So you might want to take charge of your energy consumption, like Hayley Purbrick, of Tahbilk Winery in Victoria's Goulburn Valley. Among other measures, Purbrick has applied rust-grey heat-reflective paint in a bid to cool her restaurant whose iron roof stokes summer temperatures. Purbrick is “convinced” the paint will work where her airconditioning system alone has failed.
In another energy saving step, she plans to change the various kinds of light bulbs dotted around the winery to light-emitting diodes. Her LED conversion will cut emissions and electricity use by 60 per cent, Purbrick says.
Here are 10 more workplace energy conservation tips for small business owners.
1. Switch appliances off at the power point – that simple act can save you about $125 a year and cut your carbon pollution by 500 kilos per year, says the general manager at Appliances Online, Peter Harris. Remember to switch off PCs and laptops, Harris says.
2. Businesses should also inspect the appliances they use in the staff room or kitchen, Harris says. Old fridges are some of the worst energy-wasting appliances. Swapping a 10-year-old fridge for a new 4.5 star-rated fridge can halve the amount of electricity used, saving you about $145 a year, he says.
3. Actively invest in energy-efficient office appliances. Note the star rating, which gives a quick comparative assessment of a model's energy efficiency and should also provide an estimate of its annual consumption, Harris says.
4. Replace old airconditioning units. Exchanging airconditioners that are over 10 years old can cut your annual heating and cooling costs by up to 40 per cent, Harris says. In general, Harris recommends Mitsubishi. He also favours Panasonic reverse-cycle air conditioners and Dimplex portable units.
5. Consider solar - a “fantastic alternative, especially for hot water systems”, Harris says. Solar saves you about $150 on yearly power bills and slashes your hot water system's consumption by 70 per cent, he adds, citing New South Wales Government Save Power figures.
6. Measure how much energy your business uses, says environmental expert Melissa Houghton. Analyse old bills or take readings from your energy meter, Houghton suggests. Remember that, because the price of energy is rising, the cost will not initially reflect reduced usage.
But, she adds, “if you don't measure it, you can't reduce it”. Keep measuring.
7. Reduce your heating temperature by two to three degrees, and rug up, says Houghton. Meantime, she says, check that all fridge and oven seals are leak-free because the cost of refrigeration gases is set to rocket.
8. Ensure you know of any government help available through the clean energy scheme, says Houghton. For information, visit the Clean Energy Future website.
9. Another consumption-cutting tip, from Origin Energy, is to opt for small computer monitors. According to Origin, the average computer uses about 120 watts per hour, with the monitor consuming up to half of that total.
10. Finally, think before you print, says Origin. Remember that inkjet printers use up to 90 per cent less energy than laser printers. Also note that colour printing can waste more energy than black and white.
Big and green, the new lamp posts outside Seattle's King Street Station have a nickname.
City workers call them "Gumbies."
"I think it was my architect who nicknamed them, mostly because of the shape," said Trevina Wang, manager of the King Street Station renovation for the Seattle Department of Transportation.
Walk through the station's rebuilt Jackson Street plaza and you can see why. The fixtures stand 6 feet tall, with arms stretched into the air and heads that widen at the top to resemble Gumby, the goofy, clay animation character from the famous children's television show.
There will be 23 in all, and most have been installed along a granite balustrade outside the station. Each fixture supports three frosted globes that illuminate the plaza at night.
The new lamps replace originals that were in place during the station's glory years. The station, which opened in 1906, once was a gateway for rail travelers to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
"I think it really completes the look of the plaza with these," Wang said. "It helps illuminate the plaza, and it's nice to have these because they were there originally."
It's the latest step in a $50 million restoration of the historic train depot, which fell into disrepair over the years. The city took over the station from BNSF in 2008, and has made several upgrades, which included restoring the iconic clock tower and ornate plaster ceiling.
A new baggage and ticketing system was installed, and the Jackson Street plaza was reopened last year. Transportation officials hope to revive the station as a hub. It serves Amtrak and Sounder commuter rail, and will be on the First Hill Streetcar line.
The new lamps weren't quite ready for the plaza's re-opening ceremony. It took a year to design them, create mock-ups, and have them shipped from Eleek Inc., a Portland firm that manufactured them.
Workers first noticed the Gumbies were missing while perusing old photos of the plaza, SDOT reported last week in a blog post.
"When the city took over King Street Station in 2008, the Jackson plaza was a deserted parking lot with security fencing lining both sides of the plaza," the agency said.
The fence was supported by the old lamps, which had been trimmed down into posts. With $300,000 from a federal stimulus grant, the city paid for custom-built lamp posts based on the old design.
The new lamps are equipped with LED lights, so they should be "very, very efficient," Wang said. Especially when compared to the original fixtures, which were incandescents, she said.
"We're hoping that we don't have to change the light bulbs for a very, very long time," she said.
Seattle's Bridging the Gap transportation levy, passed by voters in 2006, paid for $10 million of the station's restoration. Federal, state and private funding paid for the remaining $40 million, including a $18 million federal grant for high-speed, inter-city, passenger rail.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) commemorated the World Environment Day (WED) 2012 on Tuesday by reaffirming its commitment to align organizational efforts with environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.
The PTCL is leading from the front on initiatives for social and environmental welfare in an effort to meet international corporate social responsibility and sustainability standards.
As part of WED 2012's theme `Green Economy: Does it include YOU?', the PTCL creatively engaged its employees with the message, "Every drop is precious. Treat water with respect", said a press release issued here.
In the recent past, the PTCL has made significant efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. By encouraging a paperless work environment, the telecom giant is aiming at reducing the adverse effect of greenhouse gases on the planet.
The PTCL is one of the few companies in Pakistan to switch from using simple paint to LED-free paint, thus making its buildings environment-friendly.
