Category: Energy Efficiency

The Use Of Appliances With Energy Efficiency Check Business Electricity Prices

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Electricity is no doubt consumed at incredible rate in manufacturing industries, commercial sectors and business hubs. Over consumption of electricity adds to their overall operation costs. Energy efficiency should be among their must-to-dos to reduce production cost and raise the level of profitability. Being ignorant of the benefits of energy efficiency, commercial sectors keep no curb on the use of electricity. There are several ways to keep electricity consumption in check and reduce business electricity prices.

Some facts are there to consider while shopping for electronics goods. Make sure to look for electronics devices that are labeled by an energy saving body. Such products are preferable for their limited absorption of electricity. Check the logo of the energy saving body on the products as the logo is a proof of authenticity of the products.

Integrated electronic appliances are energy-saving products. They are available in a wide variety. Integrated gadgets are highly recommended to use in day-to-day life as they consume less energy than other electronics goods. Hence, they cost less for energy consumption. Their use in business hubs is sure to keep business electricity prices at bay. With an in-built CD player or DVD player, a TV ensures energy efficiency more than a TV with a separate CD or DVD player.

Household and business electronics goods come with energy-saving features. Several appliances are available with an option of automatic standby. Such appliances when not in use, automatically shift to standby mode. An appliance consumes less energy in standby mode than on full power. It is the wise of you to purchase such appliances for use.

The degree of energy consumption by TVs varies with their types. So choose the type of television that ensures energy efficiency. A flat screen television needs three times more energy than a regular model. Choose a flat screen TV set of LCD type as it retains greater energy efficiency than plasma TVs. Do not forget to check the level of energy consumption and the rate of energy efficiency with every electronics product before making a purchase. It is sure to restrain the rise of business electricity prices . Appliances are available with a guide on how to use them.

Which Windows Buyers Guide To Establishing The Energy Efficiency Of Replacement Windows

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Energy efficient windows will not only help to reduce your heating bill, they also increase comfort and help the environment through a lower carbon footprint. They can be made using any frame material or combination of materials. A good tool to establish whether replacement windows are energy efficient is the British Fenestration Rating Council’s (BFRC) scheme for rating the energy efficiency of windows. This is a national system and is accepted as a method to show compliance with the building regulations for new or replacement window installations. However, at present the scheme is still voluntary.

The energy rating scheme uses traffic light energy labels for windows on a scale from A to G that are similar to the energy labels you can find on most household appliances. A-graded windows are the most energy efficient. Each window rated by the BFRC has a unique label displaying the overall rating (A-G) and the energy index which shows how much energy the window will save or lose once it has been installed. This depends on a number of factors such as the building, local climate and indoor temperature. A positive value in the index indicates that the window lets more heat in through the glass into the room than is being lost through the window. Such a window is a free energy supplier. A-rated windows will have a positive energy index. Values are given in kilowatt hours per square metre per year.

The label also shows the window’s U and L values. These are measures of a window’s ability to reduce heat loss during indirect radiation exposure during the winter. Low U values mean less heat loss and translate into lower heating costs. The L value indicates the effective heat loss due to air penetration. Another value shown is the solar heat gain. This value is closely linked to the U value and measures the window’s ability to reduce heat gain during direct radiation exposure in the summer. A lower value means less direct heat enters the room and it stays cooler.

The type of glass used has a direct impact on the U value and the solar gain factor. The most energy efficient glass for double glazing is low emissivity (Low-E) glass. This often has an invisible coating of metal oxide on one of the two sheets of glass that make the window, normally on one of the internal panes. This makes the glass reflective, letting sunlight and heat in and cutting the amount that can get out again, thus making the home warmer in the winter. In the summer it reflects the heat back and makes your home cooler.

Very energy efficient windows might use gases like argon, xenon or krypton in the gap between the sheets of glass. The more efficient windows will also use pane spacers around the inside edges to keep the two panes of glass apart that contain little or no metal.

