Rising Energy Costs

As an energy conscious Heating and Air Conditioning contractor and to build off of a fellow “BOSS” member’s blog on rising energy costs, I recently read an article about common energy management mistakes that I would like to share with you.

Many Facility Managers put in energy efficient lighting and building automation systems and expect to reap the returns and don’t see any real improvements.  I am betting that there will be several items mentioned here that are things you’ve never realized could make such big dent in your energy costs.
 
Leaving Electronics & Appliances Turned on:
According to the US Department of Energy, office equipment makes up about 16% of an office’s electric bill. The EPA has estimated that more than $1 Billion each year is wasted in US organizations on the electric bill due to computer monitors left on.  Tenants and occupants need to be encouraged and advised to unplug things and turn equipment off when not in use.

Dirty Filters:
Clogged filters reduce airflow, which makes the blower work harder to push  the air through which increases energy consumption. It also can make coils dirty which create another whole host of energy and mechanical concerns.  By putting a preventive maintenance program in place not only do you help reduce your electric bill, you will stop dirty air from circulating.
 
Cleaning At Night:
A consulting engineer from Pennsylvania recently did evaluations on utility bills for high rise office buildings in Philadelphia.  He found that more than half of the electricity consumption occurred during off-peak hours.  Lights and building systems being left on when not needed.  If cleaning during the day is not an option, ask custodial staff to move throughout the building as a team, cleaning one floor at a time and turning off lights and systems as they go.
 
Thermostats mounted on wrong locations:
There are several factors that affect thermostats and the temperatures they pick up.  Direct sunlight, drafts, vents, people walking by, space heaters and fans, etc. all affect thermostat readings, calling for heating and cooling when it is not actually needed.  For correct placement of a thermostat, position it about 4 feet above a finished floor on a flat, interior wall away from equipment and diffusers.  Don’t place copiers, fax machines, coffee machines or other types of heat generating equipment nearby.
 
Not optimizing equipment start-up time and sequencing:
Think about when your equipment is turning on, how many pieces are turning on at the same time. As the U.S. EPA states, if each piece of equipment in your facility is starting at 8 a.m., your peak demand will be much higher than if equipment starts up sequentially at 7:45 a.m.: Bring your equipment online throughout a period of about 30 minutes or so. Test out some different options to figure out the latest possible start-up times.
 
In the February 2008 issue of “Buildings” there are several other mistakes found in facilities, with vending machines, exhaust fans, dirty windows and drippy faucets that are causing wasted electricity.  If we all do our part and make a fingerprint in reducing electrical consumption, we will lower our electric bills and reduce our dependency on foreign oil.
 
 
By Jim Carlson
President, Michael James Industries, Inc.