Energy consulting firm offers advice for saving, going green

“Going green” is no longer a trend. For many, it’s here to stay. With gas prices still volatile at best, and the money state government has provided for grants and rebates for energy-efficiency projects not expected to last forever, if there is something that needs to be greened at home or at work, why wait?

Most people who own homes or businesses have heard of things that will save them money, or save on their energy bills, but some just don’t know where to start or are concerned they might miss something. And that’s where Clean Tech comes in.

Clean Tech is a company of energy and environmental consultants who can provide homeowners and businesses with an energy “audit,” to let them know where they are, where they could be and how to get there.

“We started out as an environmental consulting firm in the mid-1980’s,” explained Amanda Randall, head of energy consulting at Clean Tech. But Randall said Clean Tech just recently delved into the “clean energy” and auditing field.

“That branch is focused on helping people get acquainted with photovoltaic, wind turbines and energy audits. It is more focused on saving money on utility and gas because everything is going up,” she noted, “and it helps to work on a more sustainable, green environment.”

Randall said that, depending on whether the client’s focus is a commercial or residential project, Clean Tech sends technicians or engineers to go on-site to perform the audit. They then go through a checklist on the home or business to check everything from the type of insulation used to appliances and lighting and plumbing fixtures, from irrigation systems to windows and doors.

“It’s fairly comprehensive,” explained Randall. “They look at everything, and then come back to develop a list of suggestions and change-outs as a result of the audit.”

Randall said her family is in the restaurant business and she decided, after learning how high energy bills were becoming, to look into a way to save money.

“My family was from the restaurant business, and my brother was spending $2,000 a month on the electric bill, so I thought, ‘There’s gotta be a better way.’”

She said that, in addition to the energy audits and information about clean energy, such as photovoltaics and wind power, Clean Tech can help people to conserve where they can. For example, when signs are posted to remind employees to turn off the water while washing their hands, it acts as a simple, easy reminder that doesn’t cost anybody anything.

“It’s a throwaway cost. Why spend it if you don’t have to?” she asked rhetorically.

Randall added that, if the homeowner or business owner wants to go further – for example, to install wind or solar power – Clean Tech can help them “go whole-hog with it” and guide them into looking at state grants and rebates with an unbiased eye.

“We are an independent engineering firm, and we are not selling anything, so we can give them an independent, unbiased assessment,” explained Randall.

She added that, although the Obama administration is pushing for more clean-energy technology, her belief is that the money that was once out there to subsidize clean-energy projects is not unending, and that should serve as an incentive for people looking into things like solar or wind power.

“The government grants won’t be sustained forever,” said Randall. “If people are interested, they need to act sooner rather than later.”

For more information on Clean Tech, visit them online at www.clean-tech.us, call (302) 777-1776 or e-mail: arandall@clean-tech.us.

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Tips for restaurant owners, from Clean Tech’s Web site:
(1) Cutting one hour of broiler “on” time per day translates to a savings of around $450 annually. While this doesn’t sound like much, consider this: if your profit margin is 5 percent, you will need about $9,000 of sales to earn that $450.
(2) You can recycle waste oil from a fryer or reuse it to run a generator.
(3) Wasting water also wastes energy. Running a water faucet for 5 minutes uses as much energy as a 60-watt light bulb uses in 14 hours.
(4) Something as simple as installing efficient fan meters (ECM variety) on a two-fan walk-in freezer can save about $200 per year.
(5) Put energy in perspective – 11,000 kWh is enough to: power a typical electric open deep fryer for one year; power an average home for two years; keep six 13-watt lamps lit for five hours a day for 77 years.
(6) Maintain evaporative coolers – check fans, pumps and evaporation pods. Evaluate any mineral building in the pods and make sure bleed-off is working.
(7) Replace or retrofit incandescent lights in exit signs with light emitting diode (LED) lamps.
(8) Replace standard gas pilots with electronic ignitions.
(9) Install programmable thermostats.
(10). The State of Delaware will provide funding for up to 55 percent of the cost for qualified projects. Your business may qualify. An energy audit will tell you why and how to benefit from these programs.