Historical data shows that small businesses typically balk at the upfront costs and perceived risk of implementing energy-saving initiatives. While small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) consume 40 to 50 percent of the nation’s energy and more than three in 10 of them state that energy is one of their top three business expenses, less than 2 percent participate in their utility’s energy efficiency programs. This poses a huge challenge for the utilities trying to reach this untapped market and bridge the gap between SMBs and those program resources.
