Small business lowers operating cost before opening its doors

NORTH ST. PAUL — When business owner John Schneider bought an unoccupied building in North St. Paul for his chiropractic practice, he promptly began looking for ways to make it more energy efficient. Schneider requested an on-site consultation with Energy Smart which was already engaged in community focus work in the city, and was prepared to provide services and recommendations at no cost to Schneider.

“I knew I had a lot of opportunity to make this building more energy efficient. Energy Smart came in, helped me understand my options, and told me about available utility rebate programs,” says Schneider.

Before he had opened his doors for business, Schneider had made several upgrades to the building, and was already saving money and energy. He installed a new, more efficient water heater half the size of the old one, added R-30 insulation in the attic, and insulated the HVAC ducts, to keep warmed air in during winter and cooled air in during summer. Schneider also replaced the lights in the building with fluorescent lighting that was more energy efficient. “I hadn’t planned on looking at the fluorescent lights because I assumed they were efficient but found out otherwise from Energy Smart,” says Schneider.

All told, Schneider expects to save more than $400 in annual energy costs, giving him a significant reduction in operating costs and a good start on a promising business future.

Energy Smart invites you to contact us about bringing your community together to save energy. And as always, we welcome your inquiry about reducing energy use at your business.