OPOWER

Minnesota is leading the U.S. in information-based energy efficiency, states a recent article from Business Wire. Ten Minnesota energy utilities are now participating in Opower.   As a “multi-channel customer engagement platform,” Opower delivers energy efficiency gains and other strategic benefits to its utility partners on a sustainable basis. Opower currently works with close to 60 utilities across the United States and in the UK. Since its founding, Opower estimates it has driven more than 420 GWh in energy savings, cumulatively saving consumers more than $37 million in energy bills. “Home Energy Reports are effective because they empower people to make small changes that don’t adversely affect their lifestyle, but make a significant difference in energy [more…]

There’s an App for That

Energy Efficiency apps? Lots of them. There’s even an app that tells you how much energy you’re consuming while using your app. Here are a few to begin with, but be careful, you can waste a lot of time (and energy) navigating the app world. MyEnergyTips App Helps you understand your electricity based on your actual inventory, behavior and other settings. www.ballastlane.com/myenergytips Light Bulb Finder App Helps you find the right energy-saving light bulbs (mainly for home use). http://lightbulbfinder.net/tour.php TV Energy Label App Helps you find an energy efficient TV. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tv-energy-labels/id405310644?mt=8# Green Outlet App Helps you understand how much electricity your appliances are using and how much each costs per month to run. http://iphoneapplicationlist.com/app/id329692231/ For [more…]

Saving Energy at Your Workstation

Most of us are constantly consuming energy – whether we realize it or not.  Take our workstations for example.  Most are sucking juice 24/7 in some capacity.  Computers, cell phone chargers, copiers, can all continuously draw power when plugged in.  Not to mention: vending machines, coffee makers, space heaters, fans, window air conditioners… In fact, one computer monitor left on overnight and on weekends can cost $30 or more per year to power when it’s not needed. Think of all the workstations across Minnesota sitting empty every weekend, holiday and vacation day that are consuming energy from heating/cooling, lights and electronics not even needed or in use.  You work hard, so unplugging a cell phone [more…]

Smart Meters Hit a Bump in the Road

As you may know, smart meters offer access to real-time information about electric energy consumption. They also provide electric utility companies with more detailed information about how much electricity is being used in their service areas. You can find a good explanation of how smart meters work in a residential setting at SmartGrid.Gov. Even though Energy Secretary Chu recently announced that more than five million smart meters have been installed nationwide as part of Recovery Act-funded efforts to accelerate modernization of the Nation’s electric grid, it appears that smart meters are not getting enough traction for some service  providers. Google recently announced that it will discontinue PowerMeter and Microsoft is pulling the plug on its [more…]

Conservation Improvement Programs Making a Difference

A new report released from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources estimates 1.3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions are being avoided annually thanks to Minnesota’s Conservation Improvement Programs (CIP). “Energy conservation programs help Minnesotans save energy, reduce pollution and the need for costly new power plants and infrastructure, and create jobs for companies that analyze, manufacture and install energy efficiency improvements,” said Mike Rothman, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce Conservation Improvement Programs offer incentives for a wide variety of energy-related improvements in homes, farms, commercial buildings and manufacturing facilities. “When the average person thinks about reducing carbon, they usually think about renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines and [more…]

As Temps Rise, Control Your AC Electricity Costs

Businesses and homeowners in Xcel Energy’s Minnesota territories have access to a program that can reduce electricity bills during summer cooling months (June – September). The program is called Saver’s Switch. Here’s how it works: Xcel Energy installs, at no cost to the customer, small switch on the customer’s central air-conditioning compressor unit. On very hot days – when air-conditioning demand typically soars — Xcel Energy remotely turns on and off the air-conditioner’s compressor system on 15- to 20- minute intervals. The fan stays on, so the air continues to circulate while the compressor is off in order to minimize the chance anyone will notice the cooling system is off. In addition, because the Saver’s [more…]

European Companies Recognize the Value of Energy Efficiency

European companies are paying closer attention to energy management at their buildings, according to a recent Johnson Controls study.  Cost savings continues to be the top driver of energy efficiency action in Europe with government and utility incentives and rebates a close 2nd.  Increasing energy security, greenhouse gas reduction and attracting and retaining employees rounds off the list of top 5 drivers to action. The study also found that the top two barriers to action were difficulty finding capital for projects and trouble with organizational capacity to analyze and implement options. Insufficient payback or ROI and uncertainty regarding savings and performance are also significant barriers for European companies. Regarding project financing, the Johnson Controls study indicates that companies expect [more…]

Stop the Sun From Increasing Your Energy Bill

As mentioned in last weeks Energy $ense post, tuning up your air conditioning system will help reduce energy use in the summer, but there is more you can do. Window coverings can help to reduce heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter. If you have window coverings on your windows already, close them during the times that the sun comes through the window. If you don’t have anything covering your windows, there are several types of coverings to consider, all of which have different affects. Awnings can reduce heat gain by 65% – 77%.  Blinds can reduce heat gain by 45%. Draperies can reduce heat gain by 33% and heat loss by 10% [more…]

Tune Up Now and Save

It’s that time of year! The sun is shining (sometimes anyway) and warm indoor air is near. Now’s the time to tune-up your buildings air conditioning system and possibly reduce your summer energy bills. The U.S. department of Energy estimates that well maintained building systems, including AC, can reduce energy bills by 5% to 20%. If you’d to look at options for maximizing the efficiency of your AC system, contact Energy Smart and we’ll point you in the right direction for energy efficient models and available rebates. And don’t forget to set to save…the ideal thermostat setting in the summer is 72 °. Xcel Energy customers may also want to check out the Saver’s Switch program. For further assistance contact Energy [more…]

Limited Time Offer: Get $40 Off High-Efficiency Spray Valves

  We recently explained how high-efficiency pre-rinse spray valves can help restaurants and food service operators shave more than $400 a year off their energy and water bills. And that’s just if it gets used one hour a day – many food businesses use them much more. Minnesota restaurants and commercial kitchens now have a great opportunity to get a substantial discount on spray valves and save more than 35,000 gallons of water each year. Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs), a Minnesota nonprofit, just introduced a bulk-buy program and is selling high-efficiency spray valves for $28 – a $40 discount off the standard price. This promotion is only available through July 1, so act soon [more…]