Sustainable Facility - November 2008 - (Page 28)

Finding the Green RENEWABLE ENERGY SCORECARD HIGHLIGHTS TECHNOLOGY WITH GREATEST ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC DRIVERS. >> BY RON BLAGUS always the optimal choice economically: most states offer no tax incentives or rebates to help decrease startup costs; regional electric rates may be too low for solar to be competitive; and a lack of sunshine in a particular location may not make the investment worthwhile. In reality, most organizations that express a desire for solar aren’t tied to a particular technology. They just want some sort of renewable component to their energy management strategy. Locating the technology with the most signiﬁcant economic drivers requires an analysis of location-speciﬁc variables, including: • Fuel availability • Energy prices • Heating and cooling degree days • Financial incentives and offsets • Financing structure Compiling the information required to make a sound ﬁnancial decision is labor intensive, and for most organizations requires expertise that falls outside of their core competencies. But the task is not impossible and need not be daunting, as evidenced by Perkins Local Schools in Sandusky, Ohio. RANK AND FILE Like many K-12 districts, Perkins contended with an outdated and inefﬁcient infrastructure. The district’s boiler plant dated back to the 1920s, for instance, and needed an overhaul. Numerous building envelope repairs were required to prevent air loss. Along with the infrastructure improvements, the district wanted to reduce its dependence on traditional energy sources and lock in a portion of its spending. So, Perkins turned to energy services provider Honeywell to better understand the renewable landscape. The company helped the district analyze several options using its Renewable Energy Scorecard, a ﬁrst-of-its-kind selection tool that helps pinpoint the technology with the most signiﬁcant environmental and economic drivers. The tool looks at six proven renewable technologies, such as solar, wind, biomass and geothermal, and provides a simple payback for each, giving organizations a ﬁnancial forecast derived from calculating tax implications, rebates, subsidies and other incentives. ■ Perkins Local Schools, Perkins High School and Brian Middle School, in Sandusky, Ohio, used a Renewable Energy Scorecard to analyze several renewable energy options based on the most signiﬁcant environmental and economic drivers. >> Photos courtesy of Perkins Local Schools. T 28 here is a growing awareness across the country about environmental impact and the effects of global warming. Many organizations are looking for ways to serve as models of energy conservation. However, ﬁnding the right green technology to cut emissions and help ease economic strains NOVE M B E R 2008 can be extremely difﬁcult, especially when it comes to renewable energy. Take solar power generation, for example. Given their visibility and well-established track record, photovoltaic panels are typically the ﬁrst — and often only — renewable technology on people’s radar. But solar is not S U S TA I N A B L E F A C I L I T Y

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Facility - November 2008

Sustainable Facility - November 2008 Contents Editorial Industry Watch Web TOC New and Notable The Case for Daytime Cleaning Commitment to Energy Effi ciency and Sustainability Finding the Green Solar for the Commercial and Industrial Sector: What’s Hot Now? Connecting Sustainability and Green Cleaning Recycling Rechargeable Batteries Sharing Best Practices The Consultant Conundrum Sharing the Facilities Management Burden The Building Owner’s and Operator’s Sustainability Solution: Energy Audits Greenbuild: Green Product Buzz Guide Product Focus Marketplace and Classifieds Advertiser’s Index Initiatives

Sustainable Facility - November 2008

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