As the economy continues to flounder, efficiency (both in terms of workforce and energy use) becomes an obvious strategy for many businesses in cutting costs. Companies now see more clearly this business case for energy efficiency and are beginning to take into account the layered cost savings. But while your newest office equipment may be 'A-rated' for optimal energy efficiency - which is an important step in moving a company towards energy efficiency - there are some critical points to consider before making that purchase. Here are some ways to change how you think about and utilize office technology that will improve your company’s time efficiency, organization, and energy use.
First and foremost, let us consider what technology has accomplished in the last few years and what office equipment has become obsolete with these advances. After all, businesses pay more than $2 billion in the US each year for the electricity consumed by office equipment.
First ask yourself, ‘What equipment is used daily in my office?’ Or more importantly, ‘What equipment could be eliminated?’ Computers are an obvious necessity to modern offices, but are copy machines? Printers? Fax machines? As you may already know, equipment uses energy just while plugged in the wall, as well as when idle or on stand-by, let alone the costs coupled with owning your own equipment.
So, let’s take the fax machine for example - if you're not expecting a fax, unplug your machine. Most faxes are prefaced with a call or email beforehand in any case. Furthermore, most content from faxes are derived from a computer, so why not revise your protocol and require documents to be sent as attachments in an email – forgoing the faxing process altogether? If documents require signatures, look into electronic signature, or try confirmations of receipt via email. Going this paperless route can increase your ability to track and organize documentation without purchasing that fax machine, paying for its energy use, or bringing in a new rack of file cabinets.
As our world becomes increasingly digital, moving towards electronic documentation will save you paper, ink, time, space, equipment maintenance and, of course, energy. The above fax example can be applied to copying, scanning and printing. The U.S. is on track to have more PCs in-use than people by 2013. So, if you can manage to do it all with a computer, it may be time you evolve your system into a paperless one.
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While the nation holds it’s breath for Stimulus Package dollars to trickle down, a local industry is already in action. On the same day that Obama signed a stimulus package packed with clean energy provisions, MarketShift principals Ruby and Stephanie spent the day with over 100 industry leaders at the DOE’s first annual Northwest Industrial Energy Summit in Portland for another signing.
The goal of the Summit - to sign into action an industry-wide commitment of Northwest food processors to achieve 25% energy reduction in 10 years.
This was not the first time these industry leaders have gathered together - the Northwest food processing industry has chosen collaboration as the overarching solution for individual survival and regional competitive advantage in a challenging global economic climate.
Brought together by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and the Northwest Food Processors Association, this industry is well on its way to achieving an unprecedented industry-wide energy reduction goal using a collaborative model approach ...and we’ve been doing our part to catalyze and document the process.
In what will be a video series that documents the food processing industry’s progress and successes, this is the first video created to rally the industry around the energy efficiency vision.
At a time when economy-wide spending has come to a halt, it is refreshing to witness an industry electing to innovate and move forward rather than stand still.
Video produced by MarketShift Strategies on behalf of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. Stay tuned for upcoming videos that show this collaborative model at work.
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Back in December I twittered about energy efficiency becoming the new capital investment. With estimates that energy efficiency costs two cents compared to 8+ cents per kwh for renewables, seems like this direction would be a no-brainer. The Rocky Mountain Institute released a study supporting an approach dedicated to cutting consumption. "Closing the electric productivity gap through energy efficiency is the largest near-term opportunity to immediately reduce electricity use.”
But with more investment dollars flowing into renewable energy projects than into energy efficiency solutions, I took a closer look at this issue. It became apparent that innovation has a potential for negative outcomes. There is a pattern of investing money in new technology to solve imbalances in our economy, and the negative consequence is a cycle of distracted spending. I see examples of this in two key sustainable industries, health and energy.
Cancer research is a prime example of a distracted spending cycle. Billions of dollars flow into cancer research, most of it directed toward drug development and late-stage treatments. Meanwhile, 90% of people diagnosed in the very early stages of cancer, survive the disease. Yet, the abundance of cancer funding does not address early-detection behavior change, despite its obvious success rate. As a result, early detection is buried beneath the zealous pursuit of drug creation for late stage patients. And if you’re still with me, you’ll appreciate the irony that a preponderance of late stage cancer victims is due in part to a lack of investment in early cancer detection.
This pattern of distracted spending is also apparent in the energy industry. Renewables shift our focus from coal and oil to other energy sources, creating cleaner energy and lowering our dependency on foreign markets. However, renewable energy solutions are years away from satisfying our growing energy demand. It’s estimated that energy efficiency could cut national energy consumption by 30%, igniting jobs, empowering markets and creating new technology. Both approaches are necessary, however energy innovation somehow has made the more obvious approach of efficiency an after-thought.
These two industry examples underscore the serious risks of cultivating innovation at the cost of pragmatic options. After all, Jimmy Carter has been telling us to turn down our thermostats and wear a sweater for years, but somehow a wind turbine is just lot more sexy. And therein lies the problem. Our own inherent national philosophy has driven us to solve issues almost solely through innovation. And while not one of us would begrudge our pioneering spirit, our innovative-based responses have tragically decoupled themselves from their more down-to-earth approaches. As a result, we're distracted from prioritizing low-cost and deeply effective solutions in favor of big-ticket advances, compromising our national health and global leadership.
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It’s no secret that Oregon’s leading-edge sustainability movement has become a hallmark of 21st century ‘green economy’ intellectual capital. But how we evolve a legacy vision into future competitive advantage, community building and wealth creation will be critical in the months ahead.
Time’s a wastin’ so why not begin with the National Climate Change Teach-In and be part of ‘Solutions for the First 100 Days.’ The initiative plans to engage over a million Americans in solutions-driven dialogue centered on concrete policy recommendations:
- Cut carbon 40% below today's levels by 2020.
- Create millions of green jobs: Weatherize, solarize and rewire the nation.
- Revitalize America's economy: Lead the world in renewable technology.
- Promote carbon neutral power.
What does this mean for Oregonians? Jobs. Investment. Healthy Communities. Leadership. Competitive advantage in a new, green economy.
In fact, a just-released report from the Oregon Department of Energy showed some clear economic benefits from just one program: Oregon’s business and renewable energy tax credits (BETC and RETC). The Department of Energy offers tax credits to Oregon residents and businesses that invest in energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy projects. Residential tax credits are available for high-efficiency appliances, heating systems and qualifying services. Businesses can receive tax credits for 35 percent of eligible costs for conservation projects and 50 percent for renewable energy projects.
Those tax credits delivered a nearly 3-to-1 return on the states’ investment, creating more than $616 million in economic investments and wages, and more than 1,700 jobs in the last two years.
Imagine what Oregon could accomplish with more aggressive and targeted investment in green technology and climate regenerative policy. Like, for example, the series of House Bills listed in Governor Kulongoski’s 2009 Climate Package.
If you’re feeling particularly vocal, join Oregon’s active business leaders for Climate Change at the RePower Oregon Citizen Lobby Day on February 10th in Salem.
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