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HIGH-TECH TOOLBOX: NEW IDEAS IN ENERGY CONSERVATION

Landlords and retailers have an abundance of cost-containment options, say energy managers. Here are some.

• Energy audits: Billing errors, faulty equipment, broken water lines, damaged coils, misaligned filters and other factors can all add up to sizable losses over time. Energy consultants or utility-management services can usually identify and address the problems. “One client’s meter wasn’t resetting, and we ended up getting them a check for $240,000,” said Jeffrey Hart, CEO of Cincinnati-based utility-service firm Cadence Network.

• Monitoring behavioral issues: It’s not uncommon for retail employees or managers to override older systems to provide heating or air conditioning during inventory or seasonally extended hours without reprogramming them when normal schedules resume. Others leave back doors open constantly during smoke breaks or because they prefer fresh air. More retailers are adding “auto-temp” thermostats that prevent temperatures from being raised above 75 degrees or lowered below 70 degrees, says Don Rataj, CEO of St. Louis-based Rataj Krueger Architects.

• Comparison shopping: Center landlords and retailers should be sure they are buying energy at the most competitive rates and are taking into account rate changes with their current providers. Find a consultancy or management firm that maintains rates for all utilities.

• Making energy savings a year-round project: Cooling costs have also spiraled. Rooftop HVAC units with long and expensive service histories need to be replaced as soon as possible, says Harry Misuriello, director of building and utility programs at the Washington, D.C.-based Alliance to Save Energy. “If a contractor is coming out twice a month to fix a problem, that probably means it’s time to replace it with a high-efficiency unit,” he said.

• Reflection: Reflective roofing can lower annual air-conditioning bills up to 40 percent. White or light-colored roof surfaces that reflect sunlight in the warm-weather months can reduce annual energy costs up to 40 percent in malls and other retail buildings, says Dura-Last’s Ballensky. Adding a reflective roof will also give owners of older shopping centers an opportunity to replace old, substandard insulation.

• Upgrading lighting: Removing the older T-12 fluorescent lamps and ballasts in the building and replacing them with brighter, more energy-efficient and longer-lasting T-8 lamps and ballasts can save thousands annually, especially in mid-size and large retail facilities, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. Some local utility companies even offer incentives for the changeover.

• Insulating interiors and exteriors: Where practical, drop-in ceilings can be added with extra layers of batt insulation, a type of fiberglass insulation made of loosely matted fibers molded into blanket-like forms. Retailers and facility owners can also add exterior-insulation finish systems (EIFs) to existing exteriors. Also called a “synthetic stucco” system, “EIFs are a great energy-efficient renovation tool that are, in layman’s terms, like having a styrofoam cooler wrapped around your building,” Rataj said. Layered EIF wall systems can reduce air penetration by more than 50 percent over standard wood or brick construction.

• Optimizing: An optimization is an analysis by a consultant or energy manager that is based on energy needs during peak hours of operation and that gauges the building’s ability to meet those needs. A technician will look for energy leaks in windows, doors and common areas and point out other places where an inordinate amount of energy is being wasted, then make recommendations.

• Research: Information on energy-efficiency programs and EPA-sanctioned heating, lighting and construction products for businesses can be found at www.energystar.gov. Also helpful is www.nema.org, which has information on some of the latest federal energy-incentive programs.

— SM