The Benefits of Good Lighting

Verde Video Benefits of Good Lighting

The Benefits of Good Lighting

Energy Efficiency for Libraries

Alsip-Merrionette Park Public Library

Energy Efficiency for Libraries

How to be a Sustainable Business

Verde Sustainable Business Video

How to be a Sustainable Business

No Need To Put All Those Eggs in One Basket

eggs in one basket

We all work together to make this world a better place, everyday. When it comes to your business, improving the physical space is not always cheap or a top of mind priority. 

It can be difficult to justify the expense of an energy efficiency project. It’s hard to put all of your eggs into one basket – even when you are presented numbers that show that you will save more money (eggs) in the long run. 

Verde works with small and large businesses across the Chicago Metropolitan area. Well, anywhere in the Commonwealth-Edison territory to be exact. As a small business ourselves, we understand the challenge of a large capital outlay and want to make it easier for other businesses to invest in the long-term health of their business without feeling like they are taking a short term gamble. We get it. 

Subscription Model Pricing

This is exactly the reason Verde has decided to introduce subscription model pricing. Rather than put all of your eggs in the basket at once, let’s just do a couple eggs at a time. Spreading out a one-time payment over 6,9, or 12 months eases the upfront cost burden and helps your business to plan your cash flow. It also lets you see and feel the value of new energy efficiency measures.  This has also been coined “Energy Efficiency as a Service” or “LED Lighting as a service.”

Upgrading outdated fluorescent lighting to LEDs will save money instantly. We see this time and time again – that’s how we know you will save in the long run – both on energy costs, maintenance headaches, and routine servicing and replacement. 

Prioritized Cash Flow

Distributing the project cost over several months can help a small business plan and prioritize cash flow instead of taking on a large one-time payment. You’ll also be realizing energy savings immediately which will make you feel that much more comfortable. 

Let’s take a look at a recently completed project. 

The above data is from a project Verde completed in November, 2019. This facility saw instant savings – an LED lighting upgrade can make a dramatic difference. In February 2019 this facility was using just about 15,000 KwH, compared to 4,000 KwH in February of 2020. At $0.11 / KwH, that’s a cost savings of roughly $1,200.

Business Energy Analyzer

If you aren’t already tracking your own usage through ComEd’s Business Energy Analyzer, we’d recommend you start with a look at your energy usage. You can’t improve what you can’t measure. The next step would be to reach out to us to schedule an assessment to learn about how you can be more energy efficient.

Putting all your eggs in one basket is no longer a gamble. It’s an investment in a brighter future for your business.  Whether you aspire to be a Green Company Chicago brags about, or just a lower operating cost, both can be accomplished.

Alisa Hansen Verde

Alisa Hansen

Alisa grew up in California and fell in love with nature through her yearly visits to Yosemite National Park. She received her BS in environmental science from DePaul University and an MS in sustainable resource management from Vrije University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Before working at Verde, Alisa was based in France and Germany working in the field of criminal intelligence, combatting global timber and wildlife trafficking. Alisa became interested in developing strategies for a transition to a more sustainable society through her passion of working with children. She believes strongly in protecting the environment to sustain life for generations to come, and she believes investing in energy efficiency is one of the most feasible ways to do so.

In her spare time, Alisa mentors children in the Chicago foster care system and she likes to cook and spend time with her family. She aspires to embody resiliency, confidence, and professionalism through her work at Verde.

Benefits of LED Lights for Businesses

Benefits of LED Lights for Businesses

Even though fluorescent lights have been commonly used in commercial buildings, LED lights have been making significant progress in the past couple of years, and more and more organizations are starting to utilize them. There is a good reason why LED lights are the better option for businesses than fluorescent lights.

In general, companies are becoming more aware of their lighting needs, costs, and the need to be environmentally friendly. When you consider these three things, it becomes obvious that LED lights are a better option, so let’s see all the benefits that LED lights can offer:

The Benefits of LED Lights for Restaurants

All restaurants strive to create a certain atmosphere that their guests will love, and lighting is one of the most important aspects of the overall atmosphere. Since LED lights come in many different variations in terms of brightness and color, they’re often chosen by restaurants due to their unique ability to create a specific ambiance.

Every restaurant requires a unique combination of different lights so that they can adjust the lighting according to the desired ambiance. LED lights allow you to do this by mixing several options. These lights will also reduce the heat in your kitchen where you have various appliances, making it easier to cool off the working area, resulting in happier employees.

The Benefits of LED Lights for Warehouses

Visibility is crucial in warehouses, and employees must be able to see what they’re doing at every given moment. LED lights come with very powerful and bright variations that you can use to ensure the highest degree of safety at the workplace. At the same time, they will increase productivity, as they don’t burn out as quickly as incandescent bulbs.

Simply put, your employees won’t have to deal with switching bulbs, and they can focus on their primary tasks. Since warehouses need a lot of lighting and LED lights use less energy and last longer, you can save a lot of money.

The Benefits of LED Lights for Retail

LED lights have that modern, exciting look. When a customer enters a store with this kind of lighting, they instantly feel like they’ve entered a special place. Additionally, these lights will better display the products you’re selling and make them more appealing.

The fact that LED lights are very versatile makes them ideal for different kinds of retail stores and brands. No matter what kind of brand image you have, you can find adequate LED lights that will “fit in” with your story.

The Benefits of LED Lights for Grocery Stores

LED lights have the power to make produce and other products look fresher. They bring that vital illumination that can make potential customers turn into loyal buyers. This effect is caused by the color rendering index of LED lights, which emphasizes the colors of illuminated items.

Apart from the other benefits found in different businesses, LED lights can also help grocery stores by keeping their products fresh for a longer time – since they don’t release heat, it will be easier to keep products fresh.

The Benefits of LED Lights for Car Dealerships

Buying a new car is a complete experience for the buyers, and dealerships need to take the necessary steps to enhance this experience. With LED lights, you can set the mood, highlight the displayed cars, and reduce glare. They can be used to attract customers to the latest models.

LED lights can also be used to light up the exterior and create a more inviting lot. Sometimes the most difficult thing is to get potential customers to come inside and take a look. In the end, proper LED lighting can illuminate secluded parts of the car and let the customer see what the vehicle has to offer.

Overall, LED lights reduce running costs and increase profitability for all types of businesses that need extensive lighting. Make this valuable investment as soon as possible and see your returns grow. Get started with an energy assessment from Verde today!

Energy Efficiency Consulting Firms – What Do They Do?

public sector solar

Energy efficiency is a crucial aspect of running a successful business and oftentimes business owners are left with so little information about it. This is where energy consulting firms, like Verde, come in, advertising that they can help businesses run an environmentally friendly and energy efficient operation.

But what is it that these firms do exactly? As an energy consulting firm with years of experience in identifying opportunities for companies to reduce energy consumption and save money, we’re here to provide you with the answers.

What is Energy Efficiency Consulting Exactly?

Despite the scope of operations in one company, businesses still use a certain amount of electrical energy and generate some waste. Energy consulting encompasses all actions aimed toward identifying opportunities to reduce costs associated with energy consumption and waste generation.

However, it doesn’t end with identifying only. Energy consulting also includes finding and implementing solutions to minimize energy consumption and reduce carbon footprint. The ultimate goal for an energy consultant is to reduce operational costs for a company and help it become more environmentally friendly.

Energy Efficiency Consulting Firms Services

What do energy efficiency consulting firms do?

Energy efficiency and environmentally friendly business processes have become two very popular topics across all verticals. This is probably the main reason why people are looking into energy consulting firms more.

Simply put, energy consulting firms analyze energy consumption and carbon footprint for SMBs and enterprises, identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption, and implement them on the spot.

The first thing an energy consulting firm will do once you contact them is to perform an energy efficiency assessment. This is an audit of sorts, that allows energy consulting firms to gauge your energy consumption practices, past electrical bills, and waste generation.

If we break down the services of an energy consulting firm, we will be able to see the different energy saving topics these firms address and the things they do to cut down expenses and improve energy efficiency.

Interior and Exterior Lighting

Interior and exterior lighting solutions often cause huge energy consumption costs which significantly increase electrical bills. Energy consulting firms specialize in replacing and retrofitting obsolete lighting solutions with new LED lights.

LED lighting uses up to 80% energy than traditional lighting, and also has less mercury and needs to be changed less often. So along with energy efficiency consultants saving you actual energy, they are also going to save you on maintenance costs and recycling and waste services too.

To even go deeper on these savings, LED lighting can have daylight harvesting and photocell controls integrated, making them last even longer since a fixture dimmed or off will last longer than one on all the time.

HVAC System Recommendations from Consulting

Energy consultants will also inspect your current HVAC systems to assess their efficiency, but also to identify if they have up-to-date technologies and parts. If necessary, you will get a recommendation to upgrade your HVAC unit to a more energy efficient one. We call this a high efficiency, or HE HVAC upgrade – taking the same system design and improving it to a better version. It isn’t sexy, but it saves a lot of money and often has rebates and incentives associated with it.

You can decide if a basic upgrade is within your budget. Typically, an energy efficiency consulting firm will encourage you to seek CEE tier 2 equipment, which is the top 25% of efficient equipment on the market. HVAC equipment can do this with Variable Speed motors and drivers, as well as with multiple stage heating and cooling that can operate far more efficiently. Modern equipment can also achieve more efficient cooling by expanding to larger footprint evaporators.

Demand Control Ventilation for Your Space

An advanced energy efficiency consultant will encourage you to look into advanced ventilation strategies like demand control ventilation. Demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) is a smart ventilation system that automatically adjusts the amount of fresh air brought into a building based on real-time conditions, such as:

  • Occupancy: When there are more people in a space, the DCV system will increase the ventilation rate to remove CO2 and other pollutants. Conversely, when the space is unoccupied, the system will bring in less outside air, saving you from heating and cooling outside air.
  • Indoor air quality: DCV systems can be equipped with sensors that monitor indoor air quality for things like CO2, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and humidity. If the levels of these pollutants start to rise, the system will increase ventilation to improve air quality.
  • Energy efficiency: By only providing ventilation when it is needed, DCV systems can significantly reduce energy consumption associated with heating, cooling, and operating the ventilation system itself.
  • Improved indoor air quality: DCV systems help to ensure that occupants have access to fresh, clean air, which can improve their health and productivity.
  • Reduced energy consumption: DCV systems can save up to 50% of the energy used by traditional ventilation systems.
  • Lower operating costs: By reducing energy consumption, DCV systems can also help to lower operating costs for building owners.
  • Increased occupant comfort: DCV systems can help to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures and humidity levels.

Most equipment can incorporate a demand control ventilation in a retrofit, or even just adding a CO2 sensor to an existing system. These savings can be deep, and often the costs to implement are fairly low.

Heat Pump and Energy Recovery Ventilators

If you are feeling ambitious, or have very strong ESG goals, your energy efficiency consultant may recommend heat pumps. In fact, heat pumps are the only way to decarbonize heating needs for buildings.

When you combine a heat pump, or Variable Refrigerant Flow system (VRF) with an energy recovery ventilator, a building can be up 600% more efficient than standard systems. These are major systems that require engineering and a lot of capital and foresight – but they save deep amounts of energy and long term costs.

The first thing an energy efficiency consultant should do is gauge how deep of savings you are committed to – and what kind of return on investment you will require. This kind of recommended VHE HVAC system is not for the faint of heart – but they can lead to deep savings and a more healthy and competitive work environment.

Doors, Roofing and Windows Insulation

The insulation on your doors and windows deteriorates over time, causing the outside air to come inside and overwork your cooling or heating systems. If this is the case in your building, an energy consultant will recommend weather-stripping to help you restore insulation and minimize energy waste.

Roofing insulation can make a big difference in heat loss during the winter, and white cool roofs can make a big difference in lowering a temperature of a building in the summer. These two projects can make a big impact on building comfort as well, creating an added benefit.

New windows not only make a huge difference in energy savings, they need to typically get done every few decades and should be budgeted for.

Rebates from utilities can help offset some of the cost of each of these, especially if done in conjunction with a blower door test to look for air leaks and low insulation points.

Solar PV and Wind Energy

Almost every business and homeowner is curious about solar PV these days. An energy efficiency consultant can help navigate this complicated space, to see what options exist for your building roof and property.

In Illinois and many states, Renewable Energy Credits can help make the choice of solar on your property make more sense. The state will give you credits to help meet goals of solar PV production, sometimes covering up to 40% of the cost of a project. In addition, there are federal tax credits that can help make this project make sense if you are a tax paying organization. And if you do not pay taxes, state RECS can often be higher to help you. And finally, there are the savings you get from creating your own power, which can often lead to up to 25 years of free energy once paid for.

You can also participate in solar by buying into a community solar farm in Illinois, as well as credits for wind and solar. Both of these can be viable options to reduce traditional electricity purchase, and sometimes lower costs. In 2024, the cost to produce wind and solar energy and produce those new production sources are actually cheaper than traditional, and come with state subsidies to boot.

Finally, there is something called a power purchasing agreement. This can help someone else pay for your system, and then sell you the power generated over the next 20 years. The benefit of this is that there is no capital cost for the work up front, and often maintenance of panels are included.

Energy Efficiency Consultants Look At Your Electricity Usage

The energy efficiency consultant will typically request the past 2 years of your electric utility bills, so you they can analyze your usage and costs. While they can often grab past usage off just a single bill with your account on it, old bills can help them determine how your costs have changed over time, and what to expect in terms of costs increases in the future.

There are three main things to consider with electricity usage and costs. First, is your kWh each month. This is your usage of energy, which is measured in kilowatt hours.

energy savings formula

Next is your peak usage, which is kW. It may seem like these are the same, but they are quite different. Peak kW is the highest your building has energy coming into it at any one time. This is very important to the utility, since it helps them manage the entire grid and the local grid around you.

Finally, the cost you pay for each of those is important. We always recommend clients stay with their local utility instead of third party providers – but the important thing is that you know how much you pay for both of the above for savings calculations.

Energy Efficiency Consultants Look at Your Water Usage

Water usage can often be overlooked – but it can tell a story. And since the City of Chicago has really pushed hard to measure and bill water based on usage – there can be more reasons to save on water usage.

Industrial usage can use a lot of water, but so can landscaping and other reasons you may not think of. One of our past customers was paying a significant water bill in the summer, because they used city water to cool their chillers for air conditioning. While that is no longer allowed by code – it was also a terrible idea because of the huge cost of water in our area.

Energy Efficiency Consultants Look at Your Natural Gas Usage

Other than process usage, natural gas is typically used for heating your space, creating hot water, and food preparation.

All of those systems can now be done more efficiently with heat pumps and electric cooking equipment. While the cost to convert can be high, there is no way to decarbonize a building without removing natural gas. Since Evanston and Oak Park have already passed legislation, and Chicago is considering essentially banning natural gas on new building construction – this technology will continue to evolve and come down in cost.

Getting the past 2 years of natural gas usage is an important step, so you can determine heating natural gas usage from the others, as well as determine the benefit of fuel switching.

What Does an Energy Consultant Do If I Have Multiple Buildings or Locations?

If you have multiple locations, they may encourage you to use a software platform that can aggregate and compare these locations. But you can easily use an excel spreadsheet to do this, and that may be how they accomplish managing different buildings, either with a simple or complex spreadsheet.

When we have worked with PGIM and Lasalle on projects like these, they have whole teams dedicated to this task. But smaller firms likely don’t, so a simple spreadsheet can accomplish a lot. Feel free to ask us if you’d like a template to use.