Selecting energy efficient windows has become easier as you can compare window energy ratings. The window energy rating scheme checks all components of the window (including the frame and any casement) and rates the whole window on its energy saving properties. Windows rated B or better are endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust. Energy labels allow you to compare and select windows based on their specific energy performance rather than just relying manufacturers’ claims, thus enabling you to make informed purchasing decisions.

Upgrade Your Building With Led Retrofitting Lights – Add A Innovative Touch And Save Energy

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If all the existing high-rise structures and buildings that heighten the skyline of the United States were to be retrofitted with LED Retrofit Lighting, as much as $33 billion can be saved in a single year by the end of 2030. Sounds too far-fetched? Well, it is not too far from the stark reality that the country urgently needs to plan an energy-efficient retrofit to save energy as well as the planet.

Buildings are the largest source of energy efficiency, especially in the United States. LED retrofitting light helps achieve environmental synergy through energy efficient lighting fixtures installed at commercial centers, buildings and homes. Retrofitting buildings with this technology helps to save money on energy bills and reduce global warming.

Within the next twenty years or so, if all buildings in the United States were to be upgraded with LED Retrofit Lighting, the surging demand in lighting electricity can be reduced by as much as 33 percent, generating energy savings of around $265 billion. By using energy efficient lighting for just one-twentieth of all the homes in the United States, the government can definitely, avoid the need for 13 new medium-sized (300MW) power plants every year. At the same time, the total associated greenhouse gas emissions can be lowered by up to 160 million metric tons annually, thus saving our planet from further depletion of natural resources.

The mission behind every strategic initiative towards energy-efficiency is to reduce the emission of harmful carbon dioxide with the help of breakthrough concepts, such as LED Retrofit Lighting, that produces higher levels of energy output using lesser amount of energy. Advancement in technology has made it possible to retrofit any interior or exterior lighting to an LED component with minimal downtime.

However, despite the energy savings and environmental benefits of energy efficiency with LED retrofitting lights, several barriers had earlier prevented homeowners and businesses from retrofitting their buildings. Until a few years ago, affordable financing was one such barrier. Homeowners who were willing to invest in home retrofits and undertake energy efficient improvements were not aware of any financing options that could have been devised keeping the best interest of the community in mind.

The scenario has changed today, thanks to licensed companies in the energy smart industry, who offer innovative retrofit lighting service for homes, commercial complex and other governmental buildings, ensuring guaranteed energy cost savings and unbelievable positive cash flows. These companies specialize in LED Retrofit Lighting and encourage home owners or businesses to upgrade their existing facilities with state-of-the-art energy-efficient lighting with no money paid up-front.

The leading providers of LED retrofitting lights in the United States are well-equipped to retrofit an entire building through a professional turn-key approach, bringing about a neat 75 percent saving in energy bills. In fact, buildings that are powered by LED Retrofit Lighting require less power generation compared to facilities that are powered by other green-power systems. This makes LED Retrofit Lighting a far more economical and technically-feasible energy solution for the modern man. It goes without saying that American homes and buildings present an unprecedented opportunity to save energy and make the world a greener place.

Capital Review Group Publishes White Papers On Tax Savings And Energy Efficiency Incentives

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Phoenix, AZ Phoenix-based consulting firm, Capital Review Group (CRG), has released a series of white papers designed to help educate business owners and accounting professionals on some of CRGs most sought after service offerings. White paper titles include:

Benefits of the Cost Segregation Study for Commercial Property Owners
Are you Ready to Take Advantage of the New Green Tax Incentives for Commercial Property Owners?
When is an Energy Audit Indicated?
Passive Activity and Cost Segregation

CRG Founder, Marky Moore, says that the White Papers offer valuable insights into the specialized work that CRG does for their clients. This is an area of growing interest for commercial property and business owners, says Moore. We want to give interested individuals more information on tax savings and incentives they could be applying, as well as how CRG develops strategies – with them- to maximize savings and apply discovered capital to high-value energy projects.

