No doubt, the increasing demand for energy with the growing industrial, commercial, and residential load has boosted tariffs significantly the last couple of years. Tariffs work similar to the stock market - the more demand, the more expensive the supply. On one side, the rising cost of energy has put a burden on the utility and fuel supply companies, yet, on the other hand, it has opened a corridor for various businesses to help customers reduce their energy expenses.
Does it mean, tariffs should continue increasing so businesses can continue helping customers reduce energy costs and keep spawning revenues?
Tariffs are dependent upon many factors, such as the country's economy, supply and demand of energy, inflation and more... So, what is another way to cut down your energy costs that should be independent of utility price fluctuations? And why should we bother with it? Is it our social responsibility to cut down on energy consumption, or are we more interested in saving money? If given the choice between social responsibility and cost-benefit (money savings) through Energy Management, what would you choose?
Cost savings, because money protected through energy management can be invested or utilized in purchasing your favourite dining table or a sofa set for your living room. We cannot neglect the importance of cost savings in our lives, but isn’t it socially responsible to cut down energy fuels to reduce carbon emission - which is melting down our Icebergs and harming the ozone layer? We may not worry much about it today, but what about future generations, who may accuse us of causing global warming, and curse us for not doing our part?
“Legacy is not what I did for myself. It's what I’m doing for the next generation” ~ Vitor Belfort
Like many others, I want to see our grandchildren inhaling less polluted air. Many organizations are working around the globe to help industries, commercial, and residential sectors in reducing GHG emissions while saving extra costs on energy. Many people think these businesses are after increasing revenue alone and offer solutions that are quite expensive, which low-income individuals cannot afford. For example, energy audits and building load assessments can be expensive. Keeping the cost factor aside, (we will discuss it later), why is it my responsibility to reduce energy waste? I use energy, I pay for it, and I am not interested in an auditor evaluating my home or business and offering expensive solutions.
There comes the point of social awareness. If you just turn off office lights (let’s say 4 Fluorescent lamps) for 4 hours a day when not in use, do you know how much impact it will make on the world? The result could show savings of 234 KWh and $36 per year - which means a 162 KG-CO² reduction. That is like planting a single tree which will absorb thousands of tons of CO2 throughout its lifetime. So, if we all consider turning off our lights when not in use, combined, we can reduce millions of tons of CO2.
Now, how much have you invested or paid to a business for saving $36 a year? Nothing.
If you are hesitant about spending money on energy consultancy, you can play your role without investing anything. I agree a conservative approach saves a restricted amount of energy but playing your part is important here.
Let’s look further at businesses who focus on saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions. For sure, businesses are there to make money, but if these businesses are making money, they are helping heal our world too.
With the advancement in technology, money spent on energy efficiency has led to low paybacks. The efficiency of equipment has been significantly improved, and incentives available from provincial governments have made it easier for us to step forward and take initiatives in GHG emissions reduction. In addition to social responsibility, rebates and incentives push us a little more towards the goal of a green world and offer us a sigh of relief on our investments too.
If you think you are socially aware of global warming and GHG emissions, is it enough just to adopt a conservative approach like shutting off lights, or setting the temperature back to low heat to make this planet green? To some extent, yes, but what about other approaches?
A second priority should be a passive approach in terms of heat savings, such as building envelope tightness and insulation upgrades. Upgrading insulation will not cost you energy because it is not machinery or equipment which would consume electricity or fuel to run. There is an initial investment with installation, but there will be no continued operating cost. Therefore, no oil or electricity consumption, no GHG production. Congrats, you have played your part!
The final priority should be an equipment upgrade (unless the equipment has reached its full life or has become faulty). The main goal of social awareness is to consume less and less energy in the form of electricity, oil, or gas, and less consumption means less GHG emissions. Energy-efficient equipment should be chosen through Energy Star Rated appliances, high-performance heat pumps and LED lighting. The icing on the cake would be if the Solar PV (Solar Photovoltaic) is utilized to power partial loads.
Energy rebates are available to help us out in improving the efficiencies of our homes, commercial spaces, and industries. If you have been cautious about spending money on energy auditing and “expensive solutions”, connect with Tate Engineering Inc. or Efficiency Nova Scotia to help you determine maximum incentive support.
Moving one step closer towards efficiency will put less burden on the utility power generation, low GHG emissions, a healthier world and add extra money in your pocket.
“Creating a strong business and building a better world are not conflicting goals - they are both essential ingredients for long-term success.” ~ Bill Ford
Motahhar Qadri
Energy Manager
Tate Engineering Inc.