SmartZone

Mark your calendar for 8:00a.m. on March 15th for a power packed hour revealing the latest in Smart Home Systems, Security, and Home Automation. Tune your radio to 610 WTVN (that's AM radio) as EZ-Integration will appear on the Dave Fox Home Remodeling Show to discuss a range of topics. Read on to learn more.

How much you pay for your business' electric utility bill is determined by a number of factors. Most of us are familiar with actual electric consumption being a factor, but many are unaware of an equally important factor called peak demand. Peak demand is the greatest amount of electrical consumption your building requires at any single point in time. The more electric consuming devices and systems you have running at the same time, the higher your demand. More importantly, devices containing power supplies, compressors, motors, or pumps require a higher initial amount of electric to operate until they are up to speed or capacity. An example would be an air conditioner or furnace. On the air conditioner the compressor has to power up along with a motor for the blower which pushes the cooled air through your ducts. With the furnace, even gas furnaces has blowers to push the heated air through the ducts.

When considering energy efficiency projects for your facilities it's important to ensure you're taking all the financial benefits into account. Most organizations have a firm understanding of the savings from a resulting reduction in energy consumed but often overlook or are unaware of less obvious or indirect windfalls created by these types of projects. These oversights can make a significant difference in the ROI and thus potentially cause a feasible project to look unfavorable. Here are some areas of savings to take into consideration for all energy efficiency projects:

Effective January 01, 2012 manufactures will no longer be allowed by law to produce T12 florescent bulbs. The electric utility companies have taken note of this change and many, including AEP Ohio, will discontinue providing energy efficiency project incentives for upgrading T12 fixtures and bulbs to more efficient products. If you have these fixtures or bulbs in your building now is the time to replace them before the incentives are discontinued. For more information on how to take advantage of these incentives and others like them, contact EZ-Integration, Inc. at (614) 495-3700 or visit our Web site at: http://www.energysmartpartners.com.