Are You Paying Too Much For Electricity?

Do you want to reduce your carbon footprint, help the environment and save on your bottom line? Here are some ideas on how.

It is a misconception that it is expensive to go Green or seek alternative solutions to reduce your carbon footprint. Yes, there may be an initial upfront cost but look long-term at the return on investment and the ongoing benefits it will provide to your business. In many cases after payback your business will be in front not only on the bottom line, but also on social and environmental issues.

Consider the following option to help to go green.

Demand Side Management and Demand Reduction

Reducing and managing your electricity demand plays a significant role in going green. “The cheapest and cleanest energy is the energy you don’t use”. Taking this option not only has a positive impact on your bottom line it expands to wider economic impacts and has significant environmental benefits.

Demand reduction is key to developing a sustainable approach to the development of new power infrastructure. Our electricity supply is often taken for granted but has become a matter for concern. With our population growth, temperature shifts from heat waves to cold snaps and our general increase in demand for power, it will eventually reach the level where our demand for electricity is greater than supply.

The electricity network is based around supply and demand. Electricity generally cannot be stored so it must be produced based on the demand at the time. If the demand for electricity continues to increase and we hit capacity with current infrastructure, where do we fill the supply gap? A new power station takes eight years to build, and we don’t have enough renewable sources – how do we fill the increase in current demand? We have experienced this over-demand recently when extreme heat waves have been experienced in Victoria and South Australia causing turmoil in the network shutting down non-essential supply to cope with the demand. If we build more power stations to fuel this demand, the economic and environmental impacts may be significant.

There is a better answer though and that is DSM (Demand Side Management). This is the process of managing electrical load and managing peak demand, both in quantity and in timing of use. What it does is save money by reducing peak demand and the total consumption of electricity. Peak demand costs a business significantly depending on the tariff or contract. It also has impact on the electricity network providers, as explained above.

See what the AEMO says about Demand Side Participation in their 2018 Forecast Update.

How does a business manager, owner or operator play a part in reducing business demand for electricity? The best starting point is to undertake an energy audit. A business can then understand how and when power is used in their business or property. Education is the key.

Below are some of the ways to reduce demand and electricity consumption for business and in strata title communities.

reduce lighting operating times in car parks and stairwells through intelligent control
incorporate efficient lighting including energy efficient globes, T8 – T5 converters or LED
investigate more efficient hot water systems
embrace renewable energy sources such as solar or wind
establish minimum performance and monitoring standards for air conditioning and refrigeration
stop running filters and non-essential items for swimming pools and spas in peak times, put a timing controller on the system to switch on in Off Peak.
try using off-peak times for pumps and compressors
To go Green and save money you can use some of the savings you generate from DSM initiatives to invest back into green power, benefiting the environment with no or minimal cost to your business.

Worth considering. Contact us at Watt Utilities to find out more and start your journey to energy efficiencies today.