HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Lime Energy Co. has announced the award of a two-year contract valued at approximately $22 million from National Grid for the implementation of its Small Business Direct Install Program for the Western New York Region. The energy efficiency upgrade program serves small commercial customers with annual demand of less than 100 kW and helps to offset the cost of implementing upgrades. The program will provide an estimated $15 million in incentives to National Grid customers, and has the potential to save participating small businesses over 77,000 megawatt-hours of annual energy usage.

Launched in 2009 in response to the state’s Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS), which is aimed at reducing statewide energy usage by 15 percent by 2015, National Grid’s Small Business Program has been a major contributor to the EEPS initiative.

Lime Energy has been the exclusive provider of energy efficiency upgrades for National Grid’s program in western New York since 2009. In that time, the company has helped more than 6,000 National Grid customers lower their energy costs while upgrading their facilities, delivering over $33 million in incentives to cover project costs. Lime Energy said it has delivered over 150,000 megawatt hours of energy efficiency resources, which is equivalent to powering almost 16,000 homes for one year.