Occupancy based thermostat controls

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What you get

How you qualify

How you apply

Additional information

Take control of comfort

Increase control, decrease waste, and maximize comfort for your guests, all while optimizing energy usage when you install and program occupancy-based thermostat controls in your rooms.

In spaces with unscheduled occupancy like hotels, occupancy-based thermostat controls are an ideal energy saver. Typical hotel guest behavior includes setting room temperatures to that which is comfortable and leaving that setting unchanged upon exiting the room. Occupancy-based thermostat controls rely on extremely sensitive light- and heat-detecting sensors to heat and control a space, reacting specifically to when guests are present or have left the room. Not to be misunderstood as merely “programmable”, “connected”, or “smart” thermostats which are based on scheduling, these thermostats transmit real-time data, based on occupancy, to maintain a setpoint temperature when a room is occupied and then let it drift to an unoccupied setback temperature when your guests have walked out the door.

By upgrading to and programming new occupancy-based thermostat controls in your rooms you can save 15-30% off your HVAC energy! Your guests will be provided with a comfortable stay and you will be able to control the wasted heating and cooling that you’re paying for when your rooms are unoccupied.

What you get

Receive Pre-Approval for a PSE rebate of up to $500 per unit when planning to upgrade to new occupancy-based thermostat controls. This rebate requires pre-approval prior to installation, cannot exceed the purchase price of the qualified product, and does not include installation, labor, or taxes. If the thermostat cost (without installation, labor, or tax) is less than $500 per unit then the PSE rebate will be no more than the unit cost.

Example 1:

Occupancy-based Thermostat unit cost is $225 before installation, labor, or tax;

PSE Rebate = $225 (rebate is no more than you paid for the unit)

Example 2:

Occupancy-based Thermostat unit cost is $525 without installation, labor, or tax;

PSE Rebate = $500 (rebate is not-to-exceed $500)

PSE requires invoicing showing the line itemed costs of the project in order to determine Pre-Approved PSE rebate amount.

Occupancy-based Thermostat

Electric - Up to $500

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How you qualify

Customer requirements

You must be a current PSE commercial electric customer in the hospitality/lodging industry. Our pre-approval process will determine if your specific facility type qualifies. Some facilities are subject to additional requirements based on occupancy type.
This may also include:

Boarding/rooming houses, apartment hotels, dormitory, and shelter facilities.
Residential care building types, which for the purposes of this rebate may include: nursing homes, retirement homes, and assisted living facilities.

You must have existing HVAC systems that use electric heating.

Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTAC) and Packaged Terminal Heat Pumps (PTHP) both qualify as existing heating sources.
Gas-sourced heating does not qualify for this rebate.
Unsure of what you currently have? Send us an email with the manufacturer and model number and we’ll look into it with you.

New Construction projects are not eligible for this rebate unless there are 50 or fewer total guest rooms.
This rebate is specifically for thermostats controlled by physical guest room occupancy; for interest in other types of thermostats please visit PSE’s HVAC page to check if there are rebates available.

Equipment requirements

To qualify for this rebate there are three things that must be in place:

Occupancy-based thermostats cannot already be installed.
Your thermostat must be new and equipped with occupancy based temperature control features, either:

Stand-alone guest room thermostats, or
Networked guest room thermostat systems

The thermostats must be programmed to meet PSE’s qualifications:

The unoccupied room temperature setpoint must be at least 5⁰ higher in cooling mode and at least 5⁰ lower in heating mode than the occupied heating and cooling setpoints.

Sufficient minimum unoccupied set points are 80⁰ in cooling mode and 60⁰ in heating mode; occupied setpoints are requested on the rebate application and may be discussed prior to pre-approval.
Factory setpoints do not qualify and are often left unchanged when installed; ensure that setpoints are programmed in order to qualify.

Once installed, PSE requires proof of correct temperature setpoint prior to PSE rebate payment. This can be completed in one of two ways:

An onsite visit with a PSE Verification Specialist who will go into the programming of your thermostats and confirm setpoints are present as they were stated on the rebate application.

For facilities installing less than 75 rooms, 15 installed (and vacant) rooms will be randomly sampled and verified.
For facilities installing 75 or more rooms, 20% of installed (and vacant) rooms will be randomly sampled and verified.

Photos of programming within the thermostats showing occupied and unoccupied setpoints.

PSE will work with you directly, based on the contact information provided on the pre-approval form, in order to complete this verification once pre-approved installation and programming have been completed.

