Take control of comfort

Increase control, decrease waste, and maximize comfort for your guests, all while optimizing energy usage when you install and program occupancy-based thermostat controls in your rooms.

In spaces with unscheduled occupancy like hotels, occupancy-based thermostat controls are an ideal energy saver. Typical hotel guest behavior includes setting room temperatures to that which is comfortable and leaving that setting unchanged upon exiting the room. Occupancy-based thermostat controls rely on extremely sensitive light- and heat-detecting sensors to heat and control a space, reacting specifically to when guests are present or have left the room. Not to be misunderstood as merely “programmable”, “connected”, or “smart” thermostats which are based on scheduling, these thermostats transmit real-time data, based on occupancy, to maintain a setpoint temperature when a room is occupied and then let it drift to an unoccupied setback temperature when your guests have walked out the door.

By upgrading to and programming new occupancy-based thermostat controls in your rooms you can save 15-30% off your HVAC energy! Your guests will be provided with a comfortable stay and you will be able to control the wasted heating and cooling that you’re paying for when your rooms are unoccupied.

What you get

Receive Pre-Approval for a PSE rebate of up to $500 per unit when planning to upgrade to new occupancy-based thermostat controls. This rebate requires pre-approval prior to installation, cannot exceed the purchase price of the qualified product, and does not include installation, labor, or taxes. If the thermostat cost (without installation, labor, or tax) is less than $500 per unit then the PSE rebate will be no more than the unit cost.

Example 1:

• Occupancy-based Thermostat unit cost is $225 before installation, labor, or tax;
• PSE Rebate = $225 (rebate is no more than you paid for the unit)

Example 2:

• Occupancy-based Thermostat unit cost is $525 without installation, labor, or tax;
• PSE Rebate = $500 (rebate is not-to-exceed $500)

PSE requires invoicing showing the line itemed costs of the project in order to determine Pre-Approved PSE rebate amount.

Occupancy-based Thermostat

Electric - Up to $500

How you qualify

1. You must be a current PSE commercial electric customer in the hospitality/lodging industry. Our pre-approval process will determine if your specific facility type qualifies. Some facilities are subject to additional requirements based on occupancy type.
   This may also include:
• Boarding/rooming houses, apartment hotels, dormitory, and shelter facilities.
• Residential care building types, which for the purposes of this rebate may include: nursing homes, retirement homes, and assisted living facilities.
2. You must have existing HVAC systems that use electric heating.
• Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTAC) and Packaged Terminal Heat Pumps (PTHP) both qualify as existing heating sources.
• Gas-sourced heating does not qualify for this rebate.
• Unsure of what you currently have? Send us an email with the manufacturer and model number and we’ll look into it with you.
3. New Construction projects are not eligible for this rebate unless there are 50 or fewer total guest rooms.
4. This rebate is specifically for thermostats controlled by physical guest room occupancy; for interest in other types of thermostats please visit PSE’s HVAC page to check if there are rebates available.

To qualify for this rebate there are three things that must be in place:

1. Occupancy-based thermostats cannot already be installed.
2. Your thermostat must be new and equipped with occupancy based temperature control features, either:
1. Stand-alone guest room thermostats, or
2. Networked guest room thermostat systems
3. The thermostats must be programmed to meet PSE’s qualifications:
1. The unoccupied room temperature setpoint must be at least 5⁰ higher in cooling mode and at least 5⁰ lower in heating mode than the occupied heating and cooling setpoints.
1. Sufficient minimum unoccupied set points are 80⁰ in cooling mode and 60⁰ in heating mode; occupied setpoints are requested on the rebate application and may be discussed prior to pre-approval.
2. Factory setpoints do not qualify and are often left unchanged when installed; ensure that setpoints are programmed in order to qualify.

Once installed, PSE requires proof of correct temperature setpoint prior to PSE rebate payment. This can be completed in one of two ways:

1. An onsite visit with a PSE Verification Specialist who will go into the programming of your thermostats and confirm setpoints are present as they were stated on the rebate application.
• For facilities installing less than 75 rooms, 15 installed (and vacant) rooms will be randomly sampled and verified.
• For facilities installing 75 or more rooms, 20% of installed (and vacant) rooms will be randomly sampled and verified.
2. Photos of programming within the thermostats showing occupied and unoccupied setpoints.

