ENERGY BOOMER

Save Money at Work by Putting Your Job to Bed Before You Leave

Every evening, just before bedtime, I patrol around in our house to make sure that the doors are locked, the thermostat is turned down and the lights are switched off. I check the kitchen to make sure the stove is off.

When we get our own place to live most of us get into a habit of bedtime checks. Those of us, who pay the electric, heating and water bills, make sure that we are in the energy saving mode before turning in. We take ownership of the situation and eliminate as much wasted money as we can.

We all need to do the same thing at work. Take a look around your workstation at the end of your shift to see what should be done to save energy.

Shutting off lights, fans and computers are good examples. If the next shift needs it, they can turn stuff on. Space heaters and other personal appliances should be off before you head out the door.

Check to make sure the water faucets are off and the flush valves have stopped running. Check the water cooler to make sure the water flow is off.

Before you leave for your lunch break take a look around and shut off everything you can. Give the electric meter a lunch break too. 

A little vigilance on everyone’s part can save a substantial amount of energy. Saving energy at work is good for the environment and good for business.

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7 WAYS BUSINESS FOLKS CAN COPE WITH HIGH FUEL PRICES

The high cost of fuel is changing how folks take care of business. Everything that involves transportation is going up in cost. Here is a list of ways you can get your business done and save money.

1. Go digital. As the cost of fuel pushes the price of postage up, electronic bill paying, will save more. Use a computer in place of sending products, paper or people. Web conferencing is gaining popularity over traveling for face-to-face meetings. Send an email with a pdf brochure instead of going on a sales call. Use a ‘White Paper,” delivered electronically, to inform your target market about your area of expertise. Use electronic catalogs in place of printed ones. Send invoices, statements, requests for quotes, quotes and other documents by email or fax. If a legal signature is needed, use the fax machine in place of the mail or travel.

2. Use the phone instead of your car. The more business you can take care of over the telephone the lower your cost will be. If you have to drive to an appointment, call ahead to confirm it and check for delays. This will avoid wasted trips for no shows. If the folks you are meeting with are “running late”, you can fit in other work instead of wasting time waiting.

3. Reduce shipping expenses. If your product is an item that must be shipped, revisit the way you package it. Can you cut the shipping weight by lighter packaging? Can you ship it a less expensive way and still meet your customer’s needs. Can you include business paper work in the package? You’ve got to use up the paper items that you made obsolete in item 1 above.

4. Plan your travel route carefully. Even for a short trip out for an appointment, take time to plan it. What is the best route? What other errands can be done along the way? Can you pick up supplies or bring lunch back for the team?

5. Have lunch at the office. Setting up a lunch area with a microwave and small refrigerator can save money and time compared to going out. Lunch can be an event to socialize and talk business. Plan ahead for food delivery service. Then if you have a client visiting, you can buy lunch and eat in too.

6. Avoid traffic jams. Shift working hours to avoid commuting during peak traffic times. Where possible, public transport should be used. Folks should be encouraged to walk to bicycle to and from work. Bicycle racks and motorcycle parking spaces should be provided to encourage their use. Car pool when possible to get the lowest cost per person mile. Park and walk where possible. Don’t hunt for the closest parking space for each stop. Park in a central location and walk to as many places as you can before driving again.

7. Maximize your ride’s miles per gallon. Folks in business, especially outside sales folks tend to be pack rats. They load up their car with hundreds of pounds of sales brochures, specification sheets, catalogs and anything else that they might need someday. Lighten your load and save fuel. Take good care of your car, have the oil changed and other maintenance done, on schedule, to keep the fuel efficiency at its peak. Trade in your gas hog for a more efficient ride. Most of all slow down to save on fuel and your stress level.

Click here for a free money saving report written by the Energy Boomer titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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The Job is Not Done till the Lights are Off

Before I go to bed at night, I roam the house making sure the doors are locked and everything is switched off.

I‘ll bet you switch off your TV when its job is done.

At home, the toaster, the washer and the dryer shut themselves off when their job is done. But, not all appliances do that. When the cookies are baked, someone has to remember to switch off the oven.

It works the same way on the job, some equipment times out and shuts itself down when the job is done. At home your microwave works that way.

At work some motors and some conveyors work that way. But, most of the production equipment has to be shut off by some one who remembers that it is part of the job.

When you take a break, give the electric meter a break too by switching off fans and task lights.

