Tag Archive for: Energy Audit

Energy Auditor (Montana)

The National Center for Appropriate Technology or NCAT has been helping people build resilient communities through local and sustainable solutions that reduce poverty, strengthen self-reliance, and protect natural resources since 1976. NCAT is a national, private non-profit organization providing trusted, individualized technical assistance, hands-on training opportunities, practical educational resources, and peer-to-peer learning networks on nationally acclaimed projects in food, agriculture, energy, and climate resilience. Headquartered in Butte, Montana, NCAT has offices in 13 states. NCAT works to foster and promote sustainable technologies and systems, especially for the benefit of economically disadvantaged individuals and communities. NCAT is committed to advancing racial equity and inclusion in its work and organization.

NCAT is seeking a Full-time or Part-time certified Energy Auditor. The Energy Auditor will work on NCAT’s energy conservation and AgriSolar projects. NCAT’s Energy Services works with commercial buildings and agricultural energy systems to develop energy conservation, solar, and Agrisolar projects for their farms, buildings, and communities. Building energy audits include certified energy audits of HVAC, building envelope, motors, pumps, blowers, and lighting.

This is an excellent opportunity to work with a dedicated and professional staff to develop agrivoltaic and energy conservation projects. The Energy Auditor will work with clients and staff throughout the country, with a focus on energy auditing in Montana. The successful candidate must be willing and able to travel throughout Montana for energy audits, events, workshops, and training as needed. There will be some travel outside of Montana on an occasional basis. Candidates located near NCAT’s Headquarters in Butte Montana have the option of an office located in the NCAT HQ Campus. Candidates not located near Butte will be required to set up and work from a remote office in Montana.

QUALIFICATIONS:
This position requires a combination of education and/or experience in energy systems. The position requires a certification in commercial building energy auditing, such as the American Association of Energy Engineers Certified Energy Auditor (CEA) Program or the ASHRAE Building Energy Auditor Program (BEAP). Experience with energy audits, and field energy assessments, including work with electrical systems, motors, pumps, and blowers is required. Experience with sustainable energy systems, solar development, agrisolar, and agrivoltaics, is preferred.

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

  • Commitment and passion for the NCAT mission;
  • Knowledge and ability to perform in-depth energy audits.
  • Strong interest and knowledge in building technologies, energy conservation, residential, agrivoltaics, and solar energy.
  • Ability to understand and develop solar and agrivoltaic projects.
  • Knowledge of HVAC, building envelope, control systems, electrical systems, lighting, motors, pumps, and blowers.
  • Strong organization, time management, and planning skills.
  • The ability to calculate data to inform organizational operations.
  • Excellent communication skills, with experience in public speaking, and presentations.
  • The ability to be flexible and adapt to changing environments and projects.
  • Skills in research, technical writing, and editing.
  • Demonstrated interest and knowledge in promoting energy efficiency.
  • Experience in energy use and conservation modeling.
  • Strong organizational and planning skills with attention to detail.
  • Self-motivated, with an ability to work independently, as well as with teams.
  • High level of emotional intelligence and diplomatic skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across NCAT’s multiple geographies and cultural backgrounds.
  • Ability to prioritize work assignments and complete tasks in a timely manner.
  • The ability to build relationships and collaborate with community organizations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and other partners.
  • The ability to travel (estimated travel 10-15% of the time).

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Promote and support NCAT’s mission.
  • Conduct certified commercial energy audits.
  • Provide technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, land managers, and the public on agrisolar and agrivoltaic development.
  • Facilitate incentives and rebates from utilities.
  • Perform energy analysis with energy performance software.
  • Research technical information on energy efficiency and agrivoltaics.
  • Evaluate the condition of properties.
  • Assess the cost-effectiveness of products, services, and projects.
  • Provide technical assistance to building owners, engineers, architects, contractors, and property management officials on energy-efficient building practices.
  • Prepare and edit written descriptions, topical summaries, bibliographies, and other information materials suitable for giving presentations and posting to websites while targeting a variety of audiences of varying degrees of technical knowledge.
  • Communicate via email, telephone, and in person to gather and disseminate information.
  • Recommends engineering modifications to increase energy performance.
  • Provide high-level work and adapt to changing project workload.
  • Attend workshops, seminars, and related events in support of project duties.
  • Build and strengthen relationships with partners and stakeholders.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:
$55,000 – $62,000 Full-time annual salary depending on qualifications and experience. Salary will be prorated for Part-time status. Excellent benefits include a flexible schedule, paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, a cafeteria and 401(k) plan, and a pleasant, professional environment.

