The Local Government Energy Audit Program provides a streamlined process that eliminates the need for customers to develop an RFP and selection of an audit firm, as well as other previous requirements, thus allowing customers to move through the entire process much more quickly with significantly less administrative burden. The entire audit process including customer assistance, application processing and auditing will be performed by TRC on behalf of the NJ Clean Energy Program. Below are some frequently asked questions regarding the program design.  If you have further questions, please contact us at 866-NJSMART or by email at LGEA@NJCleanEnergy.com.

1.    Will my organization be required to engage in an RFP process to select a firm to audit my facility/building?

No, TRC will be performing all energy audits under the LGEA program. The firms that previously provided energy audits are no longer participating in the LGEA program.

2.    Will the Applicant be required to pass a resolution to participate in the program?

The Program no longer requires that applicants pass a resolution enabling submittal of the application (not applicable to 501(c)(3) nonprofits).

3.    The application requires a recent 14 months of utility bills for each account included in the application, but I only need 12 months of electric utility bills to determine average kW demand. Why?

Yes, the application requires submittal of a complete 14 months of recent, consecutive utility bills (see “Instructions” tab of the application workbook for more information) to be eligible for the program.

Only 12 months of electric utility data is required to determine a facility’s average kW demand as required by this program. When the energy audit is conducted, the auditor will review the complete 14 months of utility data submitted with the application but will include only the most relevant 12month period in the final audit report(s). Note that the 14 months of data will be entered into the account created for the Applicant at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Portfolio Manager website.
 
4.    Are the 14 months of utility bills required to be from the same time period for each account and building?

Yes, all utility bills (and other data provided, if applicable) must be from the same 14 month period.

5.    Do I need to include water bills?

Water bills are optional for most facility types. Facilities owned by the State of New Jersey are required to submit water bills.

6.    What if I lease or rent my building?

Applicants may apply for an energy audit for buildings that they own. A building may still be eligible if the Applicant leases the building and provides supporting documentation from the building owner before having an energy audit performed.

7.    How much will the energy audit cost?

The audit provided under the LGEA program is free.  For information purposes, we can tell you that there is no straightforward answer to how much an energy audit costs. Pricing is fundamentally dependent on the type of facilities, the quantity, square footage, whether energy consuming processes or equipment are present, etc. For planning purposes, prices may range anywhere from $.04/square foot to $.70/square foot, depending on facility type and use.

8.    Will the Applicant be billed or invoiced for the cost of the audit?

No, the cost of the audit is covered by the Program up to the cap of $150,000 per eligible entity, per program year. Large entities exceeding this amount may be eligible for a Board approved increase if pursuing ESIP. You will be notified after your application submission if this is the case.

9.    Is street lighting eligible for auditing?

Yes, street lighting is eligible, but an Applicant’s particular usage will determine if this is truly cost effective. Please contact us prior to including street lighting in your application. 

10.    Is there a requirement to implement measures once the audit is complete?

Although there is no requirement to install measures once the audit is completed, we encourage applicants to consider implementation once the final audit report has been delivered.
 
11.    Where can I direct questions that may not have been addressed here?

Please direct all questions, inquiries and new application submittals to LGEA@NJCleanEnergy.com.