Energy Talk

2012 Ames Eco Fair

By Jesse | Published May 15, 2012

The City of Ames hosted its 2nd Annual Ames Eco Fair on March 24th.  Kelly and his family represented TEG, showcasing our services and representing the Commercial Energy Efficiency Program for the City of Ames.  City of Ames customers can attend this free educational fair to learn about water conservation, energy efficiency, low impact landscaping, sustainability, and more.

Austin with ISU's Solar Car

This year there were fun activities and displays for children to explore.  Austin had a chance to mingle with Iowa State’s Solar Car Team, always an attendee favorite at the event.

Thank you to Steve Wilson and the City of Ames for inviting us to the Eco Fair!  We look forward to our continued involvement in energy efficiency success with the city.

Posted in Events, Outreach, Projects, Service Highlights, Staff Highlights, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trash Bash 2012

By Jesse | Published May 15, 2012

On Friday, April 20th the City of Des Moines hosted its annual Trash Bash event in honor of Earth Day. Each year volunteers cover over 50 project locations, cleaning up trash and landscaping, planting, cutting trees from fence lines and more.  Trash Bash 2011 had almost a thousand volunteers and removed over six thousand pounds of litter, tires, and recyclables.

Emily and Mayor Frank Cownie

To continue our support of this fantastic event, TEG proudly put a team together. Thanks to a contribution from Big City Burgers, volunteers got to enjoy a free lunch and at the downtown block party.  Emily and Jesse even ran into Des Moines Mayor, Frank Cownie!  After lunch, Emily, Jesse, Pauline, Austin, and Ryan walked the mile trail at the Easton Holding Basin picking up everything from broken CDs and fast food packaging to cigarette butts.  Pauline even found a giant Christmas tin during the clean up.

Pauline Found a Christmas Tin

TEG would like to thank the City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department, Metro Waste Authority, Waste Exchange, Big City Burgers and all the other sponsors and volunteers for making this another great event. We look forward to participating next year! To learn more about the event or to see all the sponsors, visit http://www.dmgov.org/Departments/Parks/Pages/TrashBash2012.aspx.

TEG Cleanup Crew

 

 

Posted in Events, Outreach, Projects, Service Highlights, Staff Highlights, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Indianola Sustainability Fair

By Jesse | Published May 15, 2012

Indianola Municipal Utilities hosted their annual Sustainability Fair on Friday, April 20th.  Every year, IMU invites the public to their line shop for a free lunch and information gathering.  Green vendors are on hand to exhibit not only their services, but environmentally-friendly products and solutions. Kelly, Emily, and Jesse attended the event to highlight our services and represent IMU’s Commercial & Industrial Energy Efficiency Program.

Sustainability Fair

This year, we showed visitors how to calculate their carbon footprint.  After answering a few simple questions, Discovery’s Planet Green Footprint Calculator estimates how many “Earths” it would take to sustain your lifestyle. (Find out your impact at http://planetgreen.discovery.com/games-quizzes/ecological-footprint-calculator.html .) We also provided energy scavenger hunts for children and parents to identify energy savings opportunities in their home. And in honor of Earth Day we passed out planting seeds for flowers and vegetables!

Jesse and Kelly manning the booth

We would like to thank Chris Longer and the IMU staff for inviting us to showcase our services and for our continued partnership.  We look forward to continuing our work in and around Indianola!

 

Posted in Events, Outreach, Service Highlights, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

ATEEC Tour with IAEE

By Jesse | Published April 25, 2012

Earlier this month Emily and Jesse traveled to Davenport to tour the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC).  ATEEC is a new and aspiring energy education center devoted to teaching children about renewable energy and energy efficiency.   We toured ATEEC with some of the board members of the Iowa Association of Energy Efficiency (IAEE) after their meeting.  The center contains fun activities that are designed to provide teachers with hands-on ideas to implement within their curriculum as well as empowering students to make changes within their schools and homes.  The center includes many interactive exhibits that allow children to experiment with and learn about where energy comes from, energy efficiency, conservation and more. One that stood our for us was the energy efficiency doll house, where participants can select pieces of equipment or materials to place on the house and are scored based on the efficiency of those selections. We also enjoyed the “Energy Hog” video games (Click here to play)!

A snapshot of ATEEC’s Interactive Lab

 

We would like to thank Gina Howell for the tour and great conversation afterwards!  We would also like to thank Jeff Beneke from IAEE for inviting us to join them on the tour.  We look forward to supporting ATEEC in the future.

 

Posted in Events, Outreach, Service Highlights, Staff Highlights, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off

Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC)

By Jesse | Published April 25, 2012

We partner with the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC).  SEDAC provides free energy assessments, trainings and technical assistance to public sector entities, businesses and not-for-profit organizations throughout Illinois.  The program is sponsored by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and public utilities across the state. To date, the program has assessed the energy efficiency potential of more than 900 buildings throughout the state, identifying $38.6 million in potential annual cost savings.

