waste Management District’s Green Business Program is a great step to take towards more sustainable practices. Green Business members have access to discounted large item recycling and other resources.
Other Useful Links
LEED Certification Standards- LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
America Green Business Network- Comprised of 3,000 businesses, the Green Business Network® is home to both rising social and eco enterprises and the most established green businesses around. We provide the tools, the information, and the consumer base to help you thrive in today’s competitive green marketplace.
Department of Energy Incentives- This DOE page provides the most comprehensive list available of all government incentive energy programs down to the county level.
Vectren Gas Savings- If your business relies on Vectren Gas for heating, click the link to see their incentive programs.
For information about sustainability efforts in the City of Bloomington, check out this Sustainable Bloomington site.
Despite this, it is often difficult for local businesses to implement sustainable practices due to high upfront costs. This page hopes to provide resources to Chamber members and the larger Bloomington business community to assist in taking the sustainable plunge.
Duke Energy Audits
Through their Small Business Energy Saver program, Duke Energy will provide a totally free energy assessment of your business. A representative will travel to your location to inspect your property and energy usage, looking for where inefficiencies or improvements are possible. Afterwards, they will prepare a recommendation of what your business can do to solve these issues. If your business is eligible, Duke will pay up to 80% of the costs of energy efficiency improvements upfront with no need for a rebate.
For more information, visit the Duke Energy website.
LED Bulbs
One common area of focus for sustainable energy use are LED bulbs. The US was scheduled to ban the sale of tradition incandescent light bulbs starting in 2020 and many countries around the world have similar bans implemented. Even though the federal ban on incandescent bulbs was scrapped, LED bulbs will soon be the industry norm.
More importantly, LED bulbs are on average 50-90% more energy saving than traditional bulbs which passes on huge cost savings on your energy bills.
Duke’s $mart Saver Business offers cashback rebates to help offset the cost of switching to LED.
Here is a tool that can be used to calculate cost savings of switching to LED bulbs.
Monroe County Green Business Network
Joining the Monroe County’s Solid Waste Management District’s Green Business Program is a great step to take towards more sustainable practices. Green Business members have access to discounted large item recycling and other resources.
Other Useful Links
LEED Certification Standards- LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
America Green Business Network- Comprised of 3,000 businesses, the Green Business Network® is home to both rising social and eco enterprises and the most established green businesses around. We provide the tools, the information, and the consumer base to help you thrive in today’s competitive green marketplace.
Department of Energy Incentives- This DOE page provides the most comprehensive list available of all government incentive energy programs down to the county level.
Vectren Gas Savings- If your business relies on Vectren Gas for heating, click the link to see their incentive programs.
For information about sustainability efforts in the City of Bloomington, check out this Sustainable Bloomington site.
