LAST WEEK
Posted by Wes Brooks
on Jan 27, 2015
Last week the Rotary Club of Hattiesburg was joined by retired energy expert, Herb Stonebrook. Herb is a retired Energy Management Administrator for the State of Tennessee. He talked about a number of energy conservation projects that he worked in during his career.
Bill noted that, regardless of where you come down on the equation, there is increasing concerns about climate change and the impacts these changes have and will have on society. He suggests that the most effective way to deal with the issues surrounding climate changes is to build better partnerships that can pave the way for future generations.
There are thousands of energy saving concepts and devises available today. The challenge, according to Bill, is finding the best alternatives that meet your needs. In order to determine that, you must first know what your energy consumption patterns are and then deciding your priorities. If you have or can develop a method to measure your energy savings, you can often increase energy conservation with the gained knowledge.
In one of the Tennessee projects electrical usage for a government building’s lighting system was established. The building was then retrofitted with energy savings lighting fixtures. After the job was completed it was monitored for another year. The project saved 53% on the building’s lighting costs.
Bill recommends an energy audit done by a professional if you are interested in seeing what can or should be done in your office or home. After the audit you can determine where your best alternatives exist and will then be able to measure the payback for a chosen project.
You can learn more about energy conservation and a pilot demonstration program underway with Pearl River Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi by visiting the Mississippi Public Service Commission’s website at http://www.psc.state.ms.us.