Report Says Americans Don’t Know How to Save Energy
Report shows rampant misperceptions about what are effective energy-saving behaviors. Source: SustainableBusiness.com
IL, NJ Boost Support for Renewable Energy
While Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn signed a law to ramp-up solar energy and announced a $4-million solar grant award, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed an offshore wind power bill. Source: Environmental Leader
Reduce Energy Costs with Demand-Controlled Ventilation
Adequate ventilation is critical to ensure good indoor air quality. By maintaining fresh air levels based on occupancy levels, demand-controlled ventilation can help to maximize indoor air performance and save on operating costs for heating, cooling, and humidity control. Source: Prenova Newsletter
When Will Solar Energy Go Mainstream?
How much of the electricity in the U.S. comes from rooftop solar panels and solar power plants? If you guessed less than one-tenth of a percent, you’d be right. Source: Greentech Media
Northeast US a Smart Energy Testing Ground
Energy rates in the Northeast are some of the highest in the nation. But as Ben Franklin once said, “Out of adversity comes opportunity.” That may be why utilities, states, and local governments in the Northeast are offering over $8.6 billion for energy savings and energy efficiency projects. Source: Energy Efficiency Markets
Photo by stephen.moore
A list of interesting energy management headlines from the last few days . . .
Deepwater Drilling for U.S.? Try Deepwater Wind
An inside look at the lab that could help the U.S. keep pace with Europe.
LEED Certified Buildings May Not Be Healthy Buildings
Weaknesses in the way LEED certification measures adverse health impacts of building materials gives a false impression of the safety of "environmentally friendly" buildings, according to a new study.
‘Green' Energy is Critical for a Secure Energy Supply
Green energy systems are essential in securing energy supply and protecting the environment, according to a new report from Lloyd's 360 Risk Insight and UK think tank Chatham House.
No-Cost, Low-Cost Tips For Saving Money on Energy Bills
As the heat and humidity of summer approach, Dominion Virginia Power is encouraging customers to take no-cost and low-cost steps to reduce their energy use and lower their electric bills.
We Need $16B per Year for Energy Innovation
Americans spend more on potato chips every year than energy investment, said Kleiner Perkins venture capitalist John Doerr at an event on Wednesday morning for the newly created American Energy Innovation Council.
Photo courtesy of The European Wind Energy Association
Architect Group Names the Top Ten Green Buildings for 2010
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected the top ten green buildings for 2010, citing examples in six states and two foreign countries of buildings which make the best use of energy efficiency strategies such as natural daylighting, shading, and ventilation.
U.S. Offices Lag in Efficiency, Conservation
U.S. office buildings are not keeping pace with building automation, leading to lost productivity and added costs, according to a survey of U.S. office workers by IBM. Only 33 percent of respondents rated their office buildings "high" in terms of environmental responsibility.
Fun Tools to Spark Energy Conservation: Shame, Guilt, Embarrassment
What will it take to convince the average person to manage and reduce their energy consumption? One of the most compelling ways could be to make energy consumption transparent to communities, using the persuasive power of the group to trigger those hard-hitting emotional responses like shame and guilt, or competition.
Energy Efficiency vs. Renewable Energy - Which Matters Most for the Economy
Which will play the biggest role in future U.S. economic growth: the new energy that we find ... or the energy that we avoid using?
Five Tips for Selecting LED Lighting Systems
LED lighting retrofits can offer businesses two key benefits: some fixtures can deliver up to an 85 percent energy savings and the life span of LEDs average about 50,000 hours, reports Retrofit Magazine. But before making a decision on a retrofit, businesses first have to evaluate their current lighting layout and future requirements.
Are We Thinking About Energy All Wrong?
The energy world operates under the premise that more is better. But is that the right way to think about power?
"Skinnier" Buildings: EPA Announces Energy Conservation Competition
The Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program has launched a competition aimed at streamlining buildings that are presently deemed energy monoliths.
The California Smart Meters Story Continues to Evolve
California was the first state in the US to move ahead with full-scale deployment of smart meters. That decision can be traced back to the energy crisis of 2000-01 which analysts showed was caused in part by the failure to transmit dynamic pricing signals to retail customers.
Fjords, Caves and Mines: The New Tools for Building Data Centers
It's the computing room for the Hall of the Mountain King.
Sea Wind Power
Today there isn't a single offshore wind turbine in the United States. Meanwhile Europe, China and Japan are far along in developing a water based wind power industry.
Photo by Wonderlane
The approaches to financing energy-efficiency projects are as varied as the need. Energy services performance contracts guarantee savings will meet or exceed annual payments to cover the project costs. Lease-purchase agreements are also popular. Some states offer tax credits and other incentives to companies that implement more efficient energy systems.
Using an Energy Performance Contract
Energy services companies (ESCOs) will design, install, finance, and manage energy-efficient systems in a customer's facility using energy savings they produce from new efficiencies to pay for the cost of the project. They enter into a performance contract with a company that states that the ESCO will guarantee the amount of savings the facility will achieve. These contracts typically run from four to ten years. The length of time is dependent on the project's complexity, the project type, and the savings payback period.
