The above is a link to an excellent article on staying germ-free this cold & flu season.
-Jesse M.
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http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/easiest-cheapest-way-stay-healthy
The above is a link to an excellent article on staying germ-free this cold & flu season. -Jesse M.
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Studies show that water heating accounts for approximately 10% of the total energy usage in commercial buildings. For businesses such as hotels and restaurants, this number is significantly greater. There are, however, ways to reduce hot water demand without sacrificing service, comfort, or integrity, and in doing so, a business can reduce their energy cost significantly.
Some simple ideas:
A business may also consider running a more efficient water heating system. There are a number of different types of systems to choose from nowadays. For example:
Finally, once a building has a reduced demand for hot water and an efficient system for heating water, it's time to consider heat recovery. Heat recovery is the capture of heat energy from fluids or gases that would otherwise be lost. Heat can be recovered from drain water, hot air, heat pumps, and many other places in a commercial building. -Jesse M. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 passed by Congress on January 3, 2013, provides extensions of energy tax credit provisions that benefit homeowners seeking energy-efficiency improvements. Under section 25C, homeowners can claim a $500 maximum tax credit to cover material costs of energy-efficient upgrades to existing homes for all taxable years. The credit is only redeemable if the upgrades are in place by the end of 2013.
If a taxpayer has claimed $500 or more of this tax credit in any year prior to 2013, they may not claim any additional credit. For those that remain eligible, the tax credit can be applied to any of the following upgrades:
MORE INFORMATION: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2013/01/03/fiscal-cliff-deal-helps-pay-for-green-home-remodels/?ss=business%3Aenergy http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/green-building-news/energy-tax-credits-and-fiscal-cliff http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US43F&re=1&ee=1 CONTACT:
Charles Accurso, M.D. from Digestive Healthcare Center Robert Ross from Easy Energy USA: ee@easyenergyusa.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 30th, 2012 Digestive Healthcare Center and Easy Energy USA celebrate savings and are in lead lap of EPA’s ENERGY STAR National Building Competition with 2 months to go! Together, competitors have saved more than $37 million on utility bills and prevented nearly 130,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in just six months. WASHINGTON – On June 30th 2012, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program marked the mid-point of the 2012 National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings with a weigh-in of all 3,200 competitors. Digestive Healthcare Center weighed in with a twenty-five percent energy use reduction, saving $19,295 and preventing 41 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. At the midpoint, twenty-four buildings were above twenty percent with only three above thirty percent of energy reduction. As of the end of October, Digestive Healthcare Center has achieved a thirty-five percent energy use reduction through the team at Easy Energy USA by producing energy-use savings and dramatically reduced CO2 emissions for this 15,360sqft medical office and surgical center. Their future plans include more efficient lighting, upgraded mechanical systems, control systems and power management. All renovations currently include contracted proper weatherization, maintaining duct-work repairs and airflow management. Digestive Healthcare Center continues to work with Easy Energy USA in efforts to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect the surrounding environment. Now entering the final stretch of the competition, building teams are pulling out all the stops to which building can reduce its energy use the most over the course of one year. In the first six months of the competition alone, the competitors collectively have saved more than $37 million on utility bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity used by more than 16,000 homes annually. “Competitors in the third year of the Energy Star Battle of the Buildings are already achieving hard-hitting energy-savings,” said Jean Lupinacci, chief of the ENERGY STAR program for commercial buildings and industrial plants. “The stories behind these energy-savings speak to the dedication of American businesses and organizations to protecting the environment, and to economic common sense.” The teams in the 2012 ENERGY STAR National Building Competition represent more than 30 different types of commercial buildings — such as retail stores, schools, hotels, and museums — and hail from all 50 states, two U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. The competitors range from a Kmart store on the island of St. Thomas, to a crime lab in Phoenix, to a tiny Federal office building in Nome, Alaska. EPA has a website, http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=buildingcontest.index featuring a list the competitors and their “weigh-in” results, a live Twitter feed where competitors will post updates on their progress, and a photo streams of their energy-saving efforts. Competitors are measuring and tracking their building's monthly energy and water consumption using EPA's ENERGY STAR online tracking tool, Portfolio Manager; make improvements to their building's performance, and share their progress. Of the initial pool of more than 3,200 competitors, the building that demonstrates the greatest percentage-based reduction in energy use intensity will be recognized as the winner in April 2013. According to EPA, energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and energy use at a cost of more than $100 billion per year. On average, 30% of the energy used in commercial buildings is wasted. Thousands of businesses and organizations work with EPA’s ENERGY STAR program and are saving billions of dollars and preventing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering our atmosphere each year. More information about Digestive Healthcare Center, visit us at: www.dhccenter.com More information about Easy Energy USA, visit us at: www.easyenergyusa.com Okay, so it's a little early, but I couldn't wait. July 17 will mark the 110th anniversary of the invention of modern air conditioning. On that date in 1902, Willis Carrier (founder of Carrier Corp.) initialed the mechanical plans for a piece of equipment that would solve humidity problems at a Printing company in Brooklyn, NY. The fundamentals of modern air-conditioning were set in place, and the ball just kept rolling from there. Follow the history of Willis Carrier, the Carrier Corp, & the air conditioner here!
So we're only 2 days into the Summer season, and temperatures have already reached the triple digits! Cooling your home in the Summer months can be costly, especially for those without central duct systems.
