Businesses Reduce Energy Use

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In the past five years some 4000 New Hampshire businesses have helped save enough energy to power 600,000 homes.

And they’ve also helped reduce emissions by 2.7 million tons- that’s like taking 575,000 cars off the road for a year.

With numbers like those there’s little doubt in Gil Gelineau’s mind that the state’s energy conservation programs for business are working.

Gelineau, who works for Public Service of New Hampshire, says there is a program available for every type of business.

11:13 the business program have a small business program....they tend to be more turn key in nature, the proprietor doesn’t have the time on energy efficiency on a large business that might have a facilities manager...they tend ot be more hand-holding, and we also have programs for those that are upgrading and those building new.

Gelineau says many businesses understand that energy efficiency can lead to sizeable savings.

According to one power company there is a long wait to get enrolled in a rebate program that helps businesses install more efficient equipment.

But despite the success of business energy conservation in New Hampshire- a number of companies still haven’t signed on.

Unitil Senior Vice President George Gantz.

T.11
:00 there are a fair number of businesses, particularly small businesses are so focused, and so busy on the business side of what they have to do, with customers and supply chains, they are so busy that they really don’t have the time or the people- they know energy is an issue, they know they need to do something, but they don’t know what- they don’t have the time to do something on the issue.

In an effort to search out those business owners, Monday afternoon the state unveiled an awareness campaign.

A central part of the initiative is a brochure outlining a variety of the programs available to business- including a low-interest loan plan.

Gantz says hopefully, a business person can scan through the pamphlet in 3-5 minutes, make a call, and get the ball rolling on energy efficiency in less than ten minutes.

But Mark Suwitzki of Velcro USA says, even after the company has made changes to the equipment- an employer must get workers to buy-in.

TAPE: Having some success stories. You implement a project. You realize the benefits. And that builds credibility and it sustains itself.
A number of big box store national chains are participating in a program called Demand Response.

Think of it almost like keeping a lawyer on retainer.

In this case, ISO New England- the group that runs the region’s grid- pays businesses to lower their use during peak times.

Chief Operating Officer of ISO New England Stephen Whitley says the program is a pretty good deal for companies.

Whitley remembers the record breaking day last August when an IBM facility in Vermont had to reduce use.

TAPE: they cut back on their air conditioning, their lighting, they don’t have to drop the demand of their processing. So it’s a win win for them. (how much money does IBM get back to lower their energy use) I don’t have that number at the tip of my head. Typically we give these folks a big check. It’s not insignificant. It’s in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

In other words, IBM got paid thousands of dollars, if not more, to turn off some lights and the AC.

George Gantz of Unitil believes it’s programs like this that will have businesses thinking about options, especially when they get energy bills this summer.

For NHPR News, I’m DG.

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