 Energy Conservation – We have cleaner forms of energy compared to other parts of the U.S. Most of our electricity is generated from hydro-power or natural gas turbines. And we are able to use natural gas to run equipment such as boilers. But creating and using energy adds pollution to our air. It may not seem like much, but looking at how your business uses energy, and finding ways to conserve energy can save you money and reduce air pollution. Below are a variety of ways to conserve energy.
Audit:
Have your local energy utility conduct an energy assessment of your facility or conduct your own audit. Use the data collected to implement energy saving practices.
Actions:
Visit ENERGY STAR. Access to free, unbiased information and technical support from ENERGY STAR, you can improve your company's financial performance by reducing energy waste and energy costs. Free tools available on the website can are customized for different types of businesses who have very different energy needs.
Lighting Tips –
- Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps - they last 10 times longer and use up to 75% less energy.
- Replace your 40-watt fluorescent lamps to 34-watt compact fluorescent lamps. They produce just as much light without using as much electricity.
- When fluorescent T-12 lamps burn out, consider retrofitting fixtures with T-8 or T-5 lamps and changing from magnetic ballast to electronic.
- Install occupancy sensors in areas not used often, such as conference, storage and rest rooms. They can reduce lighting costs up to 40%.
- Install timers or photocells to ensure that interior and exterior lights are turned off at the appropriate time.
- Replace incandescent lights in exit signs with LED fixtures, which can reduce costs by 95%.
Heating/Cooling Tips –
- Install programmable thermostats to automatically control temperature settings on heating/air conditioning equipment. Adjust the thermostat down in the winter (68 degrees F or colder) and up in the summer (78 degrees F or warmer).
- Weatherize. Check for air leaks around windows, doors and places where plumbing or ductwork penetrates the building. Seal-off unused areas to reduce or eliminate heating or cooling in these spaces (i.e. storage rooms, warehouses.)
- Install variable speed drives (VSDs) on large motor loads, to reduce energy usage.
- Establish a preventative maintenance program for heating, venting and air conditioning.
a. Change or clean all air filters, preferably monthly.
b. Clean all heat exchanger surfaces, water & refrigerant coils, condensers, evaporator.
c. Repair leaks in piping, air ducts, coils, fittings.
Water Heating Tips –
- Lower the thermostat on the water heater. A 10 degree F reduction can save up to 5 percent on water heating costs.
- Install water flow restrictors and aerators, especially in sink faucets. In addition to saving on water-heating costs, these measures can save money by reducing water usage.
- Insulate tanks and pipes to reduce standby heat loss.
- Perform maintenance. Remove scale and deposits (boiler blow down), measure stack temperature and flue gas composition (flame) combustion efficiency.
- Install timers on electric water heaters. Timers can turn water heaters off at night and on in the morning. This will reduce energy loss during the periods when hot water is not required.
Combustion Efficiency Improvements –
Making equipment operate more efficiently can reduce energy consumption and reduce emissions.
Equipment Tips –
- Turn off or set office equipment to power down when not in use. Turning off one computer and monitor nightly and on weekends can save up to $80 per year. Setting PCs, monitors and copiers to use sleep mode when not in use can help cut energy costs by up to 50%.
- Invest in energy-efficient equipment. When upgrading or adding new equipment, look for the ENERGY STAR symbol, which indicates the equipment meets federal standards for energy efficiency. Energy savings of 50% or more is possible.
- Using laptop computers instead of desk-top systems. This can save 80-90% in electrical costs (according to E-source.)
- Specify ENERGY STAR equipment when purchasing or negotiating a contract for new vending machines. It can save 30-50% over older equipment.
Local Efforts:
Sacred Heart Medical Center established night setback protocols for areas unoccupied in the evening, saving $25,000 in energy costs. By turning off a large fan in the radiology area at night, they were able to save another $15,000 in energy costs.
Ross Printing Company worked with Avista Utilities and Cougar Mechanical to install an energy efficient heating and cooling system in its 35,000 square foot produciton facility. In the first six months of installation, the results showed an 8% reduction in electricity consumption and a 25% reduction in natural gas use. Additionally, they installed a new, solvent-free flexographic plate setter, resulting in a 100% reduction in VOCs. They plan to retrofit their lighting ballasts to use low-energy bulbs, for further savings in electricity.
Links: U. S. Dept. of Energy - Assessments, U.S. Dept. of Energy - Energy Efficiency, Energy Star, Avista Utilities, Flex Your Power, Environmental Protection Agency
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