Energy Conservation
Standards To be a Green Business: 1. Have your energy provider conduct a free audit of your facility's energy use to provide you with specific suggestions and resources to conserve energy. Review it annually to identify additional changes to improve energy savings. 2. Perform regular maintenance on your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to dramatically improve its energy efficiency. Such maintenance includes regular cleanings, replacing dirty air filters and checking for leaks and proper pilot lighting. If you lease your facility, ask the building owner/manager to conduct this maintenance. 3. Implement 7 measures from the following five pages, with at least 2 coming from Equipment/Facility Improvements, and the other 5 measures coming from either Equipment/Facility Improvements or Employee Practices. If more than 60% of your energy use is in processes or industrial uses, at least one of your measures must reduce use in that area. While implementing technologies can clearly reduce energy use, behavioral changes can yield significant savings with little cost. Maintaining these changes takes commitment by all employees. It helps to formalize these practices by creating written policies, discussing policies during staff meetings, and posting written signs. Green Notes ­ Resources The PG&E Pacific Energy Center's Res ource Center (www.pge.com/pec/index.html) offers energy saving ideas, a Tool Lending Library (monitoring equipment, etc.) & rebate programs. To reduce energy use, look for ENERGY STAR® products such as exit signs, office equipment (computers, copiers, fax machines, monitors, printers, scanners), heating and cooling products, windows, transformers, roof products, insulation and more. ENERGY STAR-labeled office equipment can save an office up to 50 percent of its plug load operating costs. Their website (www.energystar.gov) provides lists of ENERGY STAR® qualified products and a store locator. Toll-free phone: 1(888) 782-7937. 3 Measures Lighting
Equipment/Facility Improvements: Replace incandescent bulbs with: Halogen par lamps Compact fluorescents Low voltage track lighting. Employee Practices: Use "task" lighting rather than lighting up an entire area. Take advantage of areas with natural daylight, and design for daylighting when remodeling. Remove lamps where you have more lighting than needed. If a double switch exists, try using only half the light. Increase efficiency of fluorescent fixtures: Reduce fixtures in warehouse settings; install high efficiency lighting such as high-pressure sodium or metal halides. Replace magnetic with electronic ballasts Install T-8 lamps Delamp and install optical reflectors or diffusers. Turn off lights when leaving. Disconnect unused ballasts in
delamped fixtures. Replace burned out lamps
quickly to avoid ballast damage. Have diffusers dusted annually
to maintain optimum light output. Improve exit sign efficiency by using: LED exit signs Compact fluorescents in exit signs Electroluminescent exit signs.
Consider Outdoor Lighting Changes Outdoor lighting provides an excellent opportunity for energy conservation as it often remains on for many hours. Use compact fluorescents and timer controls to reduce wasted energy. This measure alone can reduce energy use by 15%. Install lighting output controls such as: Occupancy sensors Bypass/delay timers Photocell Time clock. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Equipment/Facility Improvements: HVAC units Install ceiling fans. Apply window film to reduce solar heat gain. Install outside air intake for compressors in boiler room. Shade sun-exposed windows and walls during the cooling season: Use awnings, sunscreens, shade trees, shrubbery. Green Notes ­ Lighting According to the World Resources Institute, lighting accounts for about 20% of all the electricity used in America and 10% of all CO2 emissions. Replacing one incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent will save about 582 kilowatts over the life of the bulb. EPA "Green Lights" participants are using lighting options to cut their bills in half ­ and earn an average 58% return on investment. 4 Employee Practices: Replace or supplement an A/C system with an evaporative cooler. Install a thermal ice storage system to reduce peak demand. Install A/C economizers to increase air circulation. Replace A/C unit with one with a greater Energy Efficient Rating (EER). Convert electric heating to natural gas. Install HVAC output controls, such as: Bypass timers Time clocks An Energy Management System (EMS) for lighting, equipment and HVAC. Insulation Increase insulation in your building. Insulate heating and cooling ducts, especially if they pass through an area that is not heated or cooled. Replace inefficient windows with double pane energy-efficient windows. Install transparent swinging doors or plastic-strip doors between work areas that require different room temperatures. Set thermostat at 68° for heating and 78° for cooling; use timing devices to turn system down after hours. Use small fans and space heaters during off hours. Close blinds and curtains or turn on ceiling fans to reduce A/C load. Provide shading for HVAC condenser. Seal off unused areas; block & insulate unneeded windows. When repainting building exterior and roofs, choose light colors to reflect more sunlight. Office Equipment