When your job is done, at the end of your shift, switch off the equipment and lights before you head to the locker room.

Turn off your computer monitor when its job is done for the day.

One fan or one light or one computer monitor does not use much power.

But, where I work, there are hundreds of fans, thousands of lights and more that 500 computer monitors. In addition to the other equipment, they add up to tremendous amount of wasted energy when folks do not switch off the power when their job is done.

Click here for a free money saving report written by the Energy Boomer titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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Upgrading Your Computer to Save Energy

The folks who take care of the computers where I work my day job invaded my space and replaced my desktop computer last week. The older I get the more I hate changes that force me to cope with new stuff. I enjoy leaning new things but I hate trading the frustrations I know for a whole new set of them.

After using that old computer for four years, I had finally figured out where all the keys were on the keyboard. It took a while but that old computer had learned to spell words like they should be, not the way I type them.

That old computer had a monitor the size of a microwave oven with a big tower style computer. Half of my desk was used up just hosting that machine. The new unit has a much smaller computer and a space saving monitor. Together they give me much more room for piling papers on my desk. I expect that will make me much more efficient.

The good news, from an energy point of view, is the new computer uses about 50% less electricity than the old one. Most of the improvement is in the new thin screen monitor. Instead of using power like a pair of old Edison light bulbs, the new equipment only uses power like a couple of compact fluorescent lamps.

Reducing the power used by one computer saves maybe 7 cents a day. That may not sound like much savings for one low bid computer. But, those computer folks are busy upgrading computers all over the company.

I’ll bet there are at least five hundred where I work. That makes the savings of electricity well over $8,000 a year.

Cutting the energy bill by upgrading to equipment that is more efficient is one of the ways a company can reduce operating costs.

If you need an excuse to run out and buy a new computer, just think of the good you will do by saving energy. The savings will not cover the monthly installment on your credit card but every little bit helps.

On the down side, I need to start teaching the new computer how to spelk beter.

Click here for a free money saving report written by the Energy Boomer titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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POOR QUALITY WASTES ENERGY

When a product is not right the first time it adds to the cost of manufacturing. Energy productivity takes a big hit when the first pass reject rate goes up.

Poor quality hits energy bills when it causes the need to re-make or rework the product before it can be shipped. Making a replacement part for a rejected one doubles the energy used per unit.

Reworking off spec product adds labor and energy to the cost of goods sold. Salvaging bad parts by reworking them costs extra energy for the lighting, power tools, welding and additional movement of materials.

Off grade product increases the need for quality inspection. Inspection of raw materials and finished goods at every step of the manufacturing and salvaging process takes extra energy. More inspection requires more energy for lighting. 100% inspection uses more energy than random or lot checks do.

Customers will not buy junk. Poor quality reduces sales volume resulting in low operating rates. High quality promotes more sales. More sales mean more production. Operating at full capacity is the most energy efficient way to run.

Poor quality increases labor, material, material handling, and energy cost. The higher the quality is the lower the energy cost and the higher our job security is.

Making it right the first time saves energy.

Click here for a free money saving report written by the Energy Boomer titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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SAVE ENERGY WITH HVLS FANS

High Volume Low Speed (HVLS) fans are a type of monster ceiling fan that is used in commercial and industrial buildings. Just like a ceiling fan at home, they save money by stopping temperature stratification during the heating season. They also make folks feel cooler in hot weather.

What are they?

HVLS fans are ceiling fans that are big and run at slow speeds. Typically, they cut a 24-foot diameter circle with their blades. Their size reminds me of helicopter blades. The speed of rotation is slower than your average fan to keep the power use low. A lot of engineering WORK goes into getting the shape of the blades optimized and locating them to get the best airflow for the lowest operating cost.

Where are they used?

Most heated commercial or industrial buildings can save energy costs with HVLS fans. They are also used in dairy and farm buildings to reduce heat stress on animals. They are most commonly used where ceilings range from 20 to 90 feet high.

Heating Season Savings

The main reason for using HVLS fans is to save on the heating bill. Heat rises up toward the ceiling causing layers of different temperatures in a building. The higher the ceiling is the more the heat rises. It is not unusual for the temperature at the ceiling 20 to 30 degrees hotter than it is down at floor level where people work.

In your heated building, the temperature at the floor may be 65 and at the ceiling, it may be 95. That means you are paying to heat the building to an average temperature of 80.

