SOLAR
There are many incentives to installing some panels. I've installed 6 solar arrays so far, from small to medium size. Everyone got assistance and/or a tax break from Govt. Besides a good thing to do, having extra power is invaluable.
People often ask me, "how can I put panels up in an older conventional building"?
Sometimes they think it will be a pain to bring the power into an existing system and very expensive. In these stressful economic times, with energy prices fluctuating so greatly, unconventional thinking is needed. I went to a small college recently, displaying their wonderful electric micro car (smaller than a mini!). I got the feeling right away that it was more for show than use. Staff could jump in it and run around the campus. At night, it got plugged in for recharge at a conventional plug.
If you have a campus stlye setting, golf carts are the best way to go but their are many competitors now. The batteries are ready made for solar stations placed strategically around the area. All that is needed is a few panels, placed in a small parking area. My friend calls them solar stalls like the posts setup when cowboys tied their horses to them. Small designated areas for parking and recharging.
The benefits to doing a small project like this are numerous. For instance, no tie- in to other systems. These are stand-alone with no inverters. Its DC to DC. In the micro-car case above, they needed to transform AC to DC from the conventional plug, losing power there too. Golf cart batteries are ready made for direct solar charging. (The only decent battery for solar installations back yesteryear.) Real and actual benefits for people to jump in and get around, saving on gas, using solar and long lasting rugged carts that can be used indoors in warehouses too.
Other vehicles can enjoy these benefits too. There are smaller vehicles and segways that can be used in hospital settings, feeding off the same solar stall.
TBC
SAVING ENERGY
FACILITIES MEETS IT
LIGHTS
Light the space needed. Dispersed light can be wasted light. Focused lights are a good way to work with the additional benefit of less glare. Understanding light better allows us to see clearer (white and green light), and use less energy. Measure in lumens for focused light and you'll SEE the difference.
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs. I tested these, they do what they advertise. They claim a much longer life and less heat. Use them at the desktop and dump the quartz and halogen style lamp, too expensive and fragile. Make sure the CFL base fits the socket, some are wider. Cons: Mercury inside.
Variable light switches (Dim). These seem to have fallen by the wayside but can sure save money in a heavy conventionly lighted area.
Cons: Don't work well with CFL's although there are ballasts for them.
Open lighting. Even buildings of the 70's had bubbles and sky lights and don't utilize them, worrying heat will escape. Use plexiglass instead of open egg style grates.
I installed standard natural fluorescent bulbs for a large area office space, as nice as they were, it was a TOTAL waste of money. Most wanted little or no light from above. Space out the bulbs, leave extras in the socket for tours and visitors if necessary. One great trick is to... secrets
Hallways need to be lit accordingly but think the LED is ... more
FYI: Lighting technology has taken a big turn for the better. Significant savings can be had in office buildings, garages... " In Pittsburgh, a city councilman this month proposed replacing all 40,000 streetlights with LEDs as a cost-saving measure." Livescience.com
HVAC
Boilers, Furnaces and unused heat sources -
We can't afford to waste the heat in these areas. There are still many boiler rooms in operation and they get very hot. I was in a building in New England where they used AC to cool off the boiler room - even in the winter - because it was so hot. Pipe off this extra heat, its cheap and easy to do. Wasting thousands of BTU's is just unacceptable. If your Manager doesn't know how, bring in someone that does. Don't tolerate the words, "That's impossible." I've heard it from many "experts" in my lifetime. Thinking efficiency, saving money, caring and doing the right things...ALL possible with some know-how.
The Server Room -
Most server rooms have paper thin walls and tile ceilings. Insulate them. ( I know what your saying, " I want the heat to escape anyway...")
Don't let the heat escape- store it! In many cases there is so much heat for another area's use. When a room can heat up 30 degrees in 2 hours with no AC - that's serious HEAT!.
This can be done with some duct, 2 fans, and a little know-how. Automatic sensors and Emerson type control units can monitor if desired. Thousands of BTU's can be utililized somewhere else, especially in colder climates.
Benefits include a cooler server room to start with. The AC unit, (the most expensive part of the electric bill) will be reduced simply by... more
The Office Floor, open space -
Experts in sustainability tell me they are recommending much lower office partitions for natural lights. We need to rethink about reflection too. Lower cubicles can help heat and AC dispersal.
Toss the space heaters. My last employer had 50 + space heaters going in the winter. They average 800 - 1200 Watts each no matter what type purchased. Insulate, put up storm windows, turn up the heat, its much cheaper. We also had to pay for the extra power poles, wiring and fuse boxes to accomodate them. secrets
Telecommute! My old bosses did not allow telecommuting...(Now out of business) Even with gas prices down, it allows for substantial savings. Shorter work weeks are becomming popular too. If one day is declared telecommute day for even one section or division, that area's power consumption can be shutdown.
Other heat sources, vents, windows -
Just look above the ceiling tiles to see hundreds of feet of ducts and feel the wind blowing. The biggest waste of heat and AC happens here! Vents leak all the time. This area is usually cold in the winter and warm in the summer too. Take the time to really inspect them. I sent some smoke through a 110' long heat vent one night and counted 7 holes after the HVAC people said it was tight. The steel vent grates were old, leaking and defective. Replace them with built-in fan models as the budget allows. Want to save some real money? Inspect, repair and improve. Think it takes loads of money to improve it? No way, let me show you the way... more.
| FYI: Spray foam insulation is fantasic. Not just insulation but an air barrier too! It eliminates caulking, goes everywhere, safe even around wiring. Read http://www.biobased.net/faq.php#1 |
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ELECTRICITY
This is my favorite subject. I've been in electronics since I was 8 years old. I did an energy audit recently for a company. Their electric bill was OUTRAGEOUS! I took an EMF meter and checked all the walls in a large building. Every wall was phantom leaking. That is, losing power somewhere. Wonder why the electric bill is so high? Just like water, electicity leaks... more
WINDOWS, INSULATION -
If saving money over esthetics is the first goal, there is always the plastic storm window. We've put up plastic windows in many companies. Want a little bit nicer look? Get innovative. We found some clear plexiglas cubes, bought them all and put them up in areas where the windows were just plain ugly. It dressed them up and we're very good insulators in those 70's style buildings. Window and building suppliers are hurting for business. There's some great deals out there now, even supplying the labor with a fixed price per winodw. If the budget is tight, replace windows with newer energy star windows, double, even triple paned. There is even a special coating for more climate control windows. Remember the insulated curtains of the 70's? Still a great idea for sliding glass doors and large windows. We used them in offices with many windows, they help.
WATER
Sinks, Toilets, Showers -
How many times have you gone into bathrooms and hear sinks and toilets dripping or running out of control? Install sensor based plumbing, it saves money instantly and helps with parasite control (which is out of hand lately if you've been reading about CDiff and other nasty yet avoidable friends.)
Low water flush toilet mechanisms can now be installed on older style toilets too. Many are replacing old water consuming toilets altogether.
Aerators are a MUST to save on water. Always amazed to see them missing from sinks. Double them up for more savings. All shower stalls should have shower savers.
Heating water can be a hugh expense. Time to start thinking of something old and something new. Boilers are still around. If you have a running boiler room and need additional conventional water heaters they should be located in these warm areas. I'm a big fan for the solar water heaters on all these flat black roofs still around...
Water heaters should be located in a warm area, in the furnace room if possilbe where its always warm. In colder climates, cold water coming into the building is very cold. Water pipes... secrets
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