A Great Opportunity for Wilmette Small Businesses and the Community

Go Green Wilmette is helping Beth Baxter, a graduate student at Illinois Institute of Technology, in her work with the , and the Wilmette Chamber of Commerce as she helps businesses reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and, thus, improve the quality of our air.

Baxter is doing an independent study for credit towards her masters in Environmental Management and has undertaken the task, as part of her project, to help Wilmette small businesses use less electricity and gas.

“When a business has an efficient space, it needs less electricity and gas to run its operation and when it needs less energy, it uses less. As a result, that business saves money and also helps the environment by creating less air pollution,” she said. 

By working with one small business at a time, she is helping them take advantage of a special program, which will reduce energy use through energy assessments and retrofits.

Baxter is contacting small businesses in Wilmette about their chance to obtain an energy assessment that will result in a list of recommendations for energy efficient capital improvements. The audit plus half the cost of the qualifying capital improvements will be underwritten by a joint venture between Commonwealth Edison and Nicor Gas.

The Wilmette/Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce July Newsletter says:  “The Small Business Energy Savings (SBES) program provides guidance and assistance to small business owners looking to reduce energy costs by making their businesses more energy efficient."

Saving Energy is Easy

First, call 888-806-2273 or visit ComEd.com/SmallBiz to schedule an in-person visit from an Energy Advisor who will conduct a free onsite energy assessment and install free energy-saving products within your facility.

Next, businesses will receive a high-level report recommending energy 
saving improvements such as efficient facility lighting, exit signs, furnace or 
boiler tune-ups, and programmable thermostats that can further improve the 
energy efficiency of their business.

Finally, a Trade Ally, partnering with SBES, will install the energy-saving improvements that the businesses choose and assist in completing an SBES application for incentives for energy-efficiency improvements up to 70 percent of the cost. SBES is available to small businesses that use less than 60,000 
therms/year and have an electricity demand of 100 kilowatts or less.

To request a free onsite assessment, call 888-806-2273.  For program information, qualifications, or to apply online, visit: www.ComEd.com/SmallBiz

Wilmette has 800 small businesses that can potentially benefit from this 
program, which will help reduce their greenhouses gases emissions. Baxter 
will help businesses save money and, because of the improvements made, the Wilmette community will have cleaner air. This program is a fantastic win-win for both small businesses and Wilmette residents.

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