Build or Renovate
The Burlington Electric Department’s Energy Services team is here to help you understand the potential energy savings of energy efficiency and electrification strategies in your new construction or renovation project.
Adding New Service (Residential or Commercial)
If you want to add electrical service at a location where there is currently is none or you want to upgrade an existing service, please contact 802-865-7323 or fill out the Contractor Application form.
Building Your New Home
Vermont ENERGY STAR® Homes encourages builders and consumers to build to the Vermont Energy Star Home standard and take advantage of the highest-efficiency equipment available. This program includes single-family homes and multi-family buildings.
Cash incentives are available for meeting minimum program standards along with bonus incentives for additional insulation and air sealing, heat pumps and other ENERGY STAR® HVAC equipment and appliances, and smart LED lighting and controls.
LED Lighting & ControlsLED lighting uses 25% of the energy of their incandescent predecessors and last 25 times longer. |
WeatherizationIf your home feels cold in the winter, check out this list for potential causes and suggested maintenance solutions. |
Heat PumpsHeat pump technology has advanced so that many models can provide space heating without fossil fuel backup at very low outdoor temperatures. |
Meeting the ENERGY STAR® Homes standard can result in a 20% reduction in heating, cooling and hot water consumption relative to the Vermont Residential Building Energy Standard (RBES).
The Vermont ENERGY STAR® Homes program is a joint effort of BED, Vermont Gas and Efficiency Vermont; BED contracts with Efficiency Vermont to administer the Vermont Energy Star Home program. Call the BED Energy Services team at 865-7362 with your project-specific questions. Get more program details and enroll your project:
Renovating Your Home
If you are planning a renovation that will impact the building systems in your home and potentially affect energy consumption, the Energy Services team can help you understand the choices you can consider as you make changes to your home’s structural, mechanical, and electrical elements like your basement, wall, or attic insulation or your heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting equipment.
We can provide technical assistance and financial rebates to assist you with reducing the amount of money you pay to incorporate higher performance materials and equipment in your home’s renovation; Contact Energy Services with your renovation questions today!
Siding Your Home
If you are planning to have your home sided, please have your contractor contact BED at 802-658-0300 to have your electric meter and related equipment removed before any work is done on your house. Because your electric meter is BED property, only BED personnel are authorized to remove it. A BED employee will remove and replace the equipment for a small service charge.
Multifamily & Commercial Buildings
Burlington Electric Department helps builders and developers incorporate the most energy efficient products and systems possible when building or renovating multifamily, commercial, and industrial buildings. We help our customers exceed the City of Burlington’s required Guidelines for Energy Efficient Construction, which adopt the statewide Commercial Building Energy Standards (CBES).
We work with our customers to provide you with in-depth recommendations that can guide building owners, developers, and consulting professionals toward the most energy efficient, environmentally sustainable, and cost-effective design choices and equipment selections. By working with you and your designers early in the process, we can assist you in the choice of energy efficient systems, products, materials and construction techniques that meet your business and energy needs. We can provide technical assistance to assist you with understanding how to comply with and exceed CBES and financial rebates to reduce the amount of money you pay to incorporate higher performance materials and equipment; Contact Energy Services with your renovation questions today!
Ensure that you also contact the City of Burlington’s Department of Public Works Inspection Division at 863-9094 early in your planning process to discuss the project scope.
Energy Modeling
Project teams for both new construction and major renovations benefit from understanding the energy savings potential of designs under consideration.
We work with our customers to provide you with in-depth recommendations that can guide building owners, developers, and consulting professionals toward the most energy efficient, environmentally sustainable, and cost-effective design choices and equipment selections.
Design
Contact BED as early as possible to discuss energy modeling approach and baseline system type. Invite BED to participate in design reviews to provide recommendations for energy conservation and maximum financial incentives.
Construction
Invite BED to work collaboratively with energy modeler to adjust modeling parameters as needed and to revise model to reflect actual construction. BED will update rebate estimates based on updated energy model results.
Post-Occupancy
Allow BED to help resolve functional performance deficiencies. BED monitors energy consumption and demand to determine if usage aligns with initial energy model estimates, and helps project teams determine whether model calibration is required.
To learn how to participate in our energy modeling program, gain access to the current version of the Energy Modeling Guidelines and the workflow required to receive cost-sharing benefits and other financial incentives, please contact our Energy Services Team. The Energy Modeling Guidelines document will inform you and your project team of the milestones and documentation necessary to receive comprehensive energy efficiency and strategic electrification incentives.
We can provide technical assistance and financial rebates to assist you with energy modeling scopes of work for you commercial building renovation or new construction project; call us at 865-7341 or Contact Energy Services today.