Do You Need an Energy Consultant?

The best way to assess whether you need an energy consultant is to take a look at your energy bills. If you’re under the impression that they’re too high, you should request an energy assessment today.  

On the other hand, if you want to optimize your energy consumption and run an environmentally friendly operation, you can also benefit from cooperating with an energy consulting firm such as Verde. Other benefits can include reduced maintenance costs, reduce recycling and trash fees, and more.

A Guide to Reducing Energy Costs & Waste for Warehouses

A Guide to Reducing Energy Costs & Waste for Warehouses

Warehouses provide versatile opportunities for energy-efficient solutions. Since these buildings are often quite large, regulating air temperature and humidity around the clock can result in enormous electrical bills.

Not to mention the costs of staying “green-friendly” compliant. Add lighting on top of that, and you have a recipe for steep energy costs and a large carbon footprint.

Fortunately, every warehouse, regardless of how big it is, can be turned into an energy-efficient asset. To help you do it, we have compiled a list of easy-to-follow tips and guidelines on how to reduce energy costs and waste for warehouses. You can do a lot of this work in house with your own staff, or hire an energy efficiency consulting firm to help you navigate the next steps. Our advice – the bigger the building, the bigger the energy savings and greater need for an outside support firm.

Make Proper Thermostat Adjustments

Regulating the temperature in your warehouse is a very expensive thing to do unless you learn how to do it properly. For instance, if all your air conditioning units start all at once, it will create a peak in electricity demand and potentially cause a number of problems down the line.

Also, setting the thermostat to lower temperatures won’t result in the warehouse cooling faster, and for each thermostat setpoint, it will increase energy consumption by 1 to 3%.

The best way to start reducing energy costs is to invest in programmable thermostats. These thermostats will allow you to program the turn on/off regiment for all your units, so you’ll never leave an air conditioner on all night and set temperatures for working and off hours.

Revisit Warehouse Roof

Since it’s directly exposed to the natural elements, warehouse roofs contribute greatly to energy inefficiency. Fortunately, there are ready-to-install solutions to help you resolve this issue. Cool roof systems are good solutions for warehouses located in hot and cold climates.

These systems feature specific materials which promote consistent solar reflectance. This means that your warehouse will absorb less energy overall, thus reducing the need for turning on your cooling system. A warehouse with refrigeration storage will benefit the most from this solution.

Adding a solar PV systems can generate electricity and add to the reflectiveness of a commercial roof and is worth exploring for a payback and ROI purpose.

Optimize Lighting

In order to have an energy efficient warehouse, it’s crucial that you optimize your lighting solutions. Take advantage of natural light, use energy efficient bulbs, and always look for room for improvement.

Replace all the bulbs in your warehouse with energy-efficient ones. LED fluorescent high-bay fixtures are a very popular lighting solution these days because they light up immediately, unlike high-intensity discharge fixtures with a long warm-up cycle.

To further optimize the lighting in your warehouse and make it more efficient, you should install motion sensors and area-wide dimmer systems.

Combining these two systems will enable you to use your electricity efficiently by utilizing high-intensity light only where it is needed. You can save cash by extending the lifespan of bulbs. Keep the fixtures clean at all times to prevent damage from overheating. Motion sensors will extend the lifespan of your lights as well.

Also, think about introducing new natural light sources – windows and skylights. White painted walls will also help you achieve better lighting results with less power.

Doors and Windows

To reduce energy costs, you will need to keep your warehouse as insulated as possible. With leaks the outdoor air will affect the temperature inside the warehouse, causing the cooling system to work 24/7.

You should install fast-moving automatic doors and air curtains where doors have to remain open for longer periods of time.

Reduce Waste

Finally, to reduce the carbon footprint of your warehouse, you should consider investing in battery-powered forklifts. If you do this, there will be no more exhaust fumes, and you will significantly reduce heat emitted indoors, giving a break to your cooling systems.

Also, you should reduce the amount of high reflective surfaces surrounding the warehouse, as they store heat – instead, plant trees and lawns.

As you can see, there are several things you can do to reduce energy costs and waste for your warehouse. If you don’t have the resources to assess your current situation on your own, Verde can help you identify the course of action that will bring you the best results when it comes to energy consumption. Reach out to us today for an energy efficiency assessment!

Reducing Energy Costs & Waste for Restaurants

avodale sustainability

Running a restaurant presents endless challenges. In this business, there is a lot of cooking equipment that needs to be taken care of, ventilation systems, large refrigeration, and constantly wasted energy that needs to be contained on a daily basis. This means that energy costs tend to be really high.

For a restaurant to be efficient and profitable, it needs to find ways to control these costs. Learning to save energy can be difficult especially for those restaurant owners who don’t know much about these practices.

Here are some ways to do this:

Switch Your Lights

A lot of people today still use incandescent bulbs in their restaurants or at their homes. The reason behind this is quite simple – they’re quite cheap.

However, even though LED lights are more expensive, they save a lot of electric energy. On the other hand, they last far longer than incandescent light bulbs so when you think about the long term, they actually save you money while saving energy.

Clean Kitchen Ventilation Regularly

Kitchen ventilation is almost always on in restaurants and, after some time, vents stop working efficiently. This means that chefs and cooks in that kitchen will likely turn the air up even higher. This means that you will constantly be using electrical energy you don’t really have to use.

If you clean the kitchen ventilation on a regular basis, it will work efficiently and there will be no need for excessive consumption. Cluttered vents can use up to 60% more energy, so make sure to do this regularly.

Be Responsible

One of the best ways to save energy is simple. Be more cautious as an organization. A lot of restaurants constantly have appliances and fixtures working without any real need. Avoid doing this and you will be able to save significantly. Additionally, when you close up during the night, make sure that you turn off all of the electrical devices that are not 100% necessary.

Remind your employees to turn off all the lights. It might seem as nagging and annoying but trust us when we tell you that you can save a lot of energy this way.

Organize your Kitchen Properly

How your kitchen is organized and laid out matters. If you put an ice machine next to an oven, both of these machines will be less effective you will need more energy. Ensure that all of the cooling and heating equipment you have in your kitchen is separated properly.

On the other hand, consider all of the factors that will affect the work of these machines and their energy consumption. For example, if your ventilation isn’t placed properly above the cooking area, it won’t work as effectively. On the other hand, if your cooking area isn’t next to a wall, you are at risk of spreading smoke around.

These are some easy steps you can take towards preserving energy in your restaurant. If you really want to get to the bottom of this, reach out to Verde today!

What You Need to Know About Retrofitting Recessed Can Lights

retrofit recessed can lights

Recessed can lights are a stylish addition to any modern business. They’re elegant, clean, and the variety of designs they come in are suitable for anyone’s taste.

However, if you want to install retrofit recessed lighting, you have to be prepared. It’s always best to call professionals who can ensure a job well done, but if you’d prefer to do it yourself, some research beforehand is a must.

Have a look at what the benefits of this lighting solution are and get some installation tips that will make installation easier:

LED Recessed Lighting Retrofit – What is It?

In short, an LED recessed lighting retrofit is a simple relighting. It includes the renovation of the old lighting fixtures and light bulbs, and it serves to improve the quality of the lights, as well as reduce the amount of heat that escapes from the lights.

While relying on professionals to do the job comes with a higher price, it saves a lot of time, and you don’t have to worry about making costly mistakes while DIY-ing your way around it.

LED Retrofit Can Lights – The Benefits

energy efficiency of a can light

From decreasing your spending on electricity and maintenance to improving your lighting, and saving the planet, let’s have a look at the biggest advantages that LED retrofit can lights bring:

Decreasing Energy Costs

Switching just 5 of the commonly used lights in your home could save you upwards of $44 a year on your electrical bills. For large office buildings, this can easily add up to bigger savings.

Easier Maintenance

A typical LED light bulb will last about 13 years, sometimes even more, depending on the quality of the bulb. A typical incandescent light bulb has a lifespan of about 1,200 hours. For every single LED light, you’d need 21 incandescent lights. The monetary benefit is obvious.

Better Lighting

Headaches and sore eyes are common problems when the lighting in your office or home is inadequate.  Modern LED lights, on the other hand, emit crisper and more natural light that’s less likely to cause problems such as sore eyes and headaches.

Eco-Friendly

The less energy used for lighting, the better it is for the planet, as fewer resources are wasted on the energy produced. Modern LED lights also don’t contain any harmful chemicals such as mercury, meaning that they’re much safer than the traditional lights.

Retrofit Can Lights – Installation Tips

If you’ve decided to try and install LED retrofit can lights yourself, you’ll need all the help you can get. This is not as easy of a task as it might seem. Making mistakes is common, and those mistakes often result in costly reparations – costlier than the price you’d pay for the installation done by the professionals.

So, be sure to do thorough research before attempting this yourself. Here are some basic tips for a proper LED recessed lighting retrofit installation:

Proper Preparation

It’s always best to measure twice and cut once. Plan ahead, decide exactly the light pattern you want and think ahead about what you’ll do if you encounter problems. Any dimmers, timers, or occupancy sensors must be appropriate for the lights, so make sure they are compatible.

Cutting the Holes

The most common problem encountered with LED recessed lighting is improperly cut holes. Too wide, and the lights will fall out, too tight and you risk damaging the ceiling trying to widen them. Make sure all your measurements are correct.

Often, our commercial customers will opt for a new LED can light fixture from Philips light to go program, which comes with an adjustable lumen output. While more money, they is a better long term option.

Retrofitting can lights will not only make your home or office look nice, but it will also bring you countless benefits, so don’t delay! Reach out to Verde for additional assistance!

Signs Your Restaurant Needs to Replace Its Rooftop Unit HVAC

lincoln park

The life expectancy of a rooftop unit (also known as RTU) HVAC system can be anywhere from 10 to 30 years, and it goes without saying that a well-maintained unit will last longer than a neglected one.

A good and functional RTU HVAC system is essential for all restaurants. Not only does it ensure the guests and employees are comfortable, but it also helps your restaurant decrease spending, and it provides your establishment with better indoor air quality.

Let’s take a closer look at what exactly an RTU HVAC system is, and what signs to look out for that’ll tell you whether it needs replacing:

What Exactly is an RTU HVAC System?

A rooftop unit HVAC system is an HVAC system that’s located in the roof of a building and serves to provide air conditioning, as well as heating for various establishments and homes.

It’s important to learn to distinguish an RTU HVAC system from other systems that can also be located in the roof of a building. Typically, besides an RTU, you’ll find either split-system air conditioning condensers, or water-cooled chiller systems, for example.

RTU HVAC systems are different from both of these. They’re often called “packaged units” since they include both the air conditioning system and the heating system.

Your restaurant’s RTU HVAC will include equipment needed for absorbing heat, which is known as an AC evaporator coil. It will also have an AC condenser coil that releases heat and an AC compressor – a crucial component of the air conditioning system. Lastly, it will contain a heat source, a fan for blowing hot or cold air through the ducts, and an intake for outside air which serves to improve ventilation.

When to Change Your Restaurant’s RTU HVAC System

Typically, your RTU HVAC system will let you know if it needs changing. There are plenty of tell-tale signs, one of them simply being an outdated system that’s been serving you for over 20 years. Some of the other most common signs include:

Higher Electricity Bills Than Normal

Al older RTU HVAC system will lose its efficiency. It’ll start draining more electrical energy while failing to properly heat up or cool down your restaurant. If there’s no other explanation for the higher electrical bills, you’re probably looking at an inefficient RTU HVAC that needs immediate replacement.

Odd Noises Coming from the RTU HVAC

Strange sounds, such as buzzes and bangs, coming from your HVAC often indicate that there’s a problem inside the system, often with a very high price tag. It’s best to call a professional who can do a thorough inspection of the system so that they can tell you exactly what the problem is.

Costly Repairs

When there’s a problem with your existing RTU HVAC system and you’ve called someone to fix it, if it turns out that the cost of repairs is higher than 25-50% of the cost of a new one, it’s best to invest in a new system.

Frequent Breakdowns

Even if the cost of repairs is much lower than 25% of a new RTU HVAC system, if you constantly find yourself needing to call for repairs, a new system is a smarter expense. Frequent breakdowns are often a sign of a bigger problem, so rather than treating the symptoms, it’s better to get rid of your old system.

New RTU HVAC systems are a costly investment, but they’re well worth it. To ensure your restaurant’s system is as efficient as possible, it’s advisable to schedule annual maintenance checks. Schedule your maintenance check with Verde today!

Why Use LED Parking Lot Lights for Your Business

how to convert parking lot to led

If you own or manage a parking lot that’s not properly lit, you are risking wasting your time and money. Additionally, you also risk jeopardizing the financial and physical safety of the people who entrust you with their vehicles. Having bright and evenly distributed LED parking lot lights should be the top priority for anyone running a parking lot.

But, how can you make sure that you’re making the best lighting choice?

By using LED lighting technology.

Here’s why LED parking lot lights are considered the best possible choice for your property, both for internal parking lots and exterior parking lots.

High-Quality LED Parking Lot Lights

LED lighting technology relies on multipoint design to distribute light evenly throughout the desired area. This is especially important when it comes to parking lots. During the night, a good parking lot light serves as protection against criminals, especially if the lot is unguarded. Even distribution eliminates dark spots and gaps in security camera coverage.

But in addition to that, LED lighting technology produces brighter and crisper light than other lighting solutions. This too contributes to the safety of a parking lot, along with a wide range of color temperatures and options to increase the visual perception of brightness that is available on the market.

You’ve seen businesses with the white crisp light of LED – it looks safer, modern and well lit. You’ve seen the poorly lit business with a yellow looking light – half the lights are burnt out or dimmed, and it looks a bit shady. LED lighting is simply more modern and safer looking.

Reduced Energy Consumption

To a responsible parking lot owner, safety is the number one concern.

However, running a parking lot is like running any other business. If your main asset isn’t profitable enough, then there’s not much point in investing in it. And in terms of lighting, most parking lots are huge energy consumers. The average wattage for a HID lit parking lot ranges from 400 to 1000 watts which is a lot of money on electricity bills alone. In addition, old lights have an outdated ballast, which also pulls a lot of power. And get this – you are paying for that electricity draw even if the light is burnt out!

Making the switch from HID lighting to LED parking lot lights may require some initial investment, but it pays off in the long run. In comparison to HID lighting, LED parking lot lighting boasts a significantly lower wattage – our customers see between 60-80% reduction in energy usage when they switch to LED lights for their parking lots.

led parking lot light conversion

Reduced Maintenance Costs

In addition to emitting more light for less energy, LED fixtures are also much more durable than HID fixtures. And there’s no need to replace them as soon as the fuel source is reduced, as LED lights will continue to function with gradually lower capacity until the fuel source is fully depleted.

So not only are LED light cost-efficient enough to reduce your energy spending and expenses. But they are also extremely easy to maintain. This is yet another financial benefit of switching to a LED lighting solution, as frequent maintenance time, manpower, and resources can be costly as well.

And typically, outdoor lights need a bucket truck or lift rented for access – and those are very expensive. So what could be a few hundred dollars to repair can cost up to a thousand, so reduced maintenance is huge for exterior parking lot lighting.

No Buzzing

Managing a parking lot for a company, organization, or any other kind of public institution requires you to maintain the area in accordance with professional standards. Buzzing doesn’t leave the best first impression.

