I read an article this weekend discussing reasons that there has been a rising interest in cloud computing from businesses and why it will continue to do so in 2012. Of note in the article is the mention of energy efficiency being one of the drivers for the push to this technology.
"Energy Savings Power Better Business and the Greater Good – Energy efficiency, especially a reduction in CO2 emissions reductions, will be a key imperative for many companies. In 2012, companies will take advantage of public-private partnerships to invest in everything from more efficient lighting to energy-efficient heating ventilation and air conditioning systems, to installing energy-efficient technologies.
It is also more likely that they will begin to investigate flexible computing models – like the cloud - that leverage on-demand capacity for peak loads, while powering down during periods of lesser demand."
-Source: Why Cloud Computing will come of Age in 2012 by David Howorth, Regional VP Verizon IT Services
Showing posts with label carbon footprint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carbon footprint. Show all posts
Monday, December 12, 2011
Monday, November 30, 2009
ESP Concept: A team of Tradespeople focused on energy efficiency
It takes a team to solve energy efficiency problems. And the team members must be focused on energy efficiency so they have the products, knowledge, experience and interest to offer energy efficient products and services. Most tradespeople working today were trained to install products in the most cost effective way without consideration for long-term operating costs. But energy efficiency is all about long-term operating costs. So, if you and your tradesperson are just focused on his bill, you'll miss the big picture. The cheapest approach today may be the most costly in the long run.
And your electrician probably isn't an HVAC or computer networking expert. But technology advances are integrating building systems together to act as one system. And they offer remote access and control which requires some IT networking expertise. So, if you're thinking that it must be a challenge to find a team of tradespeople who are all focused on energy efficiency and are versed in the very latest technology and are willing to work together on a shared project; you're not alone. Energy Smart Partners is just that team. They are bringing together all of the team members needed to really approach energy efficiency holistically. LEED Architects, HVAC experts, plumbing contractors, electrical contractors and IT networking gurus are all working together to create integrated solutions.
Parking Lot Lights are Energy Wasters
Parking Lot Lights should be controlled better. Have you noticed how many parking lots are fully lit even when they are empty because the stores or offices are closed? And have you noticed how many parking lot lights are on at 5pm in the Fall when it is still daylight. These are obvious inefficiencies that can be solved by applying some thinking and technology.
Old manual timers that don't know about sunrise or sunset times or daylight savings time are often set during the Winter. So, they have to come on too early the rest of the year. To work properly in the Summer, they must be manually reset, which often doesn't happen. They also must be reset whenever there is a power outage. This effort also requires building managers to keep track of the lights and visit the buildings to reset them. Technology can solve this problem by using digital controllers that can be programmed for sunrise/sunset and even store hours.
Parking lot lights are also usually wired together in large groups and turned on/off together at a circuit breaker. So, an entire section of lights must be left on even after hours. Technology can solve this problem too. By controlling individual light poles, outlying lights can be selectively turned off after normal business hours. Even when some employees work late, they can park in brightly lit areas while the other parking areas are more dimly lit. Since parking lot lights are big users of electricity, these are huge savings. Technology can offer other benefits too. Property managers can control the lights remotely with their smartphones, for instance. Energy Smart Partners can analyze a buildings' parking requirements and offer an energy efficient lighting plan. There are incentives offered by Utilities that make these changes very cost effective. ROI's are usually less than one year.
Old manual timers that don't know about sunrise or sunset times or daylight savings time are often set during the Winter. So, they have to come on too early the rest of the year. To work properly in the Summer, they must be manually reset, which often doesn't happen. They also must be reset whenever there is a power outage. This effort also requires building managers to keep track of the lights and visit the buildings to reset them. Technology can solve this problem by using digital controllers that can be programmed for sunrise/sunset and even store hours.
Parking lot lights are also usually wired together in large groups and turned on/off together at a circuit breaker. So, an entire section of lights must be left on even after hours. Technology can solve this problem too. By controlling individual light poles, outlying lights can be selectively turned off after normal business hours. Even when some employees work late, they can park in brightly lit areas while the other parking areas are more dimly lit. Since parking lot lights are big users of electricity, these are huge savings. Technology can offer other benefits too. Property managers can control the lights remotely with their smartphones, for instance. Energy Smart Partners can analyze a buildings' parking requirements and offer an energy efficient lighting plan. There are incentives offered by Utilities that make these changes very cost effective. ROI's are usually less than one year.
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