Green Team: Business Energy Audit Manual

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GREEN

TEAM
Business
Energy
Audit
Manual

Manual Text, Graphics, CD software © 2009 Daniel Sitarz. All Rights Reserved,
Adapted from the book: Greening Your Business: The Hands-on Guide to Creating a Successful
and Sustainable Business, © 2008 Daniel Sitarz (www.greeningyourbusiness.org)
Watt-U-Use Software © 2003 Joseph Zammit and Pauline Appleby
1

Table of Contents
Welcome to the Green Team Business Energy Audit Manual ..................................... 2
Basic Steps in a Business Energy Audit....................................................................... 3
Business Benefits from Energy Audits ........................................................................ 4
Cost Savings ........................................................................................................... 4
Employee Motivation ............................................................................................... 4
Customer Loyalty .................................................................................................... 4
Competitive Advantage ........................................................................................... 4
Climate Change........................................................................................................ 4
Fund-Raising with Business Energy Audits .................................................................. 5
Business Energy Audit Proposal form ...................................................................... 5
Understanding Business Energy Use ........................................................................... 6
Performing a Business Energy Audit ............................................................................ 7
 Energy Use Worksheet ........................................................................................ 7
Deciphering Utility Bills ...................................................................................... 8
Sample Electric Bill ............................................................................................ 9
‚Energy Use Process Map ................................................................................... 10
ƒEnergy Survey Worksheets ................................................................................11
Energy Use Survey Instructions ........................................................................11
Lighting Use Survey Instructions .......................................................................11
Business Transportation Carbon Footprint Survey Instructions ....................... 12
Energy Use Survey form ................................................................................. 13
Lighting Use Survey form ................................................................................. 14
Business Transportation Carbon Footprint Survey form................................... 15
ƒEnergy Efficiency Action Worksheet Instructions ............................................... 16
„Energy Efficiency Economic Analysis ................................................................ 16
Simple Cost-Payback Analysis ........................................................................ 16
Simple Return on Investment Analysis ............................................................ 17
Energy Efficiency Economic Analysis Worksheet Instructions ........................ 18
Analysis of Energy Efficiency Updates Instructions .......................................... 18
Energy Efficiency Economic Analysis Worksheet form..................................... 19
Analysis of Energy Efficiency Updates ............................................................ 20
Basic Energy Consumption Characteristics of Electrical Equipment ............... 21
Using Watt-U-Use Software for Energy Calculations ....................................... 22
…Preparation of Business Energy Audit Report .................................................... 23
Business Energy Audit Report Cover Sheet and Table of Contents................. 24
Energy Efficiency Action Worksheet ..................................................................... 25
Energy Efficiency and Energy Resources .................................................................. 35

[Note: all of the forms in this manual are also contained on the Green Team CD]

Your team may find more in-depth information regarding green business energy, waste, and
water efficiency practices in the book: Greening Your Business: The Hands-on Guide to Creat-
ing a Successful and Sustainable Business, © Daniel Sitarz
(Please see www.greeningyourbusiness.org for further information).
2

Welcome to the Green Team


Business Energy Audit Manual
This manual will take you through the steps that will be necessary to perform a detailed energy
audit of small and medium sized businesses. The energy audit that your team will perform will pro-
vide business owners with a detailed account of many actions that they may take to significantly
reduce their business energy use and save money. This project is designed to provide a four-fold
benefit: 1) introduce Green Teams to the real-world of business energy use and management,
2) provide detailed assistance to business owners in each community who wish to lower their
energy use, and 3) provide an excellent fund-raising opportunity for Green Teams, and 4) con-
tribute significantly to the world-wide efforts at increased energy efficiency as a direct response
for lowering atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and combating global climate change. Your team
will be significant part of an enormous global effort in the next few years to find solutions to our
common energy-use problems.

To begin this process, each member of the Green Team should read through this entire manual
to gain a clear understanding of the whole process that will be employed in conducting business
energy audits. There are many different tasks involved in this process and each team member
can select those tasks that are most interesting to them and most suited to their particular talents.
Examples of the various tasks are:

• Developing advertising and/or public service announcements to inform your community about
team business energy audits (See sample Green Team brochure and press release)

• Contacting local media outlets to arrange for the placement of advertising and public service
announcements

• Developing a simple webpage to announce and explain green business energy audits

• Developing a simple printed information sheet explaining green business energy audits

• Responding to requests for more information regarding green business energy audits

• Meeting with local business owners to explain and arrange green business energy audits

• Conducting the actual energy audits of local businesses (This will take several team members)

• Crunching the numbers obtained during the energy audit using various worksheets or software

• Preparing a written energy audit report for the each business that is audited

• Delivering and explaining the final audit report to the business owner

As you can see, each of these tasks require a different set of skills and talents and each is im-
portant to the success of your fund-raising and energy management efforts. Each team member
should decide how their talents can best be used in this project. Your Green Team mentor can
help you refine each task into manageable segments.
3

Basic Steps in a Business Energy Audit


1. Contact businesses and explain energy audit process and prepare an Audit Proposal

2. Contact business and arrange for time for audit and access to utility and fuel bills

3. Visit business and prepare Energy Use worksheet based on utility and fuel bills

4. While at business, prepare Energy Use Process Map of business premises

5. Also while at business, prepare Energy Survey Worksheet of major equipment, office equip-
ment, computers, and lighting.

6. Also prepare Business Transportation Carbon Footprint Survey Worksheet of business ve-
hicles and travel

7. Using your completed Energy worksheets, surveys and Watt-U-Use software, calculate the
current business energy use

8. Using all of the information that you have compiled from the business itself, consult the Energy
Efficiency Action Worksheet and check the items that would apply for the particular business

9. Using the text files of the Action Worksheet, select the Action items that you have determined
apply for the particular business and compile them into a custom-tailored Energy Efficiency
Audit Report for the business

10. Using the information that you have compiled from the Energy Surveys, determine the po-
tential cost savings for any major improvements that are quantifiable (for example: lighting
upgrades, timed equipment shut-offs, equipment upgrades to more energy-efficient models)
using the Energy Efficiency Economic Analysis form

11. Enter the results from your Energy Efficiency Economic Analysis forms into your final custom-
tailored Energy Efficiency Audit Report for the business

12. Print out a final copy of the Energy Efficiency Audit Report for the business and arrange a time
to present the business with the final Report

Business Benefits from Energy Audits


Creating a energy efficient and greener business can have a dramatic and profound positive
impact on our shared environment, but most business owners must also look at the pragmatic
details of greening a business. How will it affect my business? Does it make economic sense?
There are manifold powerful benefits to making a business more energy efficient and greener. All
of these benefits can be powerful incentives to induce businesses to use Green Team Business
Energy Audits.
4

Cost Savings
The cost savings associated with running a cleaner, more energy efficient business are the
first and most obvious benefit to becoming more energy efficient. By looking at business
operations in a new green manner, direct and measurable energy cost savings are not only
possible, but highly probable. By operating a more energy efficient business, it will be nearly
inevitable that a business will be more successful and profitable in clear and quantifiable ways.

Employee Motivation
Introducing a green and energy-efficient business culture to a business enterprise can also have
a dramatic effect on employees’ motivation and morale. It is far more rewarding personally to work
for a company that is making every effort to operate in a clean, honest, and progressive manner
than to work for a company that is polluting its environs, ignoring regulations, and wasting energy.
Improving employees’ (and the owners’ own) pride in their work and in their company can build
a highly motivated work force that is more loyal, has less turnover, and is much more involved in
the process of innovation.

Customer Loyalty
Much as a shift to a more energy efficient business can motivate your employees, doing so will
generally also foster a sense of loyalty in its customer base. People simply like to do business with
companies that care about the impact of their products and their operations on their communities,
their regions, and the wider world.

Competitive Advantage
By adopting a greener more energy efficient business model, business owners will begin to
appreciate what green businesses worldwide have already noticed: green business has a distinct
competitive advantage over most of its traditional “brown” competitors. By reducing or eliminating the
energy costs of a business, their overall costs are often much less than their dirtier competitors. This
efficiency in operations can have benefits beyond the bottom line. If raising outside capital is important
to a business, the cleaner and greener a business is, the better the access to capital will become.
As an environmentally sensitive business, an energy-efficient business will be able to differentiate
itself—in vibrant and cutting-edge fashion—from any of its energy-wasting competitors.

Climate Change
Climate change is poised to dramatically affect all businesses across the world—creating, at
once, the largest change in business and the largest new market (for carbon) in a century. Sooner
rather than later, carbon emissions emanating from business will begin to be inventoried and then
regulated as a pollutant. A recent U.S. Supreme Court case confirmed that the U.S. EPA has such
regulatory authority. Carbon taxes or a cap and trade system of carbon regulation are other distinct
possibilities as the world struggles to find ways to wean itself from fossil fuels. Whether via carbon
trading or taxes, a market price for carbon will be created in the near future that will have major
effects all across the business world. Businesses that begin the process of examining their energy
use and seek ways to lessen it now will be years ahead of competitors that ignore this reality.

All of these advantages will provide an energy efficient and clean business with distinct competitive
advantages over competitors and a positive impact on any businesses’ bottom line.
5

Fund-Raising with Business Energy Audits


This project’s fund-raising aspects are an important part of its success. Your team will be able to
use this project year-round in its fund-raising efforts. The basic method to use this project as a
fund-raiser is to approach local businesses with a proposed comprehensive energy audit of their
business that will save them significant money over the next 5-10 years. Savings of hundreds, and
even thousands of dollars are possible for businesses that chose to implement the various energy-
saving tips that your audits will develop for them. The fund-raising component of this project is
based on requesting a donation based on the square footage of the business building that will be
energy audited. A donation request of 25¢/sq. foot is suggested. (Additionally, a continuing annual
donations of a suggested 5¢/sq. foot may also be suggested, based on an annual preparation by
your team of an Energy Use Survey for the business.) Thus, if a business has a building that is 25
feet by 50 feet (or 1250 sq. feet), the suggested initial donation to your team for its energy audit of
their business would be $312.50 (Length X Width of business office or building X .25¢ = donation)
and a continuing annual donation of $62.50. A simple worksheet outlining this donation to provide
to the business owner is included in this manual and also as a fillable PDF document on the ac-
companying CD. In your initial meeting with the business owner to outline the project, you can
ask the owner for a quick estimation of their square footage and provide a figure for the requested
donation amount.