APPLICATION PROCESS:
Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate can be identified. Early applications are encouraged. Applicants are encouraged to visit www.ncat.org to learn more about NCAT. NCAT employees interested in the position should email Human Resources a letter of interest as soon as possible. All persons interested in being considered for the position should upload a resume and cover letter through BambooHR. Please submit a current resume and a cover letter highlighting experience and skills relevant to the listed qualifications. Resume and cover letters can be uploaded at https://ncat.bamboohr.com/careers. Simply choose the position you are applying for and then click “apply for this job” to upload the required resume and cover letter. Questions about the application process can be directed to:

Kriss Sullivan, Director of Human Resources
e-mail: jobs@ncat.org

NCAT’s mission is to help people build resilient communities through local and sustainable solutions that reduce poverty, strengthen self-reliance, and protect natural resources. Our work brings together diverse partnerships and communities to help reduce poverty and protect our natural resources. We strive to be a multicultural organization that embraces the rich dimensions of diversity such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical ability, religious or political belief and marital or veteran status. Diversity creates healthy communities. Special consideration will be given to applicants who are reflective of the communities that we serve. NCAT is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For additional information about NCAT please visit our website at www.ncat.org.

Energy Engineer (Montana)

The National Center for Appropriate Technology or NCAT has been helping people build resilient communities through local and sustainable solutions that reduce poverty, strengthen self-reliance, and protect natural resources since 1976. NCAT is a national, private non-profit organization providing trusted, individualized technical assistance, hands-on training opportunities, practical educational resources, and peer-to-peer learning networks on nationally acclaimed projects in food, agriculture, energy, and climate resilience. Headquartered in Butte, Montana, NCAT has offices in 13 states. NCAT works to foster and promote sustainable technologies and systems, especially for the benefit of economically disadvantaged individuals and communities. NCAT is committed to advancing racial equity and inclusion in its work and
organization.

NCAT is seeking a Full-time or Part-time Energy Engineer. The Engineer must be a certified Energy Auditor. The Energy Engineer will work on NCAT’s energy conservation and AgriSolar projects. NCAT’s Energy Services works with commercial buildings and agricultural energy systems to develop energy conservation, solar, and AgriSolar projects for their farms, buildings, and communities. Building energy audits include certified energy audits of HVAC, building envelope, motors, pumps, blowers, and lighting.

This is an excellent opportunity to work with a dedicated and professional staff to develop agrivoltaic and energy conservation projects. The Energy Engineer will work with clients and staff throughout the country, with a focus on energy auditing in Montana. The successful candidate must be willing and able to travel throughout Montana for energy audits, events, workshops, and training as needed. There will be some travel outside Montana on an occasional basis. Candidates located near NCAT’s Headquarters in Butte Montana have the option of an office located in the NCAT HQ Campus. Candidates not located near Butte will be required to set up and work from a remote office in Montana.

QUALIFICATIONS:
This position requires a combination of education and/or experience in energy systems. The position requires a degree in engineering and a certification in commercial building energy auditing, such as the American Association of Energy Engineers Certified Energy Auditor (CEA) Program or the ASHRAE Building Energy Auditor Program (BEAP). Professional Engineering License, and experience with energy audits, field energy assessments, including work with electrical systems, motors, pumps and blowers is required. Experience with sustainable energy systems, solar development, agrisolar, agrivoltaics, is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

  • Commitment and passion for the NCAT mission;
  • Knowledge and ability to perform in-depth energy audits;
  • Strong interest and knowledge in building technologies, energy conservation, residential, agrivoltaics, and solar energy;
  • Ability to understand and develop solar and agrivoltaic projects;
  • Knowledge of HVAC, building envelope, control systems, electrical systems, lighting, motors, pumps, and blowers;
  • Strong organization, time management, and planning skills;
  • Excellent communication skills, with experience in public speaking, and presentations;
  • The ability to be flexible, and adapt to changing environments and projects;
  • Skills in research, technical writing, and editing;
  • Demonstrated interest and knowledge in promoting energy efficiency;
  • Experience in energy use and conservation modeling;
  • Strong organizational and planning skills with attention to detail;
  • Self-motivated, with an ability to work independently, as well as with teams;
  • High level of emotional intelligence and diplomatic skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across NCAT’s multiple geographies and cultural backgrounds;
  • Ability to prioritize work assignments and to complete tasks in a timely manner;
  • The ability to build relationships and collaborate with community organizations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and other partners;
  • Ability to travel (estimated 25% of your time).

