Building Energy

The Town of Mountain Village is excited to announce the Building Energy Incentive Program!

Did you know that commercial and residential buildings are the source of about 90% of the Mountain Village community's greenhouse gas emissions?

The intent of the Building Energy Incentive Program is to reduce these emissions by incentivizing building owners to invest in energy-efficiency upgrades. The program will provide existing commercial and residential properties with rebates for energy audits and resulting energy-efficiency upgrades. The goals of the program are to reduce energy loss, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while realizing cost savings and health and safety benefits for the owner and tenants.

Focus on Existing Buildings

Buildings are required to meet the building codes in place at the time of construction. With this, many existing buildings are not in compliance with the newest Town of Mountain Village building codes. The older a building is, the higher likelihood that it may be operating inefficiently — whether that be windows or insulation that leak energy or an outdated HVAC system.

The Building Energy Incentive Program is designed for existing buildings as upgrades to these buildings will have the greatest impact both environmentally and financially.

Please note, any new construction is required to meet the Town's current building codes and does not qualify for this incentive program.

How it works

Residential buildings may qualify for a rebate of up to $3,000 per year and commercial and multifamily properties may qualify for a rebate of up to $5,000 per year.

The rebate may not exceed 60 percent of the total project cost factoring in available regional utility rebates. In order to apply for a rebate, a property owner needs to have an energy audit performed and implement at least one recommended upgrade from the audit’s results.

For example, if a commercial building implements an energy audit recommendation to upgrade the building's wall insulation, it may qualify for a $895 rebate from Black Hills Energy. If the total cost of the project is $2,000, the building would qualify for a $305 rebate from the Town of Mountain Village (60% of $2,000 minus the $895 rebate from Black Hills Energy).

The rebates will be distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis until funds are exhausted. The Town has budgeted $25,000 for this incentive program.

Property owners are welcome to apply for one rebate per upgrade performed based on their audit results. The rebate applications will also be reviewed on a rolling basis, so you do not have to wait until all upgrades are complete before submitting an application.

Complete the following steps to apply:

Perform an energy audit. (See below for regional energy audit companies)
Implement at least one recommended upgrade based on the energy audit's results.
Upon completion of at least one upgrade, submit a rebate application online.
- The application must include a copy of the energy audit results, invoices associated with the completed upgrade and local and regional rebate applications.
Town staff will review the application for validity and completeness.
A rebate will be issued to the building owner or property management company. The rebate will not exceed 60% of the total project cost with local and regional rebates factored into this 60%.

An energy audit - one per property - qualifies as an eligible expense as long as it is paired with the implementation of a recommended action.

Please contact Lauren Kirn at with questions.

Leveraging Rebates and Tax Credits

The Town of Mountain Village encourages program participants to leverage local and regional rebate programs for additional cost savings on energy-efficiency upgrades. The utility providers, Black Hills Energy (natural gas) and San Miguel Power Association (SMPA) (electrical) offer commercial and residential rebates. With the passage of new federal legislation, tax credits are now available for energy-efficiency upgrades. Explore the rebate and tax credit offerings below:

San Miguel Power Association (SMPA) Rebates

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL REBATE INFORMATION

Please note that SMPA rebate applications MUST be submitted within 60 days of purchase or delivery. Contact with questions.

Black Hills Energy Rebates

Residential rebate Information

Commercial rebate information

Please note that Black Hills Energy rebate applications for work done in 2023 must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2024.

Contact Amy Fiala at or 719-208-3513 with questions.

Federal tax credits (not included in the 60% rebate total)

Residential tax credit information is available on the Energy.gov website or in the below Tax Credit Table.

Commercial tax credit information is available on the IRS' website (refer to the Credits and Deductions for Businesses section).

Energy Efficiency Tax Credit Table Download PDF

Building Energy

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