Articles

September 12, 2007

Reducing Energy: The Buck Stops  and Starts  Here

By Keith Hartman

In the everyday crunch of running a business, it’s easy to tune out information on global warming. But if you’re a building owner, facilities manager or business owner, you need to pay attention. Since buildings are responsible for almost 40 percent of greenhouse emissions, there’s a lot you can do about the problem.

Not only can you reduce energy and save money on your electric bill, you’ll help prevent blackouts and brownouts by relieving some of the burden on our strained power grid.

Here’s a quick update on the issue as well as some simple things you can do to reduce energy consumption.

National

Commercial buildings that improve the energy efficiency of lighting and other building energy systems are eligible for tax deductions of up to $1.80 a square foot, according to the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005. Meanwhile, governmental entities in about 20 states are requiring public construction and renovations to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

Regional

The tri-state region recently received high marks from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), which ranks state energy-efficiency policies, spending, building energy codes, appliance standards and other programs to increase energy efficiency. Connecticut tied for the top spot while New York and New Jersey ranked seventh and eighth, respectively.

Between 2000 and 2006, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) funded projects in excess of $100 million. New Jersey recently passed a law aimed at reducing global warming gases to 1990 levels by 2020. New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program, meanwhile, provides more than $180 million annually to businesses, municipalities and residents to increase energy efficiency while the state Board of Public Utilities administers the New Jersey SmartStart Building initiative, a $27.8 million program providing financial incentives to reduce energy.

New York City

The goal of Mayor Bloomberg’s GreeNYC’s is to reduce carbon emissions 30 percent by the year 2030. The program provides a $1 coupon to homeowners toward purchasing a compact fluorescent bulb.

Public Energy Solutions has been working for the past several years with Con Edison through our Operation Kill-A-Watt program to reduce energy consumption in high load areas of New York City and Westchester County. Under this year’s program, eligible businesses in certain zip codes of Brooklyn, Queens and Westchester County are entitled to free energy audits and free compact fluorescent replacement lamps if they have 25 or more incandescent bulbs, excluding table lamps.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz recently endorsed Operation Kill-A-Watt, which is expected to save New Yorkers more than $230 million in electric bills during the next 10 years. Last year, Public Energy Solutions saved $5 million in energy costs in New York while removing about 185 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Pitching In

Here’s what you can do to reduce your building’s energy consumption:

• Program your thermostat. Set the thermostat to begin cooling or heating your building 30 minutes before working hours and reverse the procedure after hours.

• Use energy-efficient temperature settings. Because some thermostats are inaccurate, take your cue from employees. If they’re wearing sweaters in July, turn the thermostat down. If they’re complaining about the heat in winter, it’s time to lower the dial.
  

• Use compact fluorescent lamps instead of incandescents. Compact fluorescents are about 75 percent more energy efficient than incandescent lamps and last up to10 times longer. T8 fluorescent lamps are a cost-effective upgrade from traditional T12 fluorescent lamps, providing up to 40 percent greater efficiency. If you’re in a zip code covered by Operation Kill-A-Watt, you’re entitled to free energy-efficient lighting and a free energy audit.

• Put timers or motion sensors on exterior lights. Are you wasting electricity in your parking lot or other exterior spaces by keeping the lights on all night? Determine if you can cut back by using timers or motion sensors.
  
• Get an energy audit. PES does complimentary energy audits for eligible buildings to identify how to be more energy efficient.

• Replace inefficient equipment and appliances. In many cases, it’s less expensive to buy new energy-efficiency appliances than to continue paying high electric bills for inefficient items. You may be eligible for a rebate, so check with your state board of utilities before purchasing new equipment or appliances.
  
• Establish preventative maintenance schedules for upgrading building systems (such as changing bulbs), which is less expensive than waiting until they burn out.

Energy efficiency is making headlines nearly every day, a good indicator that the green building trend is not just a passing fad. Keeping track of tax incentives, utility programs and following these simple practices can provide real energy cost savings while also increasing building value.

Keith Hartman is president and chief executive officer of Public Energy Solutions of Englewood, N.J. Public Energy Solutions is a nationally recognized energy management services company that helps businesses realize greater energy cost savings while maximizing facility performance. For information, call (866) 818-1900 ext. 106 or visit www.PublicEnergySolutions.com.