With a HVLS fan, continually mixing the air, the temperature at floor level might be 65 and at the ceiling, it might be 69 for average of 67 degrees. It costs a lot less to heat a building to a 67 average temperature than it does to heat it to an average of 80 degrees.

For a project that I worked on recently I calculated the savings for a building that had an 85-foot ceiling height. The cost to install two big HVLS fans using high cost union labor will be paid back in one heating season.

Spring and Fall Savings

During the changeable weather in the spring and fall, HVLS fans can save money and increase comfort. Running on slow speed to bring the heat down from the ceiling can delay start up of the heating system in the fall and permit early shut down of the heaters in the spring. Heat from lights and motors is usually enough to keep folks comfortable on cool nights. The fans can be sped up to provide air currents for heat relief on hot days.

Summer Cooling

By running HVLS fans, at their higher speed, during hot weather folks will feel the breeze they create. This gentle breeze uses the “wind chill” effect to make folks feel cooler. This is when they really pay off for farmers, dairymen and horse stable operators. A cooling breeze reduces heat stress for both people and animals.

Where to get information

Two Brands that you can choose from are the Revolution Fans sold bt Rite Hite distributors and Big Ass Fans. yes that is the name of the company.

Click here for a free money saving report written by the Energy Boomer titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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SAVE MONEY BY RE-COMMISSIONING YOUR HVAC

When equipment is new, it should be commissioned by checking to see that it works as intended. Re-Commission your heating and cooling equipment annually to make sure it is safe, works as intended and uses energy efficiently. This article is written from a work place point of view, but the same principles apply at home.

Definition: Commissioning Acceptance testing, Checking to see that the system works as intended, “Trust but verify”, Making sure you get what you pay for. Computer folks would call it Beta testing and de-bugging.

Definition: Re-Commissioning Doing it all again

I hate to tell you how many times I have found that equipment was never commissioned. The owner paid the bills without making sure that it did the job they were paying for.

Re-Commissioning Saves Money By:

1. Reduced comfort complaints and productivity loss
2. Saves on the fuel bill
3. Saves on the electric bill
4. Saves on maintenance cost by increased reliability
5. Reduces maintainer stress by avoiding working in extreme heat and cold
6. Reduces safety risk of frequent trips to the roof top or other inaccessible locations

A functional check of Heating Ventilating & Air Conditioning equipment to see if it works is not a high tech job. Adjusting, fixing problems and flame safety checks do require a qualified technician. Many technicians arrive on the job without an electronic signal generator or other functional checking tools. You should be prepared for their visit with the following:

Very Special Tools for functional checking:

Flashlights Cold Source (Ice Pack) Heat Source (hair dryer or warm hand, not an open flame) Infrared Thermometer to test with (Raytech or similar) A very small screwdriver for adjusting sensors Sensitive Nose for detecting leaking fuel (the tech should have a LEL gas meter) Two-Way Radios or Cell Phones

General Method:

In addition to the checks, that the technician normally does, have them make the functional checks listed below. The technician will need help because he cannot be in two places at once. It is good to have someone from your team witness the functional checks anyway.

In most workplace situations, two crews need to work together. One crew located where the thermostat that controls the unit is. The other crew located where they can observe the operation of the equipment. This may mean one crew in the occupied areas and one crew on the roof with the HVAC unit. The two-way radios or cell phones are for the two crews to talk with each other.

Using this method, you can check the heating operation in warm weather or the cooling operation in cold weather. This will let you get ahead of the change of seasons.

Start up the unit and set it to operate in the heating mode.

Crew at the workspace thermostat or temperature sensor uses the infrared thermometer to check the temperature at the sensor. If the thermostat and the test thermometer agree, within couple of degrees, that is good enough. If they do not agree, you may need to have an adjustment made or replacement.

Wipe moisture off the ice pack and apply in to thermostat or temperature sensor to call for heat.

Roof top crew checks response of equipment. Does it go into the heating mode and start putting out heat, as it should? Does the fuel throttle valve and dampers move, as they should? Take notes about anything that is not working perfectly. Is there a smell of fuel from fired units? If there is any evidence of fuel leakage, shut it down for safety until a technician can fix it.

Crew in the workspace; apply heat Near the temperature sensor. This will make the thermostat think it is too hot. Be gentile with the heat. A warm hand on the sensor is enough.

