Winter means colder temperatures, especially in locations across the U.S. like the Midwest and Northeast. And with those colder temperatures and shorter daylight hours, it can take a lot of energy to keep buildings warm, comfortable, and well lit. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and lighting are the biggest users of electricity in commercial buildings, according to the EPA. So, addressing how much energy these systems use can make a big difference in energy consumption, save money and ensure comfort for tenants.

Energy efficiency was top of mind for many jurisdictions in 2018. Whether the underlying reason was to address climate change issues, prod more action from the federal government, or to save money on energy costs, these initiatives benefit millions of people with improved local energy efficiency efforts.

Energy consumption in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors is significant. In fact, because of higher standards for environmental conditions, the overall energy usage intensity (EUI) for pharmaceutical plants is fourteen times higher than other types of manufacturing facilities: The average commercial office building built after 2000 has an average EUI of 81.4 kBtu/sq. ft. (257 kWh/m2), while the average pharmaceutical plant has an EUI of 1,210 kBtu/sq. ft. (3,819 kWh/m2).

In the U.S., higher education facilities spend an average of $1.10 per square foot on electricity costs, 31% ($0.34) of which are lighting costs. In most colleges and universities, laboratory and residential buildings are the biggest energy users. At Harvard University, for example, while laboratory buildings make up only 22% of the buildings on campus, they use 49% of the total energy; residential buildings and dorms account for 18% of the university’s energy consumption. 

Fairbanks Energy’s Guy Cook answers some questions about how to improve the energy efficiency in your hotel, while minimizing disruption to operations and discomfort to guests.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, healthcare is one of the top five energy-consuming building categories and accounts for nine percent of energy use in commercial buildings. With utility bills making up an average of 1.4 percent of a hospital’s operating revenue, hospitals in the U.S spend about $8.3 billion total on energy costs each year. The impact of these energy costs on an individual hospital is huge. For example, a 200,000 square foot, 50-bed facility spends about $13,600 per bed on energy costs, equaling about $680,000 each year.

Design and installation of LED Lighting and Building Management System by leading energy conservation provider has yielded an annual saving of more than $200,000 while securing utility incentives and rebates of more than $320,000

Rob Golden, Director of Midwest Business Development, authors "Efficiency is the Incentive in the Midwest Market" published with Connect Media. Read the full piece below.

As any seasoned facility manager can tell you, there are ample opportunities to reduce a company’s energy usage both inside and outside of their buildings. Production facilities, warehouses and labs often use the most power, but external areas, such as parking lots and garages, must not be overlooked. When prioritizing the energy optimization projects at your facilities, take the time to examine how these locations are performing.

It’s not a secret that Denver and the Rocky Mountain Region has been experiencing substantial growth in data center and other tech related business. Whether building new facilities, expanding existing ones or simply conducting business as usual, there’s almost always ample opportunity to increase energy efficiency and optimize data centers.