Nex Steps towards Clean Energy

Federal stimulus (ARRA) funding: spurring solar installations and creating jobs

Nexamp — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:00:39 +0000

The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is creating clean energy jobs and increasing adoption of renewable energy technologies including solar photovoltaics, as Jeffrey Simon, Director of the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office, recently noted in the Patriot Ledger.

Easton, MA: ARRA-funded solar PV project

New federal stimulus-funded solar energy projects currently under development for water and wastewater treatment plants throughout Massachusetts are already resulting in project management jobs as well as design and installation jobs for Nexamp and partner Florence Electric, with many more to come in the months ahead.

Clean energy is playing an important role in the road to economic recovery in Massachusetts and beyond, and the thriving industry will be a major force in the new American economy.

Solar: what makes a good commercial site?

Nexamp — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:40:18 +0000

If you’re considering a solar photovoltaic array for your business or organization, you might wonder about characteristics of a good solar site. You’ll need a solar professional to take a look at your roof and site to discuss the technical and financial feasibility, but here are a few good rules of thumb for what makes a good commercial solar site (particularly in New England; these characteristics can vary slightly by geographic location).

Approximately south-facing roof, flat roof, or open space
40 feet or less above ground preferred for self-ballasted system (this minimizes issues with wind)
10,000 sq ft or more of uninterrupted space
Minimal to no shading or obstacles
Relatively new roof (not older than 10 years)
Structurally sound roof capable of accommodating between 3 and 7 lbs per sq ft of additional load

Your site may have other specific characteristics that will need to be taken into account for your solar project, which you can discuss with your solar professional. See the examples below for a good solar site vs. a poor solar site. More on commercial solar projects at www.nexamp.com/comm-solar.

Above: Example of a good solar site (lots of open roof space, no obstacles)

Above: Example of a poor solar site (mostly obstructed roof)

Healthcare facilities: high energy costs = clean energy opportunities

Nexamp — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:18:56 +0000

The hospital industry is responsible for 8% of the energy consumed at non-manufacturing facilities in the US–that’s no small amount! With energy costs rising from $3.89 per square foot in 2003 to $6.07 per square foot in 2008 and continuing to climb (US Energy Information Agency), it’s clear that healthcare facilities need to focus on reducing energy costs. Limited budgets, increasing national demand for healthcare services, and aging facilities are just a few of the challenges that make it difficult to embark on an energy cost reduction project.

Why focus on energy vs other costs?

Although many costs demand the attention of healthcare facility CFOs and COOs, energy costs can often be reduced on a fairly short time scale with internal rates of return that can exceed 30%, making energy cost reduction a worthwhile project. A recent study even puts that energy cost reduction number as high as 60%.

Where to start?

While it can be daunting to begin to tackle an energy project, thinking about a few key factors will help frame the issue for healthcare facility decision-makers and lay the groundwork for the project:

What are the specific objectives that are driving this effort?
How long do I have to achieve these objectives?
What capital resources are available to support both the planning and the implementation phase?
What state, federal, and utility incentives are available to support these efforts?
What will drive decision-making?
How will energy be managed proactively over time?
How will performance be tracked over time?

The top 3 costs for many facilities are HVAC, lighting, and water heating. Other costs can include the electricity used by equipment and appliances and refrigeration costs.

Rather than addressing each of these as an individual component, it is important to take a comprehensive view of the energy use of the facility–a thorough energy audit that assesses the areas most in need of energy improvements.

In addition to retrofitting existing systems to be more energy efficient, it also makes sense to look at various renewable energy options that can offset energy use through on-site generation. These options could include solar photovoltaics, geothermal heating and cooling, and wind energy. A clean energy advisor can investigate efficiency and renewable energy options.

What to implement, and how?

Energy expense and cash flow scenario

With a limited budget, which efficiency and renewable energy options make the most sense to implement, and when? Here’s where it’s particularly important to integrate sound financial modeling into the planning process. Upfront costs, available incentives, internal rate of return, and cash flows are some of the factors to consider. The timeline for implementation of each energy improvement should also be considered. An energy master plan that outlines the energy reduction goals and timeline for implementation will help to keep the project on track.

Each facility has different needs, opportunities, and goals: there is no “one size fits all” approach to energy planning.

Working with an energy advisor who can assess opportunities, perform financial modeling, and also implement any of the technologies that are chosen can help the process stay streamlined and keep project costs low.

Ensuring optimal performance

Once the project has been implemented, it’s important to continually monitor performance to ensure that the systems are operating as planned, and to make adjustments as needed. Benchmarking current energy usage at the outset of the project means that post-implementation savings are quantifiable.