OSRAM SYLVANIA Joins With ESCOs to Reduce Facility Energy Costs

Citing market forces ranging from volatile energy costs to growing corporate consensus about the financial benefits of energy efficiency, OSRAM SYLVANIA has launched the SYLVANIA Energy Solutions Network, an alliance between the global lighting brand, energy service companies (ESCOs), and electrical distributors nationwide. Sixty ESCOs have signed on for the program since its inception last fall.

The Energy Solutions Network offers ESCOs preferred benefits including a dedicated SYLVANIA ESCO management team, field sales, application engineering and training options, as well as marketing programs to support ESCO and distributor development of energy efficient lighting upgrade projects.

According to the National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO), an ESCO develops, installs, arranges financing, and manages available utility financial incentives for energy efficiency projects to reduce a facility’s energy and maintenance costs. ESCOs can monitor and verify a completed project’s reduced energy use and assume the performance risk the project will achieve the projected energy savings for a seven to 10 year period.

Global Energy Services, a woman-owned (MBE/DBE) energy service company based in Timonium, MD and York, PA launched a new Web site and developed a new capabilities brochure with the help of the Energy Solutions Network.

“It’s an exciting time to be in the lighting retrofit industry due to increased utility costs, advances in lighting technology, and federal/state rebates. Part of our business plan is to launch an aggressive marketing campaign reaching as many end users as possible in the Mid-Atlantic market. Our new Web site and brochure designed by the Energy Solutions Network is a key part of that strategy,” said Owner/CEO Annette Fitzgerald.

Bruce Ryman, national ESCO manager at SYLVANIA, explained, “The U.S. EPA estimates an energy efficient lighting upgrade can cut a building’s annual lighting energy costs in half, typically a savings of about 50¢ per square foot. Upgrades deliver a two to three year payback, a 30% to 50% return on investment, and positive cash flow that drops directly to the bottom line.”

“The Energy Solutions Network is an energy efficient marketing, project development, and installation initiative focused on delivering reduced energy use and costs to building owners nationwide,” he said.