Busy business folks can still conserve

Third in a four-part series.

Business owners want their customers to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They want appealing lighting to display their products, and they want their patrons to walk safely across the parking lots at night.

They’re no different than any homeowner who wants things to work when they throw the switch and, like them, probably don’t think anything about how fast the meter outside is running — until they get the bill.

It’s one of those facts of daily living we all take for granted sometimes. That’s why, knowing that business people are busy, the Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Committee has chosen energy conservation as one of the three components in its drive to help chamber members save money and the planet at the same time.

The EDC’s initial goals are centered on finding first-step information everybody can use, from the small shop owner to the big box store.

“This focuses on what the easy things are that you can do,” explained Richard Ducote, community affairs director for Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold at the Sierrita Mine, and one of the EDC members trying to make a difference by constructing the chamber’s new environmental sustainability plan.

Ducote brought Anne Cobb, marketing executive for Trico Electric Cooperative, to meet with the EDC in October and explain a little about how commercial customers can make some simple, but very positive moves for themselves in energy conservation.

Trico and Tucson Electric Power provide much of the electric service in this area.

“The most important thing is to educate owners how they are using their energy,” Cobb said.

Trico has four different commercial rates to choose from, so Cobb’s team tries to help businesses get the most efficient one for them after observing their “base load,” which is usage from items they have to keep running on a regular basis, like coolers, freezers, ice machines, security lighting and so on.

If usage deviates from the base load very much, it should be a red flag for the owner, and Trico will come in upon request and conduct an audit, make suggestions, shift them to the best rate, and pass along energy saving tips, she said.

Cobb sits with the owner or energy manager and reviews the billing history, then goes from there.

Managing energy use wisely can help businesses increase productivity, keep customers and employees comfortable, and reduce utility costs, according to information Ducote supplied from TEP energy programs.

TEP suggests some quick ways to save — like dialing down when closed for business; changing to programmable thermostats; insulating hot water tanks and reducing hot water temperatures; reducing and changing to more efficient lighting; sealing duct work; covering coolers when not in use; checking and replacing air filters; better maintaining and cleaning of refrigeration equipment; shutting down computers at night; weather-proofing windows, doors, ceilings, walls, etc.; shading sun-exposed areas; repainting with lighter colors; and educating and encouraging employees to be more energy-conscious on a daily basis.

Rebates for upgrading to more efficient equipment are usually available from energy providers, Ducote said.

He suggests contacting TEP’s program manager, Jeff Hunter, at 520-918-8336, who says that lighting is the “low hanging fruit” when looking for energy savings, along with refrigeration and HVAC motors.

Hunter believes that a 5 percent to 10 percent savings on average costs per year is “an easy goal.”

Committee leaders are already brainstorming ways the chamber can assume a more active role in promoting conservation among their members, like bringing in TEP and Trico representatives for breakfast seminars, introducing renewable energy resources like solar electric PV systems with big tax incentives and tax breaks, and even developing certification levels to give special recognition to owners who make positive changes.

Check out the progress or share your ideas through the Web site www.greenvalleychamber.com or phone 520-625-7575.

Green Valley resident Mike Touzeau is a freelance writer for the Green Valley News and Sun.