Equipment/Facility Improvements: Select Energy Star® equipment. Install hardware programs that save energy by automatically turning off idle monitors & printers. In large computer rooms, capture the heat vented and reuse it for space heating. Implement a full Energy Management System for lighting, equipment & HVAC (or simple "stand-alone" system for heavy energy using equipment). Use weatherizing and caulking to seal
windows and doors. Employee Practices:
Green Notes ­ HVAC · A tune-up can increase the energy efficiency of your furnace by 5% and you can save 10% by insulating and tightening up ventilation ducts. · Ceiling fans use 98% less energy than central A/C units. · Heating with natural gas instead of electricity can be 56% more efficient. Plug equipment and appliances into a time switch to turn-off after hours. Institute a formal policy to turn off equipment when possible. Adjust controls for temperature and speed to reduce energy use. Maintain equipment to provide optimum efficiency. If available, use the standby mode on equipment (e.g. energy saver buttons on copiers). 5 
Green Notes - Office Equipment · · · Energy use by office equipment is expected to grow by 500% in the next decade. Energy Star® monitors consume up to 90% less energy. Screen savers don't save energy! Energy Star® copiers and fax machines can reduce annual electricity costs by about 60% and 50% respectively. A single copier, computer & printer left on all weekend costs about $21.50. Choose a 220-volt electric motor over a 110-volt motor--they're more powerful and efficient. Purchase a more efficient motor instead of rewinding an old one. Air Compressors Install an outside air intake ­ cool air takes less energy to compress. Install engineered nozzles and fittings to reduce "waste" compressed air. Employee Practices: Shut off equipment when not in use, such as exhaust fan systems and air compressors. Operate and modify machines for efficiency. Adjust controls for temperature, speed or other settings that uses less energy. Maintain equipment to provide optimum efficiency. Sublet operations only used occasionally. Fix leaks in air compressor hose connections, shut-off valves, pipe connections and flanges, in hoses and clamps, and in worn air cylinders, repair seals, or replace gaskets or hoses. · Water Heating
Equipment/Facility Improvements: Convert electric hot water heaters to natural gas. Insulate pipes and hot water heaters. Install a heat recovery system for your hot water boiler or heater. Use a solar water heater or pre-heater. Employee Practices: Check pilot light for proper adjustment. Set hot water at 105° (unless minimum temperatures are mandated). Drain and flush water every 6 months to reduce solids and increase efficiency. Install low flow showerheads. Industrial Equipment Equipment/Facility Improvements: Select replacement equipment for increased savings. Replace existing motor with "high" or "premium" efficient motor. Replace motor with a variable speed drive rather than "throttling" (variable speed drives reduce energy 10-70%). Downsize oversized motors or replace a large motor with several small motors that can be run individually to meet smaller tasks (about 30% of motors operate at less than 50% of full load). Efficient Motors Refrigeration Equipment/Facility Improvements: Refrigeration Units Install strip curtains Install glass or acrylic doors Use night covers Replace inefficient refrigeration equipment with: · Energy efficient evaporator fan motor · Energy efficient compressor · Multiplex compressor · Subcooler 6 Employee Practices: Set refrigerator between 38° and 42° and freezer between 0° and 5°. Properly maintain refrigeration system: · Clean your condenser and evaporator coils with a soft vacuum. · Check and tighten belts. · Defrost when you notice snow buildup in your freezer or refrigerator. · Maintain proper refrigerant level (be sure your refrigerator is not leaking!). · Replace broken door gaskets. Preheat your water with recovered heat from your refrigerator and dishwasher. Install energy efficient dishwashers: Low-temperature dishwasher Low-temperature door models Conveyer models. Employee Practices: Preheat warming tables 30 min., ovens and fryers 20 min., solidtop ranges 10 min.; open top burners and ranges do not require preheating. Bake and roast food together to maximize oven capacity. Reduce heat between cooking operations on fryer, broiler or griddle. Keep reflectors under your stovetop burner. Use lead free glass or ceramic dishes to lower baking by 25°. that the oven door is left open.