Green Team Business Energy Audit Proposal


Green Team of
Address of Green Team

Phone Number of Green Team:


Email Address of Green Team:
Website of Green Team
BUSINESS INFORMATION
Name of Business:
Address of Business:

Phone: Fax: Email:

Name of Contact Person:


Date of Initial Contact:
Date Initial Proposal to Business:
Building Size: ft. X ft. Sq. Footage of Building:
Proposed Date of On-site Audit:
Proposed Date of Written Audit Report:
Proposed Initial Donation Amount: 25¢ per sq. footage = $
Proposed Annual Continuing Donation Amount: 5¢ per sq. footage = $
Proposal Prepared by: (Printed Name)
Signature of Green Team Representative: Date:
Proposal Accepted by: (Printed Name and Title)
Signature of Business Representative: Date:
6

Understanding Business Energy Use


First, let’s look at how energy is generally delivered and billed to a business. Businesses use en-
ergy in various ways: in the forms of electricity to power equipment, lights and machinery and to
heat and cool air and water; natural gas to heat air or water; gasoline or diesel/fuel oil to power
vehicles or machinery; and, perhaps, on-site generation of their own electricity via both renew-
able (solar, wind, etc,) and nonrenewable (diesel, natural gas, or gasoline-powered generators)
sources. Each of these forms of energy are measured and billed in different ways.

Electricity can be generated in many different ways. The two most common methods are by
burning coal or natural gas to heat water that, in turn, turns a turbine that generates electricity.
Other methods are to use a dam that provides water power to turn electricity-generating turbines,
and, increasingly, renewable non-carbon energy sources such as solar photovoltaic and wind.

Electricity itself is measured in Watts. As an example, a human climbing a staircase exerts about
200 watts of energy. A watt (W) is a measure of the amount of voltage (V) in use times the amount
of amperage (A) being used. Most businesses use both 110 volt and 220 volt power (some very
energy-intensive businesses may use 440 volt power). The basic electric energy formula is,
thus:

W = V X A (Watts equals Voltage times Amperage)

Electric energy use at the consumer level is normally measured in Kilowatt Hours (kWh). This is
a measure of the number of watts of electric power that is use over period of time. Using 1 kilowatt
means that 1000 watts of electricity has been used for 1 hour. Power generation at the power
plant level is normally measured in Megawatts (1000 kilowatts or 1 million watts).

Let’s look at an example: By looking at the energy label (normally found on the back of equipment)
we can see that a small electric heater is rated at 12 amps and uses 110 volt power. Thus, using
the formula W = V x A, we can determine that the amount of watts that the heater uses in one
hour is 1320 watts at full capacity. Since we measure electric power in kilowatt hours (kWh), this
heater would use 1.32 kWh of power when turned on. Taking this example further, in one day (24
hours), the heater would use 24 X .1.32 kWh of power, or 31.68 kWh. The charge for 1 kWh of
electricity in most locales is around 10¢/kWh (your locale may be more or less—more about this
later when we look further at utility bills). Thus, for using 31.68 kWh at 10¢/kWh, the electricity
cost for using a heater for one day would be $3.17. For one year, if we kept the heater running
continuously 24/7, the cost would be 365 X $3.17 or $1157.05. As you can see, although electric
power is fairly cheap, over time it can amount a very significant cost. In this example, the simple
action of turning the heater off at night (and leaving it on only during 8 business hours daily) could
cut a businesses’ energy costs by 2/3 In this example, this would save the business over $770
annually for 1 small heater. [Note: in reality a heater, of course, does not run 24/7/365].

Natural Gas, when delivered to a business consumer, is generally measured in therms. One
therm is the equivalent of about 29 kWh. One therm is also the equivalent of 100,000 BTUs (A
BTU is a British Thermal Unit, another measurement of heat energy).

Fuel oil, diesel oil, and gasoline are normally measured in gallons. A standard barrel of oil
contains 42 gallons.
7

Performing a Business Energy Audit


After you have secured a local business as a candidate for an Green Team Business Energy Au-
dit, you will need to set up a time to visit their business premises and tell them that you will need
to have access to copies of their last 12 months energy and utility bills.

 Energy Use Worksheet: You’ll need to conduct a comprehensive energy


use assessment of their current business operations. An Energy Use Worksheet is provided
to allow you to easily collect the business’s past energy use data—generally from their past
electric or gas utility billings—and begin to analyze it. (Note: an Energy Use Worksheet is also
provided on the CD as a fillable PDF file that you team may also use on a computer). You will
need the following information to complete this worksheet:

• Monthly Natural Gas usage for 12 months (in therms or measure shown on the bills)
• Monthly Natural Gas Costs (total cost of usage and delivery)
• Monthly Electricity usage for 12 months (in kWh)
• Monthly Electricity Costs (total cost of usage and delivery)
• Monthly Fuel Oil usage for 12 months (in gallons) if any
• Monthly Fuel Oil Costs (total cost of usage and delivery) if any

Once the Energy Use Worksheet is filled in, total the columns and determine the average
monthly usage costs and amounts by dividing the totals by 12. This will provide your team with
the baseline energy costs that the that the business that you are auditing incurs each month
and year.

Green Team Energy Use Worksheet for _______________


(Prepare for past 12 months)
Year: Natural Gas (therms) Electricity (kWh) Fuel Oil (gallons)
Cost Amount Cost Amount Cost Amount
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Total
Average (Total
divided by 12)
8

Deciphering Utility Bills


To determine a businesses’ electricity use and costs, your team will need to look at their elec-
tricity or utility bills. Utility bills are often difficult to decipher. Here are a few tips for understand-
ing them:

• Consumption Charges: Electricity is charged based, in part, on the amount of electricity


used (in kilowatt-hours or kWh) in a billing period. The per kilowatt-hour rate for electricity
may vary based on the time of year (winter or summer season) and/or the time of day
(peak or off-peak hours). This may also be referred to as a “generation service charge”.

• Demand and Transportation/Distribution Charges: For many electricity customers (all but
small accounts), there will be a demand charge (per kilowatt) in the bill that is based on the
peak electricity use each month averaged over a short time period (such as 15 minutes). A
business may pay more for demand costs than consumption costs, although the two costs
may be a single line item in their utility bill. There may also be an electricity transportation
charge and/or a distribution charge as a line item on the utility bill. These are the costs
for moving the electricity over the high voltage lines from the power-generating plant to
your local utility company (transportation) and for delivering the electricity to the home or
business over the local electric lines (distribution).

• Transition Charges: These charges may also appear on an electric bill and are generally
assessed for the costs of building new power plants
• Fuel Costs: For natural gas and other fuels, the business may be charged for the amount
of fuel they receive (for natural gas this is usually based on a per therm price) and also a
separate delivery charge for the transportation and delivery of the fuel. Fuel charges may
vary seasonally and are based on the amount consumed.

On the next page is a basic electric bill, showing various standard components. For energy
audit purposes, you will need generally the total current charges for each month and the total
amount of kWh consumed per month. These amounts will be then inserted into the Energy
Use Worksheet as shown below. Natural gas charges on bills are similar to the example
shown for electric bills. For your information, the other items on our sample bill are:

A: Customer name, address, and account # L. Energy use pattern for last year
B: Previous charges, payments or credits M. Explanation of codes on bill
C-G: List of energy services and related charges N. Utility company contact info
H: Price to compare (not standard) O. Service period dates
I: Metered usage (amount of kWhs used) P. Amount due and due date
J. Actual meter readings Q. Unpaid amount due and late fees
K. Previous usage history
9

Sample Electric Bill


N Electric Company Name SERVICE AT: Customer Account Number
Company Address CONSUMER NAME 000000000000 A
1-800-###-#### Consumer address Due Date Pay This Amount
Feb 19, 2005 $43.26
P
Q Amount due after Feb 19, 2005
$52.75

PREVIOUS CHARGES: B
Account Balance Amount Due
Total Amount Due at Last Billing $ 55.01
Payment 1/18/01 - Thank You 55.01 CR
Previous Balance $ .00 $ .00
C
CURRENT CHARGES:
D Customer Charge $ 4.75
Delivery Charge $ 12.80
E Transition Charge $ .31
Transmission Charge $ 2.31
F Generation Related Component $ 23.09
G Total Current Charges $ 43.26 $ 43.26

Price to Compare H
In order to save you money, a new supplier must offer you a price lower than
#.# cents per kWh for the same usage that appears on this bill.

- PAGE 2
ELECTRIC BILL

USAGE INFORM
ATION: Meter Reading Multiplier Metered Usage
Service Period Pres CD
From To Prev CD
1.0000 485 KWH I
Meter Number 43333 A 43818 A
O 01/01/01 01/31/
01
ading J
11111111 E = Estimated Re
ing
: A = Actual Read Usage
CD - Read Code Month
Month Usage 522 K
M Usage Month Usage
Aug 00 968 Nov 00
368
Month Dec 00
Feb 00
May 00
Sep 00 855
Jan 01 609 L
Jun 00 609
Mar 00 831 Oct 00 62 KWH
Jul 00 t 12 Mon th s) : 47
Apr 00 Total Usage (Pas
ly Us ag e: 59 5 KWH
Average Month
Pattern Last Year
Your Energy Use This Year
18.0
r day 22.2
Average KWH pe (Actual) (Actual)
Meter Readin g 0°
Average KWH ture 0°
per day Average Tempera
30

25

20

15

10

5
D J F
S O N
0 J J A
M A M
F
10

‚Energy Use Process Map:


The next step in your Green Team Business Energy Audit is to draw an Energy Use Process
Map. The concept of “process maps” is simple: draw a simple visual map of a particular aspect
of a business with a view to illustrating the flow of energy, materials, or waste through the
company (in this case, you will be illustrating energy use). Your team will prepare their Energy
Use Process Map right on the site of the business they are auditing.

