Aurora business owners looking to upgrade sustainability efforts can get paid.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is offering funding through an equity grant program to city businesses.
The Colorado Green Business Network launched the Small Business Equity Fund in 2022 with the goal of providing funding to small businesses in Aurora and Commerce City to help them make upgrades for energy efficiency.
The fund offers upgrades, including free installation of LED lighting and coverage of up to 70% of refrigeration equipment replacement, of up to $10,000 per business.
So far, grant money has gone to 14 small businesses, helping finance 16 refrigeration replacements, 27 upgraded occupancy sensors, 23 outdoor LED lights, 595 indoor lights and two programmable thermostats, according to CDPHE.
The replacements have contributed to almost $10,000 in estimated operation cost savings and almost 100,000 kWhย โ or kilowatt hour โin energy savings.
Rayna Oliker, the Colorado Green Business network administrator, said sustainability can be helpful in limiting the cost of energy, water and other resources that businesses pay as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
When it comes to refrigeration equipment in particular, many small businesses buy equipment used or secondhand to save on big expenses, Oliker said. Older equipment, while saving businesses money in the short term, ends up costing more in energy bills.
“A lot of small businesses don’t necessarily have the upfront funding available to purchase new equipment,” he said. “Our program really helps provide that upfront cost so that businesses can afford to upgrade their equipment to something that’s much more energy efficient.”
The program started as a pilot in 2022, focusing just on businesses in Aurora, Oliker said. Since then, it has expanded to Commerce City and the department hopes to expand it further as they get more funding.
“We chose those areas really specifically because they are disproportionately impacted by pollution,” Oliker said.
They hope to expand the program in the future, but are being careful not to expand too quickly โwith their main goal being the impact they can have in their pilot communities, he said.
One of their past grants went to an Aurora liquor store, giving owners enough money to replace the merchandisers, the refrigerators along the back wall kept drinks cold, that were more than 20 years old.
The grant helped the liquor store consolidate two pieces of equipment into one larger piece of newer, more energy efficient equipment, which saves the liquor store about $500 in savings a year, Oliker said.
CDPHE has applications available in both English and Spanish on its websiteย cdphe.colorado.gov. Officialsย will start reviewing applications beginning in January.
“We are really excited to be able to expand our reach more in these communities,” Oliker said. “Now that we have more permanent funding, we’re really looking forward to being able to reach more businesses and work with as many in the community as possible.”