Roof top crew; check the response of the equipment. Does the burner shut down or go to low fire, as it should. Does the throttle valve and dampers move, as they should? Take notes about anything that is not working perfectly. Is there a smell of fuel from fired units? If there is any fuel smell, shut it down for safety until a technician can fix it. Start up the unit and set it to operate in the cooling mode.

Crew in the workspace; Apply heat Near the temperature sensor. This will make the thermostat think it is too hot.

Roof top crew checks response of the equipment. Does the air conditioner compressor start up and make the cold coil cold? Do the dampers move to the correct positions?

Crew in the workspace wipe moisture off the ice pack and apply it to thermostat or temperature sensor to make it think the room has cooled down.

Roof top crew checks response of equipment. Does the AC compressor shut off, as it should?

What else should the service technician be checking?

This list is typical of what I would want the service technician to verify for a natural gas fired heating system.

Are the gas train block and bleed valves working safely? Does the gas throttle valve actuator function correctly? Is the throttle valve linkage set correctly? Does the gas valve position feedback potentiometer work is it correctly adjusted? Does the throttle valve modulate, as it should in response to changes in the space temperature? Does the burner air damper open fully during the burner start up purge cycle? Do all the positioners function correctly? Are the linkages set correctly? Does the outdoor air damper close completely when the fan is off? Does the outdoor air damper open 90% completely? Are all damper blades and linkages in good condition? Do the dampers modulate, as they should in response to changes in the space temperature? Are all the temperature sensors calibrated reasonably well? Do the temperature sensors respond well to temperature changes? Are the filters in good shape? Check the Fan: Belts, Bearings, Motor alignment, Anchor bolts, Vibration

By letting the service technician know what you expect when the job starts you will get better results. Hopefully, the technician will have a list of his own that will include other items.

Work with the service technician to improve the list for your particular equipment. Keep a copy of the checklist on file so you can use it again next year.

Click here for a free money saving report written by the Energy Boomer titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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What Should the Thermostat be set for at Work?

One way of saving money at work is by setting building temperature targets.

Communications is the key to getting employees to buy into the new temperature standards. Everyone needs to know why the temperature will be different from what they are used to. Let folks know just how big the total energy bill is. Estimate the saving expected on your heating and air conditioning bills and let everyone know.

As example: if you set the office temperature standards at 70 during the heating season and 78 or more during the air conditioning season everyone needs to know these targets. If you set 66 as the heating season target for your factory floor areas, everyone needs to know it.

Folks will support the program, only if they know what the targets are and the why the change is being made.

Start an information campaign at the change of seasons to prepare folks for the new temperature standards. Stress the environmental benefits as well as the cost savings.

People need to know what the temperature will be so they can dress to be comfortable. Suggest that they wear several thin layers of clothing in the winter so they can adjust for comfort.

They also need to know what the temperature is. Armed with information, they can help take action when the temperature is off target. You cannot expect folks to help save money on your heating bill if they do not know the current temperature. As a minimum, there should be an easy to read thermometer at each thermostat.

A better approach is a reminder of the new temperature targets on inexpensive thermometer cards. Click on this link to see the thermometers that are available from Awareness Ideas.

The folks at Awareness Ideas will be happy to print them up with your company logo and your temperature targets. The printed thermometer cards are supplied with a peel off strip on the back so you can stick them up where they will be seen.

I post them, at eye level, by light switches and beside doors as well as at thermostats. These are very popular and useful items. Expect that some folks will want to take one home.

What is the thermostat setting where your work?

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Leak Tag Program Review

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Leak Tag Program Review

One of the most successful waste reduction programs that I have worked with is the Leak Tag program. It should be implemented anywhere that steam, water, compressed air or oil leaks are draining away profits.

Many leaks are safety hazards that need to be eliminated quickly.

The heart of the program is a multi part tag. The Leak Tag provides high visibility for tagged leaks and a take away record of what needs to be done. The tags can be custom printed to suit your company and your way of handling repair work flow.

The take away part of the tag can serve as a work requisition. Or, it can be used to capture the information needed to generate a maintenance work order.

The tags are supplied with a wire for hanging a high visibility durable tag at the site of the leak. The hang tag makes it easy for the folks tasked with making the repair to find a leak that was discovered by someone else.

The repair crew removes and signs off on the tag for the completed repair. This provides feedback for work control and for the person who discovered the leak. This feedback closes the communication loop for that job.

Leak tags eliminate confusion about weather or not a leak has been reported.