Furthermore, the company has installed solar panels at its headquarters, which are powering its outdoor lighting through solar energy.
The PTCL is also replacing its normal light bulbs with energy efficient LED lights and energy-savers.
It is continuously striving for a greener Pakistan. Recently, it planted 300 tree saplings in its dead quarter grounds as well as residential colonies spread across Islamabad.
The PTCL is steadfastly using recycled material for its products.
The company also recently launched a clean drinking water project, installing 41 filtration plants for community welfare.
Last year, the National Forum for Environment and Health recognized PTCL's continued efforts for sustainable environment by awarding it the prestigious "National Environmental Excellence Award 2011".
The United Nations has designated June 5 as `World Environment Day', commemorated annually to increase global awareness about environmental hazards and to strive for a greener tomorrow.
Mohon said site prep is under way, and he hopes the store will be ready to open in September or October. He said the overall look of the store will be similar to the other locations, but that won’t be the case inside.
“Actually, we’re trying to make this a green location,” he said. “We’re going with geothermal air conditioners, foam insulation in the whole building, LED lights and reduced water usage as far as toilets and sinks go,” he said. “It’s an experiment, too. If it works, we’ll modify our other locations.”
London's streets have been decorated in a patriotic fury of Union Jacks as Jubilee fever sweeps the capital, and Britain prepares to host the Olympics.
But bunting would have been a rather humble adornment for Tower Bridge, one of London's most famous monuments.
On Sunday, over one thousand boats will muster on the River Thames as Her Majesty The Queen readys herself to take part in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.
With the bridge as the final stopping point, and less than 60 days to go till the start of the Olympics, the famous landmark has been given a glittering makeover.
The lighting system, which is aimed at picking out the unusual architectural features of the bridge, gets its first switch-on tonight.
Both static and coloured bulbs which vary in intensity will beam from the central London landmark where giant Olympic Rings and the Paralympic Agitos, the swirling symbol of the Paralympics, will shine during the London 2012 Games.
The lights will shine white this weekend to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
The Both static and coloured bulbs which vary in intensity will beam from the central London landmark where giant Olympic Rings and the Paralympic Agitos, the swirling symbol of the Paralympics, will shine during the London 2012 Games.
Work began in November to fit the 1,800 special energy-efficient LED lights, 6,562ft (2,000m) of energy-efficient LED linear lights, 16,404ft (5,000m) of cable and 1,000 junction boxes.
London Mayor Boris Johnson predicted that Tower Bridge is now set to play "a starring role" in the 2012 celebrations as London gears up for "a summer like no other", adding: "Tower Bridge is already a global icon and this much-loved landmark is now even more spectacular thanks to a world-class illumination system.
It is to be funded through a deal between the Mayor, City of London and London 2012 sponsors GE and EDF.
ower Bridge has gone red, white and blue in preparation for its starring role in the Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics, reported the Daily Mail.
A new system using 3,800 LED lights was tested this week, allowing the bridge to gleam ‘diamond white’ for the weekend — at no cost to the taxpayer after a deal was struck between Mayor Boris Johnson, the City of London Corporation and London 2012 sponsors EDF and GE.
It will form the backdrop to Sunday’s pageant on the Thames, with the Queen reviewing 1,000 boats from the deck of the royal barge as it is berthed at HMS President, the Royal Navy’s riverside base in the capital.
In preparation for the summer of celebration which will see both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic games the iconic landmark was given a makeover and a spruce up worthy of being paraded in front of the eyes of the world.
The first test will be the Royal Jubilee Pageant on Sunday which will see the Queen and six senior members of the royal family travel down the Thames on the royal barge, the report said.
Macomb aldermen have been asked for several years to take action to improve the safety of the Grant Street and Maple Avenue intersection. They now appear ready to do so.
They will decide at their June 4, 2012 meeting whether the city should buy solar powered pedestrian crossing lights for that intersection and for West Adams Street, just east of Wigwam Hollow Road.
“The LED lighted sign is similar to the signage in front of Brophy Hall on University Drive and the signage on Murray Street in front of the (WIU) union. Although those are stop signs, that's the kind of illumination that comes with that,” said Mayor Mike Inman.
Fourth Ward Alderman Thomas Koch was not sold on the idea.
“We have signs that are very visible now and people don't stop. So I don't think that they're going to necessarily stop for an amber light,” said Koch.
The signs from a company called TAPCO will cost $13,880. The city received a lower bid of $12,080 from Brown Traffic Control but the city council's Public Safety Committee is recommending the TAPCO bid because its signs are lit, whereas the Brown bid was for a flashing light.
“I think it's tough to put a dollar value on one of our youngsters,” said Third Ward Alderman Lou Gilbert. “All it has to do is save one life.”
“I meant to get 'It Was For the Children' out of my system before somebody else got there,” responded Fifth Ward Alderman Dave Dorsett..
“I fear that it might not be enough for the children. I believe this will possibly give you an artificial sense of security when what you're doing is coming up with something that will sit there and eventually become a part of the landscape like every other sign.”
Dorsett also said there have been no reports of accidents involving pedestrians at the intersection.
But Second Ward Alderwoman Kay Hill said the city should not wait until something happens to take action.
“I do think these flashing LED lights, that are activated, I think they're going to be much more attention getting than just a painted crosswalk,” said Hill.
Seventh Ward Alderman Clay Hinderliter chimed in, “Absence of incident reports are not an indication of the safety of an intersection. Near misses are generally not reported or recorded.”
“More of the same is not a solution,” he added.
Aldermen voted six-to-three to put the item on the agenda for their first meeting in June. Dorsett, Koch, and Alderman At Large Don Wynn were opposed.
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