WoodRiver Energy, LLC WoodRiver Energy, LLC
Login
  • Natural Gas
  • Energy Management
  • Choice Program
    • Residential / Commercial
    • Agriculture
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • January 25, 2021
  • EMS, Energy Management

Top 5 Ways Businesses are Wasting Energy

This blog originally appeared on GridPoint’s site, view the original post here

Energy is one of the largest expenses for commercial businesses, yet many business owners are missing out on simple opportunities to reduce their energy waste and lower these costs. Below are 5 common ways businesses are wasting energy, and minor changes they can make to see substantial cost savings: 

1) Not having, or not adhering to, a HVAC schedule 

Most businesses have temperature set-points established, but are yours enforced? External weather conditions, control overrides made by staff, and underperforming equipment can cause set-points to stray and energy to be wasted. By establishing and automating a set-point schedule tailored to your business’ specific needs, you can focus on comfort during peak hours and savings during slower and unoccupied times. 

2) Leaving HVAC units, lights, or equipment turned on unnecessarily 

Energy savings 101, right? Leaving equipment on obviously contributes to how businesses are wasting energy, but you’d be surprised how often our data analysts find instances where parking lights are being left on during the day, an HVAC is on full blast over night during summer months, or even where employees have left dangerous kitchen equipment on while the location was unoccupied.  Collecting asset-level data can provide insight to these energy-wasting behaviors. 

3) Turning all equipment on at the same time 

Powering all of your HVAC units, lights, and equipment on at the same time (e.g. 8am) can create a very large peak load for the day and become extremely expensive if done regularly. By staggering when each piece is turned on, you can lower your demand and your cost. 

4) Not repairing or replacing malfunctioning equipment in a timely fashion 

HVAC maintenance can be costly, but not as costly as a replacement unit or the downtime that results from a unit that has failed. Proper maintenance can extend the life of an HVAC unit by up to 20%. Instead of scheduling a traditional (possibly unnecessary) seasonal maintenance checkup, tools like ConnectedControl’s automated HVAC Scope test can provide insight into the health of each unit and enable facility managers to identify and prioritize maintenance needs on an as-needed basis. 

5) Falling victim to energy drift 

Energy drift is the gradual loss of efficiency that can occur after a Building Management System (BMS) is commissioned. After the initial strategy is set, external factors can cause buildings to stray from expected savings over time. If your system is not collecting data, analyzing trends and alerting you of system failures your sites are likely deviating off the path to efficiency. These issues can be combated by identifying where drift is occurring and taking action to put efficiency back on track.  Submetering provides enhanced data which can be used to determine if there is an issue, what the issue is, and where the issue is coming from in order to do keep sites optimized continuously. 

To learn about how our energy management solution, ConnectedControl, can help your business reduce wasted energy, click here. 

WoodRiver Energy focuses on providing cost-effective energy solutions that help commercial, industrial, and agriculture customers manage their energy usage, provide budget protection, and control energy costs.

Our Services

  • Natural Gas
  • Energy Management

Recent Posts

  • A NOTE ABOUT RECENT WEATHER-RELATED

    Feb 17, 2021

  • Choice Gas Program: What happens if

    Feb 4, 2021

  • Choice Gas Program: What you need t

    Feb 3, 2021

Useful Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Our Services
  • Choice
  • Contact Us
  • Find Your Consultant
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Create Account
sales@woodriverenergy.com Drop Us a Line
+1 (888) 510 9315 Call Us Now
Copyright 2021 WoodRiver Energy, All rights reserved.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.