Great Ways to Take Action Saving Energy in Your Business
Take the Melrose
Energy Challenge
Go
Solar
Reduce Energy Usage in Your Business
Change the Way
You Get Around
Take the Melrose Energy Challenge
Get a No-Cost Business Energy Assessment
Save money and energy every month on your utility bills, by contacting National Grid to book a no-cost assessment: Call: 1-800-332-3333 | Visit Website | Email
With your no-cost business energy assessment you’ll receive:
- Incentives up to 70% off:
- lighting upgrades
- lighting occupancy sensors
- walk-in cooler efficiency measures
- site-specific custom lighting projects
- Measures for natural gas customers to increase efficiency
- Flexible payment plans
Eligible customers can have their share of the efficiency improvements placed on their monthly electric bill for up to 24 months or pay in once lump sum and receive an additional 15 % discount.
Businesses Take Action!
During a recent 6-month period the Energy Commission, in partnership with National Grid, promoted the Melrose Energy Challenge to local businesses. During this time MEC met with 160 of the businesses - 67 of them completed a no-cost business energy assessment, with 55 completing follow-on energy efficiency improvements such as lighting upgrades and occupancy sensor installation.
These businesses are now saving nearly $50k annually from their building improvement efforts!
Participating businesses are also helping the city reach the net zero goals by avoiding the release of 300 metric tons of CO2 each year which equates to:
Greenhouse gas emissions from 60 passenger vehicles driven for a year
CO2 emissions from 32,471 gallons of gasoline
Carbon sequestered by 7,479 tree seedlings grown for 10 years
Installing solar energy helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions while minimizing electricity costs. Additionally, solar is a key component to reaching the city’s 2050 net zero goals.
Currently, over 300 Melrose businesses, non-profits and residents have installed solar PV. The combined impact of these installations is 2.3 MW of clean, local, renewable power from the rooftops of Melrose.
Why Go Solar?
- Reduce or eliminate your monthly electric bill
- Great investment that can return 15%+ annually
- Protect your business against rising utility costs
- Lock-in your electricity costs at a lower rate
- Helps businesses stabilize this line item on the P&L and increase profitability
Questions about going solar? Contact Lori Timmermann, Melrose Solar Coach. Email Us
Our partner, EnergySage, provides an online solar marketplace where consumers can get information on going solar. The online marketplace allows you to view an instant estimate of your potential solar savings, compare quotes from multiple, pre-screened installers, and select the quote that is best for you.
To learn more and receive your instant estimate of solar savings, visit www.EnergySage.com/Melrose.
Environmental Impacts of Melrose Solar
1,935 metric tons of carbon dioxide not released into the atmosphere, equal to:
Greenhouse gas emissions from 414 cars driven for a year
CO2 emissions from 217,730 gallons of gasoline consumed
Carbon sequestered by 2,279 acres of forest in a year
Reduce Energy Usage in Your Facility
Energy-Efficient Measures with a Rapid Payback
Looking for a quick return on your investment?
Energy Star provides projects for saving energy that often have a rapid payback. Learn More
Learn more about measuring your facility energy usage, visit Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager.
National Grid also provides tips for businesses to save energy and save money.
Operations and Maintenance
Conduct a no-cost energy assessment to learn new ways to save. Walk through your business during the day and after hours to better understand wasteful patterns and ways you can save. Review your previous bills to uncover areas for improvement. More info
Lighting
Swap the bulbs in overhead and task lights to LED bulbs. In doing so you’ll enhance the work environment, use 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, and use 50 percent less energy than fluorescent lighting. More info
Heating System
Heating and cooling can represent up to 40% of your utility costs. Adjust your thermostat depending on the season and use a programmable system to modify settings when the building is unoccupied. In the summer, vegetation, solar screens, and awnings can prevent the sun from making your building too warm. And in the winter, raise shades and blinds to let the sun warm your building. More info
Air Seal and Insulate
Stop air and money from leaking out of your business with insulation and air sealing. In doing so you’ll keep the heat in during the winter and out during the summer. More info
Water Heating and Usage
Reduce water usage and heating costs by stopping leaks and improving insulation. More info
Office Equipment
Form an office Green Team to help educate your workforce on energy efficient behavior and best practices. Buy Energy Star products for your business. More info
Ways to Save on Transportation
Transportation choices have a huge impact on climate change and our ability to meet our goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Residential vehicles produce about 40% of the GHG emissions from the community as a whole, with average emissions of 6.3 metric tons per household in 2013. Melrose residents on average own vehicles with worse fuel economy than the national average, and we drive those vehicles an average of 25 miles per day (based on 2013 figures), a higher mileage than most of our neighbors (with the exception of Wakefield at 26 miles/day).
To help reduce the carbon footprint from transportation, encourage the use of efficient vehicles, carpooling, public transportation, biking or walking as your employees travel to your organization and in their personal lives. Here are some specific things you may want to promote:
Considerations when purchasing your next vehicle:
- Don’t buy bigger than you need – Consider a fuel-efficient small car, or if this is not possible, consider a car instead of an SUV. If you need an SUV or truck, make sure you buy the most fuel efficient one possible.
- Consider new technology such as hybrid, electric, and other technology entering the market such as fuel cell vehicles.
- Using electricity, hydrogen and other sources provide a much cleaner and cheaper source of power and fuel than gasoline to run your vehicle.
- Check out the electric vehicle charging stations at Cedar Park and the City Hall Plaza parking lot.
Even small improvements in fuel economy have a bigger impact when you start from a relatively inefficient vehicle, so current SUV owners have the potential to contribute a great deal to greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Driving tips to save fuel:
- Turn off your car – 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.
- Observe speed limits – each 5 mph over the speed limit on the highway consumes about 7% more fuel.
- Avoid fast starts and stops – you arrive at your destination at nearly the same time and use about 5% less fuel around town.
- Plan your trips – combing trips and avoiding traffic improves gas mileage and saves you time.
- Maintain your car – keep your tires properly inflated and change the oil and air filters as recommended by the manufacturer.
Getting Your Employees to work:
- Walk for part or all of your commute.
- Join NuRide – Find others to carpool with for free through NuRide, the carpooling rewards program for individuals who take greener trips – walking, biking, carpooling, vanpooling, public transportation, or even telecommuting.
- Bike to the T – Use the Pedal and Park locked bicycle storage facility at Oak Grove T Station. Register your CharlieCard here. If you own a folding bike, you can bring it on the train with you.