Stories

Responsibilities of an energy advisor include project inspections and serving as primary point of contact for service providers (SP) participating in an energy efficiency program. There’s also an outreach and training element. This helps SPs expand their service offerings and grow their businesses.

Jim Mikolajczak has been an energy advisor with i3 Energy since 2017. He’s built relationships with hundreds of service providers throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. In 2021, Jim onboarded Ryan, an Illinois lighting contractor, to the ComEd energy efficiency program.

With Jim’s assistance with some energy assessments and direction on the application process, Ryan quickly overcame his skepticism of the program and its benefits to become a top producer. When the program shifted focus in 2024 from energy savings through lighting to savings through non-lighting measures, Jim and Ryan again collaborated on opportunities in refrigeration.

At a grocery store that had recently undergone a lighting renovation, Jim showed Ryan that the store’s 50+ cooler and freezer doors were equipped with door heaters that ran 24/7. By easily upgrading the doors with energy efficient anti-sweat door heaters and controls, the doors would use a fraction of the energy. Using the appropriate incentive worksheet from ComEd, they determined that, due to the huge energy savings possible, there were $50K in incentives available.

From Ryan's collaboration with Jim there was a clear progression in his understanding and implementation of energy-efficient solutions. To illustrate this, in 2022, 67% of Ryan’s jobs were indoor lighting and controls. In 2023, it was nearly 82%. But in 2024, a projected 56% of Ryan’s business will be in refrigeration measures. Jim's guidance and Ryan’s willingness to step out of his comfort zone has led to significant achievements in terms of project implementation and growth.