Heating Solutions
Businesses can save money, increase equipment reliability, and create more comfortable and productive workplaces by making energy-efficient choices when installing, renovating, or replacing heating equipment. Incentives are currently available for:
- Central heating systems (including high-efficiency boilers and furnaces);
- Supplemental or space heating systems (including heat pumps); and
- Controls (including programmable thermostats).
Systems can be fueled by natural gas, oil, and propane and can include ductless heat pumps and variable refrigerant flow systems.
Scroll down to learn more about eligible high-efficiency systems and controls:
Central Heating Systems
Commercial Boilers and Furnaces
Many businesses are heated with either a boiler or furnace. Energy-efficient models are available for all heating fuels. If you’re thinking about replacing your system, consider a new high-efficiency boiler or furnace. Click here for a full list of incentivized boilers and furnaces.
Some high-efficiency models are already discounted at participating Maine distributors for installation at Maine businesses — with no contractor paperwork required.
Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems
Variable refrigerant flow systems can simultaneously heat and cool different parts of the building. These systems can be very efficient because they can take waste heat captured in one part of the building (e.g., a server room, or the face of the building exposed to the sun) and deliver it to spaces requiring heat. Because they rely on a different distribution network than is present in most existing buildings, variable refrigerant flow systems are most often installed in new buildings or as part of large renovation projects. Click here for more details on incentives for variable refrigerant flow systems. You can read more about variable refrigerant flow systems as a cooling solution here.
Supplemental or Space Heating Systems
Businesses may be able to offset the load of their primary heating system or meet additional heating needs with a high-efficiency supplemental heating system.
High-Performance Heat Pumps
Mini-split heat pump units are highly efficient systems that can save energy and reduce heating and cooling costs. Units must meet the minimum HSPF (Heating Season Performance Factor) requirements in order to qualify for incentives from Efficiency Maine. Learn more about available incentives here. Click here to go to our high-performance heat pump web center to learn more about the technology, read case studies and more.
Circulator Pumps
Forced hot water (“hydronic”) heating systems use circulator pumps to move heated water from boilers to radiators and back. These pumps run whenever a thermostat calls for heat.
ECM Circular Pumps
Traditional circulator pumps run at one fixed speed and use some electricity to magnetize their rotor. Electronically commutated motor (ECM) circulator pumps can modulate their speed and use permanent magnet motors that don’t require any electricity to have magnetic properties. ECM circulator pumps provide a number of advantages. Learn more about available incentives here. Click here to learn more about circulator pumps.
Heating Controls
Businesses can improve heating system efficiency by adding controls to existing systems. Efficiency Maine incentivizes burner controls, boiler economizers, boiler resets, oxygen-trim controls, programmable thermostats, and more. Click here to learn more about incentives for heating controls.
Get Started
Work with an Efficiency Maine Qualified Partner to install high-efficiency heating solutions. Click here to find a Qualified Partner working near you. As part of the project approval process, you will accept the C&I Prescriptive Program’s Terms and Conditions.
If you work with a contractor that is not yet a Qualified Partner, urge your contractor to find out more information here.
Click here for some heating system buying tips.