NYC Archives - Michaels Energy

Nov 05

Talking Heads

By Jeff Ihnen Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant, Utility Stuff No Comments

This is not about the excellent 80s band, unfortunately. Companies that provide necessities of life serve as punching bags to the public, media, and politicians. I’ve said this before. This week, we have more examples of beating up electricity and other utility providers. First, as I was explaining in my “Energy Efficiency 101” course Friday for new and recent hires at Michaels Energy, power companies are expected to provide power 24/7, every minute of the day, hell or high water, with no emissions, no nukes, out of sight, and with negligible cost. It would be easier and less controversial to…

Sep 17

Love0

Lessons from NYC Benchmarking

By Jeff Ihnen Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant, Utility Stuff One Comment

New York City recently completed its report for the benchmarking of all its “large” facilities, generally with square footage of 100,000 or greater. The results of the study are not surprising. You may be thinking, “Who cares about NYC?” Answer: this post includes universal challenges with benchmarking whether it’s Batswana or the Yukon. The benchmarking was completed using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, which as far as I can tell ranks buildings by source Btu per square foot, otherwise known as energy intensity. For example, it uses a factor of 3 for electricity, which is one over the efficiency of delivering electrical…