Electrical supply houses have the ability to educate users on energy saving opportunities. Their direct interactions with the contractors and customers provide the distributors with an opportunity to promote and sell energy efficient equipment for new installations. In addition, the electrical supply houses can help their customers upgrade existing older installations to newer energy efficient systems.
Benefits of efficient energy use
Energy efficiency is a major concern to environmentalists, governments and energy producers. There are numerous commercial and environmental benefits associated with efficient energy use. These include:
- Smaller demand means fewer emissions from the power generating plants
- Lower transmission losses
- Smaller electricity bills for the consumer
- Low infrastructure and plant installation and maintenance cost for the utility companies
Over the last few decades, several measures have been taken to help reduce the impact of waste energy on the environment.
Promoting energy efficient products in electrical supply houses
The majority of manufacturers are now making energy efficient products, however, some consumers are not taking advantage of them. Many are using older equipment that is not energy efficient. Electrical supply houses can help by promoting the energy efficient equipment. Discounts may be offered to the customers opting for energy saving products either for new installations, or for upgrading older energy inefficient systems.
Consequently, electrical distributors such as Electric Standard have partnered with manufacturers such as Eaton Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Eaton Cooper Lighting, Leviton, Lutron and Philips Lighting. These manufacturers are provided with space inside the store where they can display, and provide more information about their low energy products.
Customers visiting these electrical supply houses will have a chance to see the available options. They can take with them literature to help them understand and adopt the new energy saving products. And the best thing is that they are likely to come back and purchase products that will help them reduce the electricity bills.
Energy saving lighting technologies and incentives
Lighting contributes to a significant running expense in most buildings and saving on energy in this area can make a huge impact.
The amount spent on lighting is higher in buildings with older lighting systems. Owners can reduce costs by upgrading to newer energy efficient lighting technologies. These systems combine low energy consumption and enhanced visual comfort, which not only reduces the energy costs but also increases productivity.
Electrical stores are in a better position to advise their customers, building owners, contractors and end users on available energy-saving technologies. The stores should provide the technical guidance on how to upgrade older systems with the newer and more efficient systems.
USESI electrical distributors’ energy saving incentives
USESI electrical stores such as Electric Standard, have partnered with other stakeholders in energy efficient products. The aim of the program is promote and implement various lighting technologies to customers in certain regions.
- One of the programs includes offering incentives for a wide range of energy saving bulbs. Lighting control technologies such as daylight energy harvesting systems and occupancy sensors offer better solutions. The specific technologies include the daylight dimming systems (DDS-FL), remote and wall-mounted occupancy sensors and more.
- Another program is the “Commercial & Bright Opportunities Lighting Program” in which Electric Standard has partnered with the Massachusetts Program Administrators. The partnership is designed to help the electric stores to offer discounts to contractors, commercial lighting customers, architects and design community. However, the discounted prices are applicable on LED lamps, selected types of LED fixtures, and low wattage linear fluorescent lamps.
The Program Administrator pays part of the cost of the eligible lamps, directly to the electrical distributor, hence reducing the price the customer has to pay. All the eligible lamps are low energy and long lasting.
The Bright Opportunities Lighting Program is only available consumers who meet the following minimum requirements.
- The customer must contribute the required amount for the discounted lamp or lamp fixture. The amounts may differ with the type and rating of the product.
- The program is only available for customers’ installations within the Massachusetts region.
Determining energy usage through energy audits
The electric store may have a few specialists who are able to assist their customers in carrying out energy audits. An energy audit shows the consumption over a defined period, which can be hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.
By analyzing the audit, the consumer, with the help of energy professional, will know when the consumption is highest. This may help in determining whether there are inefficient loads that could be contributing to the high energy costs.
Other than the equipment consumption, the electrical stores could promote efficient energy use. This includes advising their customers to always turn off the equipment when not in use. Know the best times to use some loads such as using water heating during low tariffs.
By providing such incentives that help customers to save energy and reduce their electricity bills, electrical supply houses can establish a good customer base that trusts in the distributor’s services.