Combining expertise in areas of engineering, architecture, and IRS methodology, CRG is an innovator in identifying tax effects that create dramatic financial advantages for clients, as well as maximizing the positive impact of energy efficiency projects. Moore says, Many business owners, non-profit organizations and even builders and designers have limited knowledge of how to wade through complicated tax codes and develop strategies that combine energy efficiency, tax savings and future financial planning.
Moore hopes that by downloading the new white papers, interested parties will start to gain an understanding of the scope of the potential savings available to them, as well as ways they may experience an enhanced return on investment in energy efficiency projects. We are really hoping to generate some excitement by making this information available, Moore says. We want to build awareness of the kinds of dramatic financial advantages that are possible using our services, as well as the positive impact energy strategies can have on businesses and facilities.
Capital Review Group is a specialized consulting firm combining facility engineering with tax accounting to discover and develop high-value projects related to energy efficiency and Capital Discovery solutions for government, commercial and not-for-profit facilities. The companys team of professionals has a thorough understanding of
green tax incentives, energy tax credit deductions, IRS compliance regulations and energy strategies, including renewables. CRG offers 179d analysis and financial recommendations for energy-related federal tax incentives, as well as providing the required third-party certification to claim those deductions.

Most of CRG’s services begin with a preliminary review and analysis at no cost to clients. For more information, visit www.capitalreviewgroup.com.

Outbound Continuous Insulation Is Key To Energy Efficiency

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Typical insulation in commercial and residential building over the past 60 years or so has been insulation placed in the wall between studs or in interior cavities. However, studies are now showing that the best insulation strategy is to place it outbound or outside the wall. This design offers a continuous blanket of protection that does not allow energy to be lost at wall and studs joints where interior insulation does not exist.

Currently continuous insulation of the building enclosure is considered to be the best insulation strategy. Continuous Insulation is defined by ASHRAE 90.1-2004 as “insulation that is continuous across all structural members without thermal bridges”” The most commonly used insulation in buildings today is called cavity insulation, which is not considered to be continuous insulation due to the thermal breaks in the insulation caused by the wall studs.
As more focus is put on increasing the energy efficiency of the built environment, many recent updates to the model energy and building codes as well as voluntary sustainable building programs emphasize the need for continuous insulation and high effective R-values across the building envelope as a means to achieving the best insulation strategy for energy efficiency.

Exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS) are the best continuous insulation systems available today. Introduced in the 1960″s and currently being used worldwide, they have been proven to be both effective and durable. EIFS provide a continuous insulation layer across the exterior wall surface. It is the best insulation as it provides 100% coverage of the walls, eliminating thermal bridging that can occur through the wall studs. Traditional insulation cannot provide continuous insulation as it is between-the-stud insulation, effective only where it is present.

In addition, EIFS can be used for energy efficient retrofits of existing building stock, with minimal disturbance to the building occupants. An EIFS retrofit provides continuous insulation to the existing building, vastly improving energy performance.

With rising energy demands, the need for effective products cannot be understated. An airtight building enclosure that incorporates exterior continuous insulation in addition to cavity insulation is the best insulation strategy for energy efficiency. As such the choice of an exterior insulation and finish system can help provide the best insulation for energy efficient structures.

How To Pay For Energy Efficiency Without A Bank Loan Or Tapping Your Business Equity

