Articles

Selling Efficiency: Looking Beyond Energy Savings Although energy-efficiency improvements can lower utility bills, expensive upgrades with a long payback period can be a tough sell. To overcome objections, it’s important to look beyond energy savings and point out that investing in energy efficiency can pay off in a number of ways. Longer equipment life.  Lights, … Read more

Energy Efficiency at Your Service Financing energy efficiency projects may be challenging. Many projects never make it past the planning stage because of the capital costs involved and competition with other investment opportunities. However, financial institutions, learning lessons from the solar power industry, have begun to offer efficiency-as-a-service to bridge this gap. Putting energy efficiency … Read more

Energy-Saving Strategies for Chiller Operations Chillers are widely used for cooling in large commercial and industrial facilities. While chillers are critical for comfort and productivity, they use a substantial amount of energy. By combining preventive maintenance with targeted upgrades, you can optimize system efficiency and really take the heat off your operating budget.   Maintaining … Read more

https://player.vimeo.com/external/220803927.hd.mp4?s=07f6d01b09e478945318eac3af8b49a354c44cfc&profile_id=119 VIDEO: What’s the Difference? Lumens vs. Footcandles The quantity of light is measured in multiple ways. Lumens and footcandles are two commonly used measures that also tend to be the most confusing. Understanding the difference can help you decide what type of light to use and how much you need for a space. Let’s … Read more

High-Performance Building Envelopes by Design ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2016 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings provides minimum requirements for energy-efficient design of commercial buildings. Each revision emphasizes higher-performing wall assemblies and building envelopes. Continuous insulation and air barriers are two important practices that help achieve such performance. The standard requires that the entire building … Read more

What’s New? Innovations in LED Lighting LEDs are the latest in energy-efficient lighting technology, offering high efficiency, long-rated life and durability. Once limited to applications such as small electronics and exit signs, LEDs can now be seen lighting up homes, businesses, parking garages and city streets. The following are some of the most important recent … Read more

Energy Trends to Look For in 2022 With technology innovations and shifting priorities, the energy industry is always changing. Many of these changes can impact your operations and your energy budget. Here we focus on recent trends in renewable energy, fleet vehicles and computer technology that may affect your facility in the next year and … Read more

Performance Testing Pushes the Building Envelope Your building envelope—walls, windows, doors and roof—is designed to bring in things you want, such as ventilated fresh air and daylight. It’s also your protection against unwanted air and water intrusion, as well as thermal leakage. How is your building envelope doing? Apply these three tests to assess your … Read more

Savings Opportunities for Common Areas You want to reduce your energy costs but getting tenants to cooperate is challenging. Unfortunately, in many multifamily buildings, energy waste in common areas is all too common. By implementing these simple measures, you can set your common areas apart and reduce your operating budget.   Upgrade lighting Replace incandescent … Read more