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Promote and support NCAT’s mission;
  • Conduct certified commercial energy audits;
  • Provide technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, land managers, and the public on agrisolar and agrivoltaic development;
  • Facilitate incentives and rebates from utilities;
  • Perform energy analysis with energy performance software;
  • Research technical information on energy efficiency and agrivoltaics;
  • Provide technical assistance to building owners, engineers, architects, contractors, and property management officials on energy efficient building practices;
  • Prepare and edit written descriptions, topical summaries, bibliographies, and other information materials suitable for giving presentations and posting to websites while targeting a variety of audiences of varying degrees of technical knowledge;
  • Communicate via email, telephone, and in person to gather and disseminate information;
  • Recommends engineering modifications to increase energy performance;
  • Provide high level work, and adapt to changing project work load:
  • Attend workshops, seminars, and related events in support of project duties;
  • Build and strengthen relationships with partners and stakeholders.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:
$75,000 – $82,000 Full-time annual salary depending on qualifications and experience. Salary will be prorated for Part-time status. Excellent benefits include a flexible schedule, paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, a cafeteria and 401(k) plan and a pleasant, professional environment.

APPLICATION PROCESS:
Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate can be identified. Early applications are encouraged. Applicants are encouraged to visit www.ncat.org to learn more about NCAT. NCAT employees interested in the position should email Human Resources a letter of interest as soon as possible. All persons interested in being considered for the position should upload a resume and cover letter through BambooHR. Please submit a current resume and a cover letter highlighting experience and skills relevant to the listed qualifications. Resume and cover letters can be uploaded at https://ncat.bamboohr.com/careers. Simply choose the position you are applying for and then click “apply for this job” to upload the required resume and cover letter. Questions about the application process can be directed to:

Kriss Sullivan, Director of Human Resources
e-mail: jobs@ncat.org

NCAT’s mission is to help people build resilient communities through local and sustainable solutions that reduce poverty, strengthen self-reliance, and protect natural resources. Our work brings together diverse partnerships and communities to help reduce poverty and protect our natural resources. We strive to be a multicultural organization that embraces the rich dimensions of diversity such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical ability, religious or political belief and marital or veteran status. Diversity creates healthy communities. Special consideration will be given to applicants who are reflective of the communities that we serve. NCAT is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For additional information about NCAT please visit our website at www.ncat.org.

Thorton Building Energy Audit Case Study

The Thorton Building is a five-story building in Butte that contains office space and a 900-square-foot data center in the basement. The center is a significant consumer of energy, due to its servers and their dedicated cooling system. The building houses a 45-year-old steam boiler that provides heat through terminal units to the basement, as well as the first and second floors. The boiler also provides heat to the remaining floors when needed, through a heat pump loop.

Cooling equipment for the server and the UPS rooms is comprised of six systems, including computer room air-conditioning (CRAC) units and packaged air-conditioning (AC) units.  The four CRAC units are water-source heat pumps. The piping and heat exchanger direct heat from the data center into the heat pump loop during the heating season into an adjacent mechanical room. Water serves as the heat-rejection medium, and it is pumped to the cooling tower at the top of the building. The heat pumps direct refrigerant through coils in the CRAC units to cool the data center. Two of the CRAC units are air-cooled instead of water-cooled.

MREP suggested the following, based on audit observations:

  1. None of the CRAC circulation lines are insulated. Insulating these lines is a low-cost opportunity for immediate energy savings with a short-term payback.
  2. Hot-water heating lines in other areas of the building do not appear to be insulated. Insulating these lines is a low-cost opportunity for immediate energy savings with a short-term payback.
  3. Seals around some of the piping and/or ductwork from the CRAC units entering the data center are leaky. This results in contaminated air entering the computer room, as well as in wasted energy.
  4. No computer room wall or ceiling insulation was observed. Installing insulation could reduce cooling load and provide energy savings.
  5. Contact the data center cooling equipment installer and request a scan of the most recent drawings of piping and equipment and have the installer come to the site and label all system panels and circuits.
  6. The owners expressed an interest in pursuing the idea of economizer cooling for the data center by placing a heat exchanger in the alley north of the building. Butte’s climate is conducive to economizer cooling for much of the year. MREP recommended an analysis by an engineer to determine system size, cost-effectiveness, effects on the relative humidity and air quality within the data room, and how such a system would interact with the existing cooling systems for the data center. If a well-designed economizer system were installed, it could likely meet a large part of the cooling load in the data center.
  7. Lighting in the basement contains T12 fluorescent lamps with magnetic ballasts, and the remainder of the building contains T8 fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts. Potential savings are summarized in the following tables.

