Questions for Speakers:
Charles Holcomb Duke Energy:
1. Why is a company that is in the business of selling energy also working to help businesses
consume less energy? It would be crazy if a hotel was helping their guests figure out how to
spend few nights in a hotel, so why does it work for Duke?
2. Are the incentives for businesses different based on the size of the business and if so what
factors do you take into account (i.e. footprint, energy usage, sales, or employees)? What about
type of business?
3. What barriers exist for tourism businesses in particular to take advantage of the incentives
offered by Duke and other utility providers?
4. Does Duke provide its customers with technical assistance? If not, do you have a list of energy
professionals that your customers can turn to if they have questions?
5. At what point in implementing energy efficacy measures should a Duke customer contact their
account manager? When is too early and when is too late?
6. What are some things that tourism businesses might want to think about in order to maximize
energy efficiency incentives and rebates?
7. Do new incentives come out? How can utility customers keep abreast of new or changes to
incentives?
8. We’ve seen a growing number of hotels and tourism attractions offering electric vehicle
charging stations. Is this something Duke is involved in and what are your thoughts about
providing this amenity to customers?
9. From a utility perspective, what are some general energy issues that you see potentially facing
the hospitality industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
10. Is there one or two energy efficiency measure that in your experience seems to be a no-brainer
for tourism businesses to implement?
Jennifer and Melissa Self-Help:
1. What sort of energy upgrades have y’all seen that seem to work well, and what types of projects
have you seen that generally cause problems? Do you have an example that you might be able
to share?
2. Why is Self-Help involved in green energy?
3. At what point in the process should customers approach Self-Help to ask about financing green
energy upgrades?
4. What types of tourism businesses in your experience are best positioned to seek financing for
green energy projects? Are there some types of businesses that you would caution against
seeking financing for energy projects?
5. What are some common misconceptions business owners have regarding financing green
projects?
6. How do you see financing for green energy projects changing in the next 5 to 10 years?
7. What are some critical elements that you’ve seen for a tourism business to successfully
implement green energy projects?
8. Many tourism businesses are not-for-profits or government owned. Do you have products or
tools they might be able to take advantage of? If not, what options do these attractions have to
pay for green energy upgrades?
9. Does Self-Help loan money for greener company vehicles or electric vehicle charging stations?
10. How do you recommend that your customers keep abreast of changes in energy financing
options?
ALL:
1. Larger businesses may have the option of hiring accountants that specialize in energy efficiency.
For smaller tourism businesses, what recommendations do you have so that they make sure
they are leveraging all of the incentives and financial products available when implementing
green practices?
2. Do your organizations work together? Do you work with other organizations, such as energy
auditors?
3. What do you see as a key area that your customers broadly should be paying more attention to?
4. We used to hear a lot about grants for energy projects, but less now. Do you think green energy
grants will ever come back or should tourism businesses and organizations be looking for other
ways to pay for energy upgrades?
5. Are there any resources that you think would be particularly helpful for any of our webinar
attendees that are interested in learning more about how to finance green energy projects?
6. When you are working with tourism businesses, what are the most common obstacles you’ve
seen to getting financing for energy upgrades?
7. Are there any specific programs or products available to rural communities?
8. What is something you are surprised that tourism businesses don’t seem to know or understand
about financing green energy?
9. In many parts of North Carolina, vacation rental properties compromise a significant, if not the
majority, of overnight accommodations. These customers would typically be residential rather
than commercial properties. For this segment of the industry are there different considerations
that should be taken into account?
10. What new energy technology do you see coming on the horizon, such as smart light bulbs or
energy management tools, that tourism businesses should keep their eyes on?