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You might want to retrofit your existing building with energy efficient lighting, HVAC or upgrades to the building envelope in order to save money on energy costs, but youve first got to come up with the funding for those improvements. Do you provide the required capital or continue to face increased operating costs? The ROI on new, energy-efficient systems may be longer, but the equipment will perform more reliably while providing better working conditions and lowering energy costs along the way. Most business owners will assume that funding for energy efficient upgrades has to come from dipping into their equity in the facility, or from an outside funding source such as a bank loan.
Fortunately, there are alternative strategies that can be put into place to pay for energy efficiency projects by significantly lowering your tax burden. A cost segregation analysis identifies and reclassifies personal property assets to shorten the depreciation time for taxation purposes, which reduces current income tax obligations. Personal property assets include a buildings non-structural elements, exterior land improvements and indirect construction costs. Depreciation expense is accelerated and tax payments are decreased when an assets life is shortened, which frees up cash for investment in energy efficiency projects.
The benefits of a cost segregation study are retroactive, including buildings that have been purchased, constructed, expanded or remodeled since 1987. This allows taxpayers to recapture previously unrecognized depreciation, which increases cash flow in the current year.
Another tax benefit that can be applied to energy efficient construction or improvements is found in section 179D of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. 179D includes full and partial tax deductions for investments in energy efficient commercial buildings that are designed to increase the efficiency of energy-consuming functions. The deduction available is up to $.60 per square foot for lighting, HVAC and building envelope, creating potential for $1.80 per square foot if all three components qualify. These deductions are applicable to buildings that were either built or retrofitted after December 31, 2005. In order to qualify for the deduction, the taxpayer must receive a third party energy efficiency certification.
In addition, the issuance of Revenue Procedure 2011-14 will allow some taxpayers to claim the 179D deduction all the way back to January 1, 2006 without filing one single amended income tax return. Taxpayers who wish to take the deduction without amending any returns will file a Form 3115 (Application for Change in Accounting Method) and will get to take the entire catch up deduction on the return that is being filed. This means that a taxpayer could potentially claim deductions from 2006-2010 (or 2011) all on one return and significantly reduce their tax burden, if not eliminate it altogether, which goes a long way toward funding energy efficiency.
Instead of looking to outside sources or reducing your valuable equity to fund energy efficiency, look to your own building for the answers. Putting the right strategy into place can result in surprisingly significant savings and painless way to pay for your project.

Myths and Misconceptions about Saving Energy at Home

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In spite of rapidly increasing bills, many people are still spending more than they need to on their utilities. More often than not, this is due to careless habits and a number of common myths and misconceptions about saving energy. The following seeks to dispel some of these misunderstandings in order to help you cut down on your electricity consumption significantly.

Appliances which Are Turned Off Consume No Energy

The reality is, that if an electrical appliance is turned off, it will usually still be drawing some power unless it is disconnected from the power socket entirely. Some appliances even draw as much energy when they are supposedly switched off as they do when they are actually in use. A great deal of modern household appliances ranging from televisions to computers have a standby mode. While on standby, such appliances may consume less power, they are consuming something nonetheless. Save energy by ensuring that devices are switched off at the power strip or unplugged entirely. Likewise, unplug mobile phone and laptop chargers when they are not in use, since they will continue to draw power otherwise.

Fluorescent Lights Are Unsightly, Inefficient Strip Lights Often Found in Offices

While this is partly true, modern fluorescent lightbulbs are actually extremely energy-efficient, consuming around a fifth of the amount of power as the traditional incandescent lightbulb. They might be more expensive and take a short time to reach full brightness once switched on, but changing all of the lighting fixtures in your home or office will make a very significant saving on your electricity bills. These bulbs fit into the same sockets as any other standard bulb. Also, fluorescent lightbulbs last, on average, about ten times longer.

Maintaining a Constant Temperature with Your Thermostat is More Efficient

The cost of heating a home normally accounts for the majority of a household’s utility bills. However, many people assume that keeping the thermostat on a constant temperature throughout the day and night is more energy-efficient than turning it down during the night and up during the day. In reality, the opposite is usually the case, and it is typically much more energy-efficient to have your heating on at a slightly higher temperature for several hours per day at two or more separate intervals. Additionally, lowering your thermostat temperature by one or two degrees makes little different to the ambient temperature while cutting energy consumption by as much as ten percent.

