I am not a New Year’s resolution person. I don’t enjoy the guilt that comes with the inevitable fall-off, the one that is directly related to the fact that most resolutions are either too far-reaching or too general. Continuous, small, measurable tweaks are a more realistic and achievable way of making changes in my life, […]
As we rapidly head toward the end of the calendar year, it’s typically a time when many of us put the microscope on all things financial such as revenue performance versus plan, annual expenses versus budget, revenue per square foot or transaction, and planning for the upcoming year. One area that should be on the […]
A post in Energy Manager Today caught our collective eye by starting: The commercial and manufacturing sectors could save $50 billion a year in energy fees if they adopt a systematic approach to saving energy that marries traditional energy efficiency with wireless and cloud-based computer technologies, according to research from the American Council for an Energy […]
This is a portion of a post on MultiBriefs Exclusive. How can energy become a profit center? Over the last 13 weeks we’ve provided a guide on how that can be done utilizing simple, low-cost/no-cost tips. If you’ve read those articles but haven’t had a chance to implement them yet, consider this: If you decrease […]
This is a portion of a post on MultiBriefs Exclusive. We’ve been using incandescent lighting since Thomas Edison developed the first practical light bulb more than a century ago. In today’s world where innovation moves at the speed of light, lighting innovation ironically moved at a snail’s pace until the last couple of decades. Today, […]
This is a portion of a post on MultiBriefs Exclusive. How many refrigeration systems do you have in your operation? You might be surprised. Of course, the first thought is of the behemoth walk-in, but what about the under-counter reach-ins, cold drawers, blast chillers, ice machines, milk coolers and other drink machines? Following are some […]
Little Known, Short-Lived Bi-Partisan Legislation that Could have Made a Difference Energy Efficiency may be referred to as the “Fifth Fuel”, but it has never really gotten the public attention of the first four (coal, petroleum, nuclear, and alternative energy) – and certainly is not as sexy as renewable energy. After all, you can’t visualize […]
This is part of a guest post on the Viewpoints consumer blog. What happens when you use the “Quick Wash” setting on your dishwasher — even when you aren’t pressed for time? Viewpoints welcomes the smart people at Powerhouse Dynamics, a leader in energy measurement and management, as expert contributors to our blog. They discovered […]
Several events – dramatic events for the most part – prompted this post. The first was super storm Sandy. As someone who did not live through this, I can only react to the amazing images of destruction and sounds of suffering. But, I was struck once again by the impact of being without power. We simply […]
The food service industry is tough. Continuing to attract customers and satisfy them is a difficult challenge. To beat the competition and turn a profit, organizations must collect, analyze, and understand many different types of information. This information gathering and processing is the heart of what general managers, regional managers, and corporate execs use to […]
This is the 4th – and last – in a series discussing my experience driving the all-electric all electric BMW ActiveE. Steady State Impressions Hard to believe it has been 5 months since I picked up my BMW ActiveE. Even harder than you might expect, since I only have 1,614 miles on the odometer – which […]
We’ve had some recent activity around commercial refrigeration performance here at Powerhouse Dynamics, which got me thinking about how our personal refrigerators are performing. Similar to a recent post I did on my dehumidifier, I decided to take a look at “real-world” energy consumption data of several refrigerators versus manufacturers’ specifications. In a previous post on my least […]
