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IN-HOUSE ENERGY AUDIT CAN HELP BUSINESSES MANAGE SUMMER ELECTRICITY COSTS
February 13, 2007
While the summer months are just around the corner, businesses large and small still have time to proactively identify how they can make their operations more energy efficient and as a result, stabilize their energy costs in preparation for the warmest times of the year.
Taking a proactive approach is particularly significant if a business is entering its first summer after expanding, opening another location, changing its hours of operation, adding employees or perhaps expanding its portfolio of products.
For businesses which haven't experienced these changes recently, identifying the areas of increased energy consumption may not be so obvious.
With this in mind, business owners would be well served to conduct an in-house energy audit to determine how much electricity they are using and where consumption can be reduced without compromising productivity.
The thoroughness of an energy audit largely depends on the complexity of energy used by the business. A small office building might be evaluated in less than an hour while a larger building might require one or more days.
Regardless of the size and scope of an operation, an energy audit will likely reveal inefficiencies which, when remedied with simple operational or maintenance changes, can reduce energy consumption by 10-30 percent. Best of all, an initial energy audit does not have to be performed by an engineer or someone with an energy management background.
Getting Started
Smaller businesses are best suited to assign the responsibility of an in-house energy audit to one person. Larger operations may consider setting up an energy management committee to perform the task.
Give the operation at least a week prior notice of an audit in order for managers to obtain necessary documentation such as electricity bills for a typical 12-month period; an equipment list (including the age of each machine); daily logs and maintenance schedules; and appropriate facility plans and drawings.
A review of a typical year's utility bills, for example, may uncover unusual spikes in usage or a significantly higher usage level at a particular metered location or another facility.
Walk the Premises
Check Lighting Levels. Evaluate the location of lights and wattage levels. Note where light levels are too bright or too dim. Can they be turned off automatically when spaces are unoccupied? Are timers in place and are they set properly? In many cases, natural light can be used to reduce lighting costs.
Inspect Thermostats. Note each thermostat's cold and hot weather settings and when and how much they are set back for nights, weekends and non-use periods. Have programmable thermostats been installed to store and repeat multiple daily temperature settings? Can the system be turned down during cleaning hours? Finally, find out which areas are considered too hot or too cold. Ask workers to describe the level of comfort provided in their workspace.
Check Around Doors and Windows. Note the number and location of broken or cracked windows. Check for doors and windows in need of repair or replacement and check to see if weather stripping needs to be replaced around windows, doors and wall sidings. Identify windows that need shades, blinds or reflective film. Also, examine the insulation in ceilings and walls. The insulation’s R-value, a measure of its heat-resistance capacity, should be at least R 10.
Examine Machines and Equipment. Note the type and age of each machine, office machine or piece of equipment, keeping in mind as equipment ages, it becomes less energy efficient. Find out whether each piece of equipment is left on overnight or over the weekend and their daily hours of operation. Are machines shut down when not in use? Are exhaust fans and lights turned off when the premises are vacant?
Determine How Equipment is Turned On and Off. How an operation powers up its equipment can have a profound impact on its electricity costs. Businesses that gradually power up machines, or ratcheting electricity demand over an extended period of time will typically result in a higher load factor (the percentage of load used during a 24-hour period) as classified by local transmission/distribution service providers (TDSPs). The higher an operation's TDSP load factor profile (resulting in a more efficient electricity load), the more competitive the pricing it can secure.
After a self-administered audit, some business operations may require a more detailed, technical analysis of their energy consumption. The retail electric provider serving the business should be able to provide recommendations of capable energy audit professionals.
Finally, identify someone on staff to become the operation's energy manager – the "Energy Police," so to speak. Make this person accountable for making sure everyone adheres to the operations energy management policies. You may even consider making this initiative part of a incentive program which promotes the desired behaviors and ultimately rewards employees for taking ownership in running the business more efficiently.
Remember, some of the simplest energy efficiency actions can also be the most effective ways to generate significant energy savings.
Collin Coker, collin.coker@gexaenergy, is Senior Director, Commercial Sales at Gexa Energy.
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