| In discussions about industrial energy savings, energy | | | | Therefore, with the exception of replacing non-efficient |
| saving methods are discussed as if a company could | | | | boilers, most HVAC systems are made more efficient |
| choose only one method to lower their energy costs, | | | | simply by downsizing their components. |
| which isn't true. While some commercial energy | | | | Picking Power Rates |
| savings methods offer greater annual savings than | | | | While implementing efficient design is the best single |
| others, perhaps the biggest reason for the view that | | | | way to reduce energy costs, many companies don't |
| energy savings methods can't be combined is | | | | have the option of finding more efficient versions of |
| because many energy efficiency companies only | | | | industrial machines, which makes paying as little as |
| specialize in one method of energy reduction. | | | | possible for electric and gas a valuable cost saving |
| Therefore, it pays to view industrial energy savings | | | | method. Getting the best power rates usually involves |
| holistically, combining as many methods as possible to | | | | hiring a power rate brokerage and consultancy firm to |
| achieve the highest savings. Below, we look three | | | | dialogue with energy providers, and the negotiated |
| energy-savings methods that can be combined to | | | | power rates don't last forever. Nonetheless, when |
| realize greater savings than any of them would offer | | | | combined with facility wide energy efficient retrofits, |
| on their own. | | | | always paying as little as possible for power can really |
| Energy Efficient Design | | | | pay off, both for companies that use industrial |
| The energy saving method that offers the highest | | | | machinery and companies that don't. |
| savings is energy efficient design, with many | | | | Energy Conservation Measures |
| companies realizing over a 50 percent reduction in their | | | | Energy conservation measures have been practiced |
| annual utility cost after implementing facility wide | | | | for as long as companies have received energy bills. |
| energy saving retrofits. The two most common | | | | But today's conservation measures are high tech. |
| targets of energy efficient retrofitting are HVAC | | | | Instead of relying on employees to turn off |
| system components and interior lighting system | | | | unnecessary lighting, companies can now implement |
| components, which combine to account for the | | | | lighting control systems that dim or turn off lights in |
| majority of most companies' annual energy usage. The | | | | relation to movement or on a set schedule. Another |
| problem with traditional lighting systems is as expected: | | | | example of modern energy conservation is improving |
| their lamps and ballasts use more energy than | | | | a building's envelope to preserve the warmth and |
| necessary to create an optimal lighting effect, and the | | | | coolness produced by an HVAC system. |
| lamps show increasingly poor performance over the | | | | Conservation measures alone are a dependable way |
| course of their useful life. The problem with traditional | | | | to cut energy costs. Yet, when combined with efficient |
| HVAC components is that many of them are | | | | design and rate picking, they complete a powerful trio |
| oversized, and use more energy than necessary to | | | | of cost saving methods that results in paying as little |
| create the optimal heating and cooling effects. | | | | as possible for utilities. |