40+ Years of Proven Expertise · Boulder, CO

Practical and Cost Effective
Energy and Sustainability
Solutions

Turnkey energy and sustainability management — scoped, funded, installed, and verified.

Start a Conversation Our Services
50%+
Project costs offset by grants, incentives & utility programs
20%
Energy savings through efficiency & demand management
15%+
ROI across all energy projects
The St. Elmo Difference

We don't just advise.
We do the work.

Full-lifecycle project management — from first audit to verified savings.

✓
Tailored to your organization
We complement existing capabilities — filling gaps, not duplicating effort.
✓
Start-to-finish accountability
One partner across every phase — no handoffs, no gaps.
✓
Results, not reports
Verified savings and ROI you can show your board.
Full Project Lifecycle
1
Scope & Audit
Energy audit, tariff analysis, demand profiling
2
Prioritize & Plan
ROI-ranked roadmap for maximum return
3
Fund & Finance
Grants, incentives, PACE & tax credits secured
4
Procure & Install
Vendor management for solar, HVAC & upgrades
5
Measure & Verify
Verified savings, renewable tracking, reporting
Most Overlooked Opportunity

The Hidden 40%:
Demand Charges

Demand and capacity charges make up more than 40% of most electricity bills — and most organizations never address them.

  • →Small load profile changes generate significant, immediate savings
  • →No capital investment required
  • →Combined load profile + rate analysis unlocks every available dollar
  • →Integrates with renewable and efficiency strategies
Find Your Demand Savings
Where Your Electricity Bill Goes
Typical commercial / industrial customer
Demand & Capacity Charges40%+
Peak demand, capacity & coincident peak charges
Energy (kWh) Charges38%
Consumption at applicable tariff rates
Transmission & Distribution14%
Grid delivery and infrastructure
Taxes, Fees & Other8%
Regulatory fees and surcharges
💡 The St. Elmo Insight
Most programs target kWh. Demand management targets the largest, most controllable component of your bill.
What We Do

Core Services

End-to-end energy & sustainability — strategy through verified results.

⚡

Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Strategy

Practical sustainability that pays for itself.
  • Onsite and utility-based energy audits
  • Tariff analysis and rate optimization
  • Demand management and peak reduction
  • Efficiency prioritization and ROI analysis
  • Renewable energy integration roadmap
  • Sustainability best practices adoption
💰

Grant Funding, Incentives & Project Financing

Most organizations leave significant money on the table.
  • Federal and state grant applications
  • Utility rebate and incentive optimization
  • PACE financing structures
  • Solar, HVAC & capital upgrade funding
  • ITC, 179D and other tax credit strategies
🌱

Renewable Energy & Smart Procurement

Maximize renewable utilization. Minimize cost and risk.
  • Renewable energy strategy and goal-setting
  • On-site solar and storage procurement
  • Power purchase agreements (PPAs) and RECs
  • Utility green programs and renewable tariffs
  • Market analysis and risk assessment
📊

Tariff Optimization & Demand Management

Often the fastest path to material savings.
  • Utility tariff and rate structure analysis
  • Demand charge reduction strategies
  • Demand response program enrollment
  • Load flexibility aligned with renewables
  • Ongoing tariff monitoring
Supporting Capability

Building Performance Benchmarking

  • EPA Portfolio Manager setup
  • Building performance scoring (1–100)
  • ENERGY STAR certification support
Portrait of Dan Frey, Principal of St. Elmo LLC and 40-year energy and sustainability advisor
40+
Years Experience
About

Dan Frey, Principal

40+ years advising organizations on energy management, sustainability strategy, and market execution — across industrial, commercial real estate, municipal, healthcare, and education sectors.

Founder of THG Energy Solutions, an award-winning SaaS Energy Intelligence platform serving 35+ industry partners. Now focused exclusively on direct client engagements through St. Elmo LLC.

"The best sustainability strategy is one that makes financial sense from day one."

MBA, Finance — Oklahoma State University
Certified Public Accountant (Non-Practicing)
Certified Energy Manager (CEM)
GHG Management Institute Certified
Former EVP, Continuum Energy
Founder, THG Energy Solutions (14 years)
Case Studies

Real Results, Real Clients

End-to-end project delivery — from first audit to verified savings and federal tax credit capture.

