No matter if it’s a mom-and-pop storefront in a strip mall or a local hub of a multinational enterprise, uncontrolled costs will gnaw away at even the healthiest profit margins of any company. Businesses aren’t the only ones who can be affected by runaway expenses. Schools, cities and even nonprofits can lose critical funds to weighty overhead expenses.
Clark Public Utilities has a team of experts ready to help commercial and other non-residential customers identify and eliminate energy waste at their facilities and reduce their energy expenses.
“The cheapest and greenest kilowatt is the one you don’t use,” said Clark Public Utilities Key Accounts Manager Bill Hibbs. “When customers request an energy assessment, we’ll evaluate their properties for the best opportunities to eliminate wasted energy, improve energy efficiency and save money on energy bills.”
During an energy assessment, experts from the utility meet with business owners or facilities managers to review their buildings from the top down. That includes everything from the external envelope of the building, the climate control system, lighting and electric equipment on-site. They help the customer identify the opportunities for saving energy and explain what investments may reduce their energy expenses and discuss the incentives and rebates that may be available for those projects. The solutions can range from simple behavior and scheduling changes to advice prioritizing investments that promise the greatest return on investment.
Just as no two organizations are exactly alike, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to helping them reduce their energy waste.
“That’s the real value of these on-site assessments,” Hibbs said. “We provide customers with specific, individualized results for their facilities.”
A small commercial business or small organization will receive an assessment like that of a residential assessment. The utility employee will talk about scheduling the thermostat around business hours, energy-efficient lighting, shutting off all electronics at the end of the day and reaching for no-cost ways to stay comfortable on chilly days.
An assessment at a larger building takes a more systematic approach. It may involve an examination of the entire HVAC system, its set points and static duct pressure. It’ll also look at the electronics across the entire building and assess how much customers can save annually by fully shutting them down at the end of the business day. These reviews also look at lighting, but often include the entire fixture, not just the bulbs.
The utility experts will often discuss financial incentives that may be available to the organization to make energy-efficiency upgrades more affordable. In some instances, the utility offers flexible incentives for custom projects that meet criteria for projected savings and cost effectiveness. All commercial and industrial customers of Clark Public Utilities are eligible to participate.
The opportunities don’t end there. Facilities managers or business owners that want to make a lasting reduction in their energy costs may be able to participate in the utility’s strategic energy management program. That program focuses on low-cost and no-cost efficiency opportunities in commercial buildings and provides the tools and education to start saving energy immediately and sustain them over time.
Participants learn through energy scans, energy management assessments, workshops and coaching calls how their business uses energy and how to identify where waste is happening. They also have the opportunity to share and learn best practices with a cohort of peers, work to increase employee engagement and track their efforts with a customized energy model.
Customers interested in an on-site energy assessment or the strategic energy management program should contact their key accounts manager. Those who don’t know their key account manager or don’t have one, should contact the Energy Counselor of the Day at 360-992-3355 during business hours. More information about reducing energy waste at home and on the job is available at www.clarkpublicutilities.com.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