Building-Wide LED Conversion Cost, Savings, and Simple Payback:

Annual Bill Savings LED Cost Utility Incentives Annual KWH Savings Simple Payback (yr.)
$8,358 $33,367 $7,352 66,617 3.1

 Basement-Only LED Conversion Cost, Savings, and Simple Payback:

Annual Bill Savings LED Cost Utility Incentives Annual KWH Savings Simple Payback (yr.)
$2,174 $3,233 $1,020 17,576 1.0

 

Real Food Store

Energy costs in grocery stores can be quite high. But thanks to an energy audit performed by the Montana Resource Efficiency Program (MREP), an organic grocery in Helena has a variety of options to reduce those costs.

The Real Food Store is an organic grocery and deli, located in Helena, Montana. The one-story retail facility has an open floor plan that includes a group of offices, a break room, and a meeting room. The building consumes electricity and natural gas at a higher rate in summer months, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This indicates that cooling is the largest energy consumption source.

Electric Usage, June 2015-May 2017

 

Electric Demand, June 2015-May 2017

HVAC Recommendations

The Real Food Store building’s HVAC systems consists of five rooftop units, or RTUs, each designed for different areas of the store. These rooftop units use natural gas to heat and electricity to cool with the condensers integrated into each unit. The ductwork is exposed and not insulated, and the addition of insulation could increase efficiency. Insulating the east and north perimeters of the crawlspace walls could also negate heat loss in winter months.

There are several employee comfort issues in the office area of the store, which is very cold in winter months. This problem can be contributed to a bad thermostat location or improper zoning for the thermostat. It could also be the result of incorrect venting, the need for weatherization of windows in the office areas, or a large return grille that is located directly across from the offices. MREP strongly recommended a retro-commissioning study to determine the source of uneven heating and cooling in this area.

The older rooftop cooling units do not have energy-saving options, such as variable frequency drives (VFDs) or electronically communicated motors (ECMs).  The store can retrofit the units with VFDs and ECMs to allow the efficient motors to work at speeds associated with demand.

Refrigeration is the largest cost for most grocery stores. There are a couple options that can help diminish the cost and energy use of the store’s refrigeration system. These options are expensive to implement and are recommended only if a complete overhaul of the system is necessary in the future. If a new design is required for the condensers, we recommend constructing a racking system for the condensers. This would combine the condensers into one control room and run them in parallel to maximize the energy efficiency.

Hot-water heat recovery is another energy-efficiency measure to consider. Grocery stores have a great opportunity to use the heat rejected by the condensers for domestic hot water heating. Hot-water heat recovery requires additional plumbing and equipment but can save a large amount of energy by preheating the incoming water before reaching the hot water heater and can save 300 therms of natural gas a month. This energy-saving measure could be implemented without an overhaul of the refrigeration system.

Domestic Hot Water Heating Energy Recommendations

According to the deli manager, the Real Food Store serves on average 170 hot meals per day and 170 cold meals per day. It is estimated that the store’s deli uses 2,890 gallons of hot water per day[1]. This adds up to approximately 500 therms of natural gas a month, costing upwards of $375 per month for hot water heating alone. Below are some recommendations for reducing this cost:

  • Install low-flow kitchen and bathroom faucets
  • If the dishwasher, ice machine, or steam cooker needs replacing, invest in an ENERGY STAR-certified model
  • Install high-efficiency pre-rinse spray valves for dishwashing

[1] ASHRAE (2011). Hot-Water Requirements and Storage Equipment Sizing. ASHRAE Handbook: HVAC Applications (pp.50.11-50.13). Atlanta, GA: ASHRAE.