However old, LED parking lot light technology will never greet your visitors with buzzing. You notice the difference on day one after a lighting retrofit. The irritating buzz you hear from an old fluorescent light fixture is a telltale sign of a worn-out ballast. But what exactly is going on inside that box to create that sound? There are two main culprits:

Firstly, ballasts regulate the electrical current flowing to the fluorescent bulb. In older models, this regulation happens through a process called magnetic induction. Imagine tiny metal plates inside the ballast vibrating rapidly as they convert current. Over time, these plates can become loose or misaligned, causing them to physically rattle and erzeugen that annoying buzz. Additionally, the magnetic field generated by the induction process itself can sometimes induce vibrations in other components of the fixture, amplifying the noise.

Secondly, as ballasts age, their ability to properly regulate voltage can deteriorate. This leads to a phenomenon called “restriking,” where the arc inside the bulb repeatedly extinguishes and reignites at a rapid rate. Each restrike creates a tiny surge of current, and these surges, happening hundreds of times per second, can manifest as a buzzing sound. Additionally, worn-out components within the ballast itself can begin to vibrate under the electrical strain, further contributing to the noise.

While a buzzing ballast might seem like a minor annoyance, it’s important to remember that it’s a sign of underlying issues. Ignoring it can lead to decreased light output, flickering, and even potential fire hazards. So, if your fluorescent lights are serenading you with an unwanted electrical hum, consider replacing the ballast for a quieter and safer lighting experience.

Are LED Lights Really Brighter Than Old Lighting?

Outdoor lighting color temperature is an important factor to consider when creating the perfect ambiance for your business or community building. It can affect the mood, safety, and even the way you see your plants and landscaping – how the building is perceived by the public at night when you are open or closed. This can be critical for many reasons – and this is different for a fire station than a McDonalds – so you should be thoughtful on what you want to communicate.

Warm white light (2700K-3500K) is a popular choice for indoor lighting because it creates a cozy and inviting atmosphere. It’s similar to the color of incandescent bulbs and is often used in string lights, lanterns, and path lights. Warm white light is a good choice for areas where you want to relax and entertain, such as a patio or deck.

Cool white light (4000K-5000K) is a brighter and more energizing light. It’s often used in security lights and floodlights, as it can help to deter crime and improve visibility. Cool white light can also be used in areas where you need to perform tasks, such as a garage or workshop. It is our preferred choice, closer to 5000k, for parking lot lights and garage lighting. However, often 4000k is more standard in terms of what might be stocked at local supply houses and hardware stores.

Daylight white light (6500K) is the closest color to natural daylight. It’s not often used in commercial and industrial settings, but it can also be used in outdoor lighting. Daylight white light can help to improve visibility and make colors appear more natural. Typically, we find 6500k lights to be too blue and harsh, so we do not recommend it for our clients – even though it is closer to what natural sunlight is measured at outside. But it is hard to replicate mother nature, in many ways.

Can LED Lights Adjust Color Temperature and Lumens?

One of the best recent innovations is that many lights come with a kelvin selector, often from 2700k to 5000k. This means you can have just one light in stock and it can make multiple adjustments when in the field. This helps problem solve color temperature concerns when they come up – as the light can just be adjusted even after installed. The lights do this by having several LED strips that are 3,000 and 5,000 kelvin for example, and both of them are illuminated to create 4,000 kelvin.

oudoor lighting

Another recently innovation is to have lights have several different wattage and lumen selectors. For example, a common garage light that we use from Signify have 40 watts, 60 watts, and 80 watts adjustable on the same fixture. This again let’s us put more or less light out to satisfy a customer’s needs, but more importantly, let’s us have a lot of inventory that can help different situations. This may not seem important, but it leads to lower SKUs of inventory, and we can pass savings onto our customers.

Advanced LED Parking Lot Lights Controls

If you’re using occupancy sensors or photocells as a safety measure, it’s important to know that LED parking lot lights pair perfectly with advanced controls such as these two. LED drivers are more responsive. This allows you to turn on or dim lights on your parking lot in just a second or two.

LED lighting technology is simply the best possible solution for creating and maintaining a safe parking lot. It also helps that it won’t bankrupt you. Being both cost-efficient and maintenance-friendly, LED lights are your go-to source of crisp, bright, and long-lasting lighting.

Old lighting can typically turn on or off with a photocell or timer switch, but those often fail over time. LED lights can integrate to a more nuanced control system, measuring light and occupany and setting those lights to those levels as appropriate. In fact, an LED system can dim until a person enters, making that person feel safer (or more watched) but always allowing some level of light.

Mercury in Fluorescent and HID Bulbs

Fluorescent bulbs and High Intensity Discharge Lights (HID – think large round outdoor lights) contain a hidden danger: mercury. This toxic heavy metal poses a significant threat to the environment and human health when these bulbs break or are disposed of improperly. In fact, all of our energy efficiency projects include the task or recycling old fluorescent and HID lamps, so the mercury does not end up in the landfills, waterways, or air that we breath.

When fluorescent bulbs break, the mercury inside is released into the air, contaminating the surrounding environment. It can then settle onto dust particles, enter waterways, or be absorbed by plants and soil. This widespread contamination poses a risk to wildlife, as mercury bioaccumulates up the food chain, reaching dangerous levels in animals like fish and birds.

Humans are primarily exposed to mercury through contaminated seafood. Consuming fish with high levels of mercury can lead to a range of health problems, including neurological damage, developmental delays, and even death. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to these effects.

The Shift Towards Safer Lighting Solutions

Fortunately, there are safer alternatives to fluorescent bulbs. LED lights are now widely available, offering comparable energy efficiency without the mercury hazard. By switching to LED lights, we can protect our environment and safeguard human health for generations to come.

The mercury in old lighting poses a serious threat to the environment and human health. By transitioning to safer alternatives like LED lights, we can create a brighter future for all.

What About Indoor Parking Lot Lights for LED Conversions?

Indoor parking lots, like their exterior counterparts, have a lot of the same properties as outdoor lighting with one big difference. Often, indoor parking garages have lighting on for 24 hours, vs an outdoor lighting that is usually just at night.

So that means any investment in an LED conversion will have twice the benefit, a faster payback, and a better Return on Investment. Read here to see what impacts the energy savings formula in your business or building.

In addition, since indoor parking lights often have some ambient light during the day – they are even a better candidate for advanced lighting controls or sensors than outdoor lights. We have seen great success with indoor parking garages with integrated controls, both because the lights save energy and have great functionality, but also because they often qualify for greater rebates from utility programs.

Get started today with Verde to help you convert your metal halide, HID or fluorescent lighting in your parking lot to LED.

Why We Believe in Being an L3C Company

Night and security led

Social Enterprise is when mission and profitability get combined.  There are lots of types of entities that meet this generalization, including B-Corp, Benefit Corporations and L3Cs.  These companies are nuanced slightly differently, with Warby Parker being perhaps the most famous example.

Social enterprises often believe in a triple bottom line, including profit, social and environmental good.  While these can be incredibly hard to just alone be profitable as a company, often having a triple bottom line can help drive profitability.

L3C – Limited Liability Low Profit Corporation

L3Cs have a terrible name and marketing issue – the term low profitability.  There is actually no limit to the profit that you can make as an L3C, so this creates a lot of confusion in the marketplace. In fact, this was our original logo and we moved away from it because of the confusion it created.

Verde L3C States 2020

L3Cs are written into your operating agreement and organization in your state, and are allowed in Illinois, Kansas,Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota,Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming.  While the L3C states 2020 and 2021 are expected to grow – it really determines the IRS rules and regulations on the Program Related Investment (PRI) in true adoption of this entity status. While L3Cs can operate in any state, it really just comes down to what state you’d like to incorporate in.  Verde is fortunate to be located in Illinois, one of the L3C states 2019 and earlier.

Limited liability low profit corporationss operate like any other company, but must work within their areas of social focus. Our area of focus is energy efficiency and sustainability, but L3Cs can work within a large range of social issues.

You might ask why the L3C status at all, and why paint your business in a corner.  Well, L3Cs are designed for foundational loans at below market rates.  What does this mean – let’s unpack that statement.

Foundations are large institutions that receive donations from individuals, typically wealthy individuals or businesses.  In order to avoid paying taxes on these donations, foundations must give away 5% of their net worth annually to maintain their tax deductible status.  Almost all of their giving is grants – large amounts of money that do not need to be repaid.  However, some of that giving can be in terms of loans, and this is often applied for large low-income housing projects.

L3Cs can receive this low interest loan from a foundation that is within their social focus.  While I thought this was a really interest concept when I first formed Verde in 2010, I now see how transformative it is and how it can be used.  First – Verde lives and dies on our Line of Credit.  We currently have $1,200,000 of credit from our bank tied up in our inventory and our invoices due from customers.  We rely on this line to pay our vendors and employees and rent, when it sometimes takes our clients 60 or even 90 days to pay us.

Additionally, a lot of environmental work is tied to the interest rate.  If you want to spend $50,000 on your business to save $25,000 a year in electricity, you either need to have the $50k in the bank saved, or borrow it.  If the interest rate gets high, or if you lack the credit, you can get stuck in they cycle of never moving forward with a project.  Foundational giving can help fill in the void of traditional banking, as a real way to stimulate growth that may not otherwise happen.

That being said, a lot of foundations are risk averse and stick to the traditional form of funding through grants.  The future is bright, but currently, Verde just works to stick to our values and does not benefit from foundational giving.

Why not just run a non-profit instead of an L3C?

Non-profits are essential, and I don’t want to disrespect my friends in those entities with what I am about to say.  Non profits have several fundamental problems – first, they are stuck in a cycle of needing to ask others for money and fundraise.  Often, non-profits spend as much as 20% of their donations on raising more money.

Additionally, our economy as a low profit company is driven by clients and customers paying for things that they value.  We have too grand an environmental issues to be solved by giving alone – and we need real business solutions to solve them.  As Verde is driven by clients and customer revenue, we continue to evolve based on those findings.  We feel that we can operate in this space faster and better than a non-profit, and do more exciting sustainable growth.  We hope our success creates copycat companies around the country, so our impact can be replicable and scalable.  We also intend to be the industry leader in this space, growing throughout the country as well when we are willing and able.

We believe the environment is stressed.

We are a privately owned company, and we don’t need scientists on each side to prove this is right or wrong.  We feel that there is enough evidence that our climate is stressed, and that collectively, we need to act now.  There is not one cold day or one hot day proving this fact, but hundreds of years of humans burning fossil fuels and removing wilderness that has put us in this situation.

We needs hundreds and thousands and millions of individuals and entities working in usison on this issue.  At Verde, we are around 30 individuals working in our own way to reduce electricity and natural gas usage in our business community.

We believe that environmental action is a benefit and not a liability.

We often get too caught up arguing about how much it will cost to save the environment, that we walk right past hundreds of small solutions in the process.

Benefits are just over a time period and need prioritization now.  If you are a business, you need to make the trade off every day in spending today in operational cost savings vs bringing in new customers.  We don’t always make the right choice, but we at least deserve the right information to make the choice.  Solar panels can seem like a far off benefit, but do you really have the information on how much it will cost and how much it will save?  Are there tax benefits to doing so, and are there incentives from your local utility that might help drive your decision?

Energy efficiency and other sustainable actions can be found in unexpected places, you just need to know where to look to find these opportunities.  If you are not looking, you won’t find them.

We believe in taking care of our employees as a leading L3C.

As a former firefighter, I was well taken care of in terms of pay and retirement benefits.  In fact, I didn’t appreciate how important the healthcare benefits were until I left the department and had kids on COBRA.  Wowsers, and I can definitely say that without Obamacare, I would likely have had to taken a different job to get insurance for my family and our “pre-existing conditions”.

However, I served as a union steward and found that our employer often just plain didn’t respect us and some of our most basic rights.  We would be asked questions about why we were sick, had little support for mental health coverage, and I felt that FMLA protections were used against us at every opportunity possible.  I was once put on mental health leave for several weeks because of concerns I brought up about suicide.  I am sure I didn’t handle that situation correctly, but it was hard to see how the village management cared about me or valued me as a person.

While not perfect in execution (we make mistakes), we try to do right by our employees.  We provide health insurance, pay people to work through our slow times, match 401k contributions, pay off school loans in Peanut Butter contributions, and provide unlimited time off to employees with notice.  Again, we are not perfect, but we believe that if we take care of our employees, that they will take care of our clients and the profit will follow – and I feel that the research is on our side on this one.

We believe the problems our society face are too big for one answer.

The federal government can be relied on for some things, like protecting our borders from real and imagined invasions, as well as roads, bank regulation, etc.  However, the problem we face is too large for our government to figure out, so we need lots of little companies like ours fighting side by side.  Come join us.

We believe Illinois is the answer and a great playground for experimentation.

Illinois gets a bad wrap.  Many complain about the high taxes, pension debt (I did my part by giving an interest free loan to the fire pension for eleven years), and other crime issues in Chicago.

However, Chicago has a story that is not told enough – a small community that built itself up from nothing by just a few civic leaders.  Those civic leaders financed and dredged the canals that made us the center of transportation, then led to the eventual rail and air importance that is Chicago today.

Our civic leaders continue to lead together.  Civic leaders helped push and shape the L3C law that Verde formed under in 2010. Civic leaders helped develop the 1871 tech incubator in Chicago, where Verde was formed and found our first 30 customers.  Civic leaders helped form the FEJA law, which drives over $400,000,000 of spending in energy efficiency in Illinois in 2019 and make Illinois very attractive for us. Civic leaders are also continuing to help make Illinois a destination for solar PV investment, to match the last generation of wind investment we received.

Finally, our low cost for energy also makes us interesting.  As the saying goes, if you can play in Chicago as an energy efficiency company, you can play anywhere.  Most coastal states have 2 or 3 times our energy costs.

We believe younger workers can be engaged in their work.

Millenials get a bad wrap for not working hard from much of the traditional business community.  However, I have found our young workers to be incredible employees, especially when finding those that are passionate about sustainability (and there is no shortage in that generation).  I’m a bit older and more of an outlier in my generation, but the young work harder than anyone when engaged and care more about mission than pay.

It doesn’t mean every employee is a perfect fit just because they care about the environment.  We don’t believe in keeping people around that are not a cultural fit, as hard as it can be.  However, I believe we have a higher success rate with employees than comparable firms because we seek out individuals with passion that meets our own.

Proof is in the pudding.

This is where we brag a bit, or at least provide evidence of why our philosophy is worth paying attention to.  In 2018, we were the most cost effective (lowest $/kWh at $.16) partner in public sector small facilities program in Illinois.  In 2017 and 2108, we were Partner of the Year for the Small Business Offering in Comed territory, the only two years that they have given away the “Stanley Cup” of energy efficiency.  In 2016, we were awarded the most comprehensive partner by Comed Small Business Energy Savings Program, showing our depth and willingness to learn.

L3C Profitability

Finally, we have been profitable for the last 6 years, while increasing our revenue from 2013 to 2018 by a factor of 80 times.  We stress protecting the environment and our mission over profit, but we still believe as profit as the solution, not the problem. 

2019 IL Grant Guide

Verde Energy Efficiency Experts 10 Most Sustainable Companies in Chicago

most sustainable companies

In our energy efficiency consulting firm, we constantly look for inspiration from local companies that lead and innovate in clean energy and sustainability.  Not all companies have billion dollar budgets, but that doesn’t mean that small companies can’t steal their innovative ideas around energy efficiency, supply chain consideration, transportation, and even renewable power. 

