Building Management Hawaii February/March 2014 - (Page 18)

EnErgy ManagEMEnt Time To Stay Cool A sample of an easy-to-use water cooler timer, which can save you more than $100 per year per water cooler. Courtesy of www.hookelenews.com. Saving energy on your water cooler is all about timing. By Keith Block W ater coolers are commonplace in homes and just about every office in America. Hawaii is no exception. In fact, there are more than 25,000 businesses in Hawaii that have water coolers. Office workers commiserate around the water cooler on a Monday morning, warm their saimin for lunch and escape the summer heat with a refreshing glass of water. However, something we never give much thought to is how much electricity a water cooler uses, and how much it costs us? For starters, water coolers in the U.S. consume about 7 billion kilowatt hours (kwh) annually-enough electricity to power a stadium's lighting for roughly 350,000 football games. Most water coolers constantly draw electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even if we only use them for a fraction of the day and rarely if ever on the weekends. Depending on the make, model and usage, a single water cooler with both cold and hot water spigots can draw up to 700 kWh annually-more than a full-size refrigerator (14 cubic feet). In terms of electricity costs, that equates to an estimated $217 on Oahu and slightly more on the Neighbor Islands. However, the solution is very simple and not to mention free. Hawaii Energy, the ratepayer-funded energy conservation and efficiency program serving Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui counties, recently launched a new upstream water cooler timer program. Now until June 30, 2014, or while supplies last, businesses in Hawaii will be able to obtain free plug-in water cooler timers with a retail value of about $30 each. In order to qualify, businesses must be located on either Hawaii Island, Lanai, Maui, Molokai or Oahu and be on one of the following electric rate schedules: P, J or G. "Our goal is to encourage simple, yet practical measures such as installing a timer to help more businesses in Hawaii achieve instant savings on their electric bills," explains Keith Block, business program manager at Hawaii Energy. "This is just one of many simple energy-saving measures. We want to make more people aware that small, every day behavioral changes can mean big cost and energy savings in the future." Water cooler timers operate the same way as home timers that are used to turn lights on and off at specified times. Customers simply plug the timer into the electrical wall outlet. The water cooler plug is then inserted directly into the timer. Water coolers in the U.S. consume about 7 billion kilowatt hours (kwh) annually-enough electricity to power a stadium's lighting for roughly 350,000 football games. 18 February-March 2014 BMH www.buildingmanagementhawaii.com http://www.hookelenews.com http://www.buildingmanagementhawaii.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Building Management Hawaii February/March 2014

ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Engineered Efficiency: A Holistic Approach
Why Host An EV Charger
The New Age Of Energy Metering
Are You On Island Time?
Time To Stay Cool
Through The Tinted-Glass, And What Savings You’ll Find There
SECURITY
Managing Off-Site
Safe & Secure
HVAC: Top Trends
EDITORIAL Notes
An Industry Unites At Expo 2014
The (Often Overlooked) Success Factor
On Site: Men At Work

Building Management Hawaii February/March 2014