Energy Saving Tips

 

Businesses

 

If you're like most small business owners, you know a lot more about running your business than about the intricacies of motors, lighting, or air conditioning.  We understand you may be reluctant to take on the challenges of building upgrade projects, especially when your existing equipment still works.  ICNC wil help you successfully determine which upgrades you need through our energy advisors, our network of energy professionals, and a wealth of energy resources.

Building technologies have been advancing at a striking pace over the past decade.  It is now possible to perform upgrades that reduce energy by up to 35 percent, in some cases.  If your building's lighting and heating/cooling systems are more than 10 years old, you could potentially see big savings by upgrading them.  Some of the key opportunities are described below

§         Lighting

§         Old incandescent light bulbs consume 75 percent more electricity than compact fluorescent lamps

§         There are new technologies to reduce the energy use of fluorescent fixtures

§         Building Tune-Up

§         Poorly monitored or old timers and thermostats cost you money and often use too much energy

§         Old filters in air systems are not only highly inefficient, but can be health hazards

§         Keep one eye on your bill; it will often tell you the culprit for high energy costs

§         Office Equipment and Paper Use

§         Use energy efficient EnergyStar rated equipment to save day-to-day costs

§         Simple practices save pennies now but many dollars in the long run; use recycled paper...and recycle your paper waste

§         Water Heating and Water Conservation

§         It may seem obvious, but turn off your water heater when out of use for long periods

§         Do the same with your thermostat

§         Refrigeration

§         Check your seals regularly

§         Specify high-efficiency evaporator fans when you buy new equipment

§         Perform routine maintenance on all your refrigeration equipment

§         Building Construction

§         Check your seals regularly

§         Specify high-efficiency evaporator fans when you buy new equipment

§         Perform routine maintenance on all your refrigeration equipment

Residences

• Turn lights off when a room or an area is not in use.

• Keep fixtures, bulbs and tubes clean. Dirt can absorb as much as 50% of the light emitted by a bulb.Use the correct bulb.

• Choose bulbs that give the most light (lumens) for the electricity or watts used.

• One bulb is better that two. If possible, use one higher wattage bulb instead of several with lower wattage. One 100-watt bulb produces more light than two 60-watt bulbs and uses less power.

• Automatic lighting controls can save time, energy and money and turn your lights into security devices.

• Install weather stripping around doors and windows to reduce dirt, dust, moisture and drafts from entering your home. This can reduce your energy bill as much as 15%.

• Outside air can also enter and escape your home through electrical outlets installed in the exterior walls of your home. Inexpensive outlet gaskets can be installed to prevent these leaks.

• Install additional insulation on attic floors, doors, ceilings, walls and exterior walls between heated and unheated spaces, floors over unheated or outside areas, ducts and heating pipes in unheated areas and install an insulating blanket on water heaters, if not already insulated.

• During the summer months or cooling season, set your thermostat to 78 degrees F or more. If you leave your home for four hours or more, set the thermostat to 85 degrees F or more.

• Keep heat-producing appliances away from your thermostat.

• Close drapes and shades especially on windows that are exposed to direct sunlight.

• Consider your landscaping. Correctly placed trees and shrubbery will provide shade during the summer months and allow sunlight through during the winter months which helps reduce both cooling and heating cost.

• During the winter months or heating season, set your thermostat to 69 degrees F or less during the day and 60 degrees F at night or when you leave home for more than four hours.

• Keep all exterior doors tightly shut and try to avoid frequent in-and-out traffic.

• When installing a new heat pump or central air-conditioning system or replacing existing systems, install systems with a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) and or high Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF).

• Keep your heating and cooling systems in good repair by having it thoroughly cleaned and inspected annually.

• Clean and/or replace filters in your heating and air-conditioning system at least twice during the heating system and as often as monthly during the cooling season.

• Install storm doors and windows.

For more information, or for information specific to your particular usage, please visit www.energystar.gov.