There are lots of great sustainability and environmental companies in Chicago.  While we are not as well known for this industry as the California and the East Coast – we bring a unique blend and spin.  I always say, because Chicago has cheap energy rates and very inexpensive landfill costs – if you can do it in Illinois, the model will work anywhere in the United States.  So that makes us a tougher location to be green, but a more sustained place to search and find a business model for our work.  Our unique blend of climate, utility rebates, and supporting state regulations makes us an ideal candidate to be one of the leading metro cities for environmental work.  

Large corporations have and do continue to be leaders – from United Airlines to JLL, with many in between.  But the real work happens at the midsize and local level, and we are inspired by those that break the mold and grown and create good sustainability jobs in Chicago. 

This is our list of the Verde Energy Efficiency’s Top 10 Sustainable Companies. With a combination of large and small players, we feel that companies of all sizes can find some inspiration from this group.  Please let us know if you think your company should make our list, or if you have any other feedback on our top environmental company list.  

1. Northwestern University – Most Sustainable Companies

northwestern most sustainable company

Northwestern University has a clear commitment to the environment, and it shows from its top down leadership style.  The top leadership in the University believes in the importance of this approach, and you can see it written all over their communication and actions.

In our experience, Northwestern has been a leader in their investment in solar power production on site.  Two years ago, they worked hard to put together a Strategic Sustainability Plan, and since then, have certified a LEED Platinum building, won the 2018 Energy Star Partner of the Year, added 16 electric vehicles to their fleet, and diverted 38 percent of campus waste from landfills through recycling, composting and reusing material.  That is a lot of reasons for incoming students to be inspired, giving Northwestern a unique edge in top Universities in the country.

After installing 2 huge solar PV arrays, they have the ambitious goal of net zero usage by 2050.  While I am a University of Chicago graduate myself, I find their efforts inspirational and look forward to what they do in the future.  Huge universities use an incredible amount of energy, therefore, they have a great opportunity to lead the next generation of students and partners through their work.

One other interesting note – sustainability leads at Northwestern, Loyola, University of Chicago, UIC, as well as our vast diverse array of community colleges – regularly meet and share ideas and strategy.  We think this will lead to a multiplier effect, as well as some healthy competition to out “green” each other, and look forward to this being one of the top areas of innovation among sustainability companies in Chicago.

2. Delta Institute – Most Sustainable Companies

most sustainable company non profit

If you work in the environmental world in Chicago, then you know the Delta Institute.  You may not always know what they do, because they cross such a broad spectrum of projects, but they impact you one way or another.

Delta has been around since 1998, and provided crucial leadership on all topics sustainability in Chicago.  One of my favorite initiatives of the Delta Institute is their Emerging Leaders Board, and in fact, two of Verde’s employees have been involved in this board and always come back inspired.

As a well funded non-profit, Delta often works as a consultant to fill in gaps in the current community.  From supporting sustainability at the Field Museum, to composting pilots and driving recycling, they are in our community and doing amazing things.

  • Founded: 1998
  • Areas of focus: Climate change, agriculture, water, community development
  • Impact: Supported 5 million Midwesterners, transitioned 1,000 acres to conservation practices, captured 100 million stormwater gallons

Some specific contributions of Delta Institute include:

  • Creating comprehensive implementation and funding plans for the Chicago Climate Action Plan
  • Collaborating with grassroots organizations on redevelopment efforts for closed coal power plants
  • Assisting municipalities with integrating natural climate solutions
  • Supporting farmers by providing resources and expertise for transitioning to sustainable practices
  • Organizing the BOOST competition for sustainable startups in Chicago

3. Invenergy – Most Sustainable Companies

most sustainable company

When it comes to brilliant entrepreneurs in Chicago, Michael Polsky is at the top of the list.  It helps that he has made his money in clean energy endeavors, originally with SkyGen Energy.

Today, he runs Invenergy, a profitable entity that provides power generation and storage solutions at scale around the world to create a cleaner energy future.  If there is large scale wind of PV production, Invenergy likely touches it in one way or another.  Considering the problem at hand in our environment, we need big players like Invenergy to show us how profitability and clean energy are not mutually exclusive.

Through their portfolio of clean and efficient projects, Invenergy claims to have offset 64.7 million tons of C02, equivalent to 1,505,790,651 urban trees planted.  Thats a lot of green, and shows that experienced entrepreneurs dabbling in the sustainability realm could lead to a lot of good.   

Invenergy also has a venture capital investment arm – stimulating future business growth in Chicago.  Here are some highlights about Invenergy that you may not know.  

  • Job creation: Their presence provides valuable employment opportunities for Chicago residents, contributing to the city’s economic growth.
  • Project portfolio: Invenergy develops, owns, and operates renewable energy projects across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. This global reach brings expertise and innovation back to Chicago.
  • Clean energy leadership: They play a crucial role in advancing the clean energy transition, offsetting millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions through their projects.
  • Technological advancements: Invenergy invests in research and development, exploring new technologies for clean energy generation and storage, contributing to broader progress in the field.
  • Collaboration with local organizations: Invenergy partners with various Chicago-based organizations and institutions, fostering collaboration and driving sustainability initiatives forward.
  • Invenergy received positive recognition for their work, including being named one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by Ethisphere Institute.

 

4. Center For Neighborhood Technology

Number 4 on our list of most sustainable and clean energy companies Chicago has to offer is The Center for Neighborhood Technology.  CNT is an environmental think tank that has helped shape and develop Chicago’s sustainability movement since 1978.  CNT was founded by a group of passionate visionary’s that have gone on to influence Chicago’s environmental energy, water, transportation and recycling initiatives.

CNT focuses on data usage and technology, with their H+T Index for housing and transportation,  They also provide a home for future generations of sustainability leadership, including an active internship program and new ventures.  CNT spun off Elevate Energy, as well as I-GO Car Sharing, and countless other partnerships and ventures.  Their board has included some incredible entrepreneurs and sustainability leaders, and they draw in and help train the next generation of leaders in Chicagoland.  

CNT is a thought leader in Chicago, and continues to impact the community locally and nationally on environmental policy topics.  Founded in 1978 with some of the best leaders in the environmental movement, it is no surprise that they continue to be a top environmental company today in Chicago.  

With a robust environmental intern program, they not only foster their own talent, but also talent that contributes throughout many other companies and non-profit on this list.  

Focus Areas:

  • Economic Development and Poverty Reduction: CNT works to improve job opportunities, reduce the cost of living, and support local businesses in underserved communities. They promote strategies like local hiring, equitable development, and access to financial resources.
  • Climate Resilience: CNT helps communities adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events and rising sea levels. They design and implement nature-based solutions like green infrastructure and urban agriculture, reducing flood risk and improving air quality.
  • Urban Analytics: CNT leverages data and technology to inform decision-making and track progress towards sustainability goals. They develop tools and resources like the H+T Index for housing and transportation affordability, empowering communities to advocate for change.

5. Big Thorn Farm

There are lots of exciting initiatives going on in the craft brewery industry in Illinois.  With the move of Lagunitas to Chicago in 2012 because of our huge fresh water resource in Lake Michigan, and the explosive growth of Half Acre, Two Brothers, and Revolution (to just name a few), these energy users seem to really understand the importance of sustainability in their craft (pun intended).  Big Thorn Farm definitely pushes the limit of green companies Chicago hosts, with an offgrid farmhouse brewery in Central Illinois.

While currently run on solar power, they are in the process of installing a wind turbine to expand their renewable production.  In addition to using farm ingredients, this small farm brewery is a great role model for the entire Illinois brewery community.

A little further south than most would consider to be Chicagoland, they are worth the trip and we are thinking – road trip (in a bus, of course).

6. LuminAID

LuminAID is an innovative startup that creates solar powered LED “pillows”.  Small solar panels charge up enough energy for LED lamps to run for areas in need. Well designed for areas without access to electricity or during natural disasters relief, these have a buy one give one concept to share with the developing world.

While these innovative approaches on a small micro scale might not seem like much, they really can be.  While not designed for places with reliable sources to energy, they are a physical tool that can use solar PV to get a small amount of light or charge a cell phone.  Who knows if the next generation isn’t keeping these pillows against their windows during the day to read books at night, understanding net zero usage and being inspired from a young age.

Impact:

  • Distributed over 150,000 solar lanterns globally, impacting millions of lives in over 80 countries.
  • Partnered with various humanitarian organizations like UNICEF and the Red Cross to provide light during disasters and crises.
  • Promoted solar energy adoption, raising awareness about renewable energy and combating climate change.
  • Supported local businesses and communities by collaborating with artisans and manufacturers in developing countries.
  • LuminAID operates based on the “Buy One, Give One” model, donating a solar lantern to someone in need for every one purchased.
  • They prioritize sustainable practices throughout their business operations and product design.
  • The company has been recognized for its innovative work, receiving awards like the Fast Company Social Impact Award and the Good Design Award.

7. Abt Electronics

most sustainable retail company

Abt Electronics, number 7 on our list of most sustainable companies, is not what you would think of in an innovative sustainable company.  Abt has been a staple in the suburbs of Chicago since 1936.  However, they have been innovating quietly in this area for years, while still driving a successful business that has a strong brand around the country.

“Putting Lights On Sensors And Recycling Paper Is One Thing, But Chicago’s Abt Has Its Own Recycling Plant And Runs Its 350,000-Square-Foot Store Completely Off The Grid.”  This is a quote off their website, but hidden deep with little emphasis in their marketing.  They not only have their own recycling plant, but also are completely off the grid with biodiesel, wind and solar PV.  They also recycle styrofoam, which even the City of Chicago won’t do.

This might sound interesting in theory, but if you have ever been to Abt and see the size and scale of what they do, you would be amazed.  It is like a Walmart on steroids – run off the grid!  They continue to inspire as one of the premier green companies in Chicago.

Abt is a leader on the environmental movement, quietly while excelling as a top company in their industry.  Anyone from Chicago that owns a home knows about Abt because of their excellent reputation.  While the core of their business is not sustainable, they show that a commitment to being a top environmental company comes with an added benefit – sustained profit. 

8. Meliora Cleaning Products

green companies chicago meliora

One of the best parts about our job at Verde is getting out and seeing the amazing manufacturing that happens in our great city.  We get a bad rap for having lost manufacturing – but we are still a titan of industry with capacities unparalleled in the world.

Meliora was built by Kate Jakubus and Mike Meyer, manufacturing safe and environmentally friendly cleaning products right here in the Chi.  One of the most admirable parts of their business is that they have dedicated to being a certified B corporation, which really makes sure businesses are practicing the hippie values that they say they are.

Meliora really reminds us of Method (another innovative Chicago manufacturer), but we have exciting ambitions for what Meliora will grow to in thier young and innovative stage.

9. Uncommon Ground

most sustainable companies in chicago

Number 8 on our list of most sustainable companies in Chicago is Uncommon Ground.  Every story needs a hero.  Uncommon Ground is the small success story that shows doing the right thing the right way can eventually pay off.  Since 1991, Michael and Helen Cameron have been running Uncommon Ground in Chicago and driving the farm to table movement way before it was a trend.

With locations in Lakeview and Edgewater, Uncommon Ground is home to the 1st organic rooftop farms in the US, beehives, and the first organic brewery in Illinois.  They allow tours of their farms to the public on the first Friday of each month from 5pm to sunset, inspiring the next generation of ecopreneurs.

They also have amazing food, which is really the only reason they are still in business after 28 years.  They continue to lead and inspire others via their groundbreaking work, which continues to this day.  

10. Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

For 160 years, Chicago’s Nature Museum has been at the forefront of conservation efforts in Chicago and the region.  

Not only do they have an entire museum dedicated to nature and conservation education right on our lakefront (our most precious natural resource), but they are at the forefront of the conversation around migratory birds.  Over 5,000 birds collide with Chicago loops buildings each year, with more than half of those dying and the remainder needing care for to survive.  Organizations like the Nature Museum fill an advocate and research gap that our government does not provide.  They are a great leader to all of our most sustainable companies.

The museum is a great place to take kids and adults alike to be inspired – with deep looks into our water usage, natural habitat and marsh education, as well as a 2,700 square foot butterfly sanctuary.  I always walk away from the nature museum feeling inspired to respect our mother earth more, and it is definitely a great place to take kids.

Check out the Verde Energy Efficiency’s Top 10 Sustainable Companies for 2020 in Chicagoland, and let us know what you think!  If your business needs some inspiration on how to improve and become a future name on this list, please sign up for our energy efficiency audit for your business or government building today and let us dig into some of the fun ways you can also reduce impact and save money and energy. 

Jim Reidy

Jim Reidy

Jim likes numbers and streamlining systems and processes, like a lot. A graduate of Saint Louis University, majoring in Accounting and IT Management Jim also brings an incredible passion for conservation and environmental causes after joining the Wilderness Adventure Club at SLU.

When Jim isn’t getting nerdy with numbers, you can find him spending his free time backpacking, hiking, canoeing or cheering on West Ham United from a local pub. He lives with his wife in Ravenswood/Lincoln Square and enjoys discovering local gems in the neighborhood.

The Light the Way Energy Efficiency Grant Program

installations

When it comes to non-profits, operational costs can really affect a bottom line. and in turn, program funding. Running brick and mortar establishment adds up, but also an absolute must for many organizations making a big impact in the Chicagoland area.  Food pantries, shelters, warehouses, and offices are just a few examples of opportunities for energy reduction. Charities need to worry about keeping the lights on and also keeping their programs funded. Verde Energy Efficiency Experts is proud to present the Light the Way Energy Efficiency grant, which is intended to help organizations large and small with their energy efficiency projects.

In order to be considered for the energy efficiency grant, an assessment of the facility must be completed with Verde, in order to identify energy-saving measures. Once the assessment is complete, a comprehensive report will be provided in order for decision makers to review our cost-saving recommendations.

We’ll look from floor to roof to see if your organization might benefit from measures such as LED retrofits,  advanced lighting controls, smart thermostats, HVAC, commercial refrigeration solutions and more.

We not only make the recommendations,  but we install the solutions ourselves and stand by our work with a three-year warranty, assuring that we have your back, even if a bulb goes out.

After install, you can enjoy the benefits of a more welcoming, comfortable and functional environment that is also sustainable, energy efficient and financially sound.  We want to help Chicagoland organizations stop worrying about keeping the lights on and save their energy and money to furthering their missions.

Know a worthy organization that could stand to benefit from the gift of an energy efficiency grant and lower their operational costs?

Smart Thermostats in 2023

smart thermostats in 2020

Smart Thermostats are…well, Smart

Your complete guide to Smart Thermostats for both Commercial and Residential applications in 2023

There is no doubt that smart thermostats save energy, or this article would be about a cool tech gadget instead of an impactful product that sold over $1.36 billion dollars in smart thermostats in 2017.  Nest and Ecobee are the two big brand names in this space, although there are an increasing number of players in 2018. Google and Amazon are getting in the mix as well, integrating their cloud based voice functionality and platforms, with more integrations coming soon.

Smart thermostats save energy by being a really sophisticated programmable thermostat, as well as by adding cool tech like motion sensors and smart phone integration.  There is enough research into these products, as of 2018, to show that they do show significant energy savings, both on the electric and gas side (as they control both AC and heating).  This savings is different depending on where you live in the United States, as Floridians would save more on the electric energy usage, while an Alaskan will see some killer savings on gas.

HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) accounts for 37% of residential usage, and 44% of a commercial buildings energy usage is HVAC.  This means that in order to significantly reduce the energy usage in a building or home, the HVAC system cannot be ignored.

A smart thermostats is an affordable way to save energy in HVAC, since lowering or raising the temperature controls is its major function.  Upgrading your heating unit to a high efficiency furnace, or upgrading your AC unit to a higher efficiency unit is expensive. Replacing your smart thermostat is affordable, and can maximize the efficiency of your current units.

Cost of a Smart Thermostat

Upgrading a thermostat to a smart thermostat is rather affordable, usually less than $500 if done with a professional.  Doing it yourself can bring that cost down, and if you are eligible for utility rebates, you can bring that cost down even further.

Most units for residential cost between $150 and $300 in 2023.  Most commercial units cost slightly higher, but of course, the savings are higher on a commercial property due to heavier usage, so the higher cost is not as big of a deal.  More detailed pricing on individual units are available below.

smart thermostat installationLabor for installing a smart thermostat can run from $99 to $299, depending on how complicated your HVAC system is.  Our company, Verde Energy Efficiency Experts, offers residential Smart Thermostat installs for $99 each. We offer a complete package for commercial customers as well, which can run as little as $75 for both the labor and installation, if eligible for both the best gas and electric smart thermostat incentives (based on your size and usage).

Cost of Replacing Your HVAC Unit

The cost of replacing your commercial HVAC unit can range from $5,000 to $20,000 and up, depending on your size and style.  Rooftop RTUs are very common in commercial applications, and those are usually 5 ton to 20 ton in cooling capacity. Unfortunately, the heating efficiency is typically maxed out at 80% for a rooftop RTU, but the cooling capacity increases with each generation.  In fact, CEE Tier 2 efficiency RTUs are seeing some fantastic efficiency improvements.

If you are able to add an economizer to your rooftop HVAC unit, you can see further advancements in both AC and heating savings.  Restaurants especially can see high gains in efficiency on their AC, since their kitchens can often be 90 degrees on a autumn or spring day.  Opening up the economizer to bring in fresh air from outside can avoid trying to cool off that hot kitchen air.

However, economizers are also highly effective when there are a lot of people in a small space.  People’s bodies create a ton of heat, and when densely packed in a theater or other space, can require AC on even a 40 degree day.  Economizers will open up and bring in fresh air, saving a ton of energy be not running the compressor.

Advanced Air Balancing and Kitchen DCV Systems

In addition, kitchen equipment can create the need from exhaust fans above them to remove the smoke and CO2 generated.  This sucks (pun intended), as it pulls conditioned air out of the building, creating a negative pressure. This means that every time a door opens, hot or cold air from the outside rushes in and needs to be recooled or reheated. A Kitchen demand control ventilation system will match the exhaust fan to the cooking equipment, significantly reducing the amount of air that is pulled out of the building.

This type of sophisticated programming is currently not offered by smart thermostats, but instead through a separate system that will communicated with the smart thermostat.  We have seen great success on comfort for restaurants employees and customers with this set up, and it is a great match for a smart thermostat.

Repairing Your HVAC Unit

Often, and usually on the hottest or coldest day of the year, your furnace or AC unit will quit.  At this time, you can be forced to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to get your existing unit up and running again.  It is often impossible to react quickly and get a new high efficiency unit in place, so this is often not the ideal time to upgrade your unit.

HVAC technicians are often creatures of habits, and prefer to install a unit that is older and within their comfort zone, then recommend a newer unit that might be more complicated than they are comfortable performing maintenance.

Instead, it is better to perform “early replacement” of your HVAC units, spending money to upgrade to a higher efficiency unit before the moment of failure.  This is easier said than done, but ultimately leads to the lowest cost overall to the building when including equipment costs, maintenance, and energy usage. It also allows you to pick your best option for a new equipment and then find someone to install it, instead of installing the equipment that your technician is comfortable installing.

Programmable Thermostats

Thermostats are basically a fancy on/off control for your HVAC unit.  Thermostats take the temperature in the space, and then tell the unit to heat or cool to get to the preset temperature.  The olden days of turning the heat down before going to bed were changed by the programmable thermostat, which is a unit that can be programmed to set based on the times of the day.

There is indisputable evidence that you can save energy by setting back your heat at night at home or for your business, and programmable thermostats help you accomplish this.

5-2 Programmable Thermostats

These thermostats can be programmed in two settings, a Monday through Friday for the work week, and a 2 day setting for the weekend. This unit is typically used in residential, or with a business that is only open Monday through Friday and the same hours each day when open.

One of the best parts of these thermostats is that they can be set to change the temperature before you actually need it. For example, if you have a standard thermostat in a retail store that opens at 9am, and get there a few minutes before opening, it can take an hour to get back to the desired temperature.  However, you can set the thermostat at night back even further and start the temperature change again an hour before opening. You would walk into a warm or properly cool business at opening time, and have comfortable customers to thank you.

7 Day Programmable Thermostats

These thermostats can be programmed for each day of the week, and are a much better option for businesses with varying hours or for religious facilities and community centers that have unusual hours.

Churches especially struggle with this, as they typically use their space on Sundays and a few days a week at odd hours.  A seven day thermostat can let the church save energy on those days not in usage, and control when the space is warmed or cooled properly.

Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat is a fancy programmable seven day thermostat, that goes a few steps further.

  • It often includes occupancy sensors in the thermostat, communicating to the thermostat when you are home or away.
  • Even furthermore, it will link to your smart phone and WIFI network to know when you are home or away.  When away, it will set back the temperature to save additional energy.
  • The smart thermostat can include “learning” software, which will try to learn your habits. If you always turn the thermostat down on Wednesday nights because you leave early for yoga, it will incorporate this pattern into your seven day schedule.
  • The normal thermostat will shut off the heating or cooling when it gets to temperature, but there is often a ton of hot or cool air in the system that needs to be pushed around.  A smart thermostat will try to predict this pattern, and shut off before it gets to temp and avoid overheating or cooling.
  • A smart thermostat includes control from your mobile app or computer.  This can often be invaluable for those times you travel, or forget to turn your temperature back.  You can control the temperature from your phone and save money when not at home or work. Even further, it gives business owners a sense of control over your business when employees may not consider energy savings as important.  You can monitor and even control the temperature when you are not there.

Ecobee

The Ecobee has a lot of options on the market, including several commercial units.  It also can include Alexa integration, which is a huge value add in this day of audio intelligence.

Ecobee4(Residential)- This is typically a residential unit, although it can be used in some residential applications.  In Chicagoland, you can purchase this unit for $249, and are eligible for a $100 rebate from the Comed Energy Efficiency Program.

ecobee4 smart thermostatEcobee EMS Si(Commercial)- This is a commercial unit, more able to control higher end commercial units that can control multi phase heating and cooling.  It can also include a power extender, which can solve the common issue of a lack of power availability to a smart thermostat. One big advantage of this unit is the availability of zigbee integration, which allows it to talk to your smart meter in Comed territory.  While much more expensive, this thermostat can include $250 of rebate for Small Businesses in Chicagoland, as well as an additional $100 from People’s Gas and Northshore Gas. We offer this thermostat installed to our commercial customers for $75, when eligible for both of these rebates.

ecobee ems siEcobee Smart Si(Residential) – This is a residential version of the EMS Si, much less expensive but with less functionality than the EMS Si.  It does have the same look and feel of the EMS Si, but lacks some of the functions required for commercial applications and does not work well when multiple thermostats are in the same space.

Ecobee Smart Occupancy Sensor – This smart occupancy light switch is amazing, as it also communicates another data point of temperature away from the thermostat.  You might have a cold kitchen, and this occupancy sensor can communicate that cold spot back to your thermostat. It also sheds some insight into the future capacity of our smart home, even more integrated than we can imagine today.  I am always thinking of creative ways to heat and cool homes with technology, and I did not see the occupancy sensor in the light switch coming. Very ingenious.

Nest

Nest 3rd Generation smart thermostatNest was the original smart thermostat, easy to use and intuitive in design.  Simply turning this unit up and down by turning the dial would drive the learning thermostat.  It also includes additional functionality, like settings that are sensitive to direct daylight on the thermostat, alerts and reporting for usage, among other innovations.  It is also incredibly easy to use, and includes an awesome screwdriver in the install kit. No seriously, the screwdriver is awesome. Nest was bought by Google a few years back, and has some serious data and research and development chops backing them.

Nest 3rd Generation Thermostat (Residential or Commercial)- this is the basic unit available to customers.  It has learning functionality, farsight (the ability to detect when you walk by), compatibility with 95% of the furnaces and AC units on the market, among a super easy install and operation.  The 3rd Generation Nest is $249, and eligible for a $100 incentive for residential and a $100 incentive for businesses through People’s Gas and North Shore Gas.

Nest E (Residential)- This newer unit is lower in price point, available as low as $69 after a $100 rebate in Comed territory.  This unit has much of the same functionality, although it seems like there is a lower level of compatibility with existing HVAC units and it lacks the farsight ability.  If you are price sensitive but want to get a smart thermostat, then this is the unit for you. I personally have the Nest 3rd Generation in my home and office and love the farsight functionality, and think it is worth the extra money. The Nest E is $169, and eligible for a $100 incentive for residential or a $100 incentive for businesses through People’s Gas and North Shore Gas (not both).

Honeywell

Honeywell has been a trusted name in thermostats for years, and really knows how to control HVAC units.  However, they have been a bit late to the smart thermostat game and are not as strong in making tech partnerships, like Nest and Ecobee.

Lyric(Residential)- The Lyric seems to be a competitor to Nest E and Ecobee4, very sleek and minimalistic in design.  The price point is around $149, has a lot of the similar offerings as Nest and Ecobee, as well as one call Geo-fencing.  This follows your activity and when you start heading home, it will get the temperature of your home up to your setting.

WiFi Smart Thermostat(Commercial or Residential)- This product is a bit more traditional, with a touch screen and larger interface.  It has an app and platform, like the Ecobee and Nest, and has a great compatibility with existing HVAC units due to their experience in the thermostat industry for years.  Price point is $179 to $199 and available for a $100 incentive in Chicagoland for both residential and commercial properties.

Lux

The Lux/Geo Wifi thermostat  lacks the color display of a Nest or Ecobee, but it has one strong advantage.  The Geo has the capacity to run the thermostat on 2 AA batteries. Both Nest and Ecobee have internal batteries, which makes it a dream to not have to replace batteries both environmentally, headaches, and cost.  However, these batteries are recharged through something called a c-wire, and sometimes this creates issues for these new smart thermostats.

Since older thermostats did not require electricity, this C Wire is often lacking and can create issues during install.  The Lux/Geo would be a great option when this problem exists, although replacing the batteries would be a pain. We would recommend trying the Ecobee Smart Si with the power extender instead, if you have the unit professionally installed.  The price point of this product is great at $149, although it only qualifies for the $100 commercial incentive for People’s Gas and North Shore gas at this time.

Learning Functions

Learning functions of smart thermostats are one of the coolest features – they learn your patterns, and also try to inject some intelligence into your behavior to save both energy and effort.  The more that we can take away human behavior that causes mistakes, the more savings we will see. A great example is turning the heat up to 80 when you want it to be 72 because it is taking too long to warm up (spoiler alert – it won’t heat faster).

Control for Business

One of the best features of a smart thermostat is the control that it gives the business owner.  Employees or customers can often change your thermostat, based on how they are feeling in the moment, and those decisions are not about saving energy or even what is best for everyone in the environment.  However, a smart thermostat gives the business owner a chance to not only monitor, but also override changes in temperature request.

In fact, passcodes are available to stop individuals from changing the temperature, giving ultimately control to the business owner.  I will always remember seeing strongly worded notes about the temperature setbacks required from one of our franchise owners at a popular restaurant, posted near his thermostats.  When he recently converted his stores to Ecobee EMS SI system, with support form the Comed Energy Efficiency Program, he was able to set the program and lock it. If there were issues on temperature in the store, he could make the changes if it was appropriate, but not waste energy based on daily fluctuations of the store manager or customer opinions.

smart thermostat control

Rebates to offset the cost

Many states have energy efficiency portfolios or laws that are designed to spend money to reduce energy.  Illinois, our local state, has one of the most aggressive energy efficiency programs in the United States, and our legislature doubled down on our collective efforts in 2018 and will spend more than $400 million this year on energy efficiency.

This money has to be spent to subsidize the cost of energy savings equipment, and smart thermostats are at the top of the list of opportunities to save gas and electric. For that reason, you may be eligible to purchase a smart thermostat at a discounted price.  If you are outside of our state, check with your local utility to see if they have any opportunities for rebates for smart thermostats.  The product information and recommendations that you read won’t change state by state, but the incentives will.

If you are a residential homeowner reading this in Illinois, check out the marketplace that Comed has provided that will give you instant discounts on your purchases. If you need help on the install, give us a call (but don’t be afraid to try yourself, as it is fairly easy to install a smart thermostat).

If you are a commercial customer in Illinois, you will receive a higher incentive by working with a registered trade ally that has the ICC Certification for Energy Efficiency Installer.  Good news – Verde Energy Efficiency Experts is both of those and can help you get the best product at the best price. Give us a jingle before you purchase your commercial smart thermostat at (773) 413-9587 or click the link below.

Why Are My Energy Bills So High?

energy savings formula

There are hundreds of reasons that your electric bill could be high.  Here are the top 7 that we see in the commercial marketplace.  You can often solve these issues fairly quickly and with little expense.

High Energy Rates

Some states just have higher energy rates than others.  We are fortunate in Illinois to have relatively low energy rates, so if you are reading this from Illinois, you are lucky.  If you are out of state, move here – we love new neighbors.

There are two basic parts of your electric bill, as far as what you are paying for; supply (electrons) and delivery (poles and wires).

All of us pay our delivery charge to the utility monopoly – that is just the best way to date of paying to maintain the safety and consistent supply of energy.  This is usually about half of your overall costs, and is billed in a complicated formula that we estimate around $.06 per kWh for commercial.

We are also a deregulated state, meaning that you have the option to purchase the supply from someone other than the utility monopoly.  There are a ton of electricity providers in the state, and there are brokers that sell and provide this.  This cost is usually about $.06 as well for commercial, and rarely do alternative providers provide a much better deal (other than airline miles if you switch).

Solution – Lower Your Energy Rates

More often than not, we find that our clients are hurt from purchasing their electricity from someone other than Comed or Ameren.

If you currently purchase from a third party provide, check to make sure your rate is competitive.  Often, these companies will offer a competitive rate locked in for a certain time period, and then raise the rates when you are out of the introductory period.  Check with your local utility to see if their rate is lower, and if it is, consider switching back.

If you would like to shop around, we recommend checking out Choose Energy or another online comparison tool.  You can see the prices that multiple companies offer at once.  Try to lock in for a long time period, as the shorter periods of time have better rates and then go up significantly.

We rarely advise for someone to switch energy providers, as we believe the emphasis should be on lower your usage, and not driving the cost down in what you pay per kWh.  The only customers we have seen that win at that game are huge companies that use a ton of energy – smaller companies are more likely to get taken advantage of and you have better things to do than watch your energy rate monthly.

Wrong Smart Meter

This is rare, but it is a real thing.  When our utility went through a major modernization, they have installed smart meters throughout the area.  Someone has to enter this information of a meter into a computer database, and occasionally, they make a mistake.