The leak tag program provides a very positive way for all employees to be involved in resource conservation.

Informative posters and display boards, that make the blank tags available to everyone, are an important part of the program.

The helpful folks at Awareness Ideas will supply leak tag materials to fit in with your way of taking care of business.

Click here for a free money saving report titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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WHAT IS YOUR ENERGY PRODUCTIVITY SCORE?

Folks in business know what their labor productivity is. They manage labor resources very closely.

Manufacturing managers know what their scrap rate is. Reducing raw material waste is one of their goals.

Productivity measures like labor hours per 1,000 units produced and percentage of units scrapped are targets for continuous improvement.

Business leaders should treat energy productivity and energy waste the same way. How many kilowatts does it take to make 1,000 units of product? How much energy does your business use when there is no production?

Is your energy productivity better or worse? If you do not know, you may be missing a way to improve your profit.

If your product cannot be counted or weighed, try counting the energy units per square foot of building space or per employee. If that does not work for your business model, calculate the energy used per dollar of income generated.

Establish a base line and then start a program to increase your energy productivity.

Energy savings can be a big factor in justifying the upgrade of equipment. Better energy productivity means lower operating cost.

It will also give a boost to your business image if you can advertise that you have reduced your use of natural resources. Going green can earn more of those green dollars.

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SAVE MONEY AT WORK BY PARKING YOUR EQUIPMENT

Parking you car with the engine off saves you money. Parking equipment at work with the power off saves money and jobs.

If you are like me when you leave work for the day, you use your cell phone to call home to see if you have any errands to do along the way. My trip home often includes a stop for milk or to pick up the photos of our grandson that are ready at the corner pharmacy.

When I park my Buick for these short breaks, I do not leave the motor running and the headlights turned on. If I did leave them on, I know that I would have a bigger bill to pay at the gas pump.

When we are driving on the weekend and stop for lunch, I do not leave the engine running and the defroster on full blast to keep the windows clear. I shut everything down while the car is in the restaurant parking lot. I could leave everything on because we will only be stopping for half an hour. But, I know I would have a bigger bill to pay at the gas pump if I left them on.

I’ll bet that you shut off your car or truck when you arrive at work. After all, it is money out of our pockets if we do not shut our vehicles down when their job is done. At work, I notice that people do not always park their equipment.

They stop for breaks and leave equipment running and lights on. Folks stop work for lunch and leave their music and office machines on. Folks take off to start their weekend and leave all sorts of electrical and compressed air equipment turned on.

It is a good idea for you to shut off your house lights when you leave. It is good for you to shut down your ride when you park it. It is also good to shut down the lights and equipment at work.

Like it or not, you are in cutthroat competition with other companies. Saving dollars that are spent on energy where you work helps to keep jobs there. Improving energy productivity is just as important to our future as improving any other measure of productivity.

If something is left on when it could be off, do something. Take care of it yourself, if you are qualified to do it safely. Ask to have someone who is qualified take care of it. Ask to have someone qualify you to shut it down next time.

Most utility companies read industrial and commercial electric meters every 15 minutes, so any delay in shutting off equipment costs money.

When the job is done park your equipment so you do not leave the electric meter running.

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USE WIND CHILL TO BEAT THE HEAT AT WORK

The same wind chill factor that makes us miserable in the winter is one of our best tools for summer comfort.

No mater where you work, increasing the wind chill factor will make you feel cooler. Any air movement will make you feel better on a hot day. It also increases the evaporation rate. The faster your sweat evaporates the better your body cools itself.

Caution; you do need to replace vital fluids and keep your electrolytes up to. Drink plenty of water to keep your body’s natural cooler working.

If you work in a factory or other building that is not air conditioned there are two key objectives to keeping cool.

1. Get the excess heat out of the building

2. Keep the air moving

Both of these can be accomplished using very little electrical power if you let the natural chimney effect do most of the work. Openings in the building that are through or near the roof will let the heat escape. Windows, doorways out to the roof and heat vents, all give energy free ventilation.

Most people work at floor level so opening doors and windows that are low down in the building will allow outdoor air to rush in making a cool draft. All the hot air that exits the building near the roof is replaced by incoming air. Venting and replacing air set up an airflow that helps to cool folks.

To boost the wind chill, add some powered exhaust fans to get more hot air moving out of the building and add some fans that are aimed directly at the people who are doing the work.

Keeping people cool helps keep productivity up in spite of high temperatures.

