Don’t get us wrong, if you don’t know much about your energy bills or how you use your energy, you’re not alone. There are lots of reasons to take interest, though: the rocketing price of energy, savings to the bottom line, and the environmental benefits, for a start.
So, what could you be thinking about?
Saving energy in places you’ll not miss it
There are usually areas where you use energy but don’t really need to, and this can be easily remedied. For instance, when:
1. time controls have stopped working, they have been overridden or incorrectly set;
2. heat exchangers have been fouled;
3. plant is still switched on when it’s not needed;
4. lighting is left on when no-one’s around;
5. heaters are working at the same time as air conditioning; or
6. auxiliary elements such as fans, chillers and hydraulics are running when their corresponding machinery isn’t.
Monitoring
Monitoring systems help companies make better management decisions about energy. By monitoring usage, you’re also aware of situations when normal usage changes for some reason – this can flag up system problems so you can take relevant action before the problems develop.
Energy usage statistics
By knowing more about the way you use energy (in relation to the working day, the five-day and seven-day week, or season), you could be able to save money by modifying your patterns of demand with your energy provider – you can sometimes make savings on transportation and capacity charges. Having statistics to hand can also allow you to negotiate supply contracts more effectively.
Rebates
Believe it or not, by rigorously checking your utility bills, you can achieve substantial rebates and refunds. Checks could include prices against contract tariffs, meter reading continuity, or just simple arithmetic calculations.
Installing energy efficiency measures
Often it’s possible to make energy efficiency improvements to equipment or your building. Some of these improvements will be low-cost, others may involve an investment that can be paid off with the savings you make. Examples include insulation, replacing lights or fitting better system controls.
Energy audits
Getting an independent energy audit gives you a complete picture of your systems and building. It can expose issues that could be hidden from you, and you can find out where efficiency can be maximised and bills can be cut.
Chris Gunn is Marketng Manager at Next Controls, specialising in Control Monitoring & Management Systems delivering both local and remote building control and monitoring solutions for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) installations.
http://www.nextcontrols.com