Faith-Based Nonprofit · Broomfield, Colorado

A congregation's commitment to energy and sustainability stewardship

Broomfield United Methodist Church · 44,000 sq ft worship & education facility · $320,000 solar expansion · start-to-finish engagement
120 kW
New AC solar capacity
$128K
IRS direct pay (40% ITC)
$750K+
Projected 25-yr energy savings
6
Contractors evaluated

Broomfield United Methodist Church is exactly the kind of client that makes a project like this succeed. Under the leadership of Pastor Thomas Cross, the congregation made environmental stewardship a cornerstone of its capital campaign. Pastor Cross and the church staff demonstrated exceptional foresight by securing a grant for a Scope 2 energy audit, establishing a rigorous, data-driven baseline. That organizational commitment set the stage for everything that followed, and made it possible to move from audit to fully contracted project in just ten weeks against a hard federal deadline.

The church's existing 10 kW rooftop array was operating well and provided a foundation to build on. The capital campaign unlocked the opportunity for a transformational 120 kW AC expansion, achieving near net-zero electricity and returning $128,000 in federal tax credits directly to the congregation.
Engagement
  1. 1
    Scope 2 audit & baseline
    Audit findings translated into actionable parameters: 12-month utility analysis (206,902 kWh, $37,899), net metering capacity confirmation, demand charge diagnosis, and IRS Section 6417 elective pay eligibility established for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
  2. 2
    Financial modeling
    Three-scenario NPV analysis across system sizes, using NREL degradation and O&M assumptions, EIA rate escalation, and a full 20-year cash flow model — structured for Trustee presentation and decision-making.
  3. 3
    Competitive procurement
    RFP designed and issued to qualified Colorado contractors. Six proposals evaluated on ITC compliance, FEOC equipment documentation, technical design, and normalized $/kW-AC pricing against a non-negotiable July 4, 2026 construction-start requirement.
  4. 4
    Xcel Energy incentive programs
    Guided BUMC through the full Xcel incentive stack: Solar*Rewards C&I REC payment program and Colorado sales tax exemption documentation — layered alongside the federal ITC direct pay.
  5. 5
    Contract negotiation
    Selected contractor's standard agreement aligned with industry standards and strengthened with important client protections — covering warranty terms, insurance requirements, ITC compliance obligations, project management accountability, and cancellation rights.
  6. 6
    Board authorization package
    Complete Trustee briefing, financial scenarios, redline and clean contract, and internal summary memo — giving leadership everything needed to vote with confidence at the May 15 authorization meeting.
Outcomes
✓
ITC safe harbor confirmed — construction start by July 4, 2026
✓
6 contractors evaluated; best-value, fully compliant contractor selected
✓
$128,000 IRS direct pay structured and documented for 990-T filing
✓
Enrolled in Xcel Solar*Rewards
✓
Positive NPV in all three financial scenarios over 20 years
✓
Church reserves fully protected — 100% financed through existing lender
Environmental Impact
207K
kWh avoided annually
150
metric tons CO₂/yr
32
cars off the road equiv.
"Dan was absolutely critical to making this solar project a reality under a tight deadline, with start-to-finish engagement and highly professional and experienced work capabilities."
— Pastor Thomas Cross, Broomfield United Methodist Church
Services Provided
Scope 2 audit review ITC structuring RFP design Proposal evaluation Financial modeling Xcel program enrollment Contract negotiation Board advisory
Insights

Energy & Sustainability Perspectives

☀️
Solar · Tax Credits · Deadline

If You Plan to Build Solar at Your Facility in the Next Five Years, You Need to Read This

One date now determines whether commercial solar makes financial sense for your facility. The IRC § 48E Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit permanently expires July 4, 2026 for any project that hasn’t established Beginning of Construction.

  • →30%+ federal ITC — up to 50% with domestic content and location adders
  • →IRS Notice 2025-42 preserves the 5% safe harbor for facilities ≤ 1.5 MW AC
  • →Lock BOC by July 4 to secure a four-year construction window through Dec 31, 2030
  • →Request the whitepaper: credit mechanics, safe harbor steps, and execution timeline
Dan Frey · May 17, 2026Solar · Tax Credits
☀️
Solar · Battery Storage

NOW is the Best Time to Install Solar & Battery Solutions for Your Facilities

The combination of expiring federal tax credits, stacking Colorado incentives, and accelerating utility rates makes 2026 the most financially compelling year on record for commercial clean energy investment.