Electric air moving fans are a bargain. They use little energy for a very positive benefit.

If folks forget to turn the fans off at the end of the day, the fans can be controlled using motion detectors or timers. Shutting the fans off when no one is there to enjoy the breeze saves cash. It also prevents another lump of coal from being burned at the power plant.

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REMOVE OBSTRUCTED LIGHTS TO SAVE ENERGY

Take a targeted walk around your work place. Carry a copy of the floor plan or similar map along with you. Having something in your hand makes you look busy and avoid distraction. When you find lights that should be relocated or removed, you can mark the location on the drawing.

Focus on each light fixture as you come to it. Looking at them, one at a time, ask yourself can that one be done away with? Is it blocked, are there pipes or cables under it that make it ineffective? Has equipment been added near it making a shadow where there should be light?

During the construction of buildings, the lighting is one of the first items completed so other work can be finished with the help of illumination. As the years go by and the business evolves, additional equipment is installed and changes are made without changing the lighting layout. This often results in light fixture being located where light is not needed.

You may be surprised at the number of light fixtures that can be removed. The savings it two fold. The amount of electricity used is reduced and the maintenance effort is reduced.

Some lights are need but are ineffective at their present location. The light may be partially blocked or shadows thrown where direct lighting is needed. If you are not getting full value for the energy used, consider relocating the light fixture. It is better to spend money to relocate the light or change to a better design for that location than it is to continue to pay for light that is not giving you full value.

When adding up the cost savings for removing the excess lighting count the lamp wattage plus the watts consumed by the ballast.

Tip from the ENERGY BOOMER; take a few photographs of some of the blocked lights that are to be removed. Then present the cost savings and the photographs to get approval to proceed.

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7 WAYS TO SAVE ENERGY AT WORK

A few simple changes can save energy at work. These small steps can be multiplied by getting everyone where you work to use these cost saving ideas. Their earth friendly impact is a second selling point.

1. Be bright about Light Lighting accounts for 44 percent of the power used in office areas. Turn off the lights when you are leaving any room for 5 minutes. Use Energy Star rated lamps and fixtures. They use much less energy than regular lighting. Install timers or motion sensors to shut off lights when they are not needed.

2. Maximize computer efficiency Computers waste $1 billion worth of electricity each year. Turn your computer and monitor off when you leave for the day. If you leave them on you are still burning energy even when you are not there. Setting your computer to go to sleep during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Screen savers waste energy. Standby and hibernate modes save energy.

3. Print smarter The average office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year. Print on both sides or use the backside of old documents for faxes or scrap paper. Avoid color printing. Print in draft mode whenever feasible.

4. Go paperless when possible Stop and ask yourself if a document could be read or stored online instead of printing it. Request to be removed from the mailing list when you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail. Use your supplier’s on line catalogs. Post employee manuals and similar materials online. They are easier to update and no one can have an out of date copy if they are only available on the computer.

5. Ramp up your recycling Recycle as much as you can. Just about any kind of paper, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. Place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic areas. Provide clear information about what can and cannot be recycled.

6. Close the loop Buy office supplies and furniture made from recycled materials.

7. Rethink your travel Use web meetings or video conferencing to reduce employee travel.

Click here for a free money saving report written by the Energy Boomer titled HOW SAVE MONEY ON YOUR NEXT HEATING BILL

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SAVE MONEY DURING THE WINTER MIGRATION

Our neighbor heads south for a week or two every March. Many folks join this late winter southward migration seeking sunshine and warm temperatures. Their plan is to cut the winter short. They enjoy some warmth now and hope that they can bring spring back with them when they return.

When folks take a winter vacation they help pay for the trip by dialing back their home energy use. They set the thermostat down as low as it will go without risking frozen pipes. They shut off all the lights except for a few for security. Just before locking the door, they take a walk around to unplug or switch off anything that they forgot.

We need to follow the same model at work. When production schedules allow manufacturing equipment to take a vacation, we need to save energy. We need to make sure that all energy sources are stopped to conserve cash.

Just like turning the heat down at home, we can turn the heat down at work when there will be no one there to enjoy it.

• Compressed air supply should be shut off

• Dust collectors should be shut down

• Lights should be off

• Conveyors should be shut off

• Hydraulic power units should be shut off

This is when you should be getting a pay off from using energy shutdown checklists.

When the migration is over folks will flock to the shopping centers to keep us operating at full capacity again.

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