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Practical Energy Solutions, West Chester, PA, energy conservation, energy auditsgreen buildings

Practical Energy Solutions
770 E. Market Street,
Suite 250
West Chester, PA 19382
610.344.7326
610.430.1375 fax

Practical Energy Solutions is an ENERGY STAR^® partner

PES is a "founding B Corporation". Go to bcorporation.net for more details!

Press Releases and Publications

June 28, 2007

For Immediate Release:

Practical Energy Solutions Partners with Westtown School

Company to Help School Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Lower Energy Costs on Campus

Practical Energy Solutions of West Chester, PA is pleased to announce that the Westtown School has signed a 2-year agreement with the company to provide energy management and conservation services. Using the Kilawatt System of diagnostic hardware and advanced software tools developed by Kilawatt Technologies of Shelburne, VT, PES will focus on reducing energy consumption and peak electricity demand, and will track environmental impacts for the school, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced emissions of harmful pollutants associated with electricity generation into the air. The goal of the current initiative is to reduce energy consumption by over 15%.

The Westtown School has been providing quality Quaker education on its 600 acre campus in West Chester since 1799. This energy initiative is one of many steps the school plans to take in assuming a leadership role within the regional and educational community in the areas of sustainability and environmental stewardship. The student group known as Earth Service, along with the school’s faculty and staff, will participate in many of the initiatives developed by Practical Energy Solutions for the Westtown campus, as will the rest of the student population.

For more info, contact Sue Gold, Director of Communications at sue.gold@westtown.edu 610.399.7655 www.westown.edu

The Westtown School

June 8, 2007

For Immediate Release:

Practical Energy Solutions Principal Receives LEED-EB Accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council

Company Principal Paul D. Spiegel has obtained LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accreditation for existing building operations. This accreditation signifies his knowledge of the U.S. Green Building Council LEED-EB program, which includes all of the specific facets of building operation required to get an existing office building or school certified as a Green Building under the LEED-EB program.

LEED certified buildings have lower environmental impact, lower operational costs, and provide a healthier, more productive atmosphere for building occupants. The Green Building movement seems to be growing exponentially. Those that are taking the step towards getting their buildings LEED certified are taking a leadership position in the new "Green" economy.

For more information on the LEED program, visit the U.S. Green Building Council web site at www.usgbc.org .

June 2007 Article in Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Newsletter:


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“On” Is Not “Off”: Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation Are Not the Same

Submitted by: Paul Grover, President, Kilawatt Technologies, Inc.; Paul D. Spiegel, P.E., President, Practical Energy Solutions

When discussing solutions to our energy problems, most people use the terms “efficiency” and “conservation” interchangeably. When we understand how they are different, solutions to our energy and environmental problems become much clearer and can have greater impact.

Engineers originally created the term “efficiency” to quantify machine performance. Efficiency is “the ratio of (useable) energy developed by a machine to the energy supplied it, usually described as a percentage.” If we put 100 units of electricity into a motor get back 60 units of motor energy to use, that motor has an efficiency of 60%.

Energy efficient equipment must be on to produce savings and the longer it’s on, the more we “save.” If we buy a Prius hybrid, we are driving a high efficiency vehicle. The more we drive, the more we “save”, with no thought to how many miles we drive in a year. But who is more environmentally responsible, the Prius owner who drives 40,000 miles a year or the person who conservatively drives a less efficient car only 10,000 miles a year? Using efficient products or machines seems to give us license to use them with little consideration of how much we use them.

Energy conservation is quite different from energy efficiency. We “conserve” by optimizing the operation of equipment so that is runs only when needed. The goal of energy conservation is to minimize resource use and eliminate waste. While efficiency strives for more energy “bang for the buck” when equipment is on, conservation delivers even greater benefits when that same equipment is off. For example, after we turn on a light, our concern is how efficient the bulb is. When we turn that light off, we conserve electricity whether the bulb is energy efficient or not.

