For many building owners and managers, effort is being made to prepare for the return to “normal”. Rules are loosening and there is the general feeling of optimism that people will soon return to their offices, stores, movie theaters, etc. While it is a separate debate about whether this will happen, many business owners are now gearing for occupancy again. And given the harsh truth that for most businesses it will take time for revenue to return to pre-pandemic levels, it will be crucial to reduce costs. One good way is to reduce energy waste, as energy rates are rising beyond inflation.

A great low hanging fruit to save energy costs is to convert your current lighting stock to light emitting diodes (LEDs). You’ve probably heard of them and, yes, they do produce the same or more light using much less energy, one-tenth the power of halogen lights, one-quarter the electricity of incandescents, less than half compared to fluorescents. LED lamps can be controlled (color temperature, dimness, etc.). Prices have dropped as their market has grown recently. Switching to LEDs is such a good deal that many utilities and agencies are cutting back or eliminating LED incentive programs. Paybacks are so good, why should they spend money on such programs and not other programs?

And there are other things to consider when considering lighting.

Are you lighting critical operations properly? Might you be under- or over-lighting certain areas? For example, I performed an energy audit and when I walked into the office, I was blinded for a couple of seconds, the office too bright. I recommended the company de-lamp; remove some critically-placed tubes. The area was still well lit, yet they saved energy costs (the best energy-saving light is the one not on if unneeded).

Once you decide to replace your current lights with LEDs, you need to take a close look at your ballasts, the equipment that holds your tubes. They use electricity. Do they do so efficiently? Are they compatible with the LED tubes you wish to procure? Many old ballasts damage new LED tubes and suppliers will insist they be replaced or their warranty will not be valid. It’s in your interest to upgrade, if it will lengthen their lifetimes.

Another area to consider is lighting controls. As mentioned above, the most energy efficient lights are those that are off when not needed. Timers turn on and off lights at times of non-occupancy, more than making up their cost. Occupancy sensors turn on and off lights depending on occupancy of the space, ensuring lights are used only when people are present. These are inexpensive alternatives for solid energy cost savings.

Back to LEDs, another significant advantage to switching is that LEDs last much longer than fluorescent or halogen lights. LEDs use less electricity and, therefore, generate less heat, causing less damage. Many LED lights have warranties for 7-10 years, while fluorescents often last only 2-3 years. This means more work for your O&M staff, taking them away from other, important projects, just to change a light bulb. Therefore, if you have lights in hard-to-reach places, LED lights would really be beneficial here. And by taking fewer trips up and down the ladder or cherry picker, health risk drops, too.

Finally, LEDs are “cool” in two regards. They use less electricity and thus, emit less heat, reducing a room’s heating load. In some cases, switching to LEDs reduces the fuel used for heating a building or space by 2 to 3%. And LEDs are particularly good for providing lights at low temperatures, even well below freezing.

Good luck in trying to reduce your energy usage and costs as you return to “normal”. Do a thorough analysis of your energy and lighting needs. Consider upgrading to LED lights and other tips, too. If you do decide to do so, do it soon – before incentives disappear.

CCES has the experts to help you assess your total energy needs and lighting needs and recommend beneficial changes to save you energy costs and still provide for your staff and customers. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Going to the doctor for your annual check-up is smart because even if you feel well, the examination can catch problems before they become serious. One certainly would like to know and take small steps to control high blood pressure or cholesterol which you may not “feel”. Similarly, your operational systems, and specifically those involved in energy may appear to be operating well. You press the ON button, and the equipment works. However, energy systems degenerate over time and they need regular check-ups to not only continue reliable operation, but also to know when to replace them.

Why you need to check on your energy system regularly:

Hard work and time. Your systems that use energy, like your boilers, chillers, etc., work hard, over long periods of time. And in most cases, under far from ideal situations, such as high temperatures. Assume that even though they are operating proficiently (delivering to you the heating, cooling, light, mechanical power you need), that they lose efficiency and effectiveness over time. Therefore, it is a good idea to give your systems an annual checkup every year by a professional in the field. Ensure that the components of the equipment are still in good operating shape and there is minimal degradation. Besides the individual components looking and operating properly, look into the system as a whole. Is it working together effectively? This includes controls. Your equipment should be operating well together with one another. Again, the annual check should include runs of your entire system with proper monitoring readings to ensure that not only is the ultimate job done by the equipment (i.e., heat or cool a space, etc.), but that the individual components are regulating matters properly. Therefore, for a boiler system, one needs to monitor temperature, air and fuel feed rates, O2 and CO2 levels to ensure all is in order.

Your changing needs. You purchased that equipment for certain anticipated needs. Are these assumptions still true? Did the growth that, perhaps, you planned for come through? Perhaps you even contracted (certainly true for many in the age of COVID). And of course, changes in operation must be implemented suddenly (also, in many cases, because of COVID). So therefore, it may be necessary to change the way you operate equipment to adjust for changes. Is your equipment ready to change its operation to adjust to necessary changes? This is another reason to have a “checkup”.

Why wait for a checkup? Monitor key activities. Nobody wants to be poked with needles to take blood and all. But are there devices to monitor key factors to indicate potential problems even before a checkup? Consider installing technologies to monitor factors, such as fuel usage and energy generation continually throughout the year to assess the effectiveness of your equipment. This can enable you to perform repairs or replacements of certain equipment before they “go down”, which always seem to happen when we least can afford it, right? This is another example of an investment to reduce the risk of problems and failures down the road like regular health checkups achieve, as well.

So as the heating season is wrapping up, consider giving your equipment a “checkup” shortly and take a holistic view of that system one takes for granted, the equipment that uses energy to supply, heating, cooling, light, movement, etc.

CCES has the experts to help you manage your energy systems, whether it is auditing to determine ways to save energy usage and cost or the upkeep of your equipment. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.