At Work FAQs

Please email your questions about household or commercial energy use and sustainable transportation to comments@bouldercolorado.gov.

Q: I am a small business owner in Boulder and want to make my business space more energy efficient, but I don’t have the time to go through the process. Can you help me somehow by making it easier? Also, how big does my business have to be to qualify for the free energy assessment by your experts?

A: We know that small business owners are often so busy with the ins and outs of running their business that they do not have enough time to focus on reducing energy use. However, energy costs can represent a significant expense for the small business owner and reducing these costs can help your business become more profitable.

The city of Boulder recently implemented a Small Business Energy Performance Program to assist small business owners with improving their energy efficiency. These small businesses generally occupy a building space of less than 10,000 square feet. The program provides a free energy assessment of the building and offers a number of recommendations to improve energy efficiency. In addition, the program provides technical support for the business owner once the assessment is completed. For those efficiency measures the business owner chooses to install, the program provides for general contracting support ensuring that qualified contractors are hired and cost effective measures are installed correctly. The program’s goal is to encourage the installation of the energy efficiency possibilities uncovered in the assessment and will work with the business to ensure the process is easy and cost effective.

Q: I took advantage of the city’s Building Performance Program, where I benefited from a free energy audit of my building. After reviewing our budget for 2008, we have approved certain efficiency upgrades and want to get started. Do you have a list of local contractors I can call to upgrade my lighting or replace my HVAC system?

A: Yes! The city recently established a commercial Trade Ally Network as part of the Building Performance Program. The Trade Ally Network consists of heating/cooling, lighting, and solar contractors that are aware of the Building Performance Program and are actively working in the community. They are engaged in meeting the goals of the Program and can provide design and installation services to help implement the identified energy efficiency projects. These Trade Ally Network contractors are listed listed on our website at www.environmentalaffairs.com.

Q: I’m a business owner in Boulder wanting information on available local, state, or federal, or Xcel rebates for equipment I might install in my building. Where can I get that information?

A: There are numerous incentives for energy efficiency that are provided by a variety of organizations, and it can be confusing about where get complete information. One great place to start is Xcel Energy’s website, which has information on their rebate program. Xcel is Boulder's energy provider and has numerous rebates available for businesses to improve energy efficiency. Go to www.xcelenergy.com and under the "Business" tab, click on "Save Energy and Money".

Another great place for information is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency at www.dsireusa.org This website lists all of the state and federal programs that provide rebates, tax credits, and incentives for both business and residents.

This bi-monthly column is courtesy of the city of Boulder’s Office of Environmental Affairs, who administers the city’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) through the ClimateSmart campaign. The ClimateSmart campaign challenges area residents to reduce their individual or household "carbon footprint" by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Please email your questions about household or commercial energy use and sustainable transportation to comments@bouldercolorado.gov.

Q: What information can I share with my co-workers to save energy at work?

A: Here’s a list of effective energy-saving measures that are likely to make significant impact on your company’s energy bills and reduce local greenhouse gas emissions:

Consider turning off your computer monitor if you won’t be using it for more than 20 minutes, and turn off both the computer and monitor if you’re not going to use them for more than 2 hours and always at the end of the day.
Office equipment and chargers for phones, BlackBerrys, and cameras draw power even when turned off. Connect PCs, monitors and computer accessories to one power strip, and then turn off the power strip when not in use for an extended period - including every night.
Disable the screensaver on your monitor; instead set it to go into sleep mode after 10 minutes. If appropriate, use laptop computers: they consume less energy than standard desktop computers.
When purchasing any new electronic equipment look for the ENERGYSTAR rating. These appliances help eliminate wasted energy through special energy-efficient design. They use less energy to perform regular tasks, and when not in use they automatically enter a low-power mode.
Establish a policy regarding personal office appliances. Hot plates, personal refrigerators, space heaters, torchiere lamps and fish tanks all add to your office energy consumption.
Switch off lights and power strips in your workspace at the end of each day, especially Friday.
Enable standby or energy saver mode on office equipment when not in use in for short periods.
Don’t prop doors open or leave windows open in buildings that are climate-controlled.
Consider organizing an informal contest between departments to see who can come up with the best plan for minimizing energy use and waste in their department. Give prizes or incentives to the top three departments. You might be surprised to see how many people will jump at the chance to make their companies more sustainable.
If your building does not have an automated heating/cooling system, check the thermostat setting and turn it down every night, adjusted for weather.
If you are too cold or too warm in your work place, ask your facility manager how to improve comfort. Get all employees involved by asking them to notify the facilities manager when they see energy waste happening.
Call the city of Boulder for a free energy assessment of your building! 303-441-4191.