We look forward to working with SEDAC to assist Illinois customers with their energy efficiency needs! For more information, Illinois customers can contact Emily Rice at emilyrice@theenergygroup.biz.

Posted in Service Highlights, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Do You Offer an App for That?

By Jesse | Published April 25, 2012

More and more consumers are switching to Smartphones. Mobile Squared is a company in the United Kingdom that provides specialist research which enables brands, agencies, the public sector and mobile industry to access, and engage with, the mobile consumer.  According to a study Mobile Squared conducted in 2011, 117.9 million, or 37%, of 314.6 million mobile users had smart phones and entering this year that number has already increased to 47% (155.6 million of 327.8 million).  Of those millions of Smartphones, Android and iPhone are dominating the market. This year Android devices make up 52 percent of all Smartphone usage and 25 percent of the entire United States Mobile Market.  There are 700,000 new Android devices activated each day.  Similarly, iPhone reported a steady increase in users from 33.75 million in 2011 to 42.98 million in 2012.  BlackBerry, Microsoft, and Symbian are also players, though their combined share of the market is only 21 percent so far this year.

All these Smartphones present a promising marketing avenue given web access and an increasingly gigantic pool of applications for download (The Android market alone offers over 500,000 Apps (http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal-tech/mobile-apps/231901537). Any company seeking to reach a large customer base can do so with innovation and a web developer; from games to tools and calculators there’s no limit with a talented team hard at work.  And hard at work the energy industry has been; more than 1 thousand apps can be found when searching energy efficiency on the Android market website.  Private developers, utility providers, and energy services professionals are jumping on board to provide energy efficiency calculators and communications tools to end users. Many of these energy efficiency apps include:

  • Self management of home energy
  • Meter readers
  • Smart Thermostat
  • Management of Utility Accounts
  • Energy Efficiency Tips
  • Appliance Calculators
  • Savings Calculators for Different Technologies

TEG is now working with utility providers to develop customizable Apps that can assist end-users and contractors with quantifying incentives or impacts for projects. These apps can be designed to provide a new communication mechanism from utility to end-user or Trade Ally, fostering the relationship between company and client. Consider the advantages of this new technology:

  • Provide Annual Updates
  • Instant Access Any Time, Any Where
  • Add Value to Energy Efficiency Programs
  • Increase Program Participation

Our apps can be designed to be compatible with most mobile devices and provide a new marketing avenue for companies looking to reach an ever-expanding and diverse customer base. With proof of the increasing demand for Smartphones, utilities will be looking for a better way to market their energy efficiency programs.  Now they can reach out to a majority of their customer base easily with the use of these mobile applications!

 

View App Flyer and contact The Energy Group today for all of your App needs!

App Flyer

 

Posted in Projects, Service Highlights, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

The EPA named Des Moines Public Schools ENEGY STAR Partner of the Year

By Jesse | Published March 22, 2012

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year this week! DMPS has put an emphasis on improving its schools through energy management and whole building improvements.  This emphasis has garnered Forty-three out of Des Moines’s 60 schools to be ENERGY STAR – rated, meaning they cost forty cents per square foot less to operate than the average performers.

EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson released a statement about the award.

“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ENERGY STAR program, EPA is proud to recognize Des Moines Public Schools with the 2012 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award.  The Des Moines school district and all our ENERGY STAR award winners are improving the energy efficiency of the places where we work, play and learn, which is good for our climate, the health of our economy, and our future.”

The EPA’s ENERGY STAR Awards annually honor organizations who are protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency practices.  The award recipients are  selected each year from about 20,000 partners who participate in the ENERGY STAR program.  During the awards ceremony, there are three types of awards given to several organizations.

  • ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence
  • ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year
  • ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence

In 2007, Davenport Community Schools was also recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year.

We are very proud of Des Moines Public Schools and their achievements. With the help of MidAmerican Energy and The Energy Group, the DMPS Energy Management Program has been able to achieve the following successes:

  • $1.7 million in energy costs have been avoided since the launch of the ENERGY STAR initiative in Des Moines Public Schools three years ago.
  • 70% of the districts Energy Star buildings have a rating of 90 and above.
  • Between fiscal year 2007-08 and fiscal year 2009-10, DMPS reduced energy use by 60,913 mBtu, preventing the emission of almost 5,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from more than 1,100 passenger vehicles.
  • Established the Iowa Energy and Sustainability Academy, a college-level instruction and work learning program about alternative energy and environmental science.

Because of our involvement, Des Moines Public Schools graciously invited Les Wilson to attend the ENERGY STAR Awards Ceremony on Thursday in Washington DC.  Have fun enjoying your 60th Birthday in Washington D.C., Les!  Also a big congratulations is in order for the achievements of Des Moines Public Schools,  thank you for all of your hard work and your continued commitment to energy efficiency!

http://www.dmschools.org/news_release/dmps-energy-star-partner-of-the-year/

From left to right: Les Wilson, The Energy Group James Wilkerson, DMPS Bill Good, DMPS EPA Official Dick Murphy, DMPS Dan Zaug, Johnson Controls Todd Magnani, Johnson Controls at the ENERGYSTAR Presentation.

