| Written by Amy Storer-Scalia, on 17-04-2009 14:12 |
Chic Spotlight: Energy Summit Speaker Heidi Schwartz
She was a featured speaker at the 2009 Greater Cincinnati Energy Summit, and now we're bringing her expertise to you. Find out what she sees on the green horizon.
Cincy Chic: You were one of the featured speakers at the recent 2009 Greater Cincinnati Energy Summit. What did you speak about?
Heidi Schwartz, editor-in-chief of Today's Facility Manager Magazine: One of the key issues for facility professionals is energy management, specifically lighting system upgrades and other missed opportunities under the extension of the Commercial Building Tax Deduction through EPACT 2005. In fact, more than $50 billion is being wasted each year by the owners of 2.8 million U.S. commercial, industrial and institutional buildings that rely on outmoded lighting systems.
Cincy Chic: What is the Greater Cincinnati Energy Summit?
Schwartz: It served as an opportunity for industry professionals to meet and learn a bit more about their opportunities to optimize energy systems in their facilities.
Cincy Chic: From your experience as the editor-in-chief of Today's Facility Manager Magazine, what are you seeing as the top concerns among facility managers right now?
Schwartz: Energy is still a major issue for facility professionals, especially since this country's reliance on fossil fuels does not seem to be subsiding (nor will it decrease significantly in the near future). Buildings need fuel in order to operate, and costs just keep going up, up, up. The one bright spot on the horizon may come by way of the Obama Administration's enthusiasm for alternative energy initiatives and infrastructure improvements, but the jury is still out on how and when those initiatives will start having an impact on business and operations.
Cincy Chic: Our readers aren't "facility managers" but they certainly manage their households. What are some tips and trends that translate from the commercial to the residential side?
Schwartz: Some of the "low hanging fruit" energy efficiency options for facility managers include relamping (swapping out old, inefficient fixtures for newer ones), adjusting thermostats (just like consumers do), those types of common sense measures that can be applied to residential facilities as well as commercial ones.
Cincy Chic: What are some good resources for people to go to for staying on top of news and research in the energy efficiency industry?
Schwartz: The EPA's ENERGY STAR site is a great resource for consumers. There are numerous calculators, studies and references for commercial and residential consumers. Best of all, it's free.
Cincy Chic: What are some things you foresee on the horizon of energy efficiency in the near future and years from now?
Schwartz: Personally, I suspect some of the more forward-thinking organizations may get into the business of generating their own energy and selling back what they don't use. Some companies and entities are already doing this, but I think it will be a growing trend for those companies that don't care to be beholden to the whims of their local electric company. The ENRON fiasco left a deep mark on this country, and energy consumers in California will not easily forget the impact of the rolling blackouts that plagued the state years ago.
PHOTO CREDITS
Photo courtesy of Heidi Schwartz
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