Lighting Recommendations

The store’s lighting consists of metal halides, fluorescent tubes, CFL, incandescent, and PAR 30 bulbs. MREP engineers developed an LED conversion design with the following savings and payback:

  • LED Cost: $8,567
  • Utility Incentive: $2,120
  • Net Cost: $6,447
  • Annual Bill Savings: $3,570
  • Annual Energy Savings: 24,930 KWH
  • Simple Payback with Energy Savings: 1.8 years

Montana State Hospital Warm Springs

The Montana State Hospital Warm Springs exterior lighting consisted of a large variety of lights, including floods, yard lights, can lights, wall packs, and pole lights. A lighting project was completed replacing all of the exterior lighting with new energy-efficient LED lights. Over 280 lights were changed during this project. In addition to saving 413,920 in energy each year, the new LED fixtures provide a better quality of light and will require much less maintenance.

This project received $14,250 in utility lighting rebates. The utility rebate brought the net project cost to an estimated $116,705. The annual energy cost savings was estimated at $13,920. The simple payback of the lighting retrofit is 8.38 years, not including maintenance savings.

  • Project Cost: $130,955
  • Utility Incentives: $14,250
  • Net Cost: $116,705
  • Annual Bill Savings: $13,920
  • Annual Energy Savings: 174,008 kWh
  • Simple Payback with Energy Savings: 8.38 years

Livingston School District

Following a lighting audit and recommendations made by the Montana Resource Efficiency Program (MREP), the Livingston (Montana) School District is poised to save over $36,000 in lighting costs each year.

The School District is comprised of five schools, which collectively serve a student body of some 1,400 students from late August until late May each year. In addition, the district maintains a bus barn.

Based on recommendations from MREP, the school district is currently converting its lighting to LED.  The lighting throughout the District was primarily fluorescent T8 fixtures with the exception of the high school, which was retrofitted with 28-watt T5 fluorescents in 2011 when it was remodeled. Lighting accounted for nearly 25% of the districts electric consumption. Total electric usage for the district is shown in the table below.

Utility Annual Use (kWh) Total Annual Cost ($)
Total Electric Usage 1,465,124 $190,176
Park High School  757,620 $82,569
Eastside and Sleeping Giant 476,640 $52,507
Winans Elementary 61,888 $7,262
Washington Elem. 40,852 $5,635

The estimated cost to upgrade lighting in the schools was $30,750 after utility rebates were applied.  Annual energy cost savings is estimated at $36,692, for a simple payback of just over 10 months. This payback can be shortened further by rising utility rates and increased longevity of the LED bulbs.

Considering the cost of the short payback, this project was a sound investment for the District. Costs, savings, rebates, and payback are detailed below.

Livingston Schools Annual Bill Savings Est. Project Cost Est. Rebates Net Project Cost KWh Savings Simple Payback
LED

Conversion

  

$36,692

  

$74,862

  

$44,112

  

$30,750

  

319,627

  

0.84 years

Livingston Ace Hardware

Livingston Ace Hardware Energy Audit Case Study

The Ace Hardware in Livingston, Montana, is a 13,000 ft2 retail building.  The store owner contacted the Montana Resource Efficiency Program (MREP) for assistance with their lighting update.  The owner wanted more and brighter energy-efficient lighting in the store.  After a lighting audit and analysis,  an MREP engineer recommended upgrading the fluorescent tube lighting to 15-watt LED tubes.  After the change-out of over 800 bulbs the owner reported a better quality of light and is very happy with the upgrade.

The overall cost of the project was $8,544.  The project qualified for $3,961 in rebates from the utility’s rebate program, bringing the net cost to $4,583.  This project will also save Ace Hardware approximately $8,900 per year in energy bills, which brings the project a simple payback of less than one year.  Here is a summary of the financial aspects of the project:

  • Annual bill savings:  $8,899
  • Estimated project costs:  $8,544
  • Estimated rebate:  $3,961
  • Estimated net cost:  $4,583
  • Estimated kWh savings:  149,729
  • Simple payback: 0.52 years

Granite County Courthouse

The Granite County courthouse, located in Philipsburg, Montana, was constructed in 1913 of brick and Montana granite. The building is three stories tall and is comprised of heavy woodwork, large wood and granite columns, a large dome with a stained glass skylight, and tile mosaic floors.

The courthouse recently completed a large lighting project, which included the replacement of old light fixtures with new energy-efficient LED fixtures. The 140 fixtures changed during the project qualified for $7,000 in utility rebates from a lighting rebate program and will result in $4,928 per year in energy bill savings. The net cost of the project was $29,835, giving the project a simple payback of about six years. Here is a quick summary of the project:

  • Annual bill savings: $4,928
  • Project cost: $36,835
  • Rebate: $7,000
  • Net cost: $29,835
  • kWh savings: 64,056
  • Simple payback: 6.05 years

 

Front Street Market

The Front Street Market is a one-story grocery retail building with an unfinished basement. The main floor contains a commercial kitchen, office space, retail space, and a deli. The MREP team audited Front Street Market and identified several energy-saving opportunities for refrigeration and lighting systems.

