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Sponsored by the
Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for Small Business at UNC
Charlotte, The Environmental Corner is designed to serve as
an environmental management and pollution prevention resource. The
theme for the month of April is energy conservation in the
workplace. Many opportunities exist for reducing energy
consumption in the workplace and several examples are given in this
edition.
In
this issue:
Reasons to Conserve Energy
Success Stories
Fossil Fuels
Opportunities for reductions
HVAC
Computer
Conservation
Lighting
Industry Reduction Examples
Metal Finishing
UNC-Charlotte Strategic Energy Plan 2003
EAO Services
Reasons to Conserve Energy
Conservation of
energy in the workplace can cut down many costs. It can reduce the
amount of money spent on electricity and gas, save fossil fuels from
extinction, and can protect our high standard of living. Energy
conservation can also reduce side effects of energy use such as
pollution and ruined landscapes. People can be very conscious of
conserving energy at home, but seem to forget when at school or
work. Conservation should be kept in mind twenty-four hours a day.
Improving energy
efficiency can lower production costs and increase productivity.
Efficiency can be impacted by mechanical, chemical and other
physical parameters. By improving the operation of equipment,
efficiency can be increased resulting in significant savings.
Information on the role of energy efficiency can be found on the US
Department of Energy website.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/industry/energy_systems/pdfs/role.pdf
Success Stories:
Newer technologies
are available to improve energy efficiency. Many success stories
for various industrial processes are presented on
http://www.eere.energy.gov/industry/energy_systems/success.html.
These include savings with compressed air, pumps, process heating
and others.
Fossil Fuels:
With the ever
increasing price of gasoline, an easy target for energy savings
opportunities is in the use of fossil fuels for transportation. An
article about the projections for the price of gasoline over the
next several months is presented at
http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm?news_id=8997.
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Opportunities for reductions
HVAC
HVAC stands for
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. This system is a
big energy user. Any action taken to reduce
heating/ventilation/cooling costs can save energy and money. HVAC is
the largest energy user in the office and efforts should be pursued
for energy efficiency. There are different ways to save on its
usage such as the following:
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Use natural
ventilation or fans for air circulation and cooling needs.
-
Use window
shading devices and place work stations away from direct
sunlight in the heat of the summer.
-
While heating
or cooling, do not let treated air escape through windows,
doors, or cracks.
-
Set the
thermostat at 68° F or lower in the winter and 78° F or above in
the summer.
-
Make
suggestions to the building maintenance team regarding the need
to stop air infiltration.
-
Energy
efficient programmable thermostats can be utilized for HVAC
control depending on building occupancy constraints
For more
information on HVAC energy saving tips please visit
http://www.boma.org/Advocacy/Energy/HVACConservationTips.htm.
Computer Conservation
With the prevalence
of computers in the workplace nowadays, computers are a great place
to start looking for energy savings. Several tips have been
presented by Tufts University including turning off monitors when
away from the computer for more than 15 minutes, turning off
computers at night, replacing monitors with the newer flat screens,
and replacing desktops with laptops when purchasing new computers.
http://www.tufts.edu/tie/tci/powermanagement.html
In order to assist
in implementing and promoting energy conservations with computers,
Energy Star has been placed on desktop computers for the workplace.
The Department of Energy has developed some programs and templates
to provide offices with the tools to implement computer energy
conservation measures within the workplace. The items include:
-
The
EZ Save Energy Star Power Management Program Suite provides
a range of programs to help you determine the state of Energy
Star usage within your workplace, estimate the potential savings
that can be achieved, and then activate the Energy Star features
on user workstations to achieve those savings.
-
EZ NT provides a solution for Windows NT systems, which do
not inherently support Energy Star. Running EZ NT will install
the modules necessary to monitor system usage and cause monitors
to sleep at desired times, just as monitor power management does
on other systems.
-
EZ Monitor provides tools for those organizations that want
to perform an analysis of their desktop power management
situation. It provides the means for installing client programs
that will log each user's usage pattern as it relates to power
management.
