Early Steps in Energy Management

Have you ever wondered what modifications you can make for your business to be more energy efficient? With all the information that’s available out there, we understand that it can be daunting to know where to start when it comes to making those decisions. Here are some excellent starting points and ways that we can help!

Consider the season and what that means for your building.

The cold months are a great time to monitor and note information about your heating trends. It’s natural and common to turn to what your bills say, but we like to consider the full scope. Starting with this kind of energy information collection is to establish your daily and weekly routines.

Maintenance practices are also a substantial part of building an energy management plan focusing on energy waste reduction. What are your temperatures set at during the day? Do you adjust the temperature for night hours? When do you experience the most traffic or higher occupancy in your facility? Do you pre-heat your facility at any point during the day? How does your equipment look and sound? How freely do you adjust the thermostat throughout the day? Looking at these elements is a good starting point for optimizing your heating in the future.

Additionally, get ahead of the cooling season, and evaluate your cooling conditions, including considering your equipment, system, and processes similar to your heating. Doing this allows you to look over your equipment and establish its condition before it’s used regularly.

Look at specific areas that make your building functional and comfortable.

Rather than optimizing everything all at once, look at one place at a time. For example, let’s think about lighting on its own. Consider the quality of your current lighting. Beyond the bulbs you use, look and listen to the fixtures themselves. Is it possible to retrofit, or does it seem like it might be time for a replacement? Additionally, consider which parts of your facility have the most traffic and hours of occupancy. Usage plays a considerable role in determining how to orient yourself with your energy goals. Other areas to consider include heating, cooling, water, and compressed air.

Revisit your upgrade opportunities.

Maybe you have taken note of a chronic problem or something that just isn’t working right. Before you commit to a significant overhaul, consider retro-commissioning. Improving efficiency and functionality isn’t always about capital-intensive updates and investment. Real and substantial efficiency opportunities lie in retro-commissioning – giving your current facilities or industrial processes a professional tune-up. Perhaps you have implemented new systems or industrial processes and want to ensure they run optimally. Energy Sciences has energy engineers and experts who analyze both sets of scenarios to create the most sustainable and efficient plan within your capacity.

Get an assessment.

A beneficial step in gaining insight into your building is to get an expert assessment. A facility energy assessment looks at utility usage, establishes baseline measurements, and identifies practical, affordable, and sustainable energy reduction opportunities. At Energy Sciences, we do this assessment based on your specific situation and any requirements that you need to meet. Afterward, we build a plan around your energy goals and management needs.

We also can perform a process assessment. A process energy assessment closely examines the function and efficiency of manufacturing, industrial, and agricultural processes like compressed air, process steam, cooling towers, plant sludge processing, food processing, grain drying, inspection, and quality control lighting, to name a few. It is a vital step towards continuous improvement goals, improving productivity, lowering cost, boosting capacity, and increasing efficiency.

Start with us!

We are ready to help along this journey with a wide range of our services. We will start exactly where you are and work with your time, budget, and goals for energy management.