Press Releases

Feb. 22, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

IFMA Foundation and NEEA Release No-Cost/Low-Cost Energy Savings Guide

Portland, Ore. — The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s BetterBricks Initiative and the IFMA Foundation have joined forces to produce a practical, real-world guide for facility managers. This guide provides facility managers with a roadmap of how to initiate no-cost or low-cost energy efficiency strategies at their facility sites to reap immediate savings.

The “No-Cost/Low-Cost Energy Savings Guide,” is the fifth in a sustainability series produced by the IFMA Foundation. The goal of the manual is to provide facility personnel with the tools to get started identifying problem areas and implement no/low-cost solutions to see immediate benefits. These tools have been principally derived from the article, “Common Opportunities: The Top Four,” found on the BetterBricks Web site.

The guide offers several checklists that can be translated into spreadsheet templates to be used by facility managers when assessing their facilities. These are easily tailored to reflect various facility types, allowing for customization for a manager’s specific building.

The top four energy saving opportunities include:

Equipment Scheduling: The first step of a no/low-cost strategy is to determine where energy is being wasted. Unoccupied areas should not have chillers and coolers running. Establishing where this waste takes place is step one.

Sensor Error: Sensor settings are often out of sync and this section of the guide demonstrates what to look for, how to make changes and how to regularly schedule updates to monitor settings.

Simultaneous Heating and Cooling: Excessive reheating uses unnecessary energy and if an HVAC system’s settings are out of sync, it forces the air handler to work harder. The guide provides information on how to tune-up these systems.

Outside Air Usage: Optimum indoor air quality requires efficient ventilation and this can’t take place if dampers are stuck open or improperly calibrated. In the No-Cost/Low-Cost Energy Savings Guide, facility managers will find ways to cut energy costs just by maintaining this system.

To obtain a copy of the “No-Cost/Low-Cost Energy Savings Guide,” please visit www.ifmafoundation.org or for other no-cost/low-cost strategies that can help you achieve significant operational savings, visit the BetterBricks Web site at www.betterbricks.com/operations. The guide and resources on both Web sites are downloadable free of charge.

About BetterBricks
BetterBricks is the commercial building initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, which is supported by local electric utilities. Through the BetterBricks initiative, NEEA advocates for changes to energy-related business practices in Northwest buildings. In this era of heightened appreciation for the impact climate change is having on our environment and our economy, energy efficiency is a crucial component in addressing these issues. On www.BetterBricks.com, find information, tools, training and resources to help buildings make a difference to the bottom line and the environment.

About the IFMA Foundation
Established in 1990 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation and separate entity from the International Facility Management Association, the IFMA Foundation works for the public good to promote priority research and educational opportunities for the advancement of facility management. The IFMA Foundation is supported by the generosity of the facility management community, including IFMA members, chapters, councils, corporate sponsors and private contributors who are united by the belief that education and research improve the facility management profession. To learn more about the good works of the IFMA Foundation, visit www.ifmafoundation.org. For more information about IFMA, visit www.ifma.org.

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