Energy Efficiency You Can’t Control (Or Can You?)
January 7, 2009
Hello. This is Greg Zimmerman, executive editor of Building Operating Management magazine.
Today’s topic is promoting energy efficiency in departments or for pieces of equipment not usually associated with facilities. If you’re managing specialized space, like a hospital, medical office facility or lab space, learn about the pieces of equipment that are using the most energy and ask those in charge how they might be able to reduce this equipments’ energy use. Would it be as simple as just shutting it off at night, or would it require more complex procedural changes? Is the equipment running at peak efficiency, and if not, what would need to be done to ensure that it is? Is there anything the facilities department can do to assist? Being willing to stick your nose where it may not belong may result in pretty significant energy gains.
Another approach is forming energy teams in various departments and asking them to identify opportunities for savings. Provide submeters for energy use in specific areas or departments and make energy savings a competition between departments. Start an energy conservation newsletter that keeps all departments apprised on each other’s progress. See if you can work out a deal with upper management that allows departments that save energy to keep a portion of the savings. Then, illustrate to these departments with calculations related directly to things they care about. In other words, show them that if they can save so many kilowatt-hours in a year, they’ll be able to afford a new fancy gadget they may not have been able to justify before.
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