Q: I hear a lot these days about calculating your "Carbon Footprint" How can I calculate the carbon footprint of my work?

A: Calculating your businesses carbon footprint is much more difficult than for your home due to the many factors that can go into the calculation. Here are some of the basics that will be part of a business calculation:

Energy Use:
Your business's energy use is the first part of the carbon footprint. This is also the easiest to calculate by simply reviewing your energy bills.

The city of Boulder recently implemented a Small Business Energy Performance Program to assist small business owners with improving their energy efficiency. These small businesses generally occupy a building space of less than 10,000 square feet. The program provides a free energy assessment of the building and offers a number of recommendations to improve energy efficiency. In addition, the program provides technical support for the business owner once the assessment is completed. For those efficiency measures the business owner chooses to install, the program provides for general contracting support ensuring that qualified contractors are hired and cost effective measures are installed correctly. The program's goal is to encourage the installation of the energy efficiency possibilities uncovered in the assessment and will work with the business to ensure the process is easy and cost effective.

Q: I took advantage of the city's Building Performance Program, where I benefited from a free energy audit of my building. After reviewing our budget for 2008, we have approved certain efficiency upgrades and want to get started. Do you have a list of local contractors I can call to upgrade my lighting or replace my HVAC system?

Q: I'm a business owner in Boulder wanting information on available local, state, or federal, or Xcel rebates for equipment I might install in my building. Where can I get that information?

A: There are numerous incentives for energy efficiency that are provided by a variety of organizations, and it can be confusing about where get complete information. One great place to start is Xcel Energy's website, which has information on their rebate program. Xcel is Boulder's energy provider and has numerous rebates available for businesses to improve energy efficiency. Go to www.xcelenergy.com and under the "Business" tab, click on "Save Energy and Money".

Q: I am a facility manager at a company in Boulder and am concerned about the rising cost of utilities. I would like to take steps to make my company more energy efficient. What suggestions do you have to help me start this process?

A: We know that businesses are concerned about the rising utility costs and their impact on the bottom line. However, there are numerous steps you can take to help your company reduce its energy use and hopefully its overall energy cost as well. We suggest two main strategies:

First, it is important to understand your building's energy use and energy efficiency opportunities. One of the best ways to understand your building's energy use is to schedule an energy assessment. Energy assessments are a great way to identify areas of possible improvement for energy efficiency. These assessments involve a professional contractor reviewing the main energy uses in your building, which generally include lighting, heating, and cooling. These reports provide a detailed report for opportunities for improvement and will also show the potential paybacks for these energy efficiency improvements. Xcel Energy is Boulder's energy provider and is collaborating with the city of Boulder to provide energy assessments to the business community. Additionally, Xcel offers numerous rebates for the implementation of energy efficiency measures at your business. Go to www.xcelenergy.com and under the "Business" tab, click on "Save Energy and Money".

Secondly, employee behavior offers another opportunity for energy use reduction. Simple behavior modifications by employees can offer significant energy savings often at no cost to a business to implement. Here are a couple of strategies to encourage employees to reduce energy use:

Consider organizing an informal contest between departments to see who can come up with the best plan for minimizing energy use and waste in their department. Give prizes or incentives to the top three departments. You might be surprised to see how many people will jump at the chance to make their companies more sustainable.
Establish a policy regarding personal office appliances. Hot plates, personal refrigerators, space heaters, torchiere lamps and fish tanks all add to your office energy consumption.
Switch off lights and power strips in your workspace at the end of each day, especially Friday.
Enable standby or energy saver mode on office equipment when not in use in for short periods.
Use props or labels to remind employees to turn of the lights or computers.
Post energy use bills in a public area so that employees can understand the energy usage and costs for your business

These two strategies can make a big impact on your energy use. The city can offer additional help through its ClimateSmart at Work programs. Please check www.beclimatesmart.com for more information on how we can assist your business.