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Featured Question
Organic vs. Local
I always try to buy produce that is both locally grown AND organic, but what if I have to choose between the 2? Is it better to buy organic produce that's shipped long distances or local produce that isn't grown organically?
asked by Kimbrely Matsoukas
about 1 year ago
Agriculture
11 suggestions
Question: Energy Management
Posted by: Chris Kaiser about 1 year ago
In my current job of selling factory automation and electrical control equipment around the state of Georgia, I've been fortunate enough to see how a ton of products are made. From the chicken we buy at the store (not the nicest tour), carpet, gum, contact lenses, cardboard, recycled paper, lottery tickets, and plastic film.
The facilities that make the products we buy use massive amounts of electricity, but what is shocking to me is almost none of these facilities (or the companies that run these facilities) have energy managers!
Many of these companies have energy bills well over $100,000 per month, yet they don't have anyone who analyzes how they use the power, how they can reduce it, and how they can take on better operating principles. They simply view energy as a commodity.
So my question is: Why don't more companies have energy managers?
Answers
Great question, Chris! I can't answer for Georgia, but in many of the companies I work with in other areas, the "energy manager" hat is worn by the director of sustainability or the director of EHS and sustainability (where those roles have been linked). So, there's no dedicated energy manager company-wide, but energy is managed carefully through a network of people who report up to or collaborate with the sustainability officer/team. In Georgia, however, electricity has historically been quite cheap, as you know, thanks to the Southern Company's reliance on coal-fired plants. And this has resulted in a general lack of interest about its use. If the current economy doesn't encourage Georgia companies to conduct energy audits and implement energy reduction measures, maybe the future increased costs of purchasing energy in a carbon-constrained world will. Michelle Bernhart True Blue Communications LLC michelle at truebluecomm dot com
Because hiring an energy manager requires leadership coupled with a good enough understanding of energy utilization and potential savings to make companies realize it's a no-brainer for many companies to hire an energy manager or at least contract the service for a time to maximize utilization. For most companies, the retrofits and behavior changes required are low hanging fruit. It is a sad failure for many businesses, albeit we get better, at a pace that should concern us all...
I don't have an answer to this, perhaps it is the usual money issue., perhaps it is a case of knowledge. I do think that it is imperative that they also look at waste and education of staff, stakeholders and clients.
Forget energy conservation in low power cost areas, focus on maintenance reduction,
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