This actually happened at my sisters house in Indiana.  Her bills were incredibly high in the winter around the holidays, and her neighbors were huge holiday light fans.  It took a lot of detective work, but we found eventually that she had been billed for her neighbors usage instead.  Someone accidentally swapped their meter numbers when entering them into the master database years ago, and she received a significant credit.

I also had this happen in my first apartment.  I had barely any usage in my place, was single, and worked as a firefighter and was gone for long time periods.  My bills were close to $300 per month, and I repeatedly called the utility to as for their help.

Finally, I turned all the breakers off in my apartment, and the meter was still spinning.  I noticed that the meter next to me was stopped, and at that point figured out that the neighbors across the hall (with the crazy amount of neon lights on all the time) were paying a tiny bill, while mine was astronomical.  I always wondered if they got a huge bill after that was resolved, since I got a credit.

Solution – Checking Your Meter

Energy Usage DailyYour meter usage can often be checked with an online tool that is available from your utility.  You can login to your account and dig through data, which might help you notice if you are not being charged the correct bill.  This is my actual home report from two days ago.  You can look at the usage and see if the pattern matches your business hours.

You can also look at your meter number on your bill, to make sure it matches your physical meter numbers.

It may not be practical, but another trick is to turn your breakers all completely off.  If your meter is still spinning, there is something wrong.  Then it is time to call the utility and ask them to come out, although they will always drag their feet and are trained to tell you that you are incorrect.

 

Exterior Lights on During the Day

This is so common – it is hard not to notice how prevalent this is when you are in the energy efficiency industry.  I notice this almost every day in the city, some business with exterior lights on all day long, or with a timer clock that is off from a time change and the outdoor lighting start or end at the incorrect time.

Unless you are at Wrigley Field on a nationally televised day game and in charge of the television crew, there is literally no value to lights on during the day.  And, in case the Rickets are reading this – LEDs would be a smart move for the best team in baseball.

Solution – Photocell

This is an easy solution with a $10 photocell.  A photocell is a sensor that wires into your exterior light and stops the light from turning on during the day when there is enough ambient light.  You can even creatively wire one photocell to many exterior lights, saving on the cost of the equipment needed, although this does increase the labor costs.  I have seen parking lots for large strips malls that could literally save thousands of dollars each year with a simple $10 photocell.

Most fixtures have a knockout in the side that allow for an easy installation and it only takes a few minutes.

Interior Lights Left On When Not Needed

This is a common issue, and is not always very easy to address.  There are times that you have a very clear need for light in your occupied business, and the lights need to be on so guests can see you are open and then can enjoy what your business offers.

However, a ton of businesses are warehouses, manufacturing, or office space – and those do not need lights on for the full operational time.  In fact, many warehouses have rows that rarely get occupied, and yet they leave the lights on all of the time from habit or inability to turn some lights off and leave others on.

To take this a step further, it is rare that a business (even those with retail space that need to look inviting) are 100% set up to make sure lights are turned off when not necessary.  Even bathrooms can use sensors, and they not only save energy but improve your customer and employee experience.

Solution – LED Lighting and Sensors

Ten years ago, this problem was not easy or inexpensive to solve.  Today, there is almost no reason that someone cannot use sensors in their business.

The big game changer – LED lighting.  Actually, its not the LED lights but the drivers that make occupancy sensors so powerful.  These drivers and LED combinations can turn on and off instantly, unlike older fluorescent or HID lighting that takes time to start up.

In addition, they can dim and put different levels of light output, often controlled by a smart phone or app.  For this, we recommend Philips lighting and controls, as we have found they have the best drivers and easiest to use “commissioning” or scheduling of the controls.

Finally, best practice is to group fixtures together, so you don’t have the experience of walking into a storage room and getting the disco ball affect of lighting coming on one at a time.  Sensors and lighting controls can be grouped together to respond together, creating a more smooth experience that saves energy and still makes safety and employee experience a priority.

For those of you in Illinois (and those outside again are welcome to come join us), you benefit from one of the greatest energy efficiency programs in the country for businesses.  You can get incentives as high as $75 for a wall mounted occupancy sensor in a wall plate, or $50 per fixtures in an office or exterior lighting sensor.  Those are incentives that you pay into, and can decrease the cost significantly in solving this common challenge.  In addition to saving energy, sensors can prolong the life of equipment, decreasing your future replacement costs.

High Heating and Cooling Costs

You cannot talk about high energy costs and not talk about heating and cooling. As you can see from the graphic below, heating, cooling and ventilation costs take up 44% of the overall energy usage of commercial space.  You cannot take a dent out of your overall energy usage without considering your HVAC systems.

commercial high electric usage

Solution – System Upgrades and Smart Thermostats

The easiest way to approach saving energy is to replace your existing thermostat with a smart thermostat.  We recommend the Ecobee EMS-Si for commercial customers, as they seem to have the most robust thermostat for multistage heating and cooling often found in commercial spaces.  They also have a solution for the common c-wire issue, along with a fairly straight forward platform that can track multiple smart thermostat locations at once.

ecobee ems si smart thermostatSmart thermostats are simple – they are a fancy programmable thermostat that can be controlled from your smartphone and can use technology to push your energy savings by setting back temperatures when your space is unoccupied.  Closed for Labor Day – your smart thermostat will notice your smart phone is not in the building and also that motion sensors in the unit are not being triggered, and will save you additional money by not cooling that space.

If you have already installed a smart thermostat, it is time to think about replacing your commercial heating and cooling unit.  We recommend cooling unit replacements to a CEE Tier 2 energy efficient unit, as the theoretical savings on cooling are much higher than heat savings (at least on rooftop units or RTU).  It is really difficult (but not impossible) to get above 80% efficient rooftop RTUs, at least at the current technologies.  Fortunately, gas prices are relatively inexpensive in Illinois.

In addition to saving energy, they also are a huge source of potential future maintenance costs.  Units today only typically get 10 years out of them, so anything longer than that is a matter of time before it needs serious maintenance or replacement.  Taking a proactive approach and replacing the unit before it crashes is called an early rooftop unit replacement strategy, and can lead to incredible Return on Investments when you consider the alternative reactive strategy.  When you react to a unit that goes down, you will never have the lead time to get an efficient model, and rarely does this happen in the time of year that you can be without heating or cooling.

Finally, newer units often come equipped with economizers, which are designed to bring in fresh air when it is cooler or hotter outside.  Restaurants are especially a good target for this type of equipment, although all businesses can benefit from it (since humans are little heat engines and kick off a lot of CO2).  I can’t tell you the number of times I have been on a restaurant rooftop in November when the AC compressor is running, whereas an economizer would just open up and bring in fresh air to cool off the kitchen.

Computers Running All the Time

Computers are often left running in an office, sometimes out of necessity, but more often just out of laziness. Computers do not use a ton of energy these days, especially with smaller and more efficient screens.  However, they will often have a lot of accessories linked to them that can cause phantom power draw (its a thing!), like phones, speakers, and additional monitors.

Solution – Smart Power Strips

Smart power strips cut power when the primary energy user is not drawing a certain wattage.  This device does not save a ton of energy, but it provides the added value of protecting your equipment.  We recommend this to all of our commercial customers, especially if utility incentives cover the cost.

Screensavers are so 2001, so make sure to put your computer to sleep (or at least the display).

Servers Create a Lot of Cost and Heat

Servers are at times a necessary evil for many institutions.  However, those institutions are shrinking, as cloud based servers are so inexpensive and safe.  Servers create a lot of heat, and are best housed in cool climates with cheap energy.  Since huge energy users pay less for electricity – server farms get great rates and can locate in places close to wind farms and hydroelectric sources of energy production.

Solution – Cloud Based Server System

If it is 2018 and you have not gone to a cloud-based server, please do so for your own sanity.  Servers are a lot of headaches to maintain, and there are so many inexpensive options that it is worth shopping around.  Save the heat, headaches, and high energy costs of servers.

Interior Lighting

Interior lightning

 

Replacement or Retrofit of interior fluorescent lighting can make a space more energy efficiency, brighter, as well as less maintenance over time.  Interior lighting is one of that fastest and easiest energy efficiency projects to complete for a building.  

Daylight and Occupancy Sensors

Daylight

Installing LED lights are a must, both to save energy on the business and labor side. However, one new trick that really takes profitability to the next level are sensors that control both for daylight and occupancy, saving money and extending equipment life.

Exterior Lighting

H3

Replacement or Retrofit of high-intensity discharge bulb and ballasts to Energy Efficient LED solutions will reduce energy use and also provide incredible benefits such as increased safety and improved security at night for businesses and public buildings.

HVAC

Hvac

Many of our customers upgrade their HVAC rooftop units to Tier 2 energy efficient units. While the energy savings are significant, the main motivation is removing the expense and concern around older rooftop units. Brand new units come with the state of the art equipment, economizers, and are warranted.

Smart Thermostats

smart thermocasts

Smart thermostats are a great way to address a high electric bill, along with high gas bills. Not only do they out program programmable thermostats, but they also have motion sensors that detect movement to set back temperatures on days that you are not occupied.

Smart Power strips

smart power strip

Computers and their associated equipment have some exciting features these days – low energy usage sleep settings, as well as more energy-efficient screens. When you combine these with a smart power strip, one that cuts the power to accessory items when not in use, you can find a little more profit in your business with a pretty low-cost move.

Weatherstripping

Weatherstripping

Yes, a very low-cost item like weatherstripping can really impact your business’s bottom line. Reducing the energy usage in summer and winter not only makes your business more comfortable for your customers but also saves energy business costs and will lead to increased profitability.  Less drafts also create more comfort for staff and customers.

Instant Discounts

discounts

The Instant Discounts program is designed to help commercial customers acquire discounted energy efficient projects without jumping through any hoops. This ComEd rebate comes directly off your invoice from the distributor – allowing your team to install and creating a budget friendly replacement option for facilities with their own electrical staff.

Small business

If you own and operate a business in Chicagoland, you likely fall into the Small Business Energy Efficiency Program, small business grants or rebates as a benefit that is available to all commercial customers. This program is one slice of the greater ComEd Energy Efficiency Program in Illinois and is designed to help businesses move forward with efficiency improvements through rebates and incentives.

First – why would ComEd share rebates with businesses to help them use less energy? Isn’t that against their business model since they get paid for the electricity we use? While that is true that ComEd benefits from the greater amount of electricity that we use financially, they are also required by the Future Energy Jobs Act law to spend a significant amount of money annually on energy efficiency. Since 2007, Illinois has been collecting a tax on each residential, commercial, and public sector’s electric bill and spending that on energy efficiency.

ComEd, like most utilities, differentiates commercial customers by the amount of electricity drawn at any one instant. Unlike a kWh (kilowatt-hour), they do this by kW (kilowatt). I imagine this helps them stabilize the grid by understanding how many businesses are drawing large amounts of power at any instant, although this classification may have less importance today with the advent of the smart meter.

For commercial customers that are classified as Small Business (0-100 kW), they are eligible for the Small Business Energy Savings Program. Since this classification is about how much energy is drawn, and not how much revenue is earned – this can lead to very large businesses qualifying for this program (so the name can be misleading). Here is a list of likely candidates that will qualify for the 0-200 kW classification, but the only way to really know is to check on your utility bill.

This program has been designed to really encourage businesses to move forward with energy efficiency, with very generous incentives. I like to think of it as designed for organizations that do not have a person dedicated to evaluating investments to see if they make sense to move forward.

Target and Walmart likely has a whole team dedicated to evaluating LED lighting for their parking lots, stores, and thinking about how that investment can benefit the company. A small business does not – it usually has an owner that is stretched thin and makes most decisions. With large incentives that cover huge portions of the cost, it can make moving forward with energy efficiency a “no-brainer”.

The core offering of this program is a $.80 per watt reduced incentive on LED conversions. For example, a 4 lamp 4 ft T12 troffer is considered to have 164 watts in energy usage. If you install a 36 watt LED fixtures in its place, your incentive would be 164 – 36 = 128 * $.70 per watt reduced = $89.6 of incentive. Outdoor lighting rebates are actually stronger, at $.80 per watt reduced on LED conversions. In addition, they offer incentives on occupancy sensors, photocells, and advanced lighting controls.

However, once you get past lighting, the program actually gets more interesting.

Refrigeration is a common energy hog for restaurants. The program incentivizes EC motor upgrades, as well as evaporative fan speed controls – which only make that fan run when the evaporative cooler is calling for cooling. This can combine to improve the efficiency on a shaded pole motor by 90%.

HVAC incentives are also very popular in this program, and there are incentives of up to $400 per ton to encourage folks to take their current rooftop HVAC unit and upgrade to a CEE tier 2 energy efficiency RTU. Since our most commonly replaced units are 10 tons, that is $6,000 on incentive.

A few products can be provided to the customer at no cost, and those are the following:

If you have not participated in this program before, it might be because it sounds too good to be true. Well, as an active trade ally for the past 5 years – I can assure you that it is true. In fact, I can assure you that your neighboring businesses have participated and even your competitors. Yes – your competitors might be using less electricity and having a competitive advantage over you!

One caveat – this program is run through a closed network of trade allies. You must work with one of these highly trained partners in order to receive these very generous incentives.

How do you find one of those partners? You already have – just give us a call at (773) 413-9587, or click the link below.

Med to large businesses

Commercial energy efficiency improvements are a core pillar of the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program in Illinois.  All businesses and public sector programs are available to participate in the Standard Program for energy efficiency program.

While businesses that are rated 0-200 kW are eligible for their own programs for small business and small facilities public sector, they are also able to participate in the standard program for business energy efficiency if they prefer.

The Standard program is very versatile and does not require the usage of an ICC Certified Trade Ally to install the product. However, it might be helpful to purchase your products through an Instant Discount distributor such as Verde Energy Efficiency Experts to make sure the products you are installing are Design Light Consortium approved, as are often required for the incentives.

This program’s incentives, while lower than those targeting smaller facilities, are targeted toward larger facilities that often have a dedicated person to maintain supervision and staff on hand to replace lighting fixtures and advanced controls.

2021 Highlights of the Program include:

Lighting

  • $.50 per watt reduced incentives for LED lighting, including Type C Tube and Driver installation
  • $ .18 per watt controlled daylighting plus occupancy controlled sensors
  • Made in Illinois bonus of 20% on any fixture that is at least 50% manufactured and/or assembled in Illinois
  • Opportunities for higher incentives for advanced lighting controls scenarios

Refrigeration

  • $4 incentive per square foot walk-in cooler and freezer strip curtains
  • $60 incentive per EC Motor installed in walk-in cooler and freezers
  • $90 incentive per EC Motor installed with evaporative fan speed controls for walk-in cooler and freezers
  • $100 incentive per beverage machine controls

HVAC

  • $50 per ton of new rooftop HVAC unit installed
  • $50 per ton controlled of economizer installed
  • $10 per bathroom exhaust fan sensor installed
  • $40-$75 per HP controlled Variable Speed Fan

Compressed Air

  • $20 incentive per high-efficiency air nozzle
  • $100 incentive per no loss condensate drain
  • $75 per HP – Integrated VSD on a new air compressor

Want to know your specific eligibility and where you can save energy?  Hit us up and schedule a free energy efficiency walkthrough, which will share a customized report with all of your eligible ComEd rebates.

Public Sector

Public Sector energy efficiency improvements are a core pillar of the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program in Illinois.  All businesses and public sector programs are available to participate in the Standard Program for energy efficiency program.  

While buildings that are rated 0-100 kW are eligible for their own programs for small business and small facilities public sector, they are also able to participate in the standard program for business energy efficiency if they prefer.  

