How To Focus The Discussion On Energy Conservation And Efficient Contracting

There are a multitude of technologies out there for improving sustainability and minimizing energy usage across different systems

. Consumer demand controls the products available, but so do government subsidies and private sector innovation. At conventions and conferences, sustainable energy that can keep us competitive for the new millennium is on everyone's mind. One of the lynchpins of the energy conversation these days is how to reduce the needed energy in buildings, especially when (by some estimates) 80 percent of the buildings that exist today will be around in the future.

The Key to a Sustainable Environment:

The discussion of energy efficiency for the new millennium is centered on getting more people to change their habits, preferences, and expectations when it comes to energy use. This focuses on adjusting cultural norms and personal mindsets. By some estimates, most buildings lose energy efficiency after the first three years of their existence and this is often related, for example, to its tenants and building managers not knowing how to properly utilize and repair the building in an energy efficient manner. For a particular retrofit strategy or outright new construction to be efficient, it needs to work completely as a system. The focus should be on how the systems interact with one another. New systems and retrofits must always be expertly installed and maintained.

How People Can Perfect - or Destroy - An Efficient System:

Despite the best engineering systems and the proper technology, the fact is that people are key when it comes to implementing energy efficient systems. Sophisticated energy technology won't be of any use if its operators abuse or misuse it, and innovation is directly correlated to cultural norms and evolution.

Say, for example, you have a pre-war apartment building that has been recently retrofitted to have the latest in energy efficient technologies and systems. But one by one, residents continue to complain to building engineers about a certain preference - say, demanding cooler temperatures. The engineers are the ones who tweak certain HVAC settings to appease the residents - and possibly counteract the technology's benefits. This is just one example, and people don't necessarily have to suffer to have a positive effect on the environment, but they do need to be cognizant of how systems work to let the technology work for them.

How to Best Include People:

The first step towards getting people involved when it comes to energy systems that are complex is to harness the power of data and information. If you simply explain to people how energy is used and saved, you will see a better result. If you then communicate that data and information to people in a comprehensive format you will start seeing them make better decisions that actually benefit the building they work or live in. In energy conservation - as well as in other parts of life - the truth will set you free.

by: Mike Pempek

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