Posted in Events, Service Highlights, Staff Highlights, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Meet Les Wilson: President of The Energy Group

By Jesse | Published March 14, 2012

Yesterday, March 13th, was our CEO Les’s birthday, and he is turning the big 60!  To celebrate, we would like to briefly highlight Les and some of his experiences.

Les graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor of Science Degree.  Before becoming co-owner of The Energy Group, he worked for 5 years as a sales engineer for a major temperature controls company.  Les and Kelly then opened The Energy Group and for 20 years Les has served as President.  As such, he oversees all of the technical staff, reviewing works-in-progress and final analyses.  He also works with major trade allies and our investor-owned utility clients.

Under his guidance the company has been recognized for its efforts as a two-time winner of the Iowa Energy Leadership Award and the U. S. Department of Energy Rebuild America Partner of the Year in 1998.  Les is a Certified Energy Manager and a Certified Energy Auditor through the Association of Energy Engineers.

Here is to 60 years of excellence, and many more to come!

 

Posted in Events, Service Highlights, Staff Highlights | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Alliant Energy’s Commercial New Construction Incentive Program

By Jesse | Published February 28, 2012

Alliant Energy believes “energy-efficient buildings use less energy, cost less to operate, and impact the environment less than conventional buildings”. And we agree! To further support their message, they have developed a program to assist commercial facility owners and developers build in energy savings during the design phase on both new construction and major remodel projects. Iowa and Minnesota customers in Alliant Energy’s service territory may qualify for the Commercial New Construction Incentive Program and, if eligible to participate, customers could receive free energy design assistance by means of comprehensive energy modeling as well as design team and construction incentives.

By designing in energy savings prior to construction you not only can save energy but add investment value. The following is a list of design systems that may be optimized through energy modeling:

  • Daylight controls (by space type)
  • Envelope systems
  • Heating and cooling systems
  • Lighting controls and design
  • Load responsive equipment
  • Outside air control systems
  • Window glazing
  • Window layouts

There are two options or “tracks” for building owners or developers to receive incentives: Custom Track Custom and Custom Plus Track. Custom Track Custom is for projects designed to achieve energy savings of 30 to 40 percent better than Energy Code while Custom Plus Track is for projects that aim to achieve energy savings of 40-60% better than Energy Code. In order to qualify for the Commercial New Construction Program, facilities:

  • Must be new construction or major remodel
  • Must achieve at least 15 percent (Custom Track Custom) or 40 percent (Custom Plus Track) greater than ASHRAE 90.1.2004 Energy Code
  • Must receive electricity or electricity and natural gas from Alliant Energy
  • Must be located in Alliant Energy’s service territory

It’s a win-win-win from design to construction to operation. For more information contact Alliant Energy at 1-866-ALLIANT or follow link below.

http://www.alliantenergy.com/SaveEnergyAndMoney/Rebates/BusIA/030050

 

Posted in Outreach, Service Highlights, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Master Builders of Iowa Construction Expo with Sal Giunta

By Jesse | Published February 22, 2012

Amber Wilson and Les Wilson attended the 100th Master Builders of Iowa Construction Expo on behalf of MidAmerican Energy at the Des Moines Events Center earlier this week.  During the expo attendees could expect “festivities planned to celebrate and pay tribute to the individuals who have a hand in building the buildings for the commercial construction industry”. Each year this is a great Expo to be a part of, and the Keynote Speaker this time made it particularly rewarding.

Iowa native Sal Giunta was the Keynote Speaker at the Expo.  Giunta was born in Clinton, Iowa but lived most of his life in Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha.  He is a former sergeant in the United States Army and the first living person to receive the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of members of his squad on October 25, 2007 during the War in Afghanistan.   The Medal of Honor is the United States Armed Forces’ highest decoration of valor for actions that occurred after the Vietnam War.  In his charismatic address about the importance of teamwork, selflessness and leadership, Giunta spoke about the mission that earned him the Medal of Honor. Not all business, he mentioned “making delicious sandwiches at Subway” prior to deployment and how getting a free T-shirt was his draw to the Army. Those of us here at TEG appreciate and are proud of all those who serve in the Armed Forces and it was a pleasure to hear Sal’s heroic recounting.

 

Amber was lucky enough to snag a photo with Sal!

The following link is to the Expo’s brochure:

http://www.mbionline.com/files/public/documents/2012_Iowa_Construction_Convention___Expo_-_web.pdf

 

Posted in Events, Outreach, Service Highlights, Staff Highlights | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

The Energy Group   •   2704 Easton Blvd.   •   Des Moines, IA  50317   •   515-564-1045   •   Email

Website designed and maintained by EDJE technologies