Public sector opportunities include:

  • Fire Stations
  • Libraries
  • Police Stations
  • Public Work Buildings
  • Municipal Buildings
  • Schools
  • Mosquito Abatement District facilities

The Standard program is very versatile and does not require the usage of an ICC Certified Trade Ally to install the product. However, it might be helpful to purchase your products through an Instant Discount distributor such as Verde Energy Efficiency Experts to make sure the products you are installing are Design Light Consortium approved, as are often required for the incentives.   

This program’s incentives, while lower than those targeting smaller facilities, are targeted toward larger facilities that often have a dedicated person to maintain supervision and staff on hand to replace lighting fixtures and advanced controls.  

2020 Highlights of the Program include:

Lighting

  • $.50 per watt reduced incentives for LED lighting, including Type C Tube and Driver installation
  • $ .18 per watt controlled daylighting plus occupancy controlled sensors
  • Made in Illinois bonus of 10% on any fixture that is at least 50% manufactured and/or assembled in Illinois
  • Opportunities for higher incentives for advanced lighting controls scenarios

Refrigeration

  • $4 incentive per square foot walk-in cooler and freezer strip curtains
  • $60 incentive per EC Motor installed in walk-in cooler and freezers
  • $90 incentive per EC Motor installed with evaporative fan speed controls for walk-in cooler and freezers
  • $100 incentive per beverage machine controls

HVAC

  • $50 per ton of new rooftop HVAC unit installed
  • $50 per ton controlled of economizer installed
  • $10 per bathroom exhaust fan sensor installed
  • $40-$75 per HP controlled Variable Speed Fan

Compressed Air

  • $20 incentive per high-efficiency air nozzle
  • $100 incentive per no loss condensate drain
  • $75 per HP – Integrated VSD on a new air compressor

Want to know your specific eligibility and where you can save energy?  Hit us up and schedule a free energy efficiency walkthrough, which will share a customized report with all of your eligible ComEd rebates.

Multi Family

In 2017, Franklin Energy administers the pilot “Multi-family Energy Savings Program” to focus on reducing energy in the Multi-family building space in Chicagoland.  This program is one of the rare partnerships between electric (ComEd) and gas companies (People’s Gas and North Shore Gas) in Chicagoland, and is an important pillar of the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program.  Due to the overwhelming success of the multifamily energy efficiency pilot program among property managers, Trade Allies, and proven energy savings, this program is back for 2018 and expanded in scale and impact.

According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), comprehensive, cost-effective upgrades in multifamily buildings can improve efficiency by 15-30% , representing an annual sector-wide savings of almost $3.4 billion.

The Multi-Family Program is broken into two categories – market rate and Income Eligible.  For this comprehensive program to work, the program must have access to within the units for the entire building to upgrade.  Need some help from one of our energy efficiency analysts to help engage your building – hit us up!

Market Rate Multi-Family Program

Market Rate applies to any building that is non specifically subsidizing low-income residents.  This would include all condominium buildings, as well as apartments that are market rate for their tenants.  Often, the property manager or a condo board member is the right person to contact Verde about this program.

Income Eligible

Income eligible, or low-income, are multi-family buildings that serve tenants that are low income.  These buildings are not necessarily located in a certain geography, but instead have a focus on providing subsidized rent or services specifically for low income populations in Chicagoland.  Property owners or managers are the best contacts for this, and we partner with Elevate Energy to deliver this ComEd rebate.

Program Specifics

This program combines energy efficiency improvements in the common areas of multi-family buildings with the opportunities available in the apartments or condominiums in the building and may include:>

In-Unit Offerings

  • ENERGY STAR® certified LEDs
  • Advanced power strip
  • Programmable thermostats
  • WaterSense® certified shower heads
  • Faucet aerators for bathrooms and kitchens
  • Hot water pipe insulation

Common Area Offerings

  • ENERGY STAR® certified LEDs
  • TLED lighting
  • Exterior and garage LEDs
  • Programmable thermostats
  • LED exit signs
  • Occupancy sensors

Houses of worship/Non profits

Non profits and Houses of Worship make up about 20% of our client work.  We find not only are these projects culturally aligned with our company, but they also have large opportunities for energy kWh savings.

NPO Offering

New to the Comed Energy Efficiency Program, the NPO program offers deep incentives for clients from any size.  This program is new, but tailored to the needs of non profits.

SBO Offering

Many of our smaller sized clients fall into this program, tailored to 0-100kW usage (on your Comed bill) buildings.  We have found that houses of worship with low usage in terms of hours are not great candidates for expensive LED conversions.  However, those that use much of their building for community usage (schools, classes, etc) are great candidates for energy efficiency work.

In addition, we do occasionally take projects into special consideration for our Light the Way grant program.

Composting at Work and other ways to engage employees in sustainability

sustainability

There are so many ways to get started in making your workplace more sustainable, but it takes buy in from the ownership.  Whether a huge corporation or a small business, your efforts at making your office or workplace better can be thwarted by management if they are not on board.

Here are 5 key ways to bring a little bit of your environmental passion into work, that won’t create too much disagreement and/or cost your company too much money.  You won’t need to hire an expensive energy consultant or engage waste consulting firms, but instead can start with these 5 steps.

Composting

While composting gets a bad wrap at times (smelly, hard to do, flies), we have used a great service at our office that composts without the hassle from Urban Canopy.  They have a bucket that gets picked up every two weeks, and it works great for coffee, tea, and a ton of food waste.  Since they are an industrial composter, they can take more things like diary and meat products – so it opens up more opportunities.  We have not had any smell or fruit flies issues at work, which is a huge plus.

Buying Local

Its not as sexy as a solar panel or LED fixture with daylight controls, but it is important.  Buying local can happen several ways, and they can often save a business money at the same time.  As long as you don’t let it impact your main role at a company, few operations would complain if you brought them an alternative vendor that is local and would cost less – it just sometimes takes a bit of digging.

One of our favorite ways to buy local is to pick up lunch or meals at a local restaurant, instead of just getting delivery from the normal corporate place.  We have a local sandwich shop near us called Spoken that is a favorite of the office, we can walk or bike to for picking up food, and does a great job of keeping food waste to a minimum.  Nothing makes our office upset like mountains of styrofoam, especially in a city like Chicago that is known for lackluster recycling.  I am never upset to show up to an event that is catered by the Corner Bakery, but I especially notice places that take time and order from local vendors.

Another example of buying local was an analysis we did on purchasing our outdoor LED fixtures for our clients through China or from a local vendor, Jarvis Lighting. While purchasing from China is less expensive, we were constantly running into supply chain issues.  Occasionally, we had to air ship fixtures from overseas, costing both a fortune on our bottom line and our environmental impact (shiping via air has 50 times the carbon impact as shipping cargo via boat.  Our local vendor not only supplies a majority of our exterior lighting solutions, but they also have a lean manufacturing model and can turn around products for us in several days.  The impact on customers satisfaction, as well as environmental benefits, far exceed saving a few dollars on the fixture cost.

Bike Sharing

Bike Sharing is a good option for employees that mostly take public transit, but occasionally might need to take a Lyft or Uber.  A bike sharing membership costs less than $80 a year in Chicago with Divvy, and you can either subsidize it all or partial for employees.  Especially for those that occasionally go downtown, Divvy can be a super inexpensive perk that makes employees pumped up (pun intended).

Divvy will even consider your business as a spot for one of their stations, if you are interested in a membership for employees.  While that may not make a huge difference, if you are a restaurant or bar – a Divvy station nearby could increase your traffic.

Smart Thermostats

Ok, so I often go on rants and tangents about smart thermostat solutions.  There is a reason for this, and it isn’t the hot and cool new features and styles.

Smart thermostats give control over an empty business.  Business owners, especially in the early years, are more often to be the only one at the office late at night or early in the morning.  I can’t tell you then number of times I have been alone on a Saturday and realized that we left the heat at 72 all weekend long.

With a Nest or Ecobee, you can login from your phone or desktop browser and lower the heat.  Better yet, they will use their smart powers to notice when the space is empty and automatically set back the heat or cooling.

Business owners also love control, or at least solutions to problems.  Have a customer coming by on a Saturday in the summer in an unusual time – you can make sure to pre-cool the space an hour before to make sure it is comfortable when they arrive.    In the past, you had to just leave the hold function on a programmable thermostat, and it may just override and set back.  Smart thermostats give you a ton more options for savings on both heating and cooling, and often make a space more comfortable for employees.

Water Purification

This is one of the least popular moves that I have made, but I strongly believe in responsibly sourcing water for an office.

water purificationWe used to use a water service, with a cooler that provided cold and semi hot water.  The tea was never good, and the cool water was refreshing.  However, the water bottles were brought by truck weekly, and the environmental impact on that is not insignificant.  The unit also always draws water.

About 18 months ago, we put in a water purification system from Berkeley.  It costs around $250, which took almost a year to payback in terms of our monthly water costs.  However, it will last literally forever and will continue to saving us money on both the water service and electricity for years to come.

The best part for me – we got a $10 tea kettle and now have good hot tea, not that tepid tea water out of those water coolers.

After all, those of us in Chicago have the greatest resource on the planet in vast quantities just miles from us – we don’t need trucks to drive it to us.  We can save that for our fancy french wine (or $3 chuck in my house).

**Note, in 2019, we added Tetracycle recycling to our office area, recycling almost 95% of our waste.  In addition, we have brought an in-house recycling equipment to our Chicago warehouse in 2020 – so we not only recycle more, but require less transportation related expenses for our recycling efforts.  All fluorescent lamps are crushed down into large bins for recycling instead of packaged into cardboard boxes for transit.

VINCE DOYLE

manufacturing led lighting upgrade

“Every member of the Verde team was thoughtful, thorough and treated our project as if it were their only ongoing project.  The respect for the workplace environment and consideration of those around them was second to none.  I appreciated that the crew working o our project was consistent, which led to continuity of communication throughout and familiarity of all aspects of the project.  I never once had to “track down” someone who could provide answers to my questions, as every team member has familiarity with each facet of the scope.”

Ryne Phelps, Special Projects and Facilities Manager

SARGON MANDO

Mcdonalds energy efficiency

“Verde Energy Efficiency Experts worked really well with each of our locations, our energy savings was what they predicted, and we were cash flow positive on our project within eight months. I recommend Verde to any business or franchise owner, as they really understand our business and no one can match their pricing or expertise on new products. This is a great franchise energy savings solution for any new or experienced franchise owner.”

Sargon Mando, Franchise Owner and Operator

library energy efficiency

“Over my 41 years in commercial mechanical construction, Verde is one of the top three contractors I have had the pleasure of working with.”

Facilities Manager, Evanston Public Library

beth holaday Verde

Beth Holaday

Beth’s passion for the environment and sustainability started as a child growing up exploring the forest preserves of the Chicago region. Beth is a graduate of DePaul University in Environmental Science and Geography.

Lately, her hobbies include looking at bugs under her microscope, talking about invasive earthworms and playing outside with her cat, Dawkins.

Dawkins’ hobbies include eating bugs and complaining.

Adrian

Adrian Martinez

Adrian graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies: concentration Sustainability. Originally he was majoring in Architecture, but after taking an Environmental Biology class his career goals shifted. Verde is helping small business take control of their energy consumption and he is glad I get to be a part of that.

His hobbies include riding his mountain bike on the trails and going to concerts with the love of his life, Stacey.

alanna

Alanna Kerstein

Alanna graduated from Loyola University Chicago where she doubled majored in Environmental Studies and Spanish. Born on Earth Day, she’s always been passionate about sustainability.

In her spare time, she enjoys getting outside to run, rollerblade, kayak, or lay in a hammock. She loves to travel, explore new places, and eat all the vegetarian dishes this world has to offer.

elton

Elton

Elton was born in northern Siberia but made his way to Chicago for the excellent hot dogs.

He studied Anthropology at the University of Verde, and loves a good ear scratching.

He often makes the 3 mile trek to the office with the founder, although heavily prefers winter walks.

MCDONALD’S

work

Situation: Verde was brought into a McDonald’s branch in Arlington Heights to provide an energy assessment that would hopefully lower operational costs and improve efficiency.

Problem: This McDonald’s branch had outdated lighting, outdated cooling and freezing, and outdated HVAC units.

Solution: Exterior lighting was converted to 75w LED, cooler and freezer T5 was converted to LED, interior kitchen and storage area was converted to 36 watt LED fixtures with advanced lighting controls, the play area was converted to LED fixtures, and 4 rooftop area HVAC units were converted to top of the line energy efficient units with economizers. In addition to the energy savings, McDonalds received brand new HVAC units with warranties on their entire rooftop HVAC system.

Result: LED lighting greatly improves visibility, while well-tuned economizers bring fresh air to cool their kitchen. Total project cost was $63,973 with an incentives rebate of $42,900. The McDonald’s Arlington Heights branch saved 103,617kWh annually as well as $10,361 in costs per year. The return on investment was calculated at 1.8 years.

LOS COMALES

work

Situation: Verde was brought into a Los Comales branch in Little Village to provide an energy assessment that would hopefully lower operational costs and improve efficiency.

Problem: This Los Comales chain was open for long hours with inefficient lighting. Heating/cooling was very elementary as well.

Solution: Verde connected them with incentive programs from both CLEAResult and ComEd, allowing them to make upgrades across many of their electrical systems. They addressed efficiency by installing LED lighting indoors and outdoors, smart thermostats, and high efficiency fan motors.

Result: LED lighting cut electricity usage by 80%, smart thermostats addressed heating/cooling during unoccupied times, and a control system on the fan motors prevented unnecessary operation. Total project cost was $19,441 with an incentives rebate of $12,710. The Los Comales Little Village branch saved 129,920 kWh annually as well as $11,692 in costs per year. The return on investment was calculated at 1.1 years.

VERIO GRAPHICS

work

Situation: Once a Chicago movie theater, Forbidden Root now stands as a beautiful botanic brewery and restaurant in East Village. Verde helped Forbidden Root become more energy efficient mid-December, 2017.

Problem: Forbidden Root required improved lighting and refrigeration especially in their kitchen. Existing fluorescents provided insufficient lighting.

Solution: Verde improved their lighting (interior, exterior, and exit signs) and refrigeration, and installed many control measures such as smart powerstrips and occupancy sensors. LEDs automatically are better suited than fluorescents to provide a better, more evenly distributed light.

Result: LEDs provided brighter and more evenly distributed light to ensure a safer working space in the kitchen. Total project cost was $6,466 with an incentives rebate of $4,573. Forbidden Root saved 31,877 kWh annually as well as $2,623 in costs per year. The return on investment was calculated at 0.5 years.

FORBIDDEN ROOT

work

Situation: Once a Chicago movie theater, Forbidden Root now stands as a beautiful botanic brewery and restaurant in East Village. Verde helped Forbidden Root become more energy efficient mid-December, 2017.

Problem: Forbidden Root required improved lighting and refrigeration especially in their kitchen. Existing fluorescents provided insufficient lighting.

Solution: Verde improved their lighting (interior, exterior, and exit signs) and refrigeration, and installed many control measures such as smart powerstrips and occupancy sensors. LEDs automatically are better suited than fluorescents to provide a better, more evenly distributed light.

Result: LEDs provided brighter and more evenly distributed light to ensure a safer working space in the kitchen. Total project cost was $6,466 with an incentives rebate of $4,573. Forbidden Root saved 31,877 kWh annually as well as $2,623 in costs per year. The return on investment was calculated at 0.5 years.

