PACE Newsletter | May 2023

May 2023

Welcome to Partners for a Clean Environment's (PACE) newsletter. PACE is your one-stop shop for business sustainability in Boulder County. This newsletter is emailed once a month and shares ways your business can save money and energy through sustainability and climate action initiatives.

Heat Pump Rebates

Woman enjoying heat pump cooling at home

If you haven't heard of heat pumps, you may start hearing about them more and more. They are a key solution to reaching climate goals, switching from natural gas to electricity, and saving you money on utility bills.

PACE offers up to $1,000/per unit for qualifying heat pumps and $500 per unit for ENERGY STAR-certified heat pump water heaters.

Not sure where to start? Consider an energy engineering study and receive a rebate from PACE. Thanks to the City of Boulder’s Climate Tax, the first 10 buildings to utilize this incentive in Boulder in 2023 may be eligible for an additional $1,000 incentive for up to 100% of study costs.

What are heat pumps and heat pump water heaters?

Heat pump systems are an all-electric option for heating and cooling needs that offers many benefits, including options for zoning and heat exchange between spaces to improve comfort and efficiency. Paired with renewable energy, heat pump systems can achieve carbon-neutral status, while providing space conditioning for many types of commercial facilities, such as office buildings, hotels, schools, houses of worship, and historical buildings.

Heat pumps work like air conditioners in reverse, rather than burning gas fuel to create heat, they simply transport heat from outdoors to indoors or outside a hot water tank to inside. Heat pumps are three times more energy efficient than a conventional electric resistance heater and are a great alternative to fossil fuel-burning natural gas heating, particularly as the electric grid gets cleaner.

For more information visit the rebate page on our website. All rebates are subject to existing terms and conditions. Questions? Contact a PACE advisor today at info@PACEpartners.com.

Landscape Electrification Event

Join us on May 13 for a free electric professional landscaping training certification and demo event, conducted by AGZA (American Green Zone Alliance). Try new professional landscaping equipment and learn about the new PACE grant that could help your business make the move from gas to electric.

Free lunch and refreshments are provided, and attendees have the opportunity to participate in a raffle for a piece of equipment. Register for the event by sending an email to info@pacepartners.com or leaving a voicemail at 303-786-7223.

When and Where:

Saturday, May 13 | 8:30am-3:30pm
Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County, 1925 Pike Rd Suite 202, Longmont, CO 80501
Schedule:
Training Group #1 (English): 8:30 am – 11:30 am
Lunch for both groups: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Training Group #2 (Spanish & English): 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm

*Register to participate in one of the two groups.

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Acompáñenos el 13 de mayo a un entrenamiento gratuito de certificación y demostración de equipo profesional eléctrico de jardinería y paisajismo, realizado por AGZA (American Green Zone Alliance). Pruebe nuevos equipos profesionales de jardinería y obtenga información sobre el nuevo subsidio de PACE que podría ayudar a su empresa a hacer el cambio de gas a electricidad.

Ofreceremos almuerzo y refrescos gratuitos. Los asistentes podrán participar en la rifa de uno de los equipos eléctricos de jardinería. Regístrese para el evento enviando un correo electrónico a info@pacepartners.com o dejando un mensaje de voz al 303-786-7223.

Cuando y donde:

Sábado, Mayo 13 | 8:30am-3:30pm
En la Cámara de Comercio Latina, 1925 Pike Rd Suite 202, Longmont, CO 80501
El Horario
Entrenamiento grupo #1 (Inglés): 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Almuerzo para ambos grupos: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Entrenamiento grupo #2 (Español e Inglés): 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm

*Solo necesita inscribirse en uno de los dos grupos.

2023 PACE Refrigeration & Restaurant Equipment Grant

Now Available

PACE is excited to continue an initiative to help small businesses throughout Boulder County save energy and money by replacing outdated refrigeration and restaurant equipment.

The Refrigeration and Restaurant Equipment Grant covers up to 70% of the costs of replacing old/inefficient equipment with new/energy-efficient models.

