If you take a close look at many commercial electrical bills, you’ll note something called a “demand charge”. This is a fee the utility charges you based on the maximum amount of power your facility required during any 15-30-minute interval over the last billing period. Essentially, this is a fee the utility imposes on […]
It’s hard to believe, but we first introduced our platform to the commercial market a decade ago. Since then, we’ve been working hard to continuously improve our solution, learn even more about the challenges our customers face with their businesses, and refine and further develop our system to meet those challenges head-on. The beauty of […]
Earlier this week, we hosted a webinar and invited two of our valued customer partners, Five Below and Lush Cosmetics in an informal panel discussion on facilities best practices to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus. Amy Stelmaszyk, Energy Systems Manager for Five Below and Richard Outhwaite, Sustainability Analyst with Lush Cosmetics may manage different […]
Spreading responsibility for energy efficiency in commercial buildings New York City’s Local Law 88 makes it one of the first cities in the nation to require electrical sub-meters to be installed in commercial buildings 50,000 square feet or greater in area, as well as in residential buildings with commercial tenants occupying over 10,000 square feet. Building owners are […]
On April 30, President Obama signed into law a new bipartisan energy efficiency bill consisting of pieces of a larger bill that had been bogged down in Congress over the Keystone XL pipeline fight. The modest but symbolic Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015 (S. 535) sets up a new energy efficiency recognition program for commercial buildings—similar […]
When a number of companies focus on a similar goal, the coopetition helps everyone grow. That’s why clusters of companies tend to work, whether that’s a cluster of consumer startups, mobile apps companies or even restaurants. We knew that we were part of a large and growing clean energy cluster in Massachusetts, but it surprised us when […]
Energy efficiency is often overlooked in debates over energy production and use. We often hear about renewable technologies like solar and wind, and there’s lots of talk about reducing carbon emissions by switching from coal-generated power to natural gas. If you are concerned about climate change, these are all important steps in reducing the carbon […]
There has been a rapid rise in solar installations in the US over the past 5 years. There are a variety of reasons for this, including the sharp drop in the cost of solar panels. However, there is no question that the introduction of the solar leasing model – where consumers and businesses can get […]
This post will be a short one because this topic won’t take long to dissect: it’s about set backs, the temperatures we set thermostats to when comfort heating or cooling isn’t required, such as when stores are closed. Quite often I hear concerns from operators or even HVAC technicians regarding night set backs for thermostats. […]
For most parts of the Unites States, the cold of winter is finally receding and the warmth of the summer is now on the horizon. As you assemble your spring cleaning list, don’t forget about the wide variety of equipment that should be on that list. Based on the thousands of pieces of individual equipment […]
Energy bills can often be one of the larger expenses for an organization – especially for companies managing chains of restaurants or convenience stores, which typically consume three times more energy per square foot than other commercial facilities. Energy costs can also be frustrating to try to control, and many utilities don’t seem to […]
CFOs and COOs often struggle to fully understand the different energy saving approaches that are being pitched at them on a daily basis. One of the most mysterious is “demand charges“. Translating this bit of utility-speak is important because in some parts of the country, demand charges can account for up to 50% of your […]
