Rebates

Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
To help make our members’ homes more energy efficient, Snapping Shoals EMC is offering rebates for members who replace their current central air conditioners and heat pumps. In order to qualify, the new system must be rated 16 SEER or higher. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, which defines the efficiency of air conditioners and heat pumps.

Rebate amounts vary depending on the type of unit that is being replaced and whether or not it is operational. SSEMC must verify the operation ability of equipment before it is changed, so you are required to call us at 770-786-3484 before making any changes to your equipment. After the system is replaced, you or your contractor must supply us with the manufacturer’s specifications to verify that the system meets rebate criteria.

Please keep in mind that this rebate program may end or change at any time. For more details and to find out if you qualify, call 770-786-3484.

Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
SSEMC is currently offering a rebate to residential members who install qualifying photovoltaic systems. The rebate is designed to help offset a portion of the initial installation cost of the system. Members who qualify for the program are eligible to receive a one-time rebate of $450 per kW up to a maximum of 10 kW ($4,500). The rebate will be based upon the lesser of either the system's rated peak output or the system's demonstrated peak output over a 12-month period. Members may also receive federal and state tax rebates as well. For more information, please call 770-786-3484.


Make your home more energy efficient with an Energy Audit

Snapping Shoals EMC is proud to offer members more ways to reduce their energy bills with free home energy audits.

Our home energy audits usually last 2 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the home, and include a walk-through inspection of the home’s insulation, air infiltration areas (windows and doors) and attic ventilation by SSEMC employees. Although a routine audit does not typically include a detailed analysis of the home’s heating and cooling system, our team of energy audit experts will conduct a detailed heat loss/heat gain report for those who are considering upgrading their system.

A letter including our recommendations for making your home more energy efficient will be mailed to you following your audit. Recommendations include no-cost and low-cost improvements, such as switching to CFLs and adjusting your thermostat, to improvements requiring a larger investment, which have a much bigger payback.

For homeowners wishing to make improvements that require a larger investment, we encourage them to take advantage of the federal tax credit program. For more information on tax credits, please visit www.energystar.gov.

To start saving money by making your home more energy efficient, please call 770-786-3484 to request a home energy audit. Audits will be scheduled Mondays through Fridays on a first-come, first-serve basis.


Volunteer for Energy Use Monitoring

Snapping Shoals EMC, along with two other EMCs in Georgia, was recently awarded a federal grant to install smart grid technology in our service area. Installation of smart grid components is part of a national initiative to test and develop technologies to make the grid more efficient and reliable.

SSEMC will use its portion of the $2.4 million grant for a self-healing distribution system to help reduce outage areas and for exploring the impact of various load management procedures on members’ load profiles. The load management study will be in several subsets, such as load control switches, in-home notification, and a real-time account information system. Load management switches under SSEMC’s control would allow water heaters or air conditioners to be cycled off for brief intervals during times of peak demand, reducing the total amount of energy that needs to be produced, which saves energy and reduces your costs.

In-home notification would allow the co-op to send notices or requests to members to reduce their energy consumption based on peak conditions or pricing. The real-time account information system would allow the member to monitor hourly usage via Internet access. The co-op would also have the ability to email or text notifications to members to monitor their electricity use and cost in real time.

In order to explore load management technology to its fullest, we are in need of 1,500 members who will volunteer to have their energy usage monitored for an indefinite period of time. The volunteers will be divided into three groups of 500. Each group will be utilized to study one particular type of load management technology. If you are interested in participating in this study, please call 770-385-2886 for more information.


Save big on Energy Costs with SSEMC offer
Heat pump water heater can drastically cut electricity usage for heating water

With approximately a four-year payback, heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) are well worth the investment. Snapping Shoals EMC can save you even more because we are now offering HPWHs for a wholesale price of $1,125. SSEMC will provide you with a list of qualified contractors who can install the HPWH for you.

Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) work like any other refrigeration/air conditioning machine. Simply put, they absorb heat from one space and give off the heat into another space. In this case, they absorb heat from surrounding air and transfer it into a water heater tank. Heat pump water heaters are manufactured as stand-alone units — replacing a tank heater — or as add-on devices to existing water heaters or boilers. A significant advantage of HPWHs is that by moving heat rather than creating it, they consume less energy than a conventional water heater.

Heat pump water heaters use about half as much energy as electric water heaters. The average family of four uses approximately 400 kWh a month for heating water, which costs an estimated $40 per month. With a heat pump water heater that same family uses only about 200 kWh a month for heating water, resulting in a $20 savings each month.

Like any refrigerant-based technology, HPWHs have the highest efficiency when the temperature “lift” (the difference between the source temperature and supply temperature) is small. If a user installs one of these in a hot kitchen or laundry room, the heat they remove can be as much a benefit as the hot water that they can generate.

According to the Department of Energy, HPWHs require installation in locations that remain in the 40 to 90 degree range year-round. In addition, any environment should provide at least 1,000 cubic feet of air space around the water heater.

For more information on purchasing a heat pump water heater from Snapping Shoals EMC, please call 770-786-3484.