Sustainability News
February 2010 Sustainability Newsletter
A Program to Help Local Businesses*
Save on Electricity and Water
Over the past 2 months I met with over 20 commercial customers in the Town of Coupeville to offer programs and guidance on energy and water conservation. One program in particular is PSE’s commercial Compact Florescent Light (CFL) program where they offer significant point of sale rebates for high quality CFL light bulbs. I partnered with North Coast Electric to bring this program to Coupeville. In addition I offered other programs such as; free water conservation devices from the Town of Coupeville, PSE rebate programs for T12 to T8 lighting, LED Exit sign and programmable thermostats.
The energy savings achieved so far from just incandescent to CFL bulb replacement over the next year is;
23,840 KWh/year = $2146/year
Below are low cost energy and water saving tips for your business:
• Replace incandescent and halogen flood lights with Compact Florescent bulbs. This will reduce your electricity usage for lighting by 75%.
There are many styles of CFL bulbs available including dimmable.
• If you have old florescent tube lights (T12 bulbs with magnetic ballasts) the ballasts will be obsolete by 2010. PSE currently offers a 50% rebate to retrofit your T12 lights and ballasts to T8 lights with electronic ballasts. This rebate will phase out over the next year. T8 lights are 30% more efficient and offer a much better light overall (no visible flicker).
• In some applications where you are using halogen spot lights and your hours of operation are significant it might make sense to convert to LED lights… The technology and quality of the LED lights are getting better and better. PSE is working towards providing a point of sale rebate on LED lights so watch for this.
• Take advantage of PSE rebates including $50 rebates for LED exit signs and programmable thermostats.
• Stop by Town Hall to pick up your free water conservation devices from the Town of Coupeville including; .5 gpm bathroom aerators, 1.5 gpm kitchen/utility sink aerators, toilet tab leak detectors.
*If you are building new or plan to do a major retrofit of your commercial building including, lighting, HVAC or building envelope, please consult with your accountant about eligibility of a Federal Tax credit. For information on this please visit: www.energystar.gov
Climate Action Plan Results July 2008 to July 2009
Upcoming Events
February 6, 2010,
Sound Waters
"one day university for all"
Dr. Nathaniel Scholz, NOAA, will give the keynote: "Stormwater, Salmon, and the Health of Puget Sound".
February 6, 2010
A Sea Change
7:00 PM, Coupeville Methodist Church, 608 North Main St.
February 9, 2010
Re-Energize Your Older Home
5:30-6:30 PM,
Oak Harbor City Hall,
Speaker Ted Clifton of Clifton Design
Regional, National
and International
Climate Change
News
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
KUOW Recorded Interview "How to Make Your Home and Business More Energy Efficient"