The technique is also simple: Grab a sheet of paper and a pencil and start drawing. A clear
process map of any phase of a business shouldn’t take more than an hour. Here are a few
basic pointers for preparing your energy use process map:

• Like most maps, make your process map as it is seen from above.
• Try to draw the area involved (the shop floor, the office, the entire site) to scale as much
as possible without getting too obsessive about it. It should simply provide a view that is
clearly recognizable and in rough proportion.
• If your process map gets too complicated, it will be difficult to follow. You may need to
break it down into two or several maps of different areas of your business. Keep it simple
and clear.
• Develop some type of symbols to identify problems. These should be simple—like a big
circle around something or exclamation points!!!

Use your own graph or other paper to develop your own energy use map. Process-mapping
will show you, in graphic fashion, how energy flows through a particular business. This map of
how the business uses energy will provide the basis for a careful examination of which energy
efficiency methods will be most useful in each particular business. Your Energy Use Process
Map should include the following details:

• All areas where energy of any type is used in the business, such as equipment and
lighting, computers, machinery, etc.
• Electric and/or natural gas distribution systems
• Building heating and air conditioning systems
• The type of energy use per area (natural gas, electric, liquid fuel, steam)
• Areas where immediate cost savings might be found (such as areas where lighting is
unnecessary, computer or other equipment is left on after-hours or when not in use, areas
of heat loss, areas that are unnecessarily heated or cooled, etc.)
• Areas where longer-term cost savings might occur (such as areas where oversized
machinery could be replaced, areas where older, less efficient equipment could be
replaced.)
11

ƒEnergy Survey Worksheets:


The next part of your Green Team business energy assessment is to complete three basic
energy survey worksheets (copies of each of these worksheets follow and are also contained
on the CD as fillable PDF forms):

Energy Use Survey:


This is a form on which you will list all of the major energy-consuming equipment that the
business has in operation. For a small business, this may seem to be a simple task. It may
appear that the business only has a few pieces of office equipment and some heating and
air conditioning to consider. Part of your assessment, however, is to begin to understand and
detail the pervasiveness of energy use in business. For larger companies, your energy use
audit process will become increasingly complex. You will need to identify the equipment that
uses the most energy in the business. In many businesses, a few pieces of the equipment
account for the majority of energy consumption. Things to look for include large pieces of
equipment and also equipment that runs most of the time or that has periodic, but substantial,
start-up energy requirements (such as a bank of electric motors). You will need to note the
number, type, and energy use requirements of all such equipment if available. To determine
the energy costs and usage requirements for any electrical device, you will need to determine
either the wattage requirements. These figures are generally found on an electric nameplate
found on the back or bottom of any piece of electrical equipment. (See the example shown on
Page 17 of this manual) You’ll also need to note the daily usage of the equipment (in hours of
use per day). You may need to ask the business owner for specifics about larger machinery
and/or equipment. A typical equipment list at a larger business facility might include machinery
in the following categories:

• Natural gas heating/cooling/ventilating equipment (such as heaters, hot water heaters, or


boilers) or production equipment

• Electric air compressors, heating/cooling/ventilating equipment (such as rooftop heat


pumps and air conditioners), or production equipment (like motor-driven equipment,
pumps, fans)

• Fuel oil heating/cooling/ventilating equipment (for example, boilers)

• Basic office and business-specific equipment such as computers, printers, scanners, fax
machines, or other specialized office equipment. You will need to note the number, type
and energy use requirements of all such equipment if available. You’ll also need to note
the daily usage of the equipment (in hours of use per day).

Lighting Use Survey:


This is a survey of current lighting used in the business. You will need to determine the
number, type, wattage, and daily usage (in hours of use per day) of all of the lighting in use in
the business. For fluorescent lighting, you’ll need to also note the type of ballasts in use. The
general types of lighting are:

• Incandescent bulbs: These are basic older-style light bulbs. The bulbs normally have the
wattage printed on the bulbs themselves (Be careful! Incandescent bulbs are hot when lit).
12

• Fluorescent bulbs: There are 4 types of fluorescent bulbs (3 types of linear bulbs—the
familiar long tubes; and compact fluorescent bulbs which are used in standard screw-in
fixtures). Linear bulbs can be: T-5 lamps, which are relatively new, are 5/8 inch in diameter,
as opposed to T-8 which are 1 inch and T-12 which are 1 1/2 inch. T-5 bulbs afford a
dramatic reduction in energy use over T-8 or T-12 lights but are difficult to use in retrofit
applications because the lamp holder design is different from that of T-8 and T-12 holders.
When surveying linear fluorescent lighting, you will also need to know the type of ballast
that is in use: older mechanical ballasts or newer electronic ballasts (ballasts provide the
starting voltage and regulate the current to the bulbs). To determine this, you can use a
Flicker-Checker. If it has older-style mechanical ballasts, the Flicker Checker will show
a choppy or checkered pattern when spun. If the lighting already has electronic ballasts,
the Flicker Checker will show smooth circular lines when spun. Electronic ballasts lower
energy use and costs by about 30 percent and also allow the use of dimmer switches (that
can also lower energy usage and related costs). Note: Flicker Checkers are available for
your team at no cost from either Motorola (800-453-1506) or Sylvania (800-544-4828).

Flicker Checker Device

• High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting: very energy efficient sodium or metal halide-type
bulbs. You’ll need to ask the business owner if any of their lighting is of this type.

Business Transportation Carbon Footprint Survey:


This is a basic carbon footprint calculator that will can provide a business with a baseline
from which to build company efforts to reduce its overall carbon emissions. Reducing carbon
means reducing the fossil fuel costs associated with the emissions. By reducing business
expenses related to fuel use, the business will be strengthening its bottom line as well as
preparing the business for the coming inevitable regulation of carbon emissions.

Your Green Team will need to compile various information from the business owner
regarding the information that is needed to prepare this form. You will need information on
the number and types of vehicles used by the business, as well as their average fuel usage
and monthly mileage. You’ll also need information regarding any employee commuting, as
well as information regarding business travel and business shipping details. You will use this
information to prepare a detailed list of recommendations that will help the business reduce
its transportation carbon footprint, and thus, reduce its transportation travel costs.

If you wish to use a more detailed business carbon footprint calculator, two are available free
online at: www.carbontrust.co.uk/solutions/CarbonFootprinting/FootprintCalculators
or www.carbonfootprint.com/businessregister.aspx. There is also a useful general travel
carbon footprint calculator available at: www.nativeenergy.com/pages/travel_calculator/
30.php.
13

Green Team Energy Use Survey


Completed by: Date: Business:
Address: Phone: Business Sq. Footage:
Energy is: Energy products used: Main Energy Use
q Generated on-site q Electricity q Office use
q Supplied by utility q Liquid petroleum q Industrial processes
q Other supplier q Natural gas q Commercial/retail
q Renewable q Transportation
Number of employees Number of visitors/ Total average occupancy _________
___________________ customers: __________ ___________
Occupancy Schedule: Weekdays: Weekends:
____am to _____pm ____am to _____pm
Existing Major Energy-Consuming Equipment or Fixtures
Location Equipment Type # Units Make/ Energy use Use/week KWh/week
Model in watts in hours

Existing Office and Computer Equipment


Location Equipment Type # Units Make/ Energy use Use/week KWh/week
Model in watts in hours
14

Green Team Lighting Use Survey


Completed by: Date: Business:
Address: Phone: Business Sq. Footage:
Lighting is: Fluorescent ballasts used: Main Lighting Usages:
q Incandescent q Mechanical q Office use
q Compact Fluorescent q Electronic q Factory/Commercial
q Tube Fluorescent q Unknown q Retail space
q HID (High Intensity) q None q Exterior
Number of employees Number of visitors/ Total average occupancy _________
___________________ customers: __________ ___________

Occupancy Schedule: Weekdays: Weekends:


____am to _____pm ____am to _____pm
Existing Lighting Equipment or Fixtures
Location Lighting Type Ballast type # Units Energy use in Total energy Use/week KWh/week
(if applicable) watts/bulb use all units in hours
15

Green Team Business Transportation Carbon Footprint Survey


Completed by: Date: Business:
Address: Phone:

Company-Owned Vehicles
Vehicle Make/Model/Year MPG rating Miles/month Average gallons of fuel/ Carbon Footprint (lbs CO2) Alternatives
month (Miles/mpg) (# gallons x 25 lbs)

Total Company Vehicle Carbon Footprint


Employee Commuting
Vehicle Make/Model/Year MPG rating Miles/month Average gallons of fuel/ Carbon Footprint (lbs CO2) Alternatives
month (Miles/mpg) (# gallons x 25 lbs)

Total Employee Commuting Carbon Footprint


Company Air Travel
Reason for travel Round trip Number of Total person miles Carbon Footprint (lbs CO2) Carbon Offset?
distance employees (# persons X miles) (Person-miles X .5 lbs)

Total Company Air Travel Carbon Footprint


Company Shipping (In and Out-bound)
Reason for shipping Average trip % of full load Carrier Carbon Footprint CO2) Carbon Offset?
distance (in whole (Miles X 25 lbs X percent of
numbers) full load—whole numbers)

Total Company Shipping Carbon Footprint


Total Monthly Travel & Transportation Carbon Footprint (Add all footprints)
Total Annual Travel & Transportation Carbon Footprint (Multiply by 12)
Note: Total company travel/transportation footprint is calculated in pounds of CO2 equivalent and is based generally on the emissions methodology developed by the Carbon
Trust. See www.carbontrust.co.uk for more details. Review and redo your calculations quarterly and work to implement methods that will lessen your overall business carbon
footprint.
16

ƒEnergy Efficiency Action Worksheet:


Based on the information that has been collected in your on-site assessment, your team should
then formulate an aggressive energy efficiency plan for the business. An Energy Efficiency
Action worksheet listing some basic efficiency methods is provided on the CD. There are
sections on the worksheet outlining general energy efficiency actions, office equipment and
computing actions, and travel and transportation actions. Naturally, all of the energy efficiency
ideas are not applicable to all businesses. Your team should choose those actions that are
most suited to the particular business being audited. To complete your Action Worksheet, you
will need to consult the information that was compiled on your team’s survey worksheets, as
well as your Energy Use Process Map of the business. Your team can also use some of the
many internet resources that are listed at the end of this manual if you wish to explore any of
these energy efficiency issues in further depth.