A baseline consumption profile is determined using past energy bills, and then savings are calculated using the actual energy bills received throughout the contract period. Usually both parties agree to monitor the savings on a regular basis-that way midcourse adjustments can be made and performance improved.
Performance contract projects must be of sufficient size, so that the savings generated by the project cover its costs over the length of time specified in the contract. Aggregating smaller projects into a single contract is a way to create the critical mass necessary to make performance contracting a viable option.
Lease-Purchase
Commercial leasing corporations, banks, investment brokers, financing companies or even the equipment manufacturers themselves will offer lease-purchase agreements as a means of reducing the costs of energy-efficient equipment. These leases are designed so that the energy savings actually pay the financing charges. Leases in which the lessee assumes ownership typically range from 5 to 10 years.
Capital leases have many of the same characteristics as asset ownership. Capital leases are long-term, no-cancel agreements in which the lessee assumes responsibility for maintenance, insurance, and taxes.
An operating lease, on the other hand, allows the lessee to use the asset, but does not include the rights and responsibilities of ownership. Operating leases are attractive to companies that regularly replace or upgrade equipment.
State Tax Incentives
Not all states have incentives, but some do. One way to learn if your state has special tax or other incentives for commercial energy-efficiency projects is to visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE).
Federal Incentives
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 Commercial Building Tax Deduction (§179D IRS Code) has been extended to 2013. You can receive a tax credit up to $1.80 per square foot in three different end use applications:
- Building envelope ($0.60/ft2)
- Heating, cooling, ventilation ($0.60/ft2)
- Interior lighting ($0.60/ft2)
The tax credit is available to owners or tenants (or designers, in the case of government-owned buildings) of new or existing commercial buildings. In order to qualify, you must save at least 50% of the energy cost of a building that meets ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001. There are verification requirements involving software and certification requirements from a third-party.
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Article used with permission of Questline, Inc. Photo by Photos8.com
This is a Fable. It is a commonly-held belief that dishwashers are convenient, but use more water and energy than hand washing. In fact, dishwashers can help you to conserve water and save on energy bills.
An average load of dishes cleaned in a dishwasher uses 37% less water than washing dishes by hand. This can save the typical household nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year.
Although operating a dishwasher increases electricity consumption, the energy reduction from lower hot water temperatures on your hot water tank ultimately lowers energy use and your utility bills. According to ENERGY STAR®, the average household with an electric water heater saves $40 per year by using a dishwasher and households with a gas water heater save $32 per year.
Energy Savings Tips
Additional energy savings can be obtained by properly preparing your dishes for the dishwasher. Rinsing dishes before loading them into the dishwasher can use up to 20 gallons of water. Most dishwashers and detergents are designed to clean without rinsing, just scrape the dishes and load. If dishes will be sitting overnight, the residue may become difficult to clean. Use your dishwasher's pre-rinse feature. It uses only a fraction of the water that is needed for hand rinsing. Be sure that your dishwasher is full before beginning a cycle and use short wash cycles when less cleaning is needed. In addition, using a rinse agent and air-drying, rather than using the heat dry cycle, will save energy use during the wash cycle.
Photo by jsgphoto
Permission to use this article was granted by Tech Resources, Inc.
How far would you go to save $1,000? How about $200? What about $5? While checking out at a local grocery store the other day, I overheard the following:
Agitated Shopper: "You overcharged me."
Clerk: "No, I scanned everything correctly. I believe you misread your receipt."
Agitated Shopper: "No, you charged me twice for the paper towels. I'd like to speak to your manager."
While this interchange was obviously frustrating for the shopper, it illustrates an important concept: always check your receipt. By carefully reviewing the bill, the shopper spotted the clerk's mistake and avoided being overcharged. This advice not only applies to personal expenses, it's also an important concept for business, particularly when it comes to managing utility invoices.
The fact is, utility suppliers can and do make mistakes. Depending on the size of your business and the number of utility accounts you have, these mistakes may add up to a few dollars or tens of thousands. If the mistake is in your favor, they'll eventually discover it and bill you for any undercharge. But if the mistake is in their favor, you'll probably never hear about it. Remember the phrase "caveat emptor," which is Latin for "let the buyer beware?" It's the customer's responsibility to identify overcharges.
Utility bills provide a wealth of information, and while not all suppliers are the same, a few items are common to every bill, including current consumption (which may be actual or estimated), prior consumption, and rate. These, as well as any miscellaneous charges, should be checked routinely as they are frequent sources of billing errors.
If a utility supplier applies the wrong rate, charges you too much due to a inflated estimate, or tacks on incorrect miscellaneous charges, you could be paying for something you didn't receive. This is why it is so important to always check your receipt.
Photo by Dan4th
Recently, while walking through the frozen food section of my local grocery store, I found myself drawn to the pizza case. It's never a good idea to go grocery shopping when you're hungry (and boy was I starving), but since I was already there, I decided to pick up dinner.
