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OMES receives periodic press inquiries
for information on the 20x2020 program status. Starting Sept.1, guest users
will be able to access the EnergyCAP database and view information down to the
building level for any organization in the 20x2020 program. The access and
login information will be shown on the 20x2020 website under the Energy
Database section.
My office has received several inquiries regarding
energy manager duties when an employee retires, changes jobs or ends employment
with their organization. Should that vacant slot be filled or should the energy
manager duties be reassigned to another individual within the organization? This
question must be answered internally by each organization. To hire an
individual or create additional duties for existing employees is an
organizational decision based on operations, energy savings potential, budget,
future utility expenditures, etc. Historically, though, if the energy manager
duties are not continued the organization will spend more on utilities.
Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC)
and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) are two organizations I
was able to spend a little time with during the past month. Both organizations
are succeeding in the 20x2020 program using efforts that are tailored for their
organizations.
OCCC has seen an EUI (energy usage per
square foot) reduction of 11.3 percent and an ECI (energy cost per square foot)
reduction of 7.2 percent. Bob Lally, OCCC’s energy manager, looks at his
different operations as individual opportunities. Jason Edds is responsible for
the EnergyCAP database information and does an excellent job at keeping this
data current. Chris Snow is the director of facilities management for OCCC and
has provided support to Bob and Jason from day one. OCCC has their work cut out
for them as Bob Lally has accepted a position overseas and will be leaving the
organization. Chris Snow has been proactive in addressing this issue by meeting
with both ES2 and SEPO to discuss their program and enlist support in
assisting with the continued success OCCC has seen in their program.
OSBI has seen an EUI reduction of 22.2
percent and an ECI increase of 1 percent. While total cost of energy for OSBI
has increased 4.4 percent, if they had not managed their energy usage there
would have been an additional 11.9 percent increase. OSBI has taken the
necessary steps to position their organization properly to mitigate the
increases we are all seeing in utility costs. Jerry Tate, OSBI procurement and facility
manager, has been in discussions with his electric providers regarding
available rebate programs. One project that benefited from a rebate program is
the OSBI Forensic Center Lighting Retrofit. This facility has been completely
converted to LED lighting, with a project material cost of $30,090. The labor was completed in-house with OSBI personnel. OSBI received a rebate of $21,233
for the conversion. The estimated annual savings, at current electric rates, is
$31,324. Simple payback on the material is less than four months. The best part
of this project is that the annual savings of $31,324 will only increase in
value in the coming years as utility rates increase. I asked Jerry to provide
me the names of those involved in this project. I was pleasantly surprised with
Jerry’s response, as the list included Director Florence, division directors and
procurement personnel as well as the facility management staff as part of the
team.
I
look forward to spending time with more of you and hearing your success stories.
Craig Cherry
Director, 20x2020
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The August energy manager webinar is titled “Managing
Lighting Efficiency.”
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration,
lighting accounts for approximately 19 percent of commercial electricity
consumption. This makes it imperative that each organization ensures they provide
the necessary light while minimizing energy consumption. This month’s webinar
will introduce key lighting system characteristics and components energy
managers should be aware of, the recommended maintenance and potential energy
conservation strategies.
Organizations that
have issued a purchase order to ES2 in order to enroll in the behavioral
program are invited to register for August’s energy manager webinar. Please
register at least one hour in advance of the webinar.
Logistics:
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20x2020 Upcoming Dates
Please mark your calendar:
August
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Aug. 20 | 2-3 p.m. | ES2
Energy Manager Webinar
- Aug. 31 | Q2 Project Exemptions Due
September
-
Sept. 17 | 2-3 p.m. | ES2
Energy Manager Webinar
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Project
exemptions are due August 31, 2015, for billing period quarter two of CY 2015.
Organizations must submit exemptions on any specific projects that have
resulted in energy savings that they would like to remove from ES2’s fee
calculations. Any project completed between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015,
must be submitted by August 31, 2015, to be considered for an exemption.
For a
complete submission, please submit each request through the online form and email
IPMVP-adherent supporting documentation to 20x2020@omes.ok.gov.
Further information is available in the online instructions.
If you
have any questions about this process, please email 20x2020@omes.ok.gov.
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The September energy manager webinar is titled
“Understanding Your Energy Bills.”
In order to better understand how your buildings consume
energy, it is important to understand how they are billed by utility companies.
This month’s webinar will focus on interpreting your utility bills,
understanding the different types of charges that are listed and the main
driving factors for each, along with basic strategies for minimizing your
utility costs.
Organizations that
have issued a purchase order to ES2 in order to enroll in the behavioral
program are invited to register for September’s energy manager webinar. Please
register at least one hour in advance of the webinar.
Logistics:
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Air conditioning systems keep your building comfortable by responding
when the temperature in an area exceeds the designated temperature. Walk
through your building and see where equipment or personal items near
thermostats may be putting off heat and causing the air conditioning to run
longer than normal. As you do, speak to those in the area to determine if there
is a better way to configure the space. If they were too cold or hot before, it
may be a symptom of the HVAC system reading an incorrect temperature. Beyond energy
bills, you may be surprised to find out how big a difference this small change can
make to comfort.
If you
have any questions or ideas on tips to share, please contact Morgan Miller of
ES2 at mmiller@es2ok.com or
405-528-4500.
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Success for a behavioral program can depend greatly on
the total number of small, psychological strengths the energy manager plays to.
For the JD McCarty Center, this means ensuring their program is easy,
attractive, social and timely. Erik Paulson, Sharla Bardin and Darrell Green
have been exploring approaches to make the 20x2020 program fun for their
organization in a way that fits into their existing culture. Knowing every reduced
energy waste dollar saved would be used to better serve the children who come
through the center was an idea they knew everyone could support when they began
planning their kickoff event.
Sharla, the center’s public
information manager, recognized that the timing of the event was as important
as the messaging. She decided it should coincide with Earth Day to reinforce how
JD McCarty’s energy consumption affects everyone. It was also important the
event not just be a fun, information-oriented meeting, but that it also appeal to
the employees to do something about their energy usage. In order to help
accomplish this, the energy managers asked everyone to sign a poster saying
they would pledge to be “Power Partners” and reduce their energy consumption. Asking
someone to make a written commitment increases the likelihood they will follow
through and making that commitment public further boosts the probability. Leveraging
what they know about human behavior and utilizing both of these tactics with
the kickoff party and poster campaign has allowed the JD McCarty Center energy managers
to make it easier for their employees to follow through on their pledges.
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