NOTE: The Energy Efficiency Action worksheet is shown at the end of this manual and is also
available on the enclosed CD as both a PDF form that may be printed out for your use and as
a text form that can easily be edited into your final business energy audit report.

„Energy Efficiency Economic Analysis:


The next element in the audit process is to evaluate a few of the most common possible
energy efficiency actions that your team has identified using basic economic analysis. Most
energy efficiency measures have a relatively short payback period and provide good returns
on a business investment in greater efficiency. As energy prices continue to escalate, the
affordability of efficiency becomes much clearer. To analyze the economic impacts of energy
efficiency measures there are two tools provided: 1) you can use the Energy Efficiency
Economic Analysis Worksheet that follows, or 2) you can use the Watt-U-Use software that
is provided on the Green Team CD (and explained following the Energy Efficiency Economic
Analysis Worksheet:

Simple Cost Payback Analysis


In order to make rational business decisions about which energy efficiency actions to imple-
ment, it is very useful to run a simple cost payback analysis. In this method, the total initial cost
of the improvement is divided by the first-year energy cost savings produced by the improve-
ment. This method yields the number of years required for the improvement to pay for itself.
Cost payback analyses can be far more complex and include many other variables.

Let’s look at the replacement of incandescent lights. If a business currently has, say, 100
incandescent bulbs and wishes to replace them with modern compact fluorescent bulbs, the
calculations would be as follows:

100 new compact fluorescent bulbs, at $5/bulb, would cost $500.

Each old incandescent bulb is 100 watt and is on for 18 hours/day for 260 days/year (Mon-
day through Friday for 52 weeks), thus using 468 kilowatt hours of energy (100 X 18 X 260 =
468,000). At an average rate of 10¢ per kWh, this would cost approximately $47/year/bulb in
energy. For 100 bulbs then, this amounts to about $470 annually in electric bills.
17

New compact fluorescent bulbs use only 20 watts of energy to provide the equivalent lighting
intensity. If used for the same time and number of days, (20 X 18 X 260 = 93,600) these bulbs
use only about 94 kilowatts of energy, costing only $9.40 annually or $94 for all 100 bulbs an-
nually. Thus, if you replace the older less-efficient bulbs, the yearly savings would be $376
($470 - $94 = $376). If you divide the initial cost of the upgrade by the year cost savings, your
payback period is shown (in years).

Cost of upgrade $500 / Savings per year $376 = 1.33 years payback period

Thus, the full cost of upgrading all 100 of the incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient compact
fluorescent would be paid back in about 16 months. Over a 10-year period, this upgrade would
save $3,760 dollars in electricity costs alone. This assumes that the actual costs paid for elec-
tricity will not rise. Of course, if the cost for electricity does rise (and no one actually expects
the price to go down over the next 10 years), the savings would be even greater. This simple
analysis also doesn’t take into account that, over that 10-year period, you would not have to
replace those new bulbs, nor would you have to spend maintenance time doing such replace-
ments, or disposing of the worn-out incandescent bulbs.

Simple Return on Investment Analysis


Another standard measure of economic feasibility is the return on investment formula. This is
a measure of the percentage return provided by a particular investment. The standard formula
for return on investment (ROI) is:

Net return / capital cost of investment = percentage return on investment

For the net return figure, you need to determine the life of the investment (in years) and multi-
ply it by net annual savings. Use the net annual savings figure that you generated in the cost
payback analysis. Then deduct the initial capital cost.

Net annual savings x life of investment - capital cost = net return

Thus, for our example, if we assume a 10-year life for the new bulbs, our Net Return is:

$376 X 10 = $3,760 - $500 capital costs = $3,260 net return

Then, using this net return figure, our return on investment (ROI) is:

$3,260 net return / $500 capital costs = 652 percent ROI =


the return on the investment over a 10-year period.

Then, by dividing that figure by the years of life of the investment, you have a

652 ÷10 = 65.2 percent annualized rate of return

These formulas can additionally include calculations to discount the dollar amounts over time
and other more sophisticated approaches. This simple approach, however, can provide a
quick and simple way to compare energy efficiency investments with other business invest-
ment choices. On the following page, you will find a simple worksheet to use for cost payback
and return on investment calculations. This worksheet is provided on the CD that accompanies
this book in a fillable PDF format that will do the necessary calculations for you.
18

Green Team Energy Efficiency Economic Analysis Worksheet


Your team should prepare a Green Team Energy Efficiency Economic Analysis Worksheet
for any energy upgrade that is quantifiable. For example, your team should be able to assemble
the necessary data to complete an economic analysis if existing inefficient equipment will be
upgraded to newer more efficient equipment, such as incandescent lighting to fluorescent lighting
or, perhaps, older desktop computers to newer more efficient laptops. You can also complete this
analysis for efficiency upgrades that entail using electrical or other energy-using equipment less
hours overall. The cost for these upgrades might entail only the cost to purchase inexpensive
motion sensors, power strips, or other energy efficient devices. To complete the worksheet on the
following page (or from the CD) you will need the following information for each proposed energy
efficiency upgrade:

• Name of Business
• Type of Existing Equipment subject to evaluation on this worksheet
• A. Number of units in use currently (from Energy, Lighting or Transportaion Surveys)
• B. Energy use per hour (from Energy, Lighting or Transportaion Surveys or from energy label
on equipment: see page 22 for more information)
• C. Hours each unit is in use over an entire year (from Energy, Lighting or Transportaion
Surveys, you’ll need to determine hours used/week and multiply by 52)
• E. The local cost of energy per unit (such as cents/killowatt hour—available from local utility)
• Type of proposed upgrade (such as ‘fluorescent lighting’ or ‘electronic ballasts’ or ‘limiting
hours of usage’ etc.)
• H. Number of units to upgrade (from Energy, Lighting or Transportaion Surveys)
• I. Cost of upgrade per unit (check costs online or locally if possible)
• Q. Life of the investment in years (if unknown, generally use 10 years)

The other items on the worksheet can be determined by using the calculations noted. Your team
may wish to develop a spreadsheet that can perform these calculations or you may wish to use
the Watt-U-Use software (see page 22).

Green Team Analysis of Energy Efficiency Updates


This form provides a method to compile all of the information from your various Economic
Analysis Worksheets and show the business owner the total possible energy savings that may
be possible based on what your team has uncovered in its Energy Audit. To complete this form
(on Page 20 or from the CD) you will need the following information:

• Name of business
• Type of existing equipment subject to evaluation on each line of the form
• Number of units in use currently (Item A. from the relevant economic analysis worksheet)
• Total current annual energy use (Item F. from the relevant economic analysis worksheet)
• Proposed energy efficiency upgrade subject to evaluation on each line of the form
• Number of units being upgraded (Item H. from the relevant economic analysis worksheet)
• Estimated net annual savings for upgrade (Item R. from the relevant economic analysis
worksheet)
• Estimated payback period (Item S. from the relevant economic analysis worksheet)
• Annual return on investment (Item V. from the relevant economic analysis worksheet)
• Total estimated annual energy savings (Total of column values)
19

Green Team Energy Efficiency Economic Analysis Worksheet


Business Name:
Existing Equipment:
A. Number of Existing Units in Use:
B. Energy Use/Hour/Unit (from energy label on equipment):
C. Hours in Use/Year/Unit:
D. Annual Energy Use of Existing Equipment (A x B x C = D)
E. Energy Cost per Local Energy Unit (such as $/kwH) $
F. Annual Cost of Energy Use of Existing Equipment (D x E = F) $
G. Annual Purchase Cost of Existing Equipment $
Proposed Upgrade:

H. Number of Units to Upgrade:


I. Cost of Upgrade per Unit: $
J . Capital Cost (Total Equipment Upgrade Cost) (H x I = J) $
K. Energy Use/Hour/Unit:
L. Hours in Use/Year/Unit:
M. Annual Energy Use of Upgraded Equipment (H x K x L = M )
N. Annual Avoided Energy Costs (F – M = N) $
O. Annual Purchase Cost of Upgrade Equipment $
P. Annual Avoided Purchase Costs (G – O = P) $
Q. Life of Investment in Years (Generally use 10 Years)
Net Annual Savings of Upgrade
+ Annual Avoided Purchase Costs (P) $
+ Annual Avoided Energy Costs (N) $
= R. Total Net Annual Savings (N + P = R) $
Simple Payback Period Analysis
Capital Costs (from above: J) $
÷ Net Annual Savings (from above: R) $
= S. Payback Period in Years (J ÷ R)
Simple Return on Investment Analysis
Net Annual Savings (from above : R) $
x Life of Investment (in years from above: Q)
– Capital Costs (from above: J) $
= T. Net Return ([R x Q] – J) $
÷ Capital Costs (from above: J) $
= U. Return on Investment (over life) (T ÷ J = U)
÷ Life of Investment (in years from above: Q)
= V. Annual Return on Investment Rate (U ÷ Q = V) %
20