Setting Your Boiler to a Higher Temperature Will Make It Heat Water Faster

This is simply not true, since it will take the same amount of time for the boiler to reach a set temperature regardless. If you set your hot water boiler to ninety degrees, it will still take the same amount of time to reach seventy degrees, which is normally an optimal temperature for most requirements. Setting it higher simply wastes money by heating water more than necessary. The same applies to air conditioning units and central heating systems.

Best Practices On Energy Efficiency For The Home With Electric Fireplaces

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There is nothing as comforting as a toasty fire on a cold winter night. Frigid, outstretched fingers absorb the heat emanating from the fireplace. While most homes offer heat in one form or another, energy costs may make you think twice before turning up the thermostat. You can improve your comfort and make your home more energy efficient this winter by checking for air leaks and inspecting your heating system to ensure it is working properly. In addition, you can improve your energy efficiency by using electric fireplaces with an electric fireplace insert featuring patented flame technology. Look for highly efficient heaters and fans inside efficient fireboxes and furniture quality mantels that provide heat exactly when and where you want it.

As much as most people enjoy a good fire, most homes do not offer fireplaces for a variety of reasons. Many people living in apartments and condos didn’t even have the option for a fireplace until now. Today’s technology has created an electric solution that provides all of the heat and ambiance of a traditional, masonry style fireplace, but without the mess, the fire hazards, or the lumber requirements traditionally associated with fireplaces.

Save Money with Supplemental Heat

Most homes use central heat, a furnace, or radiant heaters to provide the heat they need in winter, but these can quickly become prohibitively expensive. Heating and cooling your home represents approximately 56% of your annual energy bill, which is why these fireplaces are worth your consideration. Checking the insulation of your home, caulking and weather-stripping around doors and windows, maintaining an efficient heating system by changing filters regularly, and having the system maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions are also important.

One way to significantly reduce your heating bill is by making use of supplemental heat. Supplemental heat allows you to only heat the areas of your home that are being used. Instead of heating your entire home, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can keep your thermostat at a lower temperature and use supplemental heat sources to keep specific areas of your home warmer when you need it. Electric fireplaces with an electric fireplace insert can generate enough heat to maintain 400 square feet at a comfortable temperature for only pennies a day.

Selective Heating Saves Money

While electricity rates vary by region, the efficiency of various heat sources is relatively constant. Gas fireplaces generally operate at a cost of 17 to 24 cents per hour, while electric fireplaces provide realistic looking flames for about 3 cents per hour and flames with heat for around 8 to 12 cents an hour. Instead of heating your entire home, you can save money and energy by supplementing your heat needs, allowing you to maintain a lower, overall temperature while staying comfortably warm even on the coldest winter days and nights.

An electric fireplace insert allows you to get the best of both worlds: a traditional fireplace hearth and mantel with the convenience, efficiency and low maintenance aspect of an electric fireplace. Each electric fireplace insert can provide clean, inexpensive heat that only takes the touch of a button to start heating your room. Instead of adding to the problems of air pollution and creating a mess to clean up, you can easily install an electric fireplace insert as a replacement for your existing grate and enjoy 4700 BTUs of heat each hour for far less than most other heat sources.

Suit Your Style with Mobile Heat

Electric fireplaces use patented flame technology to give the appearance of a genuine fire, complete with logs and embers, without any of the negatives associated with a real fire. Another advantage to using an electric fireplace with an electric fireplace insert is the variety of styles available. Whether your current decor is modern, colonial, or anything in between, there is an electric fireplace specifically designed to meet your needs.

The mobility of these fireplaces makes them especially useful in only heating the rooms being used. If you select an Amish electric fireplace, all you have to do to heat a different room is wheel the unit to where you want it. Easy to maneuver, the quality craftsmanship that goes into making these premium Amish electric fireplaces explains their furniture quality design and their attractive appearance.

Keeping your home well insulated, eliminating leaks, and making use of supplemental heat from electric fireplaces and electric fireplace inserts can mean the difference between a miserable winter spent fighting off colds and aching joints or the cozy comfort of a well heated home that doesn’t break your bank account.

