A weekly summary of energy management news from around the web . . .
09.25.2009 - Retail Industry, Truckers Unite to Reduce Port Emissions
The partnership between the Retail Industry Leadership Association and the Coalition for Responsible Transportation (CRT) aims to slash diesel emissions in and around U.S. ports. The partnership builds upon previous coalition programs at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. [read more]
09.24.2009 - Walmart Sustainability Index Means Big Business
Oct. 1 marks the official start of the first phase of Walmart's Sustainability Index, which offers both a huge business opportunity for suppliers and a potentially huge environmental business for the bumper crop of consulting and accounting firms springing up to help them navigate the journey. [read more]
09.24.2009 - Retailers Pursue Energy Efficiency
Tesco's latest Fresh and Easy grocery store in California has received an environmentally friendly badge, a LEED gold certification. The U.K. company is striving to make a name for itself as a green grocer. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart Stores and other retailers also are trying to tap into the green market while reducing their energy bills. [read more]
09.24.2009 - Twenty Sustainability Trends That Are Changing Business
Here is a list of 20 sustainability trends that are changing the business landscape. We're keeping our eyes on these... 1. From economic collapse to a green economic recovery. Interest in all things "green" continues to grow as the economy sinks. [read more]
09.23.2009 - Reports Examine Consumer Attitudes Toward Sustainability
A series of reports is giving an inside look at consumer attitudes and behaviors when it comes to "sustainable" CPG products. The food and beverage report examines the relationship between sustainability and emerging definitions of food quality, while the personal-care report finds that "natural" is still a meaningful word for shoppers. [read more]
09.23.2009 - Office Depot Helps Large Customers Understand ‘Greenness' of Purchases
Office Depot is stepping up its transparency in products it sells that have environmental attributes, including a special program for larger customers that helps explain the "greenness" of the customers' overall purchases. The program relies on Office Depot's Shades of Green labeling program. [read more]
09.22.2009 - Starbucks, Kohl's, Staples Top Retailers in New Green Ranking
Starbucks Corp., Kohl's Corp. and Staples rank among the greenest companies in America, according to the first-ever Newsweek Green Rankings. The report rates America's 500 largest publicly traded companies based on their environmental performance, policies and reputation. [read more]
09.21.2009 - Columbia Sportswear Customers Choose Used Boxes
Columbia Sportswear offers shoppers the option of having their purchases shipped in used boxes. Customers are going with that option for about two-thirds of the boxes the company uses, and shoppers can track boxes' reuse after they're finished with them. [read more]
09.21.2009 - The Upside of a Global Recession?
The global economic crisis has had a significant effect on global climate change, curbing energy use and economic activity around the world -- and resulting in the greatest drop in global carbon emissions in more than 40 years. [read more]
Photo by: Valerie Everett
Because of the business Prenova is in, we have the opportunity to discuss energy management strategy with a lot of different companies from a variety of industries. The steps an organization takes to control energy costs vary, and are driven to a large extent by awareness of the various options they have, but that's not the only consideration. Factors such as corporate culture, available budget, and organization structure also influence decisions about energy.
Sometimes, the best way to really understand what's happening in an industry is to ask a salesperson. After all, they're the ones on the road, sitting in front of customers and potential customers every day. So this week I caught up with Tiffany Bowen, one of Prenova's sales executives, to get her perspective on how the retail industry is addressing energy management. Following are a few of her comments . . .
Q: Tiffany, how does the typical retailer approach energy management?
Bowen: You know there is really a wide spectrum across the retailers that I've met with in terms of their level of understanding of the different levers they can pull to reduce their energy spend. You have very sophisticated companies that might have energy management technology in place and are outsourcing their bill payment, bill audit function and energy procurement.
And then there are those who really aren't doing much of anything because they just haven't been educated about what the opportunity is for savings. They may say "Well we get the bill and we pay the bill; that's our energy strategy - we get the bill, we pay the bill." They don't realize there is an opportunity to reduce costs because that's not their focus. Their specialty is selling merchandise; clothes, hardware, food, whatever it is. There simply isn't an awareness of the scope of the opportunity.
But most people I meet with have an understanding that there are a more things they can do, whether it's installing technology, monitoring their stores, trying to earn ENERGY STAR for their stores, or just doing a better job with procurement. Most retailers don't feel like they've fully optimized their energy strategy yet, so they're interested in exploring solutions. Only a small percentage of the companies I've met with have sophisticated energy strategies that are well articulated and being managed consistently throughout their company.
Q: In a research study Prenova did with Chain Store Age earlier this year, we found that most retailers are developing sustainability plans as a way to save money. Is that what you're hearing?