How you apply

Apply for Pre-Approval

If you meet the customer requirements listed above, then the first step towards Pre-Approval is to complete a Pre-Approval form:

* required field

Customer information

Hotel/Facility Name *

PSE Account # *

Project Contact Name *

Role at Facility *

Location information

Street Address *

City *

State *

Zip *

Email address *

Telephone *

Additional information

Total No. of Rooms at Facility *

No. of Rooms to Replace *

How do you currently heat your guest rooms?

If you entered "Other", please provide more details

Do you currently have thermostats installed in guest rooms? Yes No

If yes, list manufacturer make and model

The information above will allow us to verify your location and PSE account. If any of the above does not qualify, you will receive a notification with an explanation and/or instructions for next steps.

I understand that PSE provides rebate incentives for measures that are designed to save energy but I acknowledge that estimated energy savings are not guaranteed and I understand that PSE has made no express warranties or representations with regard to these products or their installation. I acknowledge that I am responsible for meeting applicable code requirements, determining the adequacy of installation, and paying all amounts owed to contractors/suppliers. Further, I understand that this is a tariffed service and is subject to change or termination without prior notice. PSE reserves the right to inspect any installation prior to rebate approval and/or after rebate payment and I agree to provide PSE reasonable access for such purposes. I authorize PSE to release my customer account information, including my billing and energy usage information, to an independent, third-party evaluator solely for the purposes of evaluating this rebate program, confirming energy savings and for other quality assurance purposes. The disclosure of your private information will comply with PSE’s privacy policy and state regulation.

Signature (Typed)

Additional Pre-Approval requirements you can expect

As a reminder, please do not purchase new thermostat equipment before receiving your Pre-Approval from PSE.

Once you have received your Pre-Approval and before purchasing and installing new thermostat units, we will need to confirm that the equipment you have chosen to purchase qualifies for the rebate. This is further down the road in your project but we want to let you know that we'll eventually be asking for the following:

We will ask you to provide a copy of your quote showing the manufacturer and model number and itemized unit costs of the thermostat equipment you want to install. Eventually we will also ask you for the purchase invoice for your equipment, but for this stage a quote is best so that we can qualify what you’d like to purchase. Any Pre-Approval rebate amount is subject to change in the event that equipment pricing on final invoice differs from previously submitted quote.
We will ask you to submit a completed W-9 Taxpayer Identification Form for your business.
We will ask for your estimated date of equipment installation.

Looking ahead

Please do not purchase your equipment without receiving pre-approval from PSE. You may not be there yet, but we’d like to give you an idea of what’s ahead in the project process so we can set your expectations:

Once the necessary requirements have been met, you will receive an Installation Approval Email with specific instructions to begin moving forward with equipment purchase, installation, and subsequent next steps.

Eventually, once all steps have been completed and equipment has been fully installed, we will instruct you to notify PSE by responding to your Installation Approval email thread.

Once installed, PSE requires proof of correct temperature setpoint prior to PSE rebate payment. This can be completed in one of two ways:

An onsite visit with a PSE Verification Specialist who will go into the programming of your thermostats and confirm setpoints are present as they were stated on the rebate application.
- For facilities installing less than 75 rooms, 15 installed (and vacant) rooms will be randomly sampled and verified.
- For facilities installing 75 or more rooms, 20% of installed (and vacant) rooms will be randomly sampled and verified.
Photos of programming within the thermostats showing occupied and unoccupied setpoints.

Once PSE verification** needs are satisfied, you should expect to receive your rebate* within 6 to 8 weeks.

* Any PSE’s pre-approved rebate amount is subject to change in the event that equipment pricing on final invoicing differs from previously submitted quote or invoice. PSE rebate will be based on final invoice equipment pricing.

** All PSE occupancy-based thermostat rebate projects require verification to confirm installation and equipment eligibility. PSE will contact you, based on the contact information provided on the pre-approval form, in order to schedule this verification prior to rebate payment.

Additional information

Small- to Mid-size Lodging Efficiency Program

If your facility has 150 rooms or less you may also qualify for a no-cost energy assessment with one of our small business energy experts. Read more about how this program can benefit your business here.

Packaged terminal heat pump (PTHP) rebates

PSE can help replace your aging and/or ailing PTACs with efficient PTHP, saving you time and money. Check out the Packaged Terminal Heat Pump page to learn more about this opportunity.

Commercial foodservice rebates

PSE has an extensive rebate program to help your business upgrade to energy efficient foodservice equipment. This could be anything from the ice machine found on each floor to the heavy equipment found in your hotel restaurant. Visit the Commercial Foodservice Equipment Rebate Program page to learn more.

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