Improve Your Business Energy Efficiency By Hiring An Energy Broker

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As the energy market grows more complex with new regulations, extra fees, and penalties for exceeding energy usage, carbon commitment reductions and prices going up and down all the time. It has never been so hard to keep control of our business energy expenditures which brings to the spotlight the need of hiring an independent energy broker.

Energy brokers are highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals trained to help businesses of all sizes reduce their energy costs by improving their energy efficiency and consequently reducing their carbon footprint.

It is important to notice how energy saving, efficiency and CO2 footprint reduction are all tied up and as afore mentioned an energy broker can help businesses alike improve in all three areas.

Energy brokers can help companies make significant savings in their energy bills, through well informed procurement decisions, by eliminating and recovering overpayments, and by helping those customers manage their energy consumption through consumption data reports, and ongoing invoice analysis.

In most cases energy brokers are not tied to any major supplier that is why they can provide independent advice by analysing a comprehensive panel of suppliers to find the right solution for your business with total transparency.

Transparency is very important to take for granted when hiring these professionals. Look for energy consultancy firms that offer a free procurement service, impartial advice and comparisons. This will ensure that the best available deals are presented to you despite the deals between the suppliers and the energy consultancy firm.

With the threat of global warming and its effects, it is our job to find solutions to this problem. With new carbon reduction regulations coming into place the best way to ensure that your business is in compliance with such regulations is to buy electricity from alternative energy suppliers. Here is when energy brokers come in handy again; they can help your company secure the best deals with renewable energy providers, thus making it easier to use cleaner energy.

The use of green energy will help deter global warming and energy waste as well as boost your company Corporate Social Responsibility.

To sum things up hiring an Energy broker can uncover areas for significant improvement that may not have been previously identified. You know what they say a “fresh pair of eyes” provides an independent and fresh approach to evaluating opportunities that can add value.

Cellular Shades And Other Window Treatments Proven To Save Energy Costs

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With the rising costs of fuel in the United States people’s wallets aren’t only taking hits at the gas pump, but they are also taking hits on their home or apartment utility bills. However, there is good news for the energy consumer. The United States Department of Energy has reported that window treatments such as cellular shades can reduce energy waste and therefore energy costs by some 20 percent each year. The average family can save around $325 per year on energy costs by using energy efficient window coverings.

Nowadays you have to save as much money as possible to pay for the rising costs of fuel, says Harry Delp, an expert on window shades and window treatments. It only makes sense to install shades that have been proven by the United States Department of Energy to save you money.

Not all window coverings are created equal in their ability to reduce energy consumption and waste. Window Quilts are the most energy efficient but have functional styling limitations. Bamboo blinds, wood blinds, and mini blinds offer varying degrees of insulation, but without some kind of privacy liner attached the insulating value offered is minimal.

Cellular shades on the other hand are aesthetically appealing, offer a wide variety of hardware upgrades, and offer the highest level of insulation second only to window quilts.

Cellular shades are available in room darkening, light filtering, and complete blackout. They are available in 3/8, 12 and 34 cells. Cellular shades have air pockets between the layers of fabric which trap air and prevent escape. The more cells, the higher the R-value.

In an attempt to increase the energy efficiency level of their cellular shades, Comfortex Window Fashions based in New York, developed a unique upgrade called the ComfortTrack’ Energy Saving Sidetrack System.

When a cellular shade is combined with this energy efficient sidetrack system a tough barrier is formed between the frame and the fabric resulting in an increased level of privacy and a thermal performance ranking as high as five times higher than that of a regular pane window. This treatment has been successful for even the most uneconomical windows in the windiest conditions.

Cellular shades can be purchased conveniently through the Internet which will save you even more with the rising costs of fuel. Some websites selling cellular shades and other window coverings offer free shipping on all orders within the main 48 states.