Bowen: The primary driver in most cases is still cost savings, so while there is an overall commitment to getting better and more efficient and being more green, I think the overriding driver right now is cost savings. And that really influences the decisions people are making today. Everyone is concerned that every dollar they spend, they can show a return, and that there is a pretty clear and rapid path to the return. People are really deliberating, being extra analytical and careful about their decisions. They really want to line up the business case for every investment they make.
Q: Are you seeing a lot of innovative approaches or new thinking about energy?
Bowen: One company I met with is actually going down the wind turbine path at a couple of their sites. They're looking at cogeneration deals because they believe they may be able to generate and sell back some excess energy to the utility company. But activity like this is really in the pilot phase today for the most part.
Q: What is your outlook for the retail industry? How are companies doing?
Bowen: In general what I'm hearing is really good news. Most of the folks I meet with are still opening stores. For the most part they have scaled back the number by 20% or 30%, but there is still growth. And that's very positive in the sense that I'm hearing good news. There's still cautious growth.
Photo by: goingslo
The following article appeared in Prenova's monthly email newsletter - Energy Insider - and is provided courtesy of Questline and Tech Resources.
Key Points
- A performance monitoring system includes not only the needed sensors, wiring and data acquisition devices, but also the means to calculate, display, and archive resultant parameters.
- There are eleven sections for a basic level performance monitoring system specification.
- The specification recommends 41 specific measured, virtual, and calculated data points for a performance monitoring system.
The California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research Program (PIER) recently sponsored research by the Building Technologies Program of the U.S. Department of Energy. A primary product of this research project has been the development of a set of specifications for continuous performance monitoring systems that can be easily adapted and routinely used by a variety of organizations for both new construction and control system retrofits. It is encapsulated in the publicly available report, A Specifications Guide for Performance Monitoring Systems.
According to the Specifications Guide, a performance monitoring system can be defined as follows:
"The primary purpose of a performance monitoring system is to provide facility managers and operators with the means to easily assess the current and historical performance of the building/facility as a whole, and its significant energy consuming systems and components. The performance monitoring system includes not only the needed sensors, wiring and data acquisition devices, but also the means to calculate, display, and archive resultant parameters."
Within the Specifications Guide, Appendix D: Example Basic Level General Specifications, breaks down the specification into 11 sections as outlined below. Much more detail under each of the 11 sections is available in the report.
- Work Included-This section defines a general description of the work included. It addresses equipment, software, installation, programming, functional testing, documentation, training, and training documentation capable of meeting the performance monitoring requirements listed.
- System Description-This section contains a general description of the monitoring system. This description includes the performance monitoring system requirements, the graphic requirements, and the measurement accuracy.
- Instrumentation and Data Requirements-This section defines the instrumentation and data requirements. These requirements cover general topics such as equipment labeling, instrumentation warranties, and sensor identification for specific components including electric meters, natural gas meters, airflow meters, and weather stations.
- Sensors, Meters, and Calculated Values for Performance Monitoring-This section defines the sensor inputs, virtual points, and calculated values. This section contains a table which lists all the measured, virtual, and calculated points that are to be captured for the various sensors and meters. It includes requirements for Data Type (analog or digital), Sensor Type, Required End-to-end Accuracy, Display Resolution, Refresh Interval (minimum), and Meters Trend Interval (minimum).
- Data Point Naming Convention-This section describes the data point naming convention including the established name format, length, location, uniqueness, and use of uppercase letters.
- Trending-This section identifies required trends and their characteristics. It establishes points to be trended and the grouping of trend values including system data.
- Archiving Data-This section defines data archiving and retrieval requirements. It identifies three types of data archiving systems, SQL compliance, and requirements for read access, trend data interval and quality, data access, and trend data export.
- Graphics Requirements-This section describes the graphic display requirements on the operator's monitor for each facility feature, system, component, data point, and trend or other output result covered by this specification.
- Commissioning-This section describes the particular quality assurance tasks required to commission the performance monitoring system, including installation and set-up, sensor calibration verification, and demonstration/witness tests.
- Training-This section defines particular training requirements for operating and maintaining the performance monitoring system that shall be provided to in-house operating staff.
- Submittals-This section defines particular submittal requirements. It covers the submittals review process, construction documents, contractor quality assurance documents, as-built drawings, and training documents.
Sources
Gillespie,Kenneth L., et.al. 2007. A Specifications Guide for Performance Monitoring Systems. The Regents of the University of California through Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
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Photo: Manky Maxblack
Permission to use this article was granted by Tech Resources, Inc.
A weekly summary of energy management news from around the web . . .
