For more than 35 years, Tucsonans have come to know and love the authentic, fresh Mexican tortillas, baked goods, produce and meats from Alejandro’s Tortilla Factory.

Once a small, simple operation housed in the back of a restaurant, Alejandro’s has now grown to 11,000 square feet and 93 employees, complete with modern manufacturing, automation and storage facilities.

“An operation of our size has to be very mindful of energy costs,” said Ricardo Cazares, Owner and Operator of Alejandro’s and Los Portales restaurant.

Alejandro’s recently worked with Tucson Electric Power energy advisors to identify opportunities for energy efficient upgrades in both the kitchen and retail spaces. TEP’s EasySave program offered rebates for upgrading the fluorescent light fixtures and bulbs from T12s to T8s, installing door controllers and anti-sweat heaters on the display coolers, and installing high-efficiency variable-speed motors on the walk-in coolers.

TEP Commercial Energy Advisor Martin Lopez credits Cazares for taking a long-term approach to his business and investing in equipment and upgrades that will serve him well for decades to come.

The TEP EasySave program provides incentives for all businesses in the TEP service territory that install or upgrade lighting, AC/HVAC equipment, variable speed motors, programmable thermostats, occupancy sensors and more.

For Alejandro’s, the recent retrofits are saving around $5,000 in annual energy costs. And the EasySave program provided nearly $8,000 in rebates to offset the costs of the energy-efficient upgrades.

Watch a video about TEP’s partnership with Alejandro’s Tortilla Factory on YouTube.

To find out more about the TEP energy efficiency rebates and incentives available for your business, contact TEP’s EasySave team at 520-495-6333 or visit tepcommercialenergysolutions.com.