In partnership with Mecklenburg County LUESA
Air Quality and Solid Waste Divisions, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities
Mecklenburg Utilities
Sponsored by the Environmental
Assistance Office (EAO) for Small Business at UNC Charlotte,
The Environmental Corner
is designed to serve as an environmental management and pollution prevention
resource.
According to the Energy Information Administration, the United
States is the world’s largest energy producer, consumer, and net
importer, ranking 11th
in reserves of oil, 6th in natural gas, and 1st in
coal.
With 8.9 million people living in North Carolina, our
electricity consumption is among the highest in the nation.
North Carolina is one of the top nuclear power producers
in the U.S., and our only sustainable energy resource,
hydroelectric power, is provided by several rivers in the
western and central North Carolina area.
As of September 2007, North Carolina consumes 69,000 barrels of
petroleum, 5.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas, and 2.8
million short tons of coal for electricity generation.
In this Winter Edition Newsletter, your small business will learn to
promote and increase energy efficiency while obtaining
information on green lighting, wind power and North Carolina
law, and alternative ways to use energy.
So how much energy does your small business use?
If you own or rent building space you use a good
deal of energy. The
chart below shows the energy consumption of commercial buildings
in 2005 according
to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Notice that the top three usages are Heating/
Ventilation/Air Cooling (HVAC), lighting, and office break space
(which includes water heating, refrigeration, and cooking).
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he
ENERGY STAR® emblem doesn’t have a star on it for decoration. The
star represents its proficiency and expertise in helping many small
businesses such as yours to save and reduce energy in cost-effective ways.
ENERGY STAR® knows how important heating, lighting, and
power are to the operation of your small business and is dedicated to
ensuring your company’s success through the reduction of your energy waste
and costs while protecting the earth’s environment.
By joining ENERGY STAR® for Small Business, your company
will receive technical support, free and unbiased information for your
business, a “How-to” guide for analyzing your company, finance resources,
and success stories from your state.
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CLICK HERE FOR THE NO-COST ENERGY STAR FOR SMALL BUSINESS GUIDE
www.energystar.gov/ia/business/small_business/sb_guidebook/smallbizguide.pdf
WANT TO
KNOW HOW MUCH YOUR BUSINESS IS SAVING? CLICK HERE!
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=small_business.sb_calculate
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GREEN LIGHTING: WHAT
A GREEN IDEA!
reen
Lights is a bright program that is
sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to encourage U.S.
businesses to install energy-efficient lighting technologies. Businesses
that commit to Green Lights will notice a reduction in electricity bills, an
enhanced light quality, and an increased productivity in the workplace.
Another benefit your small business will gain from joining Green
Lights is the reduction of air pollution caused by electricity generation
which includes carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and
nitrogen oxides.
TO READ MORE ABOUT GREEN LIGHTS CLICK HERE
http://www.dazor.com/energy-efficient-lighting.html
TO JOIN GREEN LIGHTS CLICK HERE
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Alternative energy is energy that does not consume natural resources or harm
the environment. Alternative
energy such as wind and solar are generated from earth naturally and are on
the rise in replacing traditional fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural
gas.
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herever
there is wind, there can be wind power!
Wind energy is one of today’s rapidly growing sources of electricity
and one of the fastest growing markets today.
According to North Carolina Wind Energy, wind energy is a source of
renewable power which comes from the air currents flowing across the earth's
surface, providing electricity for homes, farms, and even your small
business. North Carolina's wind
resources are primarily located along the state’s coastal and mountain
regions and are an excellent opportunity for local energy supply.
What’s
the Big Deal about Wind Power?
In1983, the North Carolina Ridge Law
was implemented with the intent to protect mountainous areas at or above
3,000 feet elevation. However,
the North Carolina Ridge Law has been a current obstacle for the development
of wind power in North Carolina because it prohibits the construction of
structures on mountain ridges where the potential for wind power is
greatest. Appalachian State
University conducted a recent study on this issue and found that residents
of western North Carolina would prefer to generate their future electricity
using renewable sources rather than fossil fuels. They recognize that the
price of wind is free and stable, while the price of fossil fuels is
expensive and variable.
olar
energy on its own currently provides 99% of the world’s natural energy. Its
use is effective today, but not as widely as some would hope. According to
solarenergy.com, solar is increasingly used by businesses everyday to
provide a more reliable and natural power source.
Did
you know?
According to the Energy Policy Act of 1992, a
10% business energy tax credit
is available for those businesses that invest in or purchase solar energy
property. A business can save 40 – 80% on electric or fuel bills by
replacing its conventional water heater with a solar water heating system.
ale
Brentrup is not only a member of the architectural and graduate faculty
of UNC Charlotte, he is also a registered architect and director of the
Daylighting +
Building Energy Performance Laboratory in the College of Architecture.
The application of daylighting principles also represents the single
largest new opportunity for energy savings in commercial/institutional
lighting today and for the foreseeable future.
According to Brentrup, turning the lights off by design, when
there is accessible daylight is the largest available regional
electrical resource available today and the foreseeable future.
The objective of the
daylight lab is to enable a movement toward regional market
transformation in energy efficiency.
His current research and projects in Charlotte are daylighting in
public schools like Mint Hill Middle School and ImaginOn, the children’s
library in UptCharlotte.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT DALE BRENTRUP’S PROJECT? VISIT
http://www.coa.uncc.edu/daylighting/
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Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for
Small Business
The Environmental Assistance
Office for Small Business provides non-regulatory, client-confidential
pollution prevention assistance to small businesses in the greater Charlotte
region. The EAO is designed to assist regional businesses in their efforts
to voluntarily prevent pollution. The EAO staff can provide timely
assistance for pollution prevention planning, including information about
industry-specific case studies, waste-specific case studies, and new
technologies. The office provides links of resources to needs between the
region's business community, government, municipality, and university. If
there is a particular issue or question you would like to see in an upcoming
edition, please send an e-mail to EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Contact Information:
Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business:
9201
University City Blvd. 258 Cameron Building, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
28233-0001
Phone
number: 704-687-3968 Fax number: 704-687-3115
Email:
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Services:
·
Assistance with Air Permits - Assistance
for small businesses in completing paperwork for EPA air permits.
·
Educational Materials - Educational
pamphlet, brochures, flyers, and other materials to relate facts on
pollution prevention.
·
Educational Outreach - Develop educational
outreach campaigns and presentations for the public or employee training.
·
University Resources - Library
information, faculty expertise, student projects and research at both
graduate and undergraduate levels.
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