PSE will work with you directly, based on the contact information provided on the pre-approval form, in order to complete this verification once pre-approved installation and programming have been completed.

Project Pre-Approval requirements

To be eligible for PSE’s Occupancy-based Thermostat Control rebate you must first receive Pre-Approval prior to installation. To do so the following will need to be satisfied:

• This rebate is only available for new Thermostats programmed to the specifications above.
• New Construction projects are not eligible for this rebate unless facility has 50 total guest rooms or fewer.
• Product Specification Sheets and/or Programming Manuals must be submitted with pre-approval paperwork (this will be used to pre-approve the proposed thermostat and confirm programming capabilities).
• You will need to provide a copy of your quote*, invoice, or purchase receipt for your product(s), showing:
• Manufacturer and model number (this will be used to pre-approve the proposed thermostat and confirm programming capabilities).
• Itemized unit costs (this will be used to determine and pre-approve the rebate amount).
• You must submit a completed W-9 Taxpayer Identification Form for your business.
• All projects must be invoiced, installed, and submitted to PSE within the current calendar year.
• Once Pre-Approval has been given, PSE will hold project submissions “in-progress” until installation and sufficient verification has been completed prior to approving payment of any rebates.

The timing of the steps in this process is important. Submit project Pre-Approval documentation to PSE early (see below)! To ensure that you and the equipment qualify for rebate, and to help prevent any potential missteps in the process, submit the required project documentation at the beginning of your project timeline so that key details can be qualified and confirmed by PSE and Pre-Approval can be given for project installation. This will preempt any non-qualifying project details and subsequent rebate rejection.

If installation activity has already begun, please contact us immediately to discuss your project.




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For help verifying your qualifications, send an email to lodging@hkange.net.

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How you apply

To apply for Pre-Approval for the program, please use this handy checklist for submitting project paperwork. Once all project paperwork listed below is received by PSE and meets PSE’s program qualifications, a rebate Pre-Approval notification will be sent to you to proceed with equipment installation and programming. If any of the required documentation is incomplete or does not qualify, you will receive a notification with an explanation and/or instructions for next steps.

Send all project paperwork to lodging@hkange.net:

• Occupancy based thermostat controls pre-approval form.
• Product Specification Sheets and/or Programming Manuals for proposed equipment
• Quote* or Invoice for Occupancy-based Thermostat equipment showing:
• Manufacturer and model number
• Itemized unit costs
• W-9 Taxpayer Identification Form

When installation and programming of all equipment has been completed, please notify PSE by responding to your Pre-Approval email thread so that the verification process can begin. Once the installation and setpoint verification have been completed and approved you should expect to receive your rebate** within 6 to 8 weeks.

* A Quote is acceptable in the Pre-Approval stage of your project if the equipment has not yet been purchased, however a final Invoice will be needed before confirmation of rebate amount* prior to payment.

** Any PSE’s pre-approved rebate amount is subject to change in the event that equipment pricing on final invoicing differs from previously submitted quote or invoice. PSE rebate will be based on final invoice equipment pricing.

Additional information

Small- to Mid-size Lodging Efficiency Program

If your facility has 150 rooms or less you may also qualify for a no-cost energy assessment with one of our small business energy experts. Read more about how this program can benefit your business here.

Packaged terminal heat pump (PTHP) rebates

PSE can help replace your aging and/or ailing PTACs with efficient PTHP, saving you time and money. Check out the Packaged Terminal Heat Pump page to learn more about this opportunity.

Commercial foodservice rebates

PSE has an extensive rebate program to help your business upgrade to energy efficient foodservice equipment. This could be anything from the ice machine found on each floor to the heavy equipment found in your hotel restaurant. Visit the Commercial Foodservice Equipment Rebate Program page to learn more.