Buildings represent a large percentage of all the energy consumed in the United States. That’s why increasing the energy efficiency of buildings – especially existing ones – has become a major priority for many cities throughout the country. In addition to enhancing overall quality of life, transforming commercial and industrial properties combats climate change and fosters innovation that ultimately strengthens our economy.

This push for high-performance buildings has created a market ripe with innovations in building technology. Building technologies such as high-efficiency replacement motors, variable frequency drives (VFDs), lighting and controls for heating and cooling equipment are rapidly improving.

As these technologies continue to advance at an enormous pace, so must our approach to keeping building systems optimized and efficient. Keeping abreast of building technology has become much like staying on top of a business’ IT infrastructure. We don’t wait 10 years to upgrade computers because the technology improves at exponential rates. The same concept applies to building systems today. The longer a business waits to upgrade, the more that business ends up paying down the road.

The good news is that capital costs for energy-efficiency upgrades are declining and incentives are available to help businesses make smart investments in energy efficiency. In New York City and Westchester County, for example, commercial and industrial customers with a Con Edison electric or natural gas account may be eligible for the following incentives from Con Edison’s Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Program:

• Payment of up to 50% of costs, with a cap of $67,000, for a Level 3 energy audit
• Rebates for high-efficiency electric and gas equipment including lighting fixtures and LED exit signs, packaged heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, motors, chillers, and water and steam boilers
• Performance-based custom incentives for installing high-efficiency equipment or energy-saving solutions not eligible for equipment rebates

The Con Edison Green Team has an energy efficiency program available for almost every customer. To learn more about the Commercial and Industrial program or to find out which program is right for you, call the Green Team at 1-877-860-6118 or visit www.conEd.com/greenteam.

David Pospisil is Program Manager of Con Edison’s Commercial & Industrial Energy Efficiency Program, New York, N.Y. You can join the discussion on LinkedIn (Con-Edison-Commercial-Industrial), Facebook (ConEd Green Team C&I), Twitter (ConEd Green Team C&I) and YouTube (ConEd Green Team C&I).