-
Sample
Template Documents can help you support and promote energy
conservation within your organization. They are generic forms
of documents used in conjunction with the EZ Save Suite at the
Department of Energy.
-
An
Energy Star Screen Saver program displays a mobile Energy
Star logo on a black background, reducing the monitor's energy
usage while it is active.
For more
information, please visit
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_management
Lighting
Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) are
four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide
the same lighting. Use CFLs in all the portable table and floor
lamps in the workplace. Carefully consider the size and fit of these
systems when you select them. Some home fixtures may not accommodate
some of the larger CFLs.
- When
shopping for new light fixtures, consider buying dedicated
compact fluorescent fixtures with built-in ballasts that use
pin-based replacement bulbs.
-
For spot
lighting, consider CFLs with reflectors. The lamps range in
wattage from 13-watt to 32-watt and provide a very directed
light using a reflector and lens system.
-
Use light
colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight
to penetrate the room while preserving privacy. Try to decorate
with lighter colors that reflect daylight.
For more
information, visit
http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=lib&a=Energy/energy.asp
The January 2005
edition of The Environmental Corner e-letter was devoted to the
topic of lighting and some energy saving opportunities were
discussed. The web version of the newsletter can be found at
http://www.eao.uncc.edu/Newsletter_Archive/Jan05Newsletter.htm#section2
for additional information.
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Industry Reduction Examples
DOE Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has information on a
variety of industries with possible energy saving options. Steam
systems, compressed air systems, and motors are potential sources of
savings discussed on the website. Industries profiled include the
chemical industry, forest products industry, metal casting industry,
and the aluminum industry.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/EE/industry.html
Energy Footprints
for determining energy usage are available on the DOE website as
well. Each footprint shows energy sources and potential reduction
opportunities for each industry profiled. Tracing energy usage
through industry processes can help determine the best sources for
reductions. The Environmental Assistance Office can help with these
energy studies for any clients who are interested.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/industry/energy_systems/footprints.html
For help to determine which footprint best matches your applications
go to:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/industry/energy_systems/pdfs/scope.pdf
Metal
Finishing
One specific
example reflecting a particular industry is energy reduction in the
metal finishing industry which has processes that are
electrochemical in nature. Manufacturing costs can possibly be
reduced by lowering electrical energy consumption in these energy
intensive processes. If process baths are electrically heated, a
number of the thermal energy conservation techniques will be useful.
A rack and barrel modification technique, which prevents parts from
falling into the bath, is useful for reducing electrical energy
usage. For more information, please visit
http://www.co.broward.fl.us/ppi00500.htm
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UNC-Charlotte’s Strategic Energy Plan
The website,
http://facilities.uncc.edu/recycling/CAT/Strategic%20Energy%20Plan.pdf
offers an example summary of energy conservation of particular
business companies that have previously participated in
UNC-Charlotte’s own strategic energy plan in 2003. It offers planned
actions and projects, savings opportunity, and financial assessment.
This was headed by the recycling department
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Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for Small
Business
The
Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business provides
non-regulatory, client-confidential pollution prevention assistance
to small businesses in the greater Charlotte region. The EAO is
designed to assist regional businesses in their efforts to
voluntarily prevent pollution. The EAO staff can provide timely
assistance for pollution prevention planning, including information
about industry-specific case studies, waste-specific case studies,
and new technologies. The office provides links of resources to
needs between the region's business community, government,
municipality, and university. If there is a particular issue or
question you would like to see in an upcoming edition, please send
an e-mail to
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu.
Contact
Information:
Environmental
Assistance Office for Small Business:
9201 University City Blvd. 136 Kennedy Building, UNC Charlotte,
Charlotte, NC 28233-0001
Phone number: 704-687-3968 Fax number: 704-687-3115
Email:
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Services:
·
Assistance
with Air Permits - Assistance for small businesses in completing
paperwork for EPA air permits.
·
Educational
Materials - Educational pamphlet, brochures, flyers, and other
materials to relate facts on pollution prevention.
·
Educational
Outreach - Develop educational outreach campaigns and presentations
for the public or employee training.
·
University
Resources - Library information, faculty expertise, student projects
and research at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
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