Green Notes ­ HVAC
Green Notes - Motors
Motors account for up to 75% of the total electricity costs in industrial facilities, and up to 50% of electricity costs in commercial sites. Energy-efficient motors, as defined by the National Electric Manufacturers Association, are up to 10% more efficient than standard motors, may qualify for utility rebates, & have: · longer motor life · less downtime · run more quietly · increased reliability · better power factors · lower maintenance costs Reduce the frequency & duration Food Service
Equipment/Facility Improvements: Cooking equipment options. Cook with: Insulated electric fryer Infrared fryers Griddle instead of broiler Clamshell griddles Forced air convection ovens instead of conventional ovens Dual-mode steam cookers Insulated coffee machine. Find energy saving tips at the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Network website:www.eren.doe.gov/energytips/ Other
Equipment/Facility Improvements: Employee Practices: Consider installing heat recovery systems Exhaust air can be recovered to preheat the HVAC or operate desiccant chillers. 7 ESCOs: Too Good to be True? It sounds too good to be true, but you may be able to contract with an Energy Service Company (ESCO) to install energy efficiency measures paid for through energy savings. Energy savings performance contracting is a growing trend that offers a win-win situation. Under a performance contract arrangement, an ESCO provides a service package that typically includes financing, installation, and maintenance of energy-saving capital improvements. Performance contracts are often structured as leases, but with guarantees that payments will not exceed energy savings. These payments dramatically reduce financial risk. Ask the Green Business Program Coordinator for assistance in locating local ESCOs. and down, and a blanket type that fits onto the case. Night covers are 65-90% efficient against the infiltration/exfiltration of refrigerated air that would be lost after store hours. Rewinding motors: There are two parts to a motor-- the rotor and the stator. The stator is made up of winding coils. When you pull out the original coils to rewind the motor, you lose the close tolerance among coils, reducing efficiency by 5-7%. Also, it is difficult to add larger windings to a motor, making it hard to upgrade. The cost of rewinding a motor is 60% of the cost of a new premium efficient motor. Investing in a new efficient motor allows you to upgrade, increase efficiency & save money on your energy bill. Subcooler: A subcooler is an additional heat exchanger that cools refrigerant after it passes through the condenser on an HVAC or refrigeration unit. T-8 lamps: The smaller diameter "T-8" fluorescent tube lamp can increase lumens per watt to over 100, as opposed to the current standard of 60. By substituting these new systems, offices can improve their lighting quality & energy costs.
Definitions were provided by US EPA publication 430-K -93-001, pgs. 8-9 and PG&E commercial auditor Kristen Millette. Glossary
Compressor/multiplex compressor: A compressor raises pressure on the refrigerant, moving the fluid through the system. A multiplex compressor is more than one compressor working together on the same line. Halogen IR lamps (or halogen par lamps): This incandescent flood lamp replaces tungsten flood lamps and uses a halogen filament to produce light more efficiently. Energy costs can drop 30-50% while maintaining the same light value. They provide excellent color rendition, making them ideal for a retail setting. Because of reduced wattage, heat output decreases, allowing cooling costs to also be eliminated. Motion sensors: Occupancy sensors are motion-sensing devices that automatically turn on lights when motion is detected, and turn lights off when motion is not detected. The most appropriate application for occupancy sensors is in spaces where occupancy is infrequent or unpredictable, such as conference rooms or rest rooms. Night covers: Night covers are mostly used on coffin type refrigeration units (a deep box that you have to reach down into). There are two types of night covers: a thin film that can roll up 8