If energy efficiency is our only concern and we do not practice conservation, lights can be on night and day and, and as long as the bulbs are energy efficient, we are using electricity efficiently. Again, the longer we burn our energy efficient bulbs, the more we “save.” Efficiency without conservation can waste a lot of electricity. Of course we need both conservation and efficiency, but which comes first?

Energy efficiency may enable consumers to get “more” from the energy they use, but without conservation, resource use increases. For example, our cars are more fuel efficient (more MPG), yet we drive more miles per vehicle, burning more gas every year. It’s like buying low-fat potato chips to “save” calories and then eating the whole bag.

While nothing is better than “off”, turning things off can be surprisingly difficult. In our business, for example, large commercial buildings are controlled by computerized energy management systems. The more complex these energy management systems become, the less facilities and maintenance personnel can understand them and know how to control them. It takes considerable instrumentation and skill to analyze what’s on, if it’s running optimally, when it needs to be on and how to safely turn it off when not needed. When engaging in conservation efforts, some of our already energy-efficient clients reduce their electricity use and resultant greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, yielding paybacks of a few months. Such savings demonstrate just how much electricity we waste and how cost-effective it is to stop this waste. This is good news for our environment, the changing climate, our health, and it decreases our dependence on foreign energy resources.

So, the next time you see efficiency and conservation in the same sentence, remember that they are not the same and that they produce very different results. “On” is not “off” and using electricity more efficiently does not mean you are using less. We can save energy using both conservation and efficiency techniques, but besides wasting energy, you are wasting a great opportunity for savings if you don't include conservation in your energy initiatives.

Paul Grover, MS, is President of Kilawatt Technologies, Inc., located in Shelburne, VT. He can be reached at (802) 985-2285 or at pgrover@kilawatt.com. Company information can be found at www.kilawatt.com

Paul Spiegel, P.E. is President of Practical Energy Solutions, a GPCC member firm that provides energy conservation services for building owners in the Philadelphia region using Kilawatt Technologies systems and software. He can be reached at pspiegel@practicalenergy.net, or through their web site at www.practicalenergy.net

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PENNSYLVANIA PREPARES FOR IMPENDING ELECTRICITY RATE SPIKES

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection reports that Pennsylvania is heading for severe rate spikes by the end of 2010, following the expiration of electricity rate caps in the state. The household consumers and businesses will find it difficult to pay their electricity bills, which are expected to see a double-or-triple digit rise. Such a sharp increase in electricity expenses will also put pressure on the businesses in the state to stay competitive nationally and internationally.

Similar instances have already been witnessed by residents in other areas as stated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. In Maryland, residents faced a 70-percent rise in electricity costs. A major employer was forced to shut down that resulted in a loss of hundreds of jobs.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection states that Governor Rendell has already initiated efforts to save the residents of Pennsylvania from the sudden impact of rate spikes by creating awareness about the future scenario in the state. The Governor plans to equip the consumers with necessary tools and information so that they understand their electricity consumption and know about ways to measure and control their consumption once the rate caps are withdrawn in 2010.

The Governor plans to invest in technologies that would help in generating alternative and renewable sources of energy. This will ensure a secure source of energy supply and also reduce dependence on energy sources from outside the state. He expects support from energy utilities to supply electricity in minimum costs. He wants the utilities to first think of efficient methods for energy conservation before investing huge amounts in generation plants that would pollute the environment, reports Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

The Governor's Energy Independence Strategy would focus on reducing energy spending by consumers. Smart electric meters installed in their homes would help consumers measure the energy consumed at a particular time and the cost of consumption. Consumers will thus be able to time their energy usage; consuming less energy during peak hours can help them save up to 15 percent on annual energy costs.

The strategy also includes making fresh investments that would bring in $3.5 billion in economic growth and create 13,000 new jobs in alternative and renewable energy industries, reports Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. A part of the Energy Independence Fund will be spent to help consumers and small businesses install energy-efficient devices like refrigerators and air conditioners. This would further cut electricity consumption by almost $110 annually.

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