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Energy Center Launches New Service for ComEd Customers in Northern Illinois

Madison, WI (June 5, 2009)—The Energy Center of Wisconsin has been selected by ComEd of Chicago to design and administer its Smart Ideas for Your Business new construction design service. The service aims to improve standard building practices to make commercial buildings more energy efficient.

ComEd's new construction design service offers technical assistance and financial incentives to developers of non-residential, non-municipal construction or major renovation projects. As part of the service, the Energy Center offers continuing education programs to train the workforce responsible for designing, building and maintaining high performance energy efficient buildings.

"New construction projects offer a prime opportunity to lock in energy savings," said Lee DeBaillie, Energy Center Principal Project Manager. "We are excited to work with ComEd customers to deliver energy efficient strategies early in the design process to maximize savings for building owners."

The Energy Center has offered a similar service for Focus on Energy and customers of Wisconsin-based utilities We Energies and WPPI Energy. In the last year, this service improved the energy efficiency in 3.6 million square feet of new construction and generated electricity savings of 6.7 million kWh and 231,000 therms of natural gas.

The Energy Center and ComEd will kick-off their education partnership with Lighting and Daylighting Design with Efficiency, June 17 at the ComEd Commercial Center-Auditorium in Oak Brook, Ill. World-renowned lighting expert Jim Benya will facilitate the full-day workshop and examine the latest technologies and strategies to achieve superior lighting design that is essential for energy efficient and high performance buildings.

To learn more about the program, please visit www.ecw.org/comedtraining.

Contact: Dave Vigliotta, Communications Manager, Energy Center of Wisconsin
608.238.4601 x143  |  dvigliotta@ecw.org  |  www.ecw.org

The Energy Center of Wisconsin is an independent nonprofit that explores ideas and solutions to energy challenges. Based in Madison, the Energy Center conducts objective research to better understand how consumers use energy and to identify barriers that may prevent more efficient use. Initiatives include design services and continuing education for architects, engineers and builders and field research to improve the performance of new and existing buildings.