  • →30–50% Year-1 tax benefit via ITC + bonus depreciation; 50–70% total cost recovery when credits stack
  • →EV charging credit expires Jun 30, 2026 — solar safe-harbor deadline Jul 4, 2026
  • →Colorado rates up ~30% since 2021; Xcel filing ~10% increase effective August 2026
  • →Typical commercial payback of 3–7 years with >15% IRR on well-structured projects
Dan Frey · May 13, 2026Solar & Storage · Colorado
⏱️
Xcel Energy · TOU Rates

The Four-Hour Window That Changes Everything About Your Electricity Bill

Xcel Energy's new Time-of-Use rates hide a striking opportunity: 20 hours of every weekday cost just 7.9¢/kWh. Only four hours — 5 to 9 p.m. — cost 21.3¢. Protect those four hours and you cut your rate by 63%.

  • →Summer on-peak at 21.3¢ vs. off-peak at 7.9¢ — a 2.7× spread that rewards load-shifting
  • →Interactive hourly rate chart: see exactly what you pay every hour of the day
  • →Battery storage, pre-cooling, EV scheduling, and load-shift strategies that pay for themselves
  • →Step-by-step action checklist for commercial facility managers to capture savings now
Dan Frey · May 7, 2026Xcel Energy · Colorado
⚡
Xcel Energy · Rebates & Programs

Your Xcel Energy Bill Is About to Get Bigger. Here's How to Get Ahead of It.

Xcel has filed for a 9.9% rate increase effective August 2026. Here are the programs — DSM rebates, solar + storage, demand response, tariff optimization — that large and midsized Colorado facilities should act on now.

  • →Xcel's DSM rebate budget: $280M over 2024–2026 — programs paused once already due to oversubscription; act early
  • →New TOU rates: on-peak (5–9 pm weekdays) priced at 2.7× off-peak — most facilities haven't reanalyzed their tariff
  • →Solar + storage incentives stack: 30% federal ITC + 10% CO state credit + Renewable Battery Connect + PACE financing
  • →Tax-exempt orgs (nonprofits, schools, hospitals) now eligible for IRA direct pay — changes the solar economics entirely
Dan Frey · May 5, 2026Xcel Energy · Colorado
🏭
Infrastructure · Policy

Colorado's Infrastructure Crisis: Why We're Missing the $3 Trillion Manufacturing Revolution

Colorado is losing 99% of a $3 trillion national manufacturing and data center boom — not on incentives, but on grid capacity. A 1,000x scale shift demands a different response.

  • →Single hyperscale campuses now require 500–1,000 MW — equal to a nuclear reactor
  • →Texas invested $31B in transmission vs. Colorado's $1.9B through 2030
  • →Colorado's renewable assets are world-class — but meaningless without transmission to deploy them
  • →$85–140B opportunity available if Colorado acts decisively before 2030
Dan Frey · Feb 5, 2026Infrastructure
⚡
Renewables · Grid

Colorado Can Learn From Ten Years of Grid and Resource Growth in Texas

ERCOT's competitive market drove a renewable boom that now dominates new capacity — a proven model Colorado can follow to meet rising demand.

  • →Texas solar grew from 5 GW to 27.5 GW in four years; wind+solar now supply ~35% of ERCOT generation
  • →Renewables + storage will be 63% of ERCOT capacity by 2030 — coal declining, gas flat
  • →Colorado faces the same coal retirement and demand surge — wind, solar and storage are the answer
  • →Proven path available now — no need to wait for SMRs or carbon-capture gas
Dan Frey · Jan 13, 2026Grid & Renewables
🛡️
Policy · Data

It's Time to Protect Energy, Climate, and Weather Data from Political Interference

Critical public data infrastructure — from ENERGY STAR to NOAA climate programs — is under threat. Here's what's at stake and what you can do now.

  • →ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager — used by 300,000+ facilities — facing full defunding in FY2026
  • →NOAA climate programs, NASA Earth satellites, and public datasets also at risk
  • →Export your Portfolio Manager data now — CSV and PDF — until the platform's fate is clear
  • →St. Elmo is advocating for an open-source, privately supported alternative platform
Dan Frey · Aug 26, 2025Policy & Data
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