Conserving energy reaps ‘secret benefits’

Did you know that there are “secret benefits” from energy conservation?

In addition to saving energy and reducing utility expenses, there are additional, often unreported, benefits from conserving energy.

These benefits contribute value worth an additional 18 to 50 percent of the energy savings.

How?

Look at it pragmatically.

It’s logical that a car driven 25 percent less each year will last longer. It’s the same for most energy-consuming equipment, such as light bulbs, flashlights and appliances. By turning “off” energy-consuming items when not needed, we can hit a monetary jackpot, which goes beyond utility bills.

It doesn’t matter how energy-efficient an organization is. There are additional benefits and savings from turning equipment off when not in use. Here are some of the “secret” benefits of conserving energy that can be attained without negatively impacting productivity.

Appliances last longer. If they last longer because they are turned off when not in use, replacements are less frequent. So, we’re spending less. For example, if a lamp or oven or dishwasher or television set is used 30 percent fewer hours a year, it could last up to 30 percent longer.

There are less maintenance costs involved. When the oven or dishwasher or television set runs fewer hours a year, maintenance is reduced.

My husband’s truck is a 2004 with less than 34,000 miles on it. We’re using it less and driving our smaller vehicle more. We’re not only saving on gasoline, but on maintenance costs. With less miles driven there is less maintenance costs. Less maintenance costs mean we will be replacing air filters, changing oil or replacing motors less often, which adds up to more money in our pockets.

At home, there may be a few of us being energy efficient. We do so to reduce our bills, which gives us more to spend on other things, such as dinner out or a movie.

So, let’s take these “secret benefits” and apply them to the workplace. There are dozens of us working in a building or office space. If we all reduce our energy consumption, we will be creating measurable savings.

Did you know that more than half the electricity used to power computers is wasted? The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that an organization with 1,000 computers could typically save 200,000 KwH by using monitor power management features that equates to $20,000 a year. And, the EPA claims that turning off computers can double the savings.

“There are many things everyone can do to save energy,” said Lt. Cmdr. Michael McManus, NAS Corpus Christi Public Works Officer. “It’s as simple as turning off lights when you leave a room, shutting down your computer at the end of the day and buying energy efficient products.

“Everyone can and should do the right thing – save energy!”