How to best save energy and money in the long run for the building you own? According to multiple researchers, the basics of conservation may still serve you well.
Have you tried an energy audit? Is your insulation, window system and lighting all updated? How old are your heating and cooling systems? Learn more here about a potential free energy audit for qualifying businesses through the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Researchers publishing this summer in the Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities a study of university buildings affirm steps that any building owner could take to curb utility consumption and utility bill costs. They found benefits in improving the building envelope, managing energy consumption at various times of the day, and upgrading HVAC systems. In their summary, they added, “The most notable outcomes were observed with on-site energy generation, particularly the implementation of PV panels and heat pump systems. Optimal PV panel configurations led to significant reductions of up to 26.09% in energy consumption, whereas heat pump systems showcased remarkable space heating reductions with erasing the need for gas consumption and decreasing the heating consumption by up to 66.59%, despite of an observed increase in energy usage for ventilation fans.”
This same concept was affirmed previously by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory or NREL, in this publication. NREL noted that buildings us three-quarters of all electricity in the United States, with much room for improvement left in becoming more energy efficient and in managing how and when energy is used. It also notes the benefits of on-site solar photovoltaics and even energy storage, that takes pressure off the central energy grid.
The need to assess buildings for energy efficiency has inspired a Georgia Tech researcher to start up a drone-assisted service for building owners. Lamarr.AI wants to use drones to assess building condition and make energy-saving recommendations. The researcher also runs Georgia Tech’s High Performance Building Lab.
Reading this and only interested in solar for your home? Check out this recent report by Stanford showing households could save around 15% on energy bills if they added a solar plus storage resource.
Anne Brock is Marketing Coordinator for Solar Alliance, which designs solar projects for manufacturers, offices and nonprofits. She’s at abrock@solaralliance.com or 865-221-8349.
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