Green Team Analysis of Energy Efficiency Updates


Business Name:
Existing Equip- # Total Proposed # Estimated Estimated Annual
ment Units Current Energy Units Net Payback Return on
(A) Annual Efficiency (H) Annual Period Invest-
Energy Update Savings (S) ment Rate
Use (F) (R) (V)
$

Total Estimated Annual Savings from $


Proposed Energy Efficiency Upgrades
21

Basic Energy Consumption Characteristics for Electrical Equipment


To determine total energy usage of a piece of equipment, multiply wattage X hours of use per
day X days of use per year. For example: A desktop computer used 8 hours per day, 260 days
per year (175 w X 8 hours X 260 days = 364,000 watt/hours or 364 kWh per year.
Type of Equipment Estimated Wattage
Desktop Computer 175
Laptop Computer 70
Copy Machine (small desktop) 800
Fax Machine (thermal) 400
Fax Machine (inkjet) 125
Monitor (CRT) 85
Printer (inkjet) 40
Printer (Laser) 250
Router/DSL/Cable Modem 6
Coffee Maker (drip style-brew cycle) 1500
Coffee Maker (drip style-wam cycle 70
Coffee Maker (percolater style-brew cycle) 600
Coffee Maker (percolater style-warm cycle 80
Small trash compactor 400
Microwave Oven 600-1200
Toaster Oven 500-1500
Dehumidifier 50
Air Conditioner- Window Style (6,000 btu/hour) 800
Air Conditioner -Window Style (10,000 btu/hour) 1350
Air Conditioner -Window Style (12,000 btu/hour) 1585
Air Conditioner -Window Style (14,000 btu/hour) 1875
Air Conditioner -Window Style (16,000 btu/hour) 2125
Air Conditioner -Window Style (18,000 btu/hour) 2395
Air Conditioner -Window Style (20,000 btu/hour) 2675
Central Air Conditioner (1 1/2 Ton) 2250
Central Air Conditioner (2 Ton) 3000
Central Air Conditioner (2 1/2 Ton) 3750
Central Air Conditioner (3 Ton) 4500
Central Air Conditioner (4 Ton) 6000
Central Air Conditioner (5 Ton) 7500
Heat Pump (2 Ton) 3200
Heat Pump (3 Ton) 4800
Heat Pump (4 Ton) 6400
Heat Pump (5 Ton) 8000
22

Using Watt-U-Use Software for Energy Calculations


This software is included on the Green Team CD. It pro-
vides a simple way to determine the energy costs and
usage requirements for any electrical device that you
have either the wattage and voltage OR the amperage
and voltage requirements. These figures are generally
found on an electric nameplate found on the back or bot-
tom of all electrical equipment. In the example shown
on the right, we want the “INPUT” values, which are AC
(which refers to “alternating current” as opposed to DC
“direct current” which is generally from battery power).
The voltage is 120 V, or 120 volts. The next value (60 HZ)
refers to 60 hertz (the most common measure of power
frequency in the U.S.: not relevant for our purposes).The
final value is 7W, which refers to 7 watts of input power. INPUT AC 120V 60 HZ 7W
In the second example OUTPUT AC 8V 250mA
to the right (the Dell label), note
that the INPUT is 100-120 V
(this shows the range of voltage
possible; standard U.S. voltage
is generally 120 volts). The input
is shown as 9 A or 9 amps. As
noted above, you can use either
the voltage and wattage (as in
the above example) OR the volt-
age and amperage values (as in
this example).
We will need one addi-
tional amount in order to use the
Watt-U-Use software—the cost
of one kWh of power from your
local power company (in gener-
al, this is about 10¢ per kWh. In-
putting the voltage, wattage, and
kWh pricing figures into the soft-
ware, we can determine that this
particular electric transformer
for a telephone only uses about
5.1¢ of electricity per month
(many phones are low power de-
vices). There are simple instruc-
tions in the software under the
tab HELP/”CONTENTS. On the
following page is a screenshot of
the program that shows the data
added to the program for the first INPUT 110-120V~/9A 50-60HZ
electrical device from above right: 200-240V~/4.5A 50-60HZ
23

…Preparation of Business Energy Audit Report:


The last step in your team’s energy efficiency audit process is to actually prepare a Business
Energy Audit Report for the business and present it to the business owner. This phase of the
business energy audit process is simply a matter of assembling into one place all the various
paperwork that your team has already prepared. You will need to provide a simple cover sheet
and table of contents (both of which are shown following and provided on the accompanying
CD as either a fillable PDF form or a text form that your team may alter as necessary). Then,
you’ll need to assemble the underlying information you have gathered into a simple manual
that will help the business implement your energy audit suggestions. The basic idea is to
compile all of the audit paperwork material into one place so that they’ll be accessible and
easily located by the business owner. You will include all of the worksheets and surveys
that your team has compiled and used. For your Energy Actions, if desired, you can cut and
paste the actions that you have selected (from the text version of the Energy Efficiency Action
Worksheet that is provided on the CD) or you may simply use the completed PDF forms (also
provided on the CD) for that purpose. If you have used any of the additional software or online
resources, you will also need to include that paperwork in your final business energy audit
report. Once you have compiled all of your initial paperwork, simply put it all together in a
hard-copy version so that it can be presented to the business owner in a neat and accessible
package. A simple three-ring binder or folder is all you’ll need. Following is a standard-format
cover sheet and basic table of contents of all of the paperwork that you may wish to include in
your final business energy audit report.
24

Green Team Business Energy Audit Report


Company Information
Name of Company
Address of Company

Phone Number
Fax Number
Contact Person and
Title
Contact Email
Address
Website Address
General description
of business

Green Team Information


Names of Green
Team Members who
participated in this
Business Energy
Audit

Name and Address


of Green Team
Adult Mentor

Contents of Green Team Business Energy Audit Report


Cover sheet and Contents
Business Energy Audit Proposal
Energy Use Worksheet
Energy Use Survey
Lighting Use Survey
Business Transportation Carbon Footprint Worksheet
Energy Efficiency Economic Analysis Worksheets
Analysis of Energy Efficiency Updates
Proposed Energy Efficiency Actions
25

Energy Efficiency Action Worksheet


Already Should Doesn’t
Doing Do Apply

General Business Energy Use and Efficiency


Consider joining the U.S. EPA’s Climate Leaders program to work on volun-
tarily reducing your company’s greenhouse gas emissions. For more informa-
tion, see: www.epa.gov/stateply.
Consider the purchase of carbon offsets or renewable energy credits for your
company.
Develop a company-wide energy efficiency policy and communicate that
policy to all management and employees.
Set a company policy to shut off all lights, machinery, or equipment when not
in use, particularly on nights and weekends. Much equipment is idle for up to
90 percent of its life.
Install energy monitors (as sub-meters) that can provide an accurate display
of the cost and energy usage of individual equipment. See, for example,
www.powermeterstore.com or search for “Kill a Watt device” on your
computer.
Consider using energy-efficient surge protectors or power strips. The Belkin
Conserve Surge Protector works with a remote control. See www.belkin.com.
The Smart Strip Power Strip automatically cuts power to other equipment
when the main switched equipment is shut down. See: www.bitsltd.net/
consumerproducts/. The Isole Plug Load controller combines a surge protec-
tor with a motion detector shut-off. See: www.wattstopper.com.
Consider using simple timer devices to shut off equipment at night and on
weekends. These can easily be set to shut off your power strips, and thus
shut off multiple pieces of equipment.
Install motion sensor and/or automatic dimming switches for all lighting.
See: www.blackanddecker.com/energy for an example of a simple motion
sensor light switch that can be installed directly over existing switches.
To dim fluorescent lighting, you will need to retrofit any older fixtures with
newer electronic ballasts.
Use task lighting to light only areas that are in use, rather than an entire
room.
Install reflectors to increase the effectiveness of any lighting fixtures. This
simple retrofit can reduce lighting needs by up to 50 percent.
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps, wherever
appropriate.
Upgrade to T-8 (1 inch diameter) fluorescent lamp tubes with solid-state
electronic ballasts that are more efficient than older T-12 (1.5 inch diameter)
tubes with magnetic ballasts.
Use T-5 fluorescent lighting if you are considering a complete retrofit of
lighting.
Always buy Energy Star qualified products for your business. The Energy
Star label indicates the most efficient computers, printers, copiers,
refrigerators, televisions, windows, thermostats, ceiling fans, and other
appliances and equipment.
26

If you need to purchase new equipment, buy equipment that is durable and
can be easily upgraded. Consider also whether the product has online manu-
als that reduce the need for printed manuals, if the equipment is recyclable,
and whether the manufacturer has a take-back policy.
Even better, investigate the leasing of any business equipment that you may
need.
Clean refrigerator and cooling coils and condensers twice a year. Replace
door gaskets if a dollar bill easily slips out when closed between the door’s
seals.
Install an insulation blanket on water heaters 7 years of age or older, and
insulate the first 3 feet of the heated water “out” pipe on both old and new units.
Set water heater temperature only as hot as needed (generally only 110-120
degrees, unless food service business).
Insulate hot and cold water lines in any areas they pass through that are not
heated or cooled.
If buying a new water heater, always buy the most efficient model possible. In
areas of infrequent use, consider tankless water heaters to reduce “standby”
storage costs and waste.
Even better, install a solar thermal water heating system for your business.
Make sure your heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are
operating at peak efficiency. Consider using an annual maintenance contract.
Regularly change (or clean if reusable) HVAC filters every month during peak
cooling or heating season.
Install a programmable thermostat to automate your HVAC system and set
it to significantly scale back heating and cooling when the business is not in
operation. These units generally offer a 50 percent rate of return on the cost
of the original investment.
Control direct sun through windows depending on the season and local
climate. During cooling season, block direct heat gain from the sun shining
through glass on the east and especially west sides of your business.
Depending on your facility, options such as solar screens, solar films,
awnings, and trees can help prevent summer heat gain.
During heating season, with the sun low in the south, unobstructed southern
windows can contribute solar heat gain during the day.
Consider purchasing a simple non-contact thermometer gun (also called a
‘pyrometer’ or ‘thermal leak detector’) to check for heat and/or cooling leaks
around windows, doors, etc. See: www.blackanddecker.com/energy for an
example of one type. These cost around $50 and can pinpoint easy-to-repair
heating/cooling leaks.
Plug all leaks in your building’s outer shell with weather stripping and
caulking. Use expandable foam to fill any gaps.
Consider installing double-paned windows. These generally can reduce
heating and cooling costs by over 30 percent.
Use fans. Comfort is a function of temperature, humidity, and air movement.
Moving air can make a somewhat higher temperature and/or humidity feel
comfortable. Fans can help delay or reduce the need for air conditioning, and
a temperature setting of 3 to 5 degrees higher can feel as comfortable with
fans. Each degree of higher temperature can save about 3 percent on cooling
costs.
27

