Going Green can put Money in Your Pocket
Beyond recycling, what are some ways you can implement environmentally sound practices into your daily life? One way to “go green” is to explore how you are using electricity. Technology in electrical use management has evolved to help both residential and business owners’ lower energy consumption, therefore saving money. But what does this mean? Do you have to revamp your entire electrical layout? No. Do you have to invest a ton of money before you can see a return of investment? No. A little-known concept called “Demand Control” is the key.
Demand control with one of Energy Sentry’s demand controllers is both a financial and environmental investment. On average, clients save 10-40% each month on electric bills and as a bonus they help the environment by increasing their energy efficiency! Most clients use a demand controller to establish an “energy budget”. Often times controlling or creating an energy budget can identify scenarios where energy use can be deferred for a short time, with little or no discomfort, inconvenience, or interruption of an appliance. This budget can be set up in a way that places time and use parameters on major electrical appliances, such as a clothes dryer, dishwasher, water heater, oven or hot tub. Items such as lighting, computers, telephones, and other plug-in devices can be omitted from the budget so it won’t interrupt your daily life. Energy Sentry can help you identify which appliances are the high-peak energy culprits and should be on your budget. An established energy budget can help you lower the amount of energy you use and helps to lower the overall peak energy demand charges. Being efficient and using resources efficiently is at the root of going green.
Stabilizing Your Energy Use:
Most everyone agrees that getting better gas mileage in their car is a good thing for the environment and for your wallet. The same is true with energy demand. When you manage energy demand the benefits not only help with your wallet but can have a global impact. But first, what is energy demand management? Energy demand management involves regulating the rate of energy use so energy is used in a more efficient way. Often we see a higher quantity of energy is used at a specific time during the day. This is referred to as a “peak demand” in energy use. If you were to graph your energy use there would be peaks and valleys throughout the day. The goal of energy demand management is to level off the peaks and fill in the valleys, thus using energy more efficiently and consistently.
In a sense, you’re using the same amount of electricity, but you’re doing it more efficiently. Instead of undergoing the peaks and valleys of unstable electric use, you use electricity at steady levels. This efficiency not only saves you money, it helps the environment too. By stabilizing your electric use, you help stabilize the utility’s electric use. This has a huge impact on local and global ecosystems.
By using an Energy Sentry demand management system, customers can level off the peaks and fill in the valleys, thus using energy more efficiently. In a similar manner to the cruise control on your vehicle, a demand controller can “set the speed” (rate of usage) of energy you want to use. Energy Sentry can help control certain loads, to keep the average rate of use below your set limit. Demand controllers can be completely customized based upon the needs of the customer, such as setting the maximum demand of energy use and the order of priority of the appliances. You are in control of your energy budget so certain appliances can be omitted if that is how you want to set up.
Stabilizing Your Energy Use for Local & Global Economies:
Electric companies and utilities are required to supply power to everyone within their region - for the greatest amount needed (peak demand) at any given time. This means that if every customer in their territory (residential and commercial) is simultaneously using the maximum amount of energy possible, the utility must have the capacity to provide for that entire amount at any point during the day (even off-peak periods). As a result, electric supply companies are having to build additional power plants and buy expensive “Peaking Power” to support our expanding population, which increases the use of electrical equipment. This also explains why utilities sometimes charge higher prices for electric use at certain times of the day. They are trying to reduce their peak by encouraging customers to use less electricity during these “expensive” peak time periods.
As more people in the community install an Energy Sentry, your region’s demand for electricity declines. Therefore, your electric company will be able to reduce its fuel consumption by operating at a more efficient level. By lowering your peak demand, you're helping reduce the utility’s peak demand.
The OUTCOME of increasing your Efficiency?
REDUCING the need to build additional Power Plants in your area!
Pollution Decreases, Air Quality Improves, and our Earths resources are conserved!
If you would like to know more about DEMAND CONTROL and how to IMRPOVE YOUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY by LOWERING YOUR ELECTRIC BILLS - contact the experts at Energy Sentry.