09.14.2009 - Eco-Supermarket Plans On Display
Tesco will host a two-day exhibition detailing aspects of a proposed 25,000-square-foot green store in Larkhall, England. The eco store would create jobs and be environmentally conscious, the retailer said. [read more]
09.14.2009 - Summer Temperatures Lower Than Normal Over Most of US
The average June-August 2009 summer temperature for the contiguous United States was below average - the 34th coolest on record, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. August was also below the long-term average. [read more]
09.15.2009 - DOE to Fund up to $454 Million for Retrofit Ramp-Ups in Energy Efficiency
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced a new $450 million program designed to catalyze a nationwide energy upgrade that experts estimate could save $100 million annually in utility bills for households and businesses. [read more]
09.15.2009 - Starbucks Kicks Off Cup-Recycling Pilot Program in NYC
Starbucks launched a pilot program in seven New York stores last week that could help the company move toward its goal of making all of its coffee cups recyclable by 2012. [read more]
09.15.2009 - Walmart Makes Sustainability Index an Imperative
Wal-Mart Stores' decision to co-develop a sustainability index means suppliers need to start taking their environmental impact seriously, Daniel Goleman writes. The scope of Wal-Mart's supply chain may be one of the best shots at getting international manufacturers to embrace sustainable practices. [read more]
09.16.2009 - For Food Retailers, LEDs Light the Way to Energy Savings, Higher Sales
A significant increase in utility rebates, a steady rise in electricity costs and the Obama administration's funding earmarked for energy-efficiency projects makes it the best time for food retailers to upgrade to LED lighting in the U.S., according to a white paper from Nualight Ltd. [read more]
09.16.2009 - Whole Foods Powers U.S. Stores with Wind
Whole Foods has bought renewable-energy credits for 100% of its electricity in North American stores. The company bought the power from wind farms. [read more]
09.17.2009 - Home Depot "Lights Up" Over Eco-Friendly Buyers
Home Depot has started a light-bulb recycling program and is hoping to reach more environmentally responsive buyers with its "Eco Options" line, which features more than 3,700 products. [read more]
09.18.2009 - Hate Calculus? Try Counting Carbon
As companies try to measure the carbon footprints of their products to assign them a sustainability rating, one truth is emerging: A precise measurement is impossible. [read more]
09.18.2009 - Only 30% of Firms Have a Business Case for Sustainability
A majority of corporate executives believe sustainability-related issues are having or will have an impact on their businesses, but more than 70 percent say their companies have not developed a clear business case for addressing sustainability. [read more]
Photo: Vin Crosbie
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
A weekly summary of energy management news from around the web . . .
09.08.2009 - U.N. Calls for Tougher Emission Cuts
The world can still cap global warming at far lower levels - 1.5 degrees Celsius versus 2 degrees Celsius - and the Group of Eight industrialized nations (G8) need to set firm commitments on reductions by 2020, says the chairman of the U.N. climate panel, reports Reuters. [read more]
09.08.2009 - 70% of Supply Chain Execs Say Environment More Important
Environmental issues will become more important to the supply chain over the next three years, say about 70 percent of supply chain professionals in a recent survey. About 20 percent expect the importance of the environment to remain the same, and 2 percent expect it to decline. [read more]
09.09.2009 - ANSI Approves Green Seal for Restaurants
Restaurants seeking to be "green" have another measure of confidence now that the American National Standards Institute has approved the Green Seal Environmental Standard for Restaurants and Food Services (Gs-46). The Green Seal standard for restaurants was first published in May. [read more]
09.09.2009 - EPA Sets Stricter Standards for Energy Star Televisions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared that televisions will have to be 40% more energy efficient than conventional models to earn the Energy Star label after May 1, 2010. A year later, the specification will tighten even more, requiring a 65% energy savings over conventional TVs. [read more]
09.10.2009 - Green Buildings Combine Healthy Living with Energy Savings
Whether it's a building project designed from the ground up to be eco-friendly or energy-efficient retrofit, developers are realizing energy and cost savings while creating healthy environments. Commercial projects are realizing significant savings. [read more]
09.10.2009 - Human Hair Could Reduce Cost of Solar Power
A Nepalese 18-year-old has used human hair instead of silicon in solar panels, reducing the panels' cost. The melanin in hair can be used as a conductor -- and human hair is available worldwide.
[read more]
09.11.2009 - An Online Tool to Rate Cellphone Radiation
The Environmental Working Group launched a Web site this week that lets users track how much radiation their cell phones emit. The site also ranks the best and worst: Samsung phones were among the lowest emitters, while BlackBerry models and Motorola phones were among the highest. [read more]
Photo by DRB62
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