Since 2000, CEE’s One-Stop Efficiency Shop (One-Stop) has helped small and medium-sized commercial properties across Xcel Energy’s Minnesota service area save energy, lower costs, and improve efficiency. What started as a small lighting effort has grown into CEE’s largest and most impactful commercial program. Along the way, it has delivered big energy savings for Minnesotans, influenced how other programs at CEE are designed, and helped CEE build strong partnerships with utilities, trade partners, local and state governments, and the business community.
One-Stop celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025 by passing 1,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of lifetime energy savings, equivalent to taking over 200,000 vehicles off the road or over 100,000 homes off the grid. Additionally, the program has helped reduce the cost of efficiency upgrades for Xcel Energy commercial customers by disbursing over $136 million in HVAC, lighting, and refrigeration rebates over the past 25 years.
So, why has One-Stop been so successful over the past 25 years and how did it all start? Chris Duffrin, CEE’s president, and Kristen Funk, senior director of small and medium business, were asked to reflect on the successes and challenges of the program, as well as the future of One-Stop and commercial energy efficiency in Minnesota.
History
Like many of CEE's programs, One-Stop was born from a CEE research project. Around 1990, CEE’s longtime Director of Research, Martha Hewett, examined the local small business segment and found that participation in existing lighting upgrade programs was very low, and lighting rebates on their own had little effect on participation. A higher-touch, more hands-on approach that focused on customer education and enhanced rebates was needed, and the One-Stop Efficiency Shop was created as an alternative CIP (Conservation Improvement Program, now known as ECO) offering, partnering with Xcel Energy to serve their small business segment.
When the program launched in 2000, the One-Stop team was solely focused on lighting retrofit rebates for small commercial customers with a peak demand of up to 200 kilowatts. The first few years of the program were rocky as the team tried to find the best way to position itself in the market. “Our first attempts at this program started small but were too complicated and cumbersome.” said Duffrin. “Over time, we proved we could deliver savings by better engaging customers, motivating the lighting trade, removing barriers to participation, and simply selling efficiency.” After achieving some significant early success in the small business sector,
Xcel Energy approached One-Stop about serving medium-sized customers up to 400 kilowatts.
When LEDs hit the market in the 2010s, One-Stop had evolved into a high-performing program that consistently attained large annual savings. In 2016, the team achieved a major milestone of 500 GWh of savings. Kristen Funk commemorated this milestone with a custom coin featuring each team member’s initials and a silhouette of a rabbit, a playful nod to the team “pulling rabbits out of hats” at the end of the year to meet program goals.
Program evolution
Part of One-Stop’s success has been the team’s ability to evolve and adapt to the needs of the small business segment. One-Stop has become a much more holistic offering over the years, evolving beyond lighting by adding HVAC rebates in 2016, free smart thermostats for Xcel Energy’s AC Rewards program in 2019, and refrigeration, LED grow lighting, and fuel-switching measures in 2024. These additions have allowed One-Stop to serve nearly all energy efficiency needs of small to medium businesses and further reduce the carbon impact of the commercial sector in Minnesota.
One-Stop Lifetime Stats
Successes and impacts
One-Stop’s success has had a profound impact on CEE’s growth and trajectory. The program grew into CEE’s largest and most transformative, delivering substantial benefits to participants and utility partners while expanding CEE's reach in the energy efficiency space and beyond. Lessons from One-Stop have influenced subsequent programs and helped CEE refine its vision for a more affordable energy system that reaches all communities.
Critical to this success has been collaboration with utilities. “CEE works closely with utilities and many other partners to research, design, and deliver programs with economic and environmental outcomes that help all people,” said Duffrin. “With programs like One-Stop, we partner with Xcel Energy to help small businesses who often lack the resources of larger companies, and the money we help them save goes right back into their business, helping Minnesota grow its economy more efficiently.”
Although small businesses have always been at the heart of the One-Stop program, expanding to other commercial segments, like education and municipalities, has helped the team deliver major energy and cost savings for a wide range of building types. “By working with local governments, we can help them put cost savings back into services their residents need and prevent unnecessary taxpayer expenses.” said Duffrin.
In recent years, One-Stop has focused more on supporting underserved communities. Offerings like free smart thermostats and free LEDs have helped the program reach customers who may not have the capital to make energy efficiency improvements. “We recognize some businesses have very tight margins, but they provide essential goods and services to disadvantaged communities. So, we provide them with enhanced resources to reduce or eliminate upfront project costs.”
Contractor partnerships make the difference
One-Stop’s relationships with contractors across Minnesota play a crucial role in its success. “We view contractors as our clients and make a significant effort to build and maintain long-lasting, trusted relationships with them,” said Funk. “Contractors work with many businesses that can benefit from the One-Stop program. Collaborating with them to ensure their customers get the most efficient equipment that meets the needs of their space is the best way to reach all of our goals.”
The future
Looking ahead, One-Stop will continue to adapt, innovate, and lead commercial energy efficiency. Emerging opportunities include grow lighting for Minnesota’s expanding cannabis market, advanced lighting controls, and the next generation of commercial LED lighting. With LEDs now well established, many early installations are ready for replacement with even more efficient products, opening a new wave of potential savings.
“I’m excited about integrating new solutions to make efficiency and decarbonization more accessible,” said Funk. “One-Stop has given CEE a longstanding presence in the commercial market. We have a great opportunity to promote CEE’s mission and evolve with technology to help small and medium-sized businesses reduce costs and improve sustainability. The future of One-Stop is about being proactive and flexible, and continuing to lead as a trusted partner in creating meaningful change for our commercial customers.”
“I’m most proud of the staff that comes to work every day and successfully delivers this program year after year,” says Funk. “It’s a fast moving, demanding program and we have been through a lot of changes. It is not unusual for us to get a curve ball that we weren’t expecting. Everyone keeps their heads down, focuses on what we need to do next, and gets it done. I really couldn't ask for a better group of people. Many thanks to everyone past and present who has kept this program going.”