Use reversible fans that pull hot air up in summer and push hot air down in
winter.
Use natural ventilation whenever possible to lighten the load on your HVAC
system—open the windows!
Seal and repair all leaks in your building’s HVAC duct works. Insulate any
duct work that passes through unheated or uncooled spaces.
Isolate any unused space in your business building and close the heating
and cooling vents to those areas.
Completely seal and insulate any unused exterior windows that are not used
or are not necessary for good lighting.
Install automatic door closers to close and seal doors.
Use exterior insulating covers in the winter months for any air conditioners.
If your business has vending machines, consider the purchase of vending
machine energy monitor that can save 50 percent of your energy use for each
machine. See, for example: www.vendingmiserstore.com.
Upgrade the energy efficiency of your older equipment. Modern equipment
is much more energy efficient, often with less than half of the energy use of
older equipment. Efficiency upgrades for motors and drives for equipment,
air compressors, lighting, and other energy-consuming equipment often have
very rapid payback periods.
Install variable-speed switches and controls on any equipment where this is
feasible. A variable-speed control can save up to 70 percent of energy used
on many installations.
A typical industrial motor may use 10 times its actual original cost in energy
every year. That’s like spending $100,000 annually for gas for a $10,000
car. Replace your old electric motors in fans, compressors, and pumps with
modern high efficiency motors.
See if you can downsize any of your business’s equipment, including heating
and air conditioning, refrigeration, and other systems. Newer, more efficient
equipment can often be sized smaller and perform better than older, less
efficient machinery.
Many types of machinery, such as air compressors, turn up to 90 percent of
the energy used into waste heat. Investigate methods of using a heat recovery
system that allows the use of waste heat in other areas of your business.
Switch off any machinery when not in use, or slow down the speed of fans or
motors if possible to accomplish without a reduction in efficiency.
If your building still uses fuel oil, consider switching to cleaner natural gas.
Better yet, investigate the possibility of installing renewable energy systems
on your business property, such as solar thermal heating, solar photovoltaic,
wind, or geothermal systems. You might be surprised at the savings possible
as fossil fuel energy prices continue to escalate.

Office Equipment and Computer Purchasing and Recycling


Prior to purchasing any new electronics, repair or upgrade your current ma-
chines whenever possible.
Prior to purchasing any new electronics, consider purchasing used or refur-
bished equipment. See www.dell.com/outlet for refurbished PCs. Also see
www.refurbdepot.com for factory direct office equipment of all kinds.
28

If you need to upgrade your monitors, replace your old cathode ray tube (CRT)
monitors with newer, much more energy-efficient flat screen monitors. Be
sure to recycle, rather than landfill, any CRT monitors, as they contain up to 5
pounds of lead.
Before you recycle any electronics equipment or computers, consider donat-
ing your machines to a local church, school, or nonprofit organization. They
may be able to get many more productive years out of the product before it is
ultimately recycled.
If you must recycle your products, check the manufacturer. Dell, Apple, IBM,
and HP all have electronics recycling programs. Sony has a television take-
back program. Check their respective websites for more information. Also
check the Electronics Industry Alliance at: www.eiaa.org. Be sure to choose
a recycler that has pledged to not export the e-waste to developing countries.
See www.ban.org.
If your company is in California or Massachusetts, check with your waste man-
agement provider. These states have banned CRT monitors and televisions
from landfills.
New computer and electronics purchases should be free of brominated flame
retardants (BFRs), mercury, and polyvinyl chloride (PVCs) if possible.
Choose copy machines that are Energy Star®-certified and that have duplex-
ing (double-side) capabilities. Turn off copiers when not in use.
If you need to purchase new computers or electronics, purchase Energy
Star- or EPEAT-compliant models. Energy Star products consume up to 70%
less energy than noncompliant models, and EPEAT products are energy-ef-
ficient and also contain far less toxic materials. See www.energystar.gov and
www.epeat.net.
Reuse any peripherals, like keyboards, monitors, or mice, with any new com-
puters that are purchased.
Consider using laptops as desktop computers. Laptops are far more energy
efficient and can consume up to 80% less energy than equivalent desktops.
Inkjet printers use 75 to 90 percent less energy than laser printers. Consider
the use of inkjet printers for draft documents or when speed and print quality
are not as important. If you need to purchase laser printers, pick Energy Star
ones, as they will automatically power down when not used for a certain time
period.
Consider using a fax modem so that your computer becomes your fax ma-
chine. This will allow for paperless faxing and electronic storage of faxes, while
eliminating another piece of equipment that is typically left on 24/7.
If you need to purchase new equipment, buy equipment that is durable and
can be easily upgraded. Consider whether the product has online manuals
that reduce the need for printed manuals, and also whether the equipment is
recyclable or whether the manufacturer has a take-back policy.
Investigate the leasing of computers and other office equipment. IBM has fo-
cused on lease programs and will help companies by purchasing or arranging
for the proper recycling of old equipment. See www.ibm.com.
Investigate the packaging of electronics products before you buy them. Insist
that manufacturers ship their products in a reusable, or at the minimum, easily
recyclable, shipping containers.
29

Computer and Electronics Efficiency During Use


Turn your computers off when they are not needed. It does not harm modern
computers to be turned on and off repeatedly. This is the most important action
that you can take to reduce computer and peripheral energy use.
Turn down the brightness on your monitor. The brightest setting on a monitor
consumes twice the power used by the dimmest setting.
Turn off your monitors when not in use. Monitors account for around 50% of a
computer’s energy use.
Turn off all peripherals such as printers, scanners, and speakers when not in
use.
Prevent shadow energy use. Connect your equipment to power strips that can
be easily turned on and off. Turn all equipment off (except perhaps your fax
machine) at night and on weekends.
Consider using simple timer devices to shut off equipment at night and on
weekends. These can easily be set to shut off your power strips, and thus shut
off multiple pieces of equipment.
Turn off your screen savers. Screen savers do not save energy and are not
necessary on any modern computer screens. The use of screen savers can
prevent more efficient power management settings from taking effect on your
computer.
Set up local area networks within your business to share printers, scanners,
and even computers. The fewer electronic devices needed, the less your en-
ergy bills will be.

Computer Power Management


Consider the use of a power meter to find out how much energy your computer
actually consumes and to calculate your actual savings from each measure. A
popular such device is a “Kill A Watt” power monitor.
Enable power management modes on your computer. These features allow
computers to go into lower-energy modes after a certain amount of time. Sleep
modes can save up to 90% of the energy consumed. See below for directions.
Even for PCs with a low-power sleep mode, you can save more energy and
possibly extend your computer’s lifetime if you manually shut it off completely
at night, on weekends, and during long periods of non-use during the day.
If your networked computer(s) must stay on and connected at night for file
backup or other purposes, make sure the monitor is shut off.
Look for network features that provide a timed shutdown, automatic shutdown
after file backup, or, alternatively, auto-boot-up before backup. Using sleep and
off modes will not shorten your PC’s lifetime.
Plug-in power supplies for laptop PCs typically use 15 watts or less but cannot
be shut off completely. To save energy, unplug your power supply after the
laptop battery is charged, or use a power-strip with an on-off switch.
Many laptop PCs (and some desktops) offer a “hibernate” or “bookmark” fea-
ture, which saves active programs and files before shutting off, then restores
the same status when the PC is turned on. This added convenience encour-
ages users to shut off their computers when not in use.
30

On Windows XP systems, under Control Panel, go to Power Options and se-


lect the most efficient settings. The recommended energy efficiency settings:
Turn off monitor/sleep mode: 15 minutes or less
Turn off hard drives/sleep mode: 15 minutes or less
System standby/sleep: after 30 minutes or less.
For Windows Vista, there are even more options for power management: a
power button on the Start menu that encourages the use of power-saving
modes, restrictions on the ability of applications to interrupt computers in sleep
mode, a new user interface for managing applications that are blocking shut-
down, and a simpler presentation of power management settings (you can use
three preset power management plans: balanced, energy-saving, or perfor-
mance-oriented, or you can create your own settings). You can access Vista
power management under Control Panel, then System and Maintenance, then
under Power Options.
For Apple Mac computers, on the Apple menu, select System Preferences,
then Show All, then select Energy Saver under the Hardware section, then
Show Details, then select settings for Power Adapter. Use the settings noted
above under Windows XP and select “Put the Hard Drive to sleep when pos-
sible” for the best power-saving results.
If you are not sure about activating power management features yourself,
there is an easy-to-use tool available from the Energy Star program. EZ
Wizard is a simple software tool that automatically activates power manage-
ment features for you and will help you decide the right power management
settings. It is online at (hold on this is a long one): www.energystar.gov/
index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_mgt_ez_wiz.
If you must leave a computer on overnight (to operate as a fax or answering
machine, for example), it might as well also be doing some valuable work for
the environment. Investigate allowing your always-on computers to run climate
modeling software in the background. Oxford University operates a network
that uses the computing power of dormant computers to test complex climate
models. See www.climateprediction.net for more details.