This particular store carries several different pizza brands, including its very own. Yet while the store brand was cheaper, I chose a more expensive item. Why?
The national brand's advertising probably had something to do with it, but what really put me off the store brand was the way the product looked. The frost buildup on the package suggested the pizza had thawed and been refrozen. Not very appetizing.
So the store - a well known chain - lost the opportunity to sell a higher margin product due to poor refrigeration management.
Unfortunately, many retailers have this problem - they don't manage refrigeration effectively. The need to keep shelves stocked must be balanced with the need to control energy consumption.
Retailers naturally want to increase sales, so they try to keep freezers full. No one wants to lose a customer because an item is out of stock. But overstocking refrigerated cases can lead to mechanical issues, which often results in spoilage.
For example, a manager may want to increase sales of premium beef, so he increases the number of items on display. The excess merchandise blocks airflow within the unit, which affects the temperature of stocked items. Some are too cold while others are too warm. As a result, the coloration of the meat is inconsistent, making it less attractive to the consumer and reducing sales.
One solution to this problem would be to reduce the amount of product on display, but restock more frequently. Another would be to spread the items into two cases. Either alternative would result in a more attractive display while allowing the refrigeration unit to operate more efficiently.
Photo courtesy of iboy_daniel
Price volatility can make the month's electricity or natural gas bill an uncomfortable surprise. When it comes to managing energy spend, there are two major factors to keep in mind:
- The rates you pay
- Your consumption
Of the two, consumption may be the easiest to address, because the local utility board often determines the rate structure. Even in deregulated markets, where third party suppliers compete with utilities to offer the best pricing, negotiating contracts can be a lengthy process. If you're ready to cut your energy bill now, focusing on consumption may be the quickest approach. Here's how.
Audit. Routinely audit energy bills to make sure they are accurate and that the utility or supplier is applying the appropriate rates. Surprisingly, utility bill errors are common - consumption may be too high, duplicate bills are sent, or bills come in for accounts that have been closed.
Analyze. Analyze historical utility bill data to identify locations using energy inefficiently--then focus conservation efforts on those sites.
Start by figuring out why they're using more energy. Is there a logical reason, like they run longer shifts or more shifts than facilities that consume less energy? Are the highest consuming sites operating different equipment? Develop a metric for energy intensity, such as kilowatt-hours used per square foot, and then compare the variance across sites.
Once you have the numbers, group your locations into four buckets-best, good, bad, and worst. Then, look more deeply at the best-performing sites. What sets them apart? How are these facilities managed differently than the rest? Are they using energy efficient lighting? What temperature are thermostats set on? How well maintained is their HVAC equipment? After documenting what's happening in your best facilities, investigate those areas in your worst performing locations.
Automate. Once you have a feel for the metrics, work to establish operation-wide standards for thermostat settings, lighting control, equipment maintenance, etc. in order to emulate the most energy efficient locations. Consider installing an energy management system (EMS). This will enable you to monitor the performance of HVAC, lighting, and other equipment that require a significant amount of energy. With an EMS, these assets can be controlled remotely and adjusted as needed to reduce consumption. An EMS tends to pay for itself quickly in large-scale operations.
Award. Prioritize energy conservation by rewarding the team when specific reduction targets are met. For example, a large restaurant chain taught their team of 400 to treat energy like gold. The company also installed energy monitoring equipment. The metrics approach to consumption along with employee training allowed them to reduce their energy spend by close to 15%.
Energy prices are stable right now, but high prices are bound to return. I recently posted a discussion topic to a few LinkedIn Groups I am a member of. The question was "What's the least expensive way to reduce energy costs?" Dozens of people responded and there were several very good ideas.
Performing lighting retrofits was by far the most common response, but not the cheapest. The best money saving tip for reducing energy costs was simply to change employee behavior. Depending on how you approach it, communicating with store personnel is essentially free. The interesting thing is how rarely this approach seems to be implemented.
Other recommendations for reducing energy consumption included
- Installing timers or motion sensors that automatically turn off lights
- Developing an energy management strategy
- Installing highly reflective roofing
- Benchmarking energy use and tracking consumption
Below are a few quotes from people who responded. I've left out the names of people who responded out of respect for their privacy.
"The best program we have done to date by far would be raising employee awareness and educating them on the benefits of turning off equipment and building lighting overnight and over weekends . . . once you get your building occupants on board you are primed for more aggressive efforts moving forward."
"Implement auditable energy saving practices at the stores...day/night switches etc. Keep targets and a monitoring system in place for energy conservation."
"Air infiltration through the building envelope has been found to account for up to 1/3 of the energy use in commercial buildings, and the National Energy Technology Lab reports up to 51% of energy use is attributed to glazing when daylighting and thermal impacts are considered."
"It's critical to be conscious at the design stage itself. The kind of electrical equipment/lighting, the wiring and the circuitry needs to be planned with conservation in mind. Later it requires additional cost to reduce wasteful consumption."
Photo by James Bowe