To be eligible for this program, businesses must meet the following criteria:

Business is located within Boulder County. Minority-owned businesses are highly encouraged to apply
Must be under 2,500 sq. ft.
Existing equipment must be manufactured in 2005 or earlier.
Commercial equipment included in the grant: refrigerators, freezers, merchandisers, dishwashers, ice machines

More information, a full list of eligibility requirements, and applications can be found at: www.pacepartners.com/small-business

Compost Guidelines

Has your business made the necessary changes to ensure only food waste and yard trimmings end up in your compost bin? Contact your PACE advisor at info@PACEpartners.com or 303-786-7223 if you need assistance with composting!

As a reminder:

Our region’s only large-scale commercial compost manufacturer, A1 Organics, has simplified the materials they accept from all communities along the Front Range. These changes are in response to contamination challenges across the region. If we all do our part, A1 can continue to create clean, healthy compost that can be used to revive soils and grow nutritious local food.

Keep these out of your compost bin – they belong in the trash:

Compostable bags, including bags used to line bins. Only 3-gallon bags are accepted.
All compostable packaging and products, including certified compostable food ware.
Paper products, like towels and napkins.
Coffee filters and tea bags. Please dump coffee grounds into the compost bin and trash the filter.
Pizza boxes. Please discard the greasy half of the box and recycle the clean half.

A few more reminders:

If it was on a customer’s plate or on your cutting board, it goes in the compost bin.
Remove all stickers, rubber bands, and twist ties from produce.
Place items loose in your compost bin instead of bagging them.

Sort mindfully to prevent contamination. Contact your waste hauler to learn more about sorting and potential contamination fees. Compost truckloads containing anything other than food scraps, plants, and yard trimmings will be refused by A1 and sent to the landfill. Please contact your waste hauler for more information.

Resources:

Consider switching to reusables! Companies like DeliverZero and r.Cup, which provides reusable services, makes choosing reusable containers easy while saving money on single-use packaging. Many businesses are getting creative with incorporating reusable systems for both staff and customers. Check out the incentives below to get started and stay tuned for more opportunities.

New incentives to help your business switch to reusables:

Up to $1,000 incentive toward reusable solutions (City of Lafayette only)
Up to $2,000 incentive toward reusable solutions (City of Boulder only)
Up to $1,000 incentive towards reusable cups for venues (City of Boulder only)

For more details on new and existing incentives and resources, check out PACE's waste reduction incentive webpage.

Join PACE for a tour of the Boulder County Recycling Center on Tuesday, May 30 at 10:00am. RSVP here.

Last Call for Free Bike Racks

While supplies last, Boulder County is offering up to four FREE bike racks for qualifying businesses. To get started, fill out this bike rack request form. Visit the PACE website for more information on availability and eligibility requirements.

Reserve your free bike racks by the end of May!

Contact your PACE advisor at info@PACEpartners.com or 303-786-7223 to learn more.

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Hasta agotar existencias, el condado de Boulder ofrece hasta cuatro portabicicletas GRATUITOS para empresas que califiquen. Para comenzar el proceso, por favor complete este formulario de solicitud de portabicicletas. Visite la página web de PACE para obtener más información sobre la disponibilidad y los requisitos de elegibilidad .

¡Reserva tus portabicicletas gratis para finales de Mayo!

Comunícate con su asesor de PACE en info@PACEpartners.com o llama al 303-786-7223 para obtener más información.

Transportation Tax Credit

Did you know that Colorado offers an income tax credit to certain employers, including nonprofit organizations, that provide alternative transportation options to their employees working in Colorado for going to and returning from their places of employment?

An employer that employs three or more employees in Colorado may claim the credit for amounts spent providing alternative transportation options to all of its employees who work in Colorado.

Colorado is offering a 50% tax credit to businesses for programs ranging from transit passes, to subsidized vanpool, bicycles, and micro-mobility. This is a great opportunity for your business to offer the EcoPass, a pre-tax commute benefit for staff while you deduct 50% of the cost from your taxes.

Check out the enclosed tax form for the latest information and see how you can help your team commute sustainably.

Sprinklers

No matter the size of your landscaping, your business can enhance the efficiency of its sprinkler system by taking advantage of a complimentary sprinkler consultation. Skilled technicians from Resource Central will conduct several assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of your sprinklers and detect any issues that your system may have. Additionally, you will be provided with a personalized watering schedule, designed to lower water consumption and ensure that your lawn remains vibrant and healthy throughout the summer season.

Learn more about Resource Central's Business and HOA Sprinkler Evaluations here.