Employee Commuting
Provide incentives to employees for carpooling and the use of public
transportation—incentives might include privileged parking locations for vans,
vehicles for ride-sharing, and bus passes (which are often provided at volume
discounts by bus systems to large employers).
Promote carpooling (ride-sharing) for employees. Check out
www.carpoolworld.com or www.erideshare.com.
You may wish to provide disincentives to lower the number of employees
arriving in single-occupancy vehicles by charging a parking fee for single-
occupant cars or trucks.
Work with the local municipality to provide safe pedestrian crossings on
adjacent streets, and on routes leading to and from public transportation stops
or facilities.
Coordinate your employees’ hours to coincide with public transportation
timetables.
Lower the number of employees arriving in single-occupancy vehicles by
encouraging other modes of transportation, particularly public transportation,
walking, or biking.
31

Provide premium parking locations for hybrid or electric vehicles that also ride-
share.
For pedestrians, provide safe and clearly defined pathways across and around
the business, including all entrances.
For bike riders, provide designated on-site bicycling routes that are user-
friendly.
Provide easily accessible bike racks, sheltered from the weather, if possible.
Provide shower and locker facilities for bicycle and pedestrian commuters.
Provide pedestrian-friendly access to public transportation. If your company
is big enough this might include all-weather shelters and well-lighted, secure
routes.
Try to eliminate or minimize your parking lots and convert them to grasslands,
wetlands, or other uses that require minimal or no landscaping, if possible.
If your company is big enough, provide shuttle service to and from airports,
train stations, light rail stops, and even bus stops.
Whenever possible, allow employees to telecommute (work from home over
the Internet or other network). This one step, if used aggressively, can reduce
your employee commuting carbon footprint to zero.
Encourage audio or video conferencing whenever possible. This saves time,
travel costs, and the associated emissions.
Allow flex-time work hours for your employees. A compressed work week of
four 10-hour days will reduce commuting costs and emissions by 20 percent.
Business Shipping and Travel
Use a travel carbon calculator to determine your carbon footprint for auto,
airline, rail, or bus travel. See www.nativeenergy.com/pages/travel_
calculator/30.php.
If your business has company-owned cars or a fleet of vehicles, specify that
all vehicles will be hybrid, whenever possible. Check www.hybridcenter.org
for the latest information on hybrid vehicles.
If your company ships products or is a truck or rail company that delivers
these products, look into the EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership. This is
an innovative collaboration between EPA and the freight industry to increase
energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pol-
lution. Hundreds of businesses are benefitting from this partnership. See
www.epa.gov/smartway.
Develop a company-wide policy to eliminate unnecessary idling of truck
engines. One way is by installing auxiliary power units that will heat or cool
the truck when stopped, allowing the main engine to be shut down. Wal-Mart
installed auxiliary power units on its 6,845 semi tractors and saved $22 million
in 16 months
Coordinate your shipping and freight to use full loads whenever possible. Try
to work with your shippers to assure full loads in both directions whenever
possible.
Remove all excess weight from company vehicles. Mandate observance of
speed limits for company vehicles. Request that employees use cruise control
and overdrive whenever possible to increase fuel efficiency.
Whenever possible, book your travel accommodations at “green” hotels. See
www.greenhotels.com.
32

During any necessary hotel stays, let management know that it is not neces-
sary to change your towels and sheets every day, and turn off the AC/heat,
lights, and TV whenever you leave the room.
Whenever possible, use a hotel van instead of renting a car and use public
transportation in your destination city.
If you must rent a car, consider renting a hybrid vehicle. See
www.evrental.com for rentals in California and Arizona. Also check with Avis,
Budget, and Enterprise car rentals, which are beginning to provide hybrid rent-
als.
Consider carbon offsetting for required travel. This concept is designed to re-
duce overall carbon by offsetting carbon-intensive uses (such as airline travel)
with carbon-neutral uses (such as windpower). See www.nativeenergy.com
for one of the best offset programs. It finances wind energy projects on native
American reservations.
If you must use air travel, patronize airlines that provide carbon offsetting.
Many airlines such as American, British Airways, Continental, Delta, Quantas
and several online travel booking sites such as Travelocity and Expedia are
either offsetting carbon emissions or allowing passengers to purchase carbon
offsets.

Building Upgrade Energy Efficiency


Consider the use of solar thermal heating systems.
Use passive solar building techniques whenever possible.
Use active solar panels or solar photovoltaic roofing systems whenever pos-
sible.
Consider using ground-source geothermal heating/air conditioning systems if
your area has sufficient resources.
Consider using wind power to supplement your building’s energy use if your
area’s wind resources are sufficient.
Use Energy Star building materials whenever available, such as for windows,
doors, fans, etc.
Any cooling or fire suppression equipment should not use any CFC-based re-
frigerants, HCFCs, or halons whatsoever.
Purchase renewable energy from a certified green power supplier. See:
www.green-e.org/about.shtml.
Use advanced daylighting techniques combined with modern low energy lighting
systems to minimize lighting energy use.
Building Upgrade Materials and Resources
Ideally, all materials used in the construction should be non-persistent, nontoxic,
and procured either from reused, recycled, renewable, or abundant-in-nature
sources. Abundant-in-nature sources means that human use of the resources
is small compared with the amount of resource available. Examples include iron
and steel, glass and silica, and aluminum. (Note: this does not take into account
the material’s embedded energy—the amount of energy needed to make these
raw materials into usable products.)
Use agricultural byproducts for construction materials if possible, such as soy-
based insulation, bamboo, or wood-byproduct materials.
33

If wood is used, it should be certified as sustainably harvested by credible certi-


fied third-party organizations, such as the Forest Stewardship Council.
Building materials should be obtained from as near to the building site as pos-
sible, preferably locally.
Use building materials that require minimal or no additional finishing actions to
complete.
Use precut, premanufactured, or panelized construction techniques if the avail-
able products are available without long shipping distances.
Use construction materials for both exterior and interior surfaces that are the
most durable available and that require the minimum, or preferably no mainte-
nance for upkeep.
Use materials that are durable and reusable at the end of their life cycle.
If possible, reuse materials that have been salvaged from other buildings.
Choose only non-VOC (volatile organic compound) sealants, finishes, adhe-
sives, carpets, and composite wood products.
Materials that should be avoided include products using CFCs or HCFCs,
products using PVC, products using urea formaldehyde, and any products with
persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals (PBTs) that may be found in paints,
varnishes, caulks, electrical switches, thermostats, solders, and vinyl, etc.
If available, specify the use of Portland cement with at least a 25 percent fly ash
content (up to 60 percent is acceptable).
Use recycled plastics for signs, parking stops, trash receptacles, benches,
tables, bike racks, etc.
Specify high–recycled content rebar whenever possible.
Consider 100 percent recycled content roofing materials.
Use recycled content gypsum wallboard. 95 percent post industrial content wall-
board is now available.
90 percent recycled fiberboard and 100 percent recycled content particleboard
are available for nonstructural use.
Many recycled content flooring products are available.
Properly dispose of any paints, varnishes, or other chemical compounds used in
the construction.
A whole-building waste management plan should be developed and instituted,
including during the construction phase.
Waste should be minimized and should, ideally, be zero by using efficient design
and construction techniques.
All on-site construction debris should be recycled whenever possible. In larger
urban areas, nearly all construction debris can be recycled, including wood,
cardboard, metals, drywall, plastics, asphalt roofing, concrete blocks, etc.
Protect the ground from contamination from any construction materials that may
be hazardous.
During remodeling, separate metals and other recyclable and salvageable ma-
terials.
If vegetation, bushes, or trees must be removed during construction, consider
replanting or selling any removable vegetation.
34

Building Systems and Indoor Air Quality


All building systems, such as HVAC, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing
should be designed to be complementary when possible and use efficiencies
gained in one system to assist another system.
All equipment purchased for building systems should be as technologically ef-
ficient as possible. Energy Star–certified equipment is generally the best choice.
Provide operable windows in sufficient quantities to allow for adequate ventila-
tion, views, and the use of outside air for cooling or heating purposes.
Provide that all cleaning materials used are non-toxic and non-hazardous in
nature.
Provide adequate controls for all HVAC and lighting systems to allow them to be
shut down or controlled by occupants.
Install sufficient electric monitoring devices to allow occupants to understand
how their activities impact the building’s energy use.
Install CO2 and other monitoring systems to insure that air quality remains at
high levels throughout the building’s life.
35

Energy Efficiency and Energy Resources


General Energy Efficiency and Energy Resources
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative:
www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools
The Building Energy Software Tools Directory:
www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory
Department of Energy Best Practices website:
www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/software.html
Energy Plus Software:
www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus
Quick Plant Energy Profiler:
www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/quickpep
Save Energy Now Initiative:
www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow
Federal Energy Management Program Energy Cost Calculators:
www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/procurement/eep_eccalculators.html
Building Life-Cycle Cost Software:
www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/information/download_blcc.html
Utility Company Energy Efficiency Programs:
http://eetd.lbl.gov/EnergyCrossroads/2ueeprogram.html
Online Business Energy Analysis:
www.energyguide.com
Solar America Cities:
www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_america
Wind and Hydropower Technologies website:
www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro
Geothermal Technologies Program:
www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal
Green Power Options Available for Your State:
www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml
Certified Sources of Renewable Energy Credits:
www.green-e.org
Native Energy CoolWatts Program:
www.NativeEnergy.com
Green-e Climate Certification Programs:
www.green-e.org/getcert_ghg_products.shtml
Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency:
www.dsireusa.org
Small Producer Biodiesel and Ethanol Credit:
www.irs.gov
Manufactured Home Tax Credit:
www.irs.gov
Energy Cost Calculator for Compact Fluorescent Lamps:
www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/procurement/eep_fluorescent_lamps_calc.html
U.S. EPA’s Climate Leaders Program:
www.epa.gov/stateply
Belkin Conserve Surge Protector:
www.belkin.com
Smart Strip Power Strip:
http://bitsltd.net/ConsumerProducts/
The Isole Plug Load Controller:
www.wattstopper.com
U.S. EPA’s Energy Star Label Program:
www.energystar.gov

