Free Energy Efficiency Assessments for Commercial Customers

As a business, public sector or multi-family customer, you can receive a free energy assessment where our Energy Advisor will conduct an on-site energy assessment of your facility. Depending on the type of assessment, free energy-saving products may be installed in your business during the process. After the assessment, you’ll receive a customized report detailing energy-saving recommendations, product and improvement costs and available rebates or incentives for any energy efficiency improvements.

All current commercial customers, including public sector facilities and multi-family properties, on any rate class except rate 1 are eligible to receive an assessment from the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program. Self-directed customers are not eligible to participate. 

A property which is controlled or owned by the government and is funded through taxation. Examples include:

• K-12 public schools
• Colleges and universities
• Hospitals and health clinics
• Local, state, or federal government buildings
• Airports
• Libraries

Commercial assessments can be scheduled by calling 877.886.4239.

Download and submit our participation request form to apply for an opportunity assessment, facility assessment, public sector assessment, RCx study or CHP study. If you have questions about the application form, please call 312.344.1569 or email eeinfo@nicorgas.com

Yes. You or an authorized building representative will need to be there during the energy assessment. The Energy Advisor generally needs an escort to show him or her around the building, provide access to equipment and answer any questions that may come up during the walk-through. This helps them provide a comprehensive energy-saving assessment.

There is no cost to complete our commercial, opportunity or facility assessments.

An individual that is familiar with the facility will be required to meet with a Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program engineer on-site to help answer questions and serve as a guide for the facility. After the assessment is complete, key individuals may be requested to attend the report presentation. Attendees should include the plant manager, facility director, financial officer and chief executive officer or their equivalent positions.

Your free customized report will provide estimates of the energy savings you may see from the free products installed. Your savings will vary based on your facility type.

You'll receive a customized report summarizing your free energy-saving installation options, if applicable, as well as capital energy efficiency improvement recommendations and any available rebates for these projects.

When referred to another offering you will be contacted by a Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program representative who will explain the current incentives and explore opportunities for you to benefit from the offerings.

Please call us at 312.344.1569 if you have any questions about assessments.

All assessments will receive a customized report with recommendations for energy-saving opportunities.

After the on-site portion of an opportunity or facility assessment has been completed, we'll complete a report within four weeks and our Energy Efficiency Program representatives will contact you to schedule a time to present the information in the report. The report will break down your energy use for significant end use categories and will identify capital improvements and provide an initial estimate of potential costs and savings. Facility assessments also receive detailed energy calculations supporting each conservation opportunity.

The assessment and report will provide your organization with detailed recommendations to improve your facility’s energy efficiency and reduce natural gas usage. The Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program will work with your staff to identify incentives and rebates available to help complete the recommended facility improvements.

While completing the recommended improvements is not required for participation, our assessments aim to provide you with the tools and resources to complete cost-effective energy efficiency improvements that help your bottom line.

One of our skilled Energy Advisors or Certified Engineers will conduct a free assessment of your building to understand your facility’s needs and identify energy efficiency opportunities. You’ll receive a customized report summarizing your free energy-saving installations, capital energy efficiency improvement recommendations, available rebates and cost-benefit estimates for recommended improvements.

Free products may be installed where applicable, including:

• Faucet aerators for kitchen(s) and bath(s)
• Antimicrobial laminar flow restrictors
• Low-flow showerheads
• Salon sprayers
• Pipe insulation
• Pre-rinse spray valves for commercial kitchens

Facilities using less than 150,000 therms per year are eligible for our commercial assessments. 

Depending on the size of the building, the assessment can take anywhere from two to four hours. During this time, the assessor will complete an on-site audit of your facility to determine what energy-saving opportunities may exist.

An opportunity assessment is a free ASHRAE Level 1-type assessment that provides you with a detailed report of your facility’s natural gas energy usage, reduction recommendations and available incentives focusing on space and process heating equipment improvements and heat recovery opportunities.

You're eligible if you're a Nicor Gas commercial customer and your facility consumes a minimum of 150,000 therms per year. You must submit a completed participation request form to be considered for participation, though submitting a participation request form does not guarantee acceptance.

A Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program engineer will be on site for one to three hours to collect data. Complete access to your facility will be required during the assessment. After the initial data has been collected, the opportunity assessment report will be delivered in approximately four weeks. A report presentation will be scheduled at the facility and key individuals from your organization are requested to attend.

A facility assessment is a thorough ASHRAE Level 2-type all-day facility assessment. It may include detailed energy calculations supporting each energy efficiency opportunity identified as well as capital improvement suggestions and may also note low cost/no cost adjustments providing expected costs and savings.

You're eligible if you're a Nicor Gas commercial customer and your facility consumes a minimum of 500,000 therms per year. Self-directed/direct access customers are not eligible for the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program. You must submit a completed participation request form to be considered for participation, though submitting a participation request form does not guarantee a facility assessment.

Funding for facility assessments is limited and not all customers who apply will be eligible.

Facility assessments are available on a first-come, first-serve basis to customers consuming more than 500,000 therms per year. Consuming 500,000 therms or more does not automatically qualify you for participation. If you are not selected to receive a facility assessment, every effort will be made to provide you with support services through the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program.

Funding for facility assessments is limited and not all customers who apply will be eligible. Facility assessments are available on a first-come, first-serve basis to customers consuming more than 500,000 therms per year. Consuming 500,000 therms or more does not automatically qualify you for participation. If you are not selected to receive a facility assessment, every effort will be made to provide you with support services through the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program.

Multi-family energy assessments are available for owners and property managers of multi-family rental properties with three units or more only. An Energy Advisor will perform a walkthrough to identify energy-saving opportunities and may install free products in units and common areas.

Qualifying buildings include multi-family apartments, condominiums, assisted living facilities and retirement communities that contain three or more living units and have a bathroom within the units. Traditional multi-family apartment and condominium buildings qualify. Please call 855.993.0940 to schedule.

Buildings with fewer than three units do not qualify for this multi-family assessment, but instead can participate in the residential assessment offering. The residential assessment also provides detailed recommendations and free energy efficiency equipment installation.

Depending on the size of the building, the assessment can take anywhere from two to four hours. During this time, the Energy Advisor will complete an on-site audit of your property and facilities including the tenant units, common areas, central plant and building shell.

The free energy-saving equipment and products must be installed by the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program team. However, certain improvements such as steam traps and water heaters can be installed by in-house staff, while others such as boiler tune-ups must be completed by a qualified contractor. Please call 877.886.4239 to verify installation requirements.