Lighting retrofit that delivers 20% more lighting for 20% less dollars and requires no new electrical parts, such as bulbs, controls or ballasts. Not even new fixtures. It's like a rope trick, except there is no trick, just ropes. Lighting intensity decreases in reverse proportion to the distance from the source [...]
In Energy Management the key word is management, not energy. So, all rules of management apply. Rule #1: it all starts from the top. This rules determines everything. 1. Effective Energy Management must have a C-level champion Practically speaking, if none of the top guns cares about energy management or at least energy efficiency, nothing [...]
How valuable would it be for your business to cut the energy use of an industrial refrigeration plant by 30%, while still supporting the same load? To do so with a short payback? What if incentives halved the payback? This is what we are doing. GreenQ Partners has completed a pilot project at a refrigeration [...]
An old adage goes that an engineer keeps working even standing in line to pay for beer. This certainly came true during my last vacation at a small resort by a warm sea. Several energy-related observations I made there illustrate what is commonly happening in industrial setting back home and provide actionable lessons. Following these [...]
This post continues the Learning from the Big series about the ways big industrial companies of Ontario deal with energy management. I spoke with Michael Cortese, Energy Manager of ArcelorMittal Dofasco, located in Hamilton. Role of utilities in your business? Utilities are the major cost; they comprise 20%–25% of the direct costs of production. The [...]
Waste of energy, as painful as it is by itself, is often a symptom of lost sales, under utilization of production capacity and other lost opportunities. Some time ago I participated in a walk through energy audit of a commercial bakery. Plant manager was interested in saving energy, but not as much as in opportunities to [...]
To M&V or not to M&V - this is the question If you are in charge of energy at your manufacturing or commercial facility, you are likely to be addressed by vendors with various energy efficiency improvements proposals. It can be a more efficient machine or a tune-up or an addition to your existing system. [...]
A proper answer to this seemingly simple question is nothing but simple. Proper measurement and verification of achieved savings is a key factor when calculating payback period, IRR for an investment into energy efficiency project and any other in-company ratio. Effectively, M&V may mean a difference between energy efficiency project being named [...]
Another email (call, booklet) offers you an energy efficiency measure with a 12 months payback period. Can this be true? Assessing actual savings delivered by an energy efficiency measure only seems to be a straightforward job. To avoid disappointment after implementation manager must understand utility bill structure and tariff options. Use of [...]
When my Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer he quit smoking at once. He meant to do this for years, but just "could not". When he could not breath anymore, all other "could-nots" became irrelevant. As a planet we are now still smoking through billions of stacks and exhaust pipes. We "can't afford" [...]