We're all familiar with the traditional window air conditioners. They're those hideous, bulky contraptions that you have to lug out of storage and heave up into your window, leaving your back hurting and your window inoperable. Then, at the end of the season, they have to be taken out and stored again. What if you never had to go through all that painstaking effort again? What if there was an affordable, efficient, aesthetically pleasing alternative to keeping your home comfortable? Well, there is! A ductless mini-split system works the same way a central air conditioner works without the mess of ductwork. This makes installation quick and affordable, and you'll never have to fight with a window air conditioner ever again. Ductless mini-split air conditioners come in many variations from many manufacturers, some boasting efficiencies of up to 24 SEER (Seasonal Equipment Efficiency Rating). This is significantly greater than central and window air conditioners, and they can set up for up to four indoor zones per one outdoor unit. Also available are stylish indoor units that double as picture frames, so you can display your favorite memories while keeping your home comfortable and cutting cooling costs all at the same time. Ductless mini-split heat pumps work on the same principle, but can be switched to heating mode to provide efficient, affordable comfort during the winter months as well, with HSPF (Heating Season Performance Factor) ratings of up to It seems businesses are working even harder to cut their energy costs, seeing energy reduction as a necessity to remain competitive in their respective fields. According to this excerpt from the ASHRAE HVAC&R Industry newsletter, the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions conducted an annual survey ("reSources 2012") which showed that not only have 90% of businesses set goals for energy reduction, but that they plan to cut nearly 25% of their energy use over the next 3 - 4 years.
EXCERPT: Businesses View Saving Energy as Financially Vital HOUSTON—Ninety percent of companies have set goals on electricity use and energy management practices, according to a recent survey by the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions. The annual survey, "reSources 2012," also found that businesses are driving efforts to cut energy consumption, and plan to cut their energy use nearly 25% over three to four years. Eighty-five percent of respondents view reducing electricity costs as essential to staying financially competitive. Click here to read the survey results -Jesse M. Well, that depends on a number of factors. I went through some past client files and dug up an "average" home. This 1580 sqft home's annual electric bill is approximately $2423/year for about 17,303kWh/year @ $.14/kWh, plus the monthly service fee of about $9. Of this 17,303kWh, about 2000kWh is consumed by interior lighting. There are approximately 70 60-watt light bulbs in the home. The new LED manufactured by Philips uses 15 watts to produce the same amount of light as the existing 60-watt incandescent light bulbs.
Now, the math. Replacing all 70 of the 60-watt bulbs will, in theory, reduce the 2000kWh/year to approximately 500kWh/year. This is a savings of approximately $153/year. Now, the standard price tag on these bulbs is roughly $60/bulb. So to replace 70 of them is an investment of $4200. This cost, divided by the annual savings, $153, equals approximately 27.45. This is the number of years it will take for your savings to equal your investment. After that point, the investment turns to profit. However, this is greater than the expected lifespan of the bulbs (20 years, a savings-to-investment ratio of about 0.7:1), meaning you'll have replaced most, if not all of them, by the time this happens, and that you won't actually profit from the investment. Now, let's say you purchase the bulbs at the "discounted" cost described in the Yahoo! Finance article linked at the bottom of this blog, $22. You've now only invested $1540 for the same annual savings of $153. 1540 / 153 = ~10.07; about half of the expected lifespan of the bulbs. At this rate, your savings-to-investment ratio is nearly 2:1. That's 100% profit, just by changing out some light bulbs. Now take into account the fact that in this 10-20 year period, utility rates are only going to rise, and it's obvious that the investment becomes more worthy over time. In conclusion, while the investment's not worthy at $60/bulb right now, it may very well be worthy as the cost falls, utility rates rise, and as the phase-out of incandescent light bulbs progresses. EDIT: Mind you, this is also assuming that the bulbs will actually last 20 years each. Depending on usage and misinformation (considering the bulbs haven't been out for 20 years, we can't know for sure that they will last that long), their lifespan is really unpredictable, and they may not last anywhere near 20 years. However, in the example above, so long as they do last longer than 10 years (and were purchased at the discounted rate of $22), the homeowner would remain in the black. -Jesse M. Reference: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/rebates-cut-price-60-led-222118250.html In our field, we tend to attack items that draw phantom power (power drawn while the appliance is "off" and in standby mode) - TV's, Computers, DVD Players, Cable Boxes...the list goes on. Typically, our solution is to unplug them when they're not in use, or to have them plugged into power strips & flip off the power strip. However, there are other ways to make these devices more efficient, even when they are in use.
Our Administrative Assistant found this fantastic article, explaining how changing the brightness on your TV, setting your computer on power-save, and other quick tricks may help save you nearly $300/year on your electric bill! Click here to read "Energy vampires: Is it worth it to unplug your electronics?" on Yahoo! Green. Jesse M. When we think of energy efficiency, it's no surprise that the first thought that comes to mind is reducing heating & cooling costs. However, there are other ways to reduce energy usage during the holiday season.
Holiday decorations are beautiful, but they also use a lot of energy. Simply turning them off at night before you go to bed can help cut back on electricity usage. Timers make this task even more convenient. You may also want to consider changing to more efficient lighting in your decorations, making use of mini-lights and/or LED's, instead of traditional lighting. Fiber optics are another great energy-saving technique for decorations, as most fiber optic decorations use just one bulb to illuminate many points. You can also cut back energy usage in the kitchen, whether you use electric or fuel-fired cooking appliances. Items that take several hours to cook don't require you to pre-heat the oven. Checking on your food through the window in the oven instead of opening the door is another way to save energy. Opening the oven door may reduce the heat in the oven by as much as 25 degrees! Going away for the holidays? Setting interior & exterior lights on a timer reduces electric usage while giving the illusion that your home is occupied. Reduce your water heater thermostat to the lowest possible setting; no one's going to be showering or doing laundry while your home is vacant. Spend your money on family and friends this holiday season, not insanely high utility costs! Read these and other energy-saving techniques for the holidays in this article. Jesse M. |
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