FAQ's

What is a project?
A project is the set of proposed or installed energy efficiency measures or other improvements necessary to produce energy savings under the program contained in one program application. One project may contain energy efficiency measures at more than one customer site, as long as the customers and sites represented in each project are similar. For example, installation of energy efficiency measures at a chain of grocery stores would include more than one customer, but could constitute only one project. If customers or sites are dissimilar, however, a separate application is necessary for each customer or site.

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Who may participate in the Com Standard Offer Program ?
The following types of organizations are eligible to participate as Project Sponsors in the Com Program:

1. National energy service companies, including unregulated utility subsidiarie
2. Local contractors or ESCOs
3. National or local companies that manufacture or distribute energy-related products (e.g., lighting, HVAC) or services (e.g., construction, financing
4. Any individual or company that meets the application requirements

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Does the customer site for a project have to purchase their energy from Entergy?
No. Any customer that receives distribution and transmission service from Entergy's distribution utility in Texas can be a host customer. Selecting Entergy as your Retail Electric Provider is not a requirement.

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What is the maximum amount of incentive funding one Project Sponsor can reserve?
No project sponsor may reserve more than 20 percent of the total Com Program funding.

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How does Entergy decide which projects to fund?
Entergy reviews Initial Applications for customer and measure eligibility. Funds are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis until they are fully allocated.

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How is each project's incentive calculated?
Take as an example a project that reduces summertime demand by 50 kw and reduces energy use by 100,000 kwh over the course of one year. The demand incentive for this project would be 50 kw x $174 = $8,700 and the energy incentive would be 100,000 kwh x $0.059=$5,900. The total incentive for this hypothetical project would be $8,700 + $5,900=$14,600.

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When are incentive payments made?
A Project Sponsor's incentive payment is made in two parts. The first is within 45 days of Entergy's receipt of the Installation Report (IR) and a successful post-installation inspection. At this time, 40% of the expected incentive payment estimated on the IR is paid. The second incentive payment is made after measurement and verification (M&V) activities are complete, including submission of a Savings Report (SR). The M&V process may take as little as 90 days or as long as 12 months, depending on the energy efficiency measures involved in the individual projects. The second payment is for the balance of program incentives owed to the Project Sponsor, based on the level of energy savings actually achieved by the project (up to 60 percent of the contracted amount).

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What is the minimum amount of demand a project must save ?
Each project must be expected to save at least 20 kW on-peak between June and September, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays.

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When can projects be combined or aggregated into a single application?
Different project sites may be combined into one Initial Application (IA) if the sites have identical proposed energy efficiency measures, similar functions, and similar operating conditions. For example, several sites of a chain of hardware stores could qualify as one project. Dissimilar sites (i.e., those that receive different energy efficiency measures or have different operating characteristics) may not be combined into a single project. An example of two dissimilar sites would be an office building and a school, even if both sites included the installation of the same measure, such as a chiller.

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What types of energy efficiency measures are eligible for incentives?
The Com Program is designed to allow a wide range of energy efficiency measures and technologies in retrofit applications to receive funding. Certain types of measures, however, are excluded from receiving funding under this program.

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How are actual energy savings determined?
Actual energy savings are determined through measurement and verification (M&V). For the Com Program, three levels of M&V rigor are used to estimate the amount of energy savings achieved by the programs:

1. Deemed savings uses stipulated savings data for a particular energy efficiency measure taken from past DSM programs or other industry data; no short-term testing or long-term metering is required;

2. Simple M&V involves short-term testing or simple long-term metering, but relies chiefly on manufacturer's efficiency data and pre-set savings calculation formulas to determine savings; and

3. Full M&V refers to any M&V activities that represent a higher level of detail than the simple M&V or deemed savings approaches, including stipulated savings based on short-term information, metered savings of equipment or systems, whole building billing analysis, and calibrated computer simulation.

The level of M&V rigor required for a particular project depends on the type of equipment being installed and its operating characteristics. For example, all energy savings for lighting occupancy sensors are determined using deemed savings. More complex project measures require more M&V.

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Who is responsible for measurement and verification (M&V) activities ?
The Project Sponsor must perform any M&V required for a project; this may involve metering equipment energy consumption, monitoring operating hours, and other activities. Project Sponsors may need to develop an original M&V plan for unique or complex projects. The proposed M&V plan must be included as part of the Final Application (FA). Entergy will hire a third-party M&V contractor to facilitate and assist Project Sponsors in the design and execution of M&V plans.

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How is the baseline energy consumption determined?
Pre-installation monitoring may be needed to measure energy savings for some types of energy efficiency measures. In addition, the actual baseline energy consumption will need to be adjusted to reflect the applicable federal or industry efficiency standards (such as ASHRAE 90.1, NEMA, ENERGY STAR®, etc.) to determine the correct incentive amount. For some types of energy efficiency measures, such as a constant speed chiller replacement, the baseline energy consumption is actually determined by a minimum efficiency standard in conjunction with some post-installation data, so that no pre-installation monitoring is necessary.

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When can a proposed project be installed?
A project cannot be installed until the baseline equipment can be verified by Entergy; any necessary pre-installation monitoring is completed, and a Standard Offer Program Contract between Entergy and the Project Sponsor has been executed.

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How can I participate in the Com Program?
Eligible entities can start the participation process by submitting an Initial Application to Entergy to reserve funding based on the expected energy savings for a proposed project during a 12-month period in the program. If you are interested in learning more about the participation process, please visit the Participation requirements section or the Program process diagram page of the Com Program section of this site. You may also view and download enrollment materials. If you have any questions, please contact us.

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Can a Project Sponsor participate in multiple programs ?
Yes, but the Project Sponsor will be subject to the funding limitations set by the individual programs.

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What is the definition of an "affiliate"?
The PUCT has provided the following interpretation of the term "affiliate ."

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What can I do to complain about Entergy's administration of the Com SOP ?
You should first contact the Program Manager to discuss your concerns. You may file a formal complaint by contacting the PUCT's Office of Consumer Protection