Additional Energy Resources


The U.S. Department of Energy, Industrial Technology Best Practices program has a varied and expanding software collection.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/software.html. A few packages must be ordered from the EERE
Information Center via E-mail at www1.eere.energy.gov/informationcenter or by calling 1-877-EERE-INF (877-337-3463).
The Decision Tools for Industry CD contains the following software tools the MotorMaster+ (MM+), Pump System Assessment
Tool, Steam System Tool Suite, 3E Plus and the new AirMaster+ software packages. Please order the CD via E-mail from the
EERE Information Center at www1.eere.energy.gov/informationcenter or call the EERE Information Center at 1-877-EERE-
INF (877-337-3463).
36

Energy Analysis Software


EnergyPlus from the US Department of Energy. EnergyPlus is a free building energy simulation software program for modeling
building heating, cooling, lighting, ventilating, and other energy flows. http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus/
DOE 2/ DOE 2.1 E/ DOE 2.2 from the Energy Science and Technology Software Center; DOE2.com; others - all adaptions of the
original software developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Hourly energy usage and energy costs software for
commercial or residential; $300, costs differ for commercial adaptions. http://www.doe2.com
Building Loads Analysis and System Thermodynamics (BLAST) from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development
Center (ERDC). Software estimates of building energy needs by simulation of air handling systems and central plant equipment;
$450-1500. http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus
Simulation Problem Analysis and Research Kernel (SPARK); VisualSPARK from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (NBNL).
Free software that is equation-based, object-oriented simulation environment for construction and running models of complex
systems. http://simulationresearch.lbl.gov
THERM from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Free software to model two-dimensional heat-transfer effects in building
components. http://windows.lbl.gov/software/therm/therm.html
ENERGY-10 from the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) (in coordination with NREL, LBNL, Berkeley Solar Group).
Simulation software that analyzes energy and cost savings for different design strategies; $325. www.sbicouncil.org/storelist
item.cfm?itemnumber=1
Building Design Advisor from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Free software design tool using database of prototype
buildings types/materials to guide decision makers through project from design to specification - links to other software tools.
http://gaia.lbl.gov/BDA/
SUNREL from National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Energy simulation software, small buildings; $50. http://www.nrel.gov/
buildings/sunrel/
Energy Scheming from the Energy Studies in Buildings Lab at the University of Oregon. Energy analysis software program based on
graphical interface (architectural renderings); $250.
www.uoregon.edu/~esbl/esbl_web/index2.htm
eQuest from the U.S. Department of Energy. Free energy analysis software program based on graphical interface (architectural
renderings). http://doe2.com/equest/
Energy Star Green Building Design from the U.S. EPA. Website with guidance for new buildings to improve energy efficiency.
http://www.energystar.gov
Clean Power Estimator from the California Energy Commission. Free economic evaluation software to estimate benefits in investing
in a PV solar or small wind electric generating system.
http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/renewables/estimator/index.html
PV Design-Pro from Maui Solar, based on Sandia National Labs Algorithms. Software model to predict the electrical output of
photovoltaic panels included with several other solar design tools, $250. http://www.mauisolarsoftware.com
PV Watts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Free software to calculate electrical energy produced by grid-connected
PV system. http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/codes_algs/PVWATTS/
REM Design from Architectural Energy Corporation. Home energy analysis software; $297.
http://www.archenergy.com/products/rem
EnergyPro from Energy Soft. Energy analysis software based on California Title 24; $200-$1200.
http://www.energysoft.com/
Building Energy Software Tools Directory from the US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program.
Free database of detailed information on software tools, including strengths and weakness. http://www.eere.energy.gov/
buildings/tools_directory/
National Center for Photovoltaics from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
http://www.nrel.gov/ncpv
Green Building Studio. Web-based energy engineering analysis software solution that integrates with today’’s 3D-CAD/BIM
applications; first five runs on a project free (demonstration phase).
http://www.greenbuildingstudio.com
Home Energy Efficient Design (HEED), from the University of California, Los Angeles. Free, fast, easy to use, and highly graphic
energy analysis software.
http://www2.aud.ucla.edu/energy-design-tools/
Energy Gauge USA from the University of Central Florida. Code compliance and energy rating software; $100-$150. http://
energygauge.com/usares/default.htm

Energy Assessment Service Providers


U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs). IACs, which are located at 26 universities across the United
States provide no-cost energy and waste assessments to eligible small and medium-sized manufacturers. Teams of engineering
faculty and students from IACs conduct energy audits or industrial assessments of manufacturing facilities and recommend
actions to improve productivity, reduce waste, and save energy.
www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/iacs.html
U.S. DOE Best Practices Plant-Wide Energy Assessments. Mid-size and large manufacturers can apply for a cost-shared Plant-
Wide Energy Assessment offered by U.S. DOE. The assessments are comprehensive and systematic examinations of energy
use reduction opportunities at industrial facilities. All major aspects of energy consumption are addressed, including process
operations and plant utility systems.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/plant_assessments.html
37

U.S. DOE Save Energy Now Energy Savings Assessments. Through the Save Energy Now program, the U.S. DOE offers Energy
Savings Assessments to the nation’s most energy-intensive manufacturing facilities. The focus of these assessments is on
immediate opportunities to save energy and money, primarily by focusing on energy-intensive systems such as process heating,
steam, pumps, fans, and compressed air.
www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow/
ENERGY STAR Directory of Energy Service and Product Providers. The U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE ENERGY STAR Program
offers a searchable on-line directory of private energy service and product providers, that includes energy management service
companies, energy improvement contractors, and energy service companies, as well as other types of service providers and
equipment manufacturers.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.

Energy Assessment Resources and Tools


Energy Efficiency Toolkit for Manufacturers: Eight Proven Ways to Reduce Your Costs. The National Association of Manufacturers
has developed this toolkit outlining energy conservation strategies, case studies, and resources for manufacturers seeking to
reduce energy use and costs. The toolkit is based on the results of an energy-efficiency survey of over 400 manufacturing
companies. www.fypower.org/pdf/manufacturer_toolkit.pdf
ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management. The ENERGY STAR website describes a seven-step process for effective
energy management. The guidelines are based on the successful practices of ENERGY STAR partners for improving the energy,
financial, and environmental performance of businesses. In addition to practical guidelines, the ENERGY STAR website offers
several energy assessment tools and resources.
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=guidelines.guidelines_index
IAC Self-Assessment Workbook for Small Manufacturers. This workbook presents a step-by-step methodology for small
manufacturers to identify opportunities to reduce energy use, improve operations, and reduce costs at their facilities. The
workbook includes practical tips, checklists, and examples of common energy cost savings opportunities.
http://iac.rutgers.edu/technicaldocs.php
Industrial Audit Guidebook Developed by the Bonneville Power Administration. The Bonneville Power Administration’s Industrial
Audit Guidebook provides practical instructions, tips, and guidance for performing walk-through energy audits of industrial
facilities to identify opportunities to reduce electrical energy consumption. Organized as a checklist of questions, the guidebook
is intended for technical and non-technical audiences to assist with the first step in an energy audit: touring a facility and quickly
identifying energy savings opportunities.
www.bpa.gov/Energy/N/projects/industrial/audit
Green Suppliers Network Lean and Clean Assessments. The Green Suppliers Network (GSN) is a collaborative partnership between
EPA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) that works with
large companies to provide low-cost “Lean and Clean “ facility assessments to small and medium-sized businesses in several
sectors. These assessments include detailed consideration of energy reduction opportunities. www.greensuppliers.gov
Resource Efficiency Management Resources from Washington State University has developed several workbooks, checklists, and
other guidance for conducting energy audits. Other resources available on the website include fact sheets describing energy-
efficiency opportunities for commercial and industrial users. www.energy.wsu.edu/pubs

Travel and Transportation Resources


Carbon footprint calculator:
www.carbontrust.co.uk/solutions/CarbonFootprinting/FootprintCalculators or www.carbonfootprint.com/
businessregister.aspx
General travel carbon footprint calculator:
www.nativeenergy.com/pages/travel_calculator/30.php
Excel® spreadsheets for calculating transportation emissions:
www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools
To promote carpooling:
www.carpoolworld.com or www.erideshare.com
Hybrid company-owned cars:
www.hybridcenter.org
EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership:
www.epa.gov/smartway
‘Green’ hotels:
www.greenhotels.com
Hybrid car rentals:
www.evrental.com
Carbon offsetting for required travel:
www.nativeenergy.com
38

Office Equipment and Computing Resources


EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool):
www.epeat.net
U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program:
www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/procurement/eep_computer.html
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Industrial Technology Program: www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/
software.html
Dell computer free recycling program:
www.dell.com/recycling or
www.dell.com/assetrecovery
IBM computer and equipment purchasing program:
www-03.ibm.com/financing/us/recovery/small/buyback.html
Apple Computer free take-back and recycling program:
www.apple.com/environment/recycling
Hewlett-Packard recycling program:
www.hp.com
Electronic Industries Alliance recycling program:
www.eiae.org
E-waste overseas electronics recycling to developing countries:
www.ban.org
Good Deed Foundation:
www.gooddeedfoundation.org/recycle
Evaluating dollar savings by using power management techniques:
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_mgt_users
For purchasing used or refurbished equipment:
www.dell.com/outlet or
www.refurbdepot.com
Energy Star® products:
www.energystar.gov
EPEAT products:
www.epeat.net
Leasing of computers and equipment:
www.ibm.com
EZ Wizard:
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_mgt_ez_wiz
Oxford University climate modeling software:
www.climateprediction.net

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