There are 11 coolers, one walk-in cooler for beverages, one large freezer, and one walk-in freezer throughout the building, each using their own compressor. The HVAC system consists of two furnaces and a unit heater in each of the front rooms of the store. Each furnace is tied to a compressor for cooling. A conversion to high-efficiency compressors would increase the energy efficiency of these systems, particularly during summer months.

The market should also install variable-frequency drives (VFD) to existing cooler and freezer motors. The measure would save 30 to 60% of the motor’s energy usage, depending on the size and frequency of use. Additionally, there are two service doors located on the north and south sides of the beer cooler, and each door is slightly drafty, causing a loss in cooling. MREP recommended replacement of the deteriorated weatherstripping on these doors to prevent cooling loss.

Lighting within the building is comprised of 20-watt CFLs; 4-foot, 30-watt fluorescent tubes; and 8-foot 138-watt fluorescent tubes. Converting these lights to approved LEDs reduces the energy consumption in the building by 6,762 kWh annually.

  • LEDs Cost: $1,663
  • Utility Incentives: $916
  • Net Cost: $747
  • Annual Bill Savings: $762
  • Annual Energy Savings: 6,762 kWh
  • Simple Payback with Energy Savings: 0.98 years

 

Enterprise Holdings

Enterprise Holdings now has some specific energy-efficiency options that could improve its bottom line, thanks to a comprehensive energy audit of its facilities performed by MREP.

Enterprise owns seven rental facilities throughout Montana, each comprised of office space and a washing garage, as well as one main office in Helena. MREP experts visited all eight facilities to assist in identifying cost-effective efficiency measures for each building. The recommended measures include installing programmable thermostats for office spaces, insulating gaps in exterior doors, especially under garage doors, and upgrading lighting to LED.

PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTATS

Programmable thermostats are simple to install and inexpensive, yet they can result in significant energy cost savings by reducing the set temperature during times when offices are closed, such as evenings and weekends. Five of Enterprise’s eight offices are recommend to install these thermostats.

  • Annual energy savings: 1,180 therms
  • Annual cost savings: $720
  • Projected cost: $160
  • Simple payback with energy savings: 0.22 years

DOOR INSULATION

A number of exterior doors have gaps present, allowing air to flow into the space and negate the heating or cooling from the HVAC systems. Fortunately, there is a simple solution: applying stick-on foam to doors to fill the gaps and help maintain comfort levels in interior spaces. Reducing drafts can also decrease the use of space heaters among office employees, further increasing energy savings.

Garage doors in car-washing areas had large gaps between the doors and concrete floors. The thermal image on the right shows the gap at the bottom of the garage door as it lets cold air in. Adding insulation here will help reduce the need for space heaters and save on natural gas costs.

Weatherstripping is a very inexpensive and cost-effective way to prevent the escape of heating or cooled air. This measure can also be applied to windows and window sills.

LED LIGHTING

Many of Enterprise’s offices and garages had fluorescent T8 tube lighting, and upgrading these to LED will save a significant amount of energy. MREP’s lighting analysis resulted in the following costs and savings:

  • LED replacement cost: $8,332
  • Utility incentives: $3,416
  • Net cost: $4,917
  • Annual energy savings: 43,344 KWH
  • Annual cost savings: $5,285
  • Simple payback with energy savings: 0.93 years

SOLAR PV SYSTEM

Enterprise Holdings also expressed interest in a solar photovoltaic (PV) system for its Helena and Great Falls facilities. MREP analyzed roof- and ground-mounted systems for the Helena facility and found that a roof-mounted system would be limited to 10.4 kW, which would produce 18% of the building’s electricity usage. A ground-mounted system would allow the maximum size of 50 kW and produce 76% of the building’s electricity usage. The Great Falls facility could accommodate a 10-kW roof-mounted system that would produce about 60% of the facility’s usage.

Currently, there is a 30% tax credit of the cost of the system to any tax paying business. MREP recommended that Enterprise take advantage of this credit while it is still in place as it is set to phase out starting in 2020.