November 2008 Newsletter
Green Measures That Reduce The Cost of Heating Pools & Spas In More Ways Than One
Reducing the use of energy and the price tag that comes along with that has become the rallying call of Property Managers across the state. The economic landscape is requiring us to cut costs and the environmental movement is imploring us to slash our energy waste that contributes to global warming.
The expense to heat pools and spas is skyrocketing and is anticipated to only continue increase in the New Year. This will put many Home Owners Associations in a precarious position of deciding whether to continue to keep them heated by increasing dues or pulling the plug on keeping them warm all together.
Not only that, but scientists warn that if we continue to waste energy and ignore the pro-active measures to protect the environment, it could eventually trigger a worldwide climate crisis, the effects of which are beginning to be felt. For Californians, indeed for all of Earth’s citizens, that would mean, among other things, hotter summers, worsening air pollution, increased wildfires and lower farmland productivity, all of which could ravage our economy and our way of life.
Property owners are in an opportune position to mount an early offensive on the crippling cost of energy in a difficult economy and what Time magazine recently dubbed the “long war against climate change.”
Armed with the 2006 California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), the most aggressive carbon-curbing regulation in the U.S., the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has charged local utility companies with implementing widespread energy-saving initiatives to meet the act’s goal of capping state greenhouse emissions at the 1990 level by 2020. That’s because electricity generation accounts for the Golden State’s second largest source of greenhouse gasses.
Local utilities have responded to this mandate by developing a portfolio of CPUC-approved programs to help commercial customers, including proprietors of apartment complexes, condos and multi-family dwellings, use energy more wisely and give a boost to their bottom line.
Just in time for winter comes another energy-reduction plan, this one geared to multi-tenant residential properties with pools and spas. The Smart Controls Program, which is being administered by energy management company Equity Thru Energy (ETE), cuts wattage waste by replacing inefficient analog water heater controls with more accurate digital controls that can be programmed to maximize energy savings.
ETE’s state-of-the-art energy controllers reduce gas and electricity consumption by managing the pumps and heaters more precisely, taking advantage of non-use periods, and allowing for the sun to naturally heat the water. That, says ETE CEO Tom Debin, can lower gas use almost in half.
To ensure ongoing efficiency, Smart Controls-equipped pools and spas are monitored offsite by ETE through wireless and Internet technology. Remote observation allows for quick notification and adjustment should anomalies occur and prevents tampering with control settings that can lead to excessive pump run time and increased utility spending.
All this clean technology leaves businesses in the green in more ways than one, since reducing carbon pollution lowers utility costs and could even increase profits. Research from the McKinsey Global Institute found that worldwide efficiency improvements alone using existing technology can account for billions of dollars in savings over the next decade.
On a more local level, ETE’s Debin predicts that eco-friendly devices like the Smart Controls for pools and spas will save property owners up to 35% annually on their utility bills, not to mention the lower maintenance and equipment costs they’ll incur with reduced wear on pumps and filters.
The CPUC is so supportive of this option, they are providing installation and monitoring of controls by ETE, at no cost to qualified owners. Controllers must be installed by Dec. 31, 2008, to be eligible for the no-cost program. It’s a winning proposition for businesses and the environment alike, as energy and monetary savings continue for years to come.
By all accounts, controlling carbon emissions is an important first step in what will be a long-term, multi-pronged solution toward reversing global warming and reducing the spike in utility costs. For local multi-tenant residential property owners, no-cost energy-efficiency programs make taking those initial steps even easier.
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