WHEELING FIRE DEPARTMENT

government energy savings

Situation: Verde visited the Wheeling Fire Department in April of 2008 to provide energy efficient upgrades and utilize grants available through ComEd’s Public Sector Small Facilities Program.

Problem: Their apparatus bay and work rooms were in need of an upgrade. Fire Departments consume a lot of energy due to the nature of them always being open and ready for calls.

Solution: Verde installed new lighting that was brighter than their old setup and choose a bright, white color. They also installed occupancy sensors to auto turn on/off lights in less frequently used rooms. They rearranged the apparatus for more clear visibility, and decreased overall energy consumption.

Result: The total project cost was $5,013.88 with an incentives rebate of $3,797.21. The Wheeling Fire Department saved 47,306 kWh annually as well as $4,258 in costs per year. The return on investment was calculated at 0.3 months.

SONO EAST APARTMENTS/GREYSTAR MANAGEMENT

Sono East Chicago il primary

Situation: Verde worked with Greystar management to find a significant amount of savings potential in their luxury apartment high rise, SoNo East, utilizing rebates available through ComEd’s Standard Program as well as the ComEd Instant Discount Program.

Problem: Outdated lighting in the common areas as well as the garage were large energy drainers. They also provided less-than sufficient lighting.

Solution: Common areas were updated from T8s to TLEDs, but the biggest energy saver was swapping out 124 150W Metal Halides in their garage to LED flood lights.

Result: LED lighting resulted in brighter lighting than their old setup, a bright, white color, decreased energy consumption, and brighter, more secure parking garages. The total project cost was $27,649.52 with an incentives rebate of $9,616. SoNo East saved 226,157.57 kWh annually as well as $20,354.18 in costs per year. The return on investment was calculated at 1.4 years.

ALSIP-MERRIONETTE PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY

energy efficiency for libraries

Situation: Modern libraries such as Alsip-Merrionette Park know that an investment in lighting is investing in the overall experience of their facilities for patrons. Verde Energy Efficiency Experts made recommendations and installed top of the line LED solutions in their space. Verde also applied rebates through the ComEd Standard program as well as Instant Discounts which cut their out of pocket expenses.

Problem: Lighting and controls were in need of an upgrade to give visitors and library staff the optimal environment to read and work.

Solution: The entryway, circulation, and adult services area were updated with Philips EvoKits as well as LED strips and socket retrofits. Verde also upgrade their metal halide exterior lighting with energy efficient LEDs. The project was broken down into 3 phases of work.

Result: Upgrades resulted in a brighter, white color, decreased energy consumption, fewer dark spots, and advanced lighting controls. The total project cost was $60,571 with an incentives rebate of $7,835.70. The Alsip-Merrionette Park Public Library saved 93,942 kWh annually as well as $9,539 in costs per year. The return on investment was calculated at 8.0 years. 

Why Is a ComEd Nest Rebate Available in Illinois?

Young businesswoman feeling freezy in office

A ComEd Smart Thermostat Rebate exists for one reason in Illinois – programmable and smart thermostats save energy.  The Comed Nest Rebate, Comed Ecobee Rebate, and other smart thermostat rebates can help you explore this new technology. Since 2007, Illinois has been offering ComEd energy efficiency rebates and incentives to help encourage folks to make smart choices. They want to encourage us to make equipment upgrades that save energy, including smart thermostats, sensors, and control systems. 

Since smart thermostats have become popular in 2016 and 2017, we will focus on those thermostats in this article.  However, programmable thermostats do save energy and are eligible for a ComEd thermostat rebate. They just don’t save as much as smart thermostats.

How Do Smart Thermostats Save Money?

Smart thermostats basically save energy by acting like highly intelligent programmable thermostats. In addition, they can accept as many programs as you can think of, for any day of the week. Many of the programmable thermostats only allow a 5-2 program. This means you can set a schedule for Monday through Friday, as well as the weekend.

Setting back the temperature at night is a major way to save money, both on heating and cooling.  Not just when on vacation, but even just for the 8 hours that your home or business is basically unoccupied.  In fact, Energy Star states that you can save 10% by setting back the temperature 7 – 10 degrees for 8 hours at a time. With a Smart or Comed Nest rebate in Illinois, you can get an energy-efficient thermostat at a lower price.

How Much Do Smart Thermostats Cost?

Smart thermostats basically cost $160 to $400, depending on the model. Whether you are looking for a basic home unit or an advanced commercial unit, there are options.  After ComEd energy efficiency rebates, the cost can be as little as $60 for a home unit (not including installation) or $75 for a commercial unit (including installation).  Installation can typically be done by the homeowner or business owner unless you have complicated rooftop HVAC units.  Don’t be afraid to try yourself (on a mild day), and don’t feel bad if you need to get help. Each unit is different and I’ve seen even the best HVAC technician’s get stumped on what appear to be straightforward installations.  As long as it isn’t December and freezing outside, it is worth giving a shot for yourself.

Can I Get a ComEd Smart Thermostat Rebate and a Gas Utility Rebate on the Same Thermostat?

For residential, the answer is no in 2018.  In the past, there were combined Nest rebates in Illinois from People’s Gas, North Shore Gas, and Nicor Gas.  However, since the ComEd incentive is $100, this is really all you need to offset the cost of a smart thermostat if you don’t require professional installation.  Verde offers residential Nest and Smart thermostat installations for $99, but only if you need us.

For commercial customers in 2018, you are eligible for a combined $300 incentive for 0-100kW rated electric customers, as well as a $100 People’s Gas Incentive or $100 North Shore Gas incentive.  While the unit installed must be the ComEd Ecobee EMS Si with zigbee enabled capacity (a top of the line thermostat) – Verde offers this unit with installation and a 3 year warranty for $75 to businesses in People’s Gas and North Shore Gas territories.  For businesses in Nicor territory, Verde offers the ComEd Ecobee EMS Si for $175, as there currently is not a commercial Nicor Gas incentive for smart thermostats.

2019 IL Grant Guide

Can I Receive the ComEd Nest Rebate in Illinois if I Currently Have a Programmable Thermostat?

As of 2020, you are now able to claim a Comed Incentive when replacing a programmable thermostat. For smart thermostats replacing a programmable thermostat, your business may be eligible for $200. If your existing thermostat is a non-programmable thermostat, you would be eligible for a $250 incentive.

For homeowners, you are eligible for the ComEd smart thermostat rebate incentive regardless of your existing thermostat. You can buy this from the Comed Marketplace for instant discounts.

When Is a Nest Not Right for My Business

If your business has a split system for heating and cooling (furnace inside in a closet and air conditioning on the exterior roof or side of the building), then the Nest thermostat would be a good fit for you.

If you have a rooftop packaged HVAC system (heating and cooling are combined in one unit), then the answer depends. Modern rooftop units (RTUs) have advanced rooftop controls, which means that they have internal computerized systems that control their heating and cooling in complicated algorithms. They don’t just heat and cool, they heat and cool in different stages and with different levels of fan speed.

Nest can control up to two stages of heating and two stages of cooling. If your rooftop unit controls more than 2 stages of either, then the Nest is not a good fit.

Fans that move the air through your space can also sometimes have VFDs or variable frequency drives. Fans can run at two or three speeds, or even ramp from 0% up to 100% based on demand and usage. In this case, it depends. Nest would be the best point of contact through their technical support, or you can call the rooftop unit manufacture and ask them.

Our experience has been that it is better to call Nest first, but a good technician can help you determine this as well. Verde would be happy to provide a free commercial assessment to help you determine this, and we can install the Nest if you decide to move forward.

Best Smart Thermostat Incentives in 2023

best smart thermostat

In Illinois, smart thermostats are hot. There are a lot of options to choose from, and there are great incentives from your local utilities due to the Future Energy Jobs Act that was passed in late 2016.  Here is our opinion on the best smart thermostat for commercial and residential settings.

Smart thermostats save energy. Therefore they qualify for both rebates from the gas companies and the electric utility. Your electric utility is ComEd if you are in the Chicagoland region.  There are just a few exceptions (Winnetka, St. Charles, and Naperville).

Best Smart Thermostat for Home

If you are looking for a smart thermostat for your home, you are eligible for a $100 instant discount through ComEd’s Marketplace. Our choice for home is the Nest 3rd Generation.

best residential smart thermostatThe 3rd Generation Nest is the easiest to install for a home owner.  It is also super easy to hook up to your app and computer. This is key, as the easier to use means the best chance of getting the most savings out of the unit. Nest has a great data platform behind it.  Google will let you know when you can try to save more energy with a little leaf on the platform. It also tracks your usage and sends you updates via email on how much energy you are using.  There are also suggestions on you could do better.

The Nest connects with a bunch of other products.  Tools like your Google Home and the Nest Protect system also act as an additional temperature and occupancy sensor. Additional integrations include Nest Hello and Nest Cam systems. The smart home is coming, whether you like it or not.  Certainly Nest has an edge up on the product offerings that connect well with the Google.

Best Smart Thermostat for Business

Hands down, the best commercial smart thermostat on the market in 2019 is the Ecobee EMS Si. There are two simple reasons for this – access to stellar rebates from the utilities, as well as functionality.

best commercial smart thermosat

The EMS Si has all of the same benefits of the residential smart thermostats.  However, it is not quite as easy to install. It connects well to smartphones and has learning and occupancy benefits. Additionally, it can control the multi-phase heating and cooling that advanced HVAC systems tend to have in commercial applications.

In addition, the EMS Si has a power extender that can come optional.   This extender can solve the common C wire issue. The C wire provides electricity to the thermostat, helping to charge the battery. If the C wire is lacking or not providing enough energy, the power extender can help resolve this common issue.  Whereas other smart thermostats often lack a solution without running a C wire.

Available ComEd Rebates

For small to mid-sized businesses, you qualify for a $200 – $250 of smart thermostat incentives to install the EMS Si smart thermostat. You need to have it professionally installed, but that is recommended regardless for commercial application.

For larger businesses, you do not qualify for this incentive.  However, the energy savings should be greater and justify a larger investment.

Available Gas Rebates

North Shore Gas and Peoples Gas offer an additional $100 incentive.  This typically covers most businesses that are in Chicago. This can be combined with the $200-$250 for the ComEd Rebate program, and we can install these systems for $75 each thermostat after the combined incentives (including labor, material, and recycling).

Nicor Gas does not currently have any incentives for smart thermostats to combine with the ComEd rebate.  However, keep on the lookout as that is always changing. They do offer a variety of other incentives for commercial properties.

How to Get My Smart Thermostat

If you are a residential homeowner and are on the hunt for a smart thermostat, you can pick one up now at the ComEd Marketplace and pay a reduced price without any hassle. Give the install a shot on your own, and if you need help – give us a call for a $99 installation.

Ecobee EMS Si Is the Best Smart Thermostat for Your Business

commercial hvac efficiency

There are a lot of Smart Thermostat Options in 2018 for your business, and this post details why the Ecobee EMS SI is the best option in the Chicagoland territory in 2018. It comes down to one function of the EMS-Si – zigbee enabled.

Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act

ecobee ems siIn 2011, the Illinois legislature passed a law that will modernize our grid, called the Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act. This law set aside $2.6 billion to install smart meters throughout Illinois, both in residential and commercial applications. After five years, ComEd publicly states that it has avoided 7.6 million outages and generated $1.4 billion in societal savings.

Whether you agree with this or not, smart meters are here to stay.  While not essential for smart meter, smart sensors, controls and thermostats can integrate with these smart meters for additional grid stability.

Polar Vortex and Smart Thermostats?

The Zigbee enabled functionality of the EMS Si allows the utility to take control directly of the thermostat from the smart meter, which has a lot of societal benefits. This means that brownouts can be avoided, as the utility can preserve the integrity of the grid on days that are incredibly hot or cold (remember the polar vortex?).

At this time, the EMS Si is the only smart meter that has zigbee functionality, and therefore, the only smart thermostat that is eligible for the $300 of incentives in the Small Business Energy Savings program. While more expensive than any other smart thermostat on the market, the product has great functionality and after the incredible incentive, can be installed for as little as $75 when combined with the People’s Gas and North Shore Gas $100 rebate (note there is no Nicor incentive for business as of the time of this publication).

EMS Si Functionality

This commercial unit is able to control higher-end commercial units that can control multi-phase heating and cooling. It can also include a power extender, which can solve the common issue of a lack of power availability to a smart thermostat.

It can be used by a desktop or smartphone app, enabling control of the business heating and cooling from wherever the business owner is (think saving gas usage when lying on a beach in Tahiti).

The unit, like other smart thermostats, enables a high 7-day programmability, occupancy sensors, learning behaviors, as well as great warranty and easy operations.

Customer Satisfaction with the EMS Si

We have found a great deal of satisfaction from customers after installation of the Ecobee EMS Si, and continue to install it in 2018 after hundreds of installations in 2017. It can take some support from tech on your first few installations, but after the learning curve is a very easy product to install. There are some applications where the power extender will not work, such as in multiple rooftop RTUs at the same location. However, in general, it is a great product with great customer satisfaction in a very competitive market.

Due to the available $300 Small Business Energy Savings incentives, as well as the $100 People’s Gas and North Shore Gas incentives, the EMS Si is the best option for commercial installations in Illinois in 2018

Verde Green Energy iPad App

verde ipad app

In 2011, Verde Energy Efficiency Experts produced our first big product – an iPad app that was focused on energy savings information.

While we currently don’t just share recommendations, we make them – it is great to look back to see the solid platform that our data comes from. With over 8 years of experience in calculating energy efficiency savings, we have more experience on the data side than any competitor in the space.

Verde Energy Efficiency iPad App

We initially charged $4.99 for the iPad app and found some small downloads from industry professionals. After a brief promotion to make the iPad app free just prior to Earth Day, we had hundreds of thousands of downloads and some positive reviews from major industry experts, including CNET, TreeHugger, and LifeHacker.

In the end, our iPad app stayed free and we found it difficult to monetize this type of app. If you would like more information about how to access the information and data in the iPad app, please shoot us a note.

alt=”Verde Green Energy Download”>The iPad app starts with a clean download to your iPad, enabling you to walk through your business or home and enter all of the energy-using lights, appliances, heating and cooling equipment, etc.

Verde Energy Rates

Our app is founded on solid data, including the energy rates in your zip code. This data was sourced from the EIA, and while not exact, is important in determining accurate savings. After all, Hawaii businesses pay 3 times the electricity than Chicago, and New York and California pay twice as much. This is essential to determine a Return on Investment (ROI).

Verde Green Energy Rate

Energy Usage

The app then allows data entry of different products in your building, including internal and outside lighting, HVAC, computers, and TVs through Smart Power Strips, and appliances. There is even a section for understanding electric vehicle charging costs, to help influence that decision based on your zip code and energy rate.

Verde Green Energy Data Entry

Verde Final Energy Report and Recommendations

The Verde Green Energy app makes recommendations on where you can save the most energy, helping you make important decisions and really focus on the lowest hanging fruit. For example, why spend $40,000 on an electric vehicle when you still have outdated lighting in your businesses parking lot?

Vede Green Energy Final Report

If you are interested in more information about this free tool to make your business more energy efficient, please reach out to us!  Give us a call at (773) 413-9587 and ask how you can get connected with the Verde Chicago team.

Hear about our journey from Verde Sustainable Solutions to rebrand to Verde Energy Efficiency experts in The Verde Manifesto.