Successful businesses in today’s world economy pay attention to details. Competition has never been greater with buyers having global access to products and services via the internet. Those succeeding have found ways to manage costs, eliminate waste, expedite delivery, and provide a pleasant customer experience, just to name a few. Provide a quality product or service at a fair price; if you don’t someone else around the globe will do so. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is presenting businesses with unique challenges never seen before. Some businesses have slowed to a snail’s pace while others are furloughing staff. Those on staff […]
More....Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) is a school district in central Iowa consisting of 33,000 students and 71 facilities throughout the city of Des Moines. The DMPS operations department oversees the management and function of all facilities in the district and is charged with ensuring the safe and efficient operation of each building. With such a large portfolio of buildings, each with different layouts, systems, and needs, constant maintenance is needed to keep safe and effective learning environments for students. DMPS leadership has always valued the concept of efficiency in order to free up general fund dollars which are used to pay […]
More....Brief: With the help of The Energy Group and a local lighting contractor, Vine Street Lofts converted their entire facility to LED lighting, saving over $10,000 annually and improving their building’s lighting quality. The management team of Vine Street Lofts, a large apartment building in Des Moines, recently came to The Energy Group for assistance with replacing the building’s lights. With a decorative exterior and remodeled interiors, the building exudes the look of a modern place of living. However, as a tax credit property (HUD Section 42 tax credits are used to fund construction and rental of apartments to low-income […]
More....In the grocery industry, razor-thin margins are the norm for many stores. Since raising prices isn’t usually an option, grocers must look to save money on operating costs to increase profits. With energy bills being one of the larger variable costs, many stores look to energy-efficiency as a way to reduce expenses moving forward. Not only is energy-efficiency a great way to put more money back in your hands, but it also has many additional benefits like improving the health and well-being of your employees, improving the shopping experience for your customers, being seen as a leader of change in […]
More....As of this writing, most farmers have harvested their 2019 corn and soybean crops. Load after load of grain has been hauled to on-farm grain bins for future sale or hauled to nearby elevators or ethanol/bio-diesel plants for immediate sale. 2019 was a challenging year as spring rains delayed planting and the crops had to remain in the field for longer than past years. Industry experts are calling the 2019 crop to be slightly less than average for most parts of the state. A fall snowstorm across the state further delayed the harvest. Wet fields certainly hampered getting the crop […]
More....LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting has been widely adopted in commercial buildings throughout the past 10 years, promoting energy savings and improved light outputs. But, what about the hospitality industry where the look and aesthetic are crucial to each restaurant, hotel, and shop? The original LED bulbs were efficient but not attractive. Today, we can have both efficiency and aesthetics with new generation LED bulbs. If you wrote off LED bulbs for your hotel or spa 5 years ago, check again. LED bulbs now come in all-glass “vintage” styles that are made to mimic the aesthetic of old incandescent bulbs. […]
More....Manufacturing operations are faced with many challenges in today’s marketplace. Plants must stay competitive to keep the doors open; sell what is manufactured at a cost higher than what it costs to produce. Global competition says they must be lean and efficient. Production costs can include such items as raw materials, labor, plant and equipment, maintenance, utilities, warehouse and shipping to name a few. Reducing the cost of any of these items can add to the companies’ profitability and increase shareholder value. Managerial performance is recognized when production costs are reduced and profits increase. Operating an efficient plant can improve […]
More....The key to maximizing profits for your operation is to reduce expenses. There are many ways this can be done, but one of the best and most predictable ways is to lower your production costs by improving the energy efficiency of your operation. Production costs are part of doing business and whether you grow row crops or raise livestock, production costs are always there. So anytime costs can lower, the savings go directly to the bottom line. Read on to learn more about four ways to save energy on your farm as well as how you can get funding to […]
More....The Des Moines city council passed an energy and water benchmarking ordinance on June 3rd. Here’s what that means: Buildings over 25,000 square feet within Des Moines city limits are now required to report their annual energy and water usage to the city once a year starting in 2020. Read on to learn what benchmarking is, if your building is included in this ordinance, how an energy professional can help you, and the answers to some common questions. In this article you’ll learn: Who does this affect? What is energy and water benchmarking? Common Questions Benefits of Energy Professionals Who […]
More....New LED lighting technology has both the beauty of traditional filament bulbs and the efficiency of the latest LEDs.
More....Do you have an indoor pool in the building you manage? Are you interested in reducing humidity problems, using less make-up water and chemicals, and saving energy?
More....Monsoon season right now here in Central Iowa. However we all know what’s coming soon – hot, dry, windy weather.
More....Grocery and convenience stores use significant amounts of energy due to long hours and large energy demands for refrigeration, display lighting, cooking, and heating and cooling.
More....The Energy Group (TEG) recently helped a local 4A school district begin the process of converting their schools’ lighting to LED.
More....Familiar forms of refrigeration include household refrigerators, dehumidifiers, and central air conditioners that use vapor-compression refrigeration cycles.
More....Energy modeling is a process which involves creating computer models of a buildings or facilities in order to analyze them and their energy usage.
More....For many of us buying the right lighting product for the application can be a daunting task. With the phase-out of the old-style incandescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and even newer light emitting diode (LED) lamps are taking their place.
More....Interview with a BDT Technician
More....The Energy Group is excited to congratulate Des Moines Public Schools on earning Energy Star Partner of the Year Award for the 8th year in a row.
More....TEG will be connecting with Iowa School Buildings and Grounds Association (ISBGA) members at the ISBGA Spring Conference this week. If you are attending, stop by and see us!
More....For many a variable speed drive still holds some mystery. I found it’s best understood if we take something we do nearly every day and relate it to the four common methods.
More....Businesses need energy to operate. But are the business owners aware how their energy is being used?
More....Air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels does significant harm to public health in the U.S. Here are some revealing facts.
More....Many of us take the opportunity to “Go Green” on St. Patrick’s Day. We will attend parties and parades, dress up in green costumes, partake in a corned beef and cabbage meal, or maybe even drink a few green beers.
More....Recently the City of Ames held a recognition luncheon for members of its Smart Business Challenge. Find out what they did for their members.
More....Why is energy efficiency important?
There are many benefits to having a building that operates efficiently; the most obvious being reduced energy and operational costs.
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