EEM Zero – can you afford to ignore it?

If you’ve ever looked at an energy audit, you’ve probably seen a list of energy efficiency measures (EEMs) that looks something like the list above. What’s missing here? The most important ingredient for energy efficiency: the people who operate and maintain the equipment. They’re the ones who make sure the lights are on when we […]

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Solving the Split-Incentive Problem

Aaron Michels, ERG’s operations director, will be giving a talk for the USGBC next Tuesday night, July 12th on solving the Split Incentive problem. You can register at this link: https://bit.ly/climateaction12 PROGRAM DETAILS In rental properties, there is a common obstacle to investment in energy efficiency. If the owner invests in efficient HVAC equipment, the […]

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The Benefits of the Green Revolving Fund

Did you know that energy efficiency not only pays for itself, but it can also fund future Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs)? When ERG performs energy audits or retro-commissioning, we always find several EEMs that have quick paybacks – less than one or two years. Later, building managers fold those savings back into the general fund […]

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St. Louis’ Building Energy Performance Standard

In May of 2020, the City of St. Louis Board of Alderman and Mayor Krewson unanimously passed the City’s first Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS).  This standard will require many large buildings in the City to hit specified energy-efficiency targets. The standard is based on information gathered from the City’s Benchmarking Ordinance that went into […]

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Air Vs Water-Cooled Equipment

One of the recommendations we frequently make to our clients is to move from air-cooled to water-cooled compressors. Air-cooled is the most common type of cooling equipment out there, serving spaces from individual residences, apartment buildings, and large commercial buildings. In the buildings we work on, we see it most commonly in the form of […]

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Achieve Net Zero Cost-Effectively

The time has come! The price of renewable energy has dropped year by year, and new renewables are now cheaper than conventional carbon-based sources of energy. The term Net Zero has been around for a while, and it has commonly been seen as the domain of small and expensive demonstration buildings. Well times change, and now there is nothing holding buildings back from reaching for and achieving net zero […]

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How to Save Your Bottom Line

For many businesses, the pandemic induced recession has taken its toll on revenue. Now that winter months are approaching, there is even greater uncertainty for what is in store. While we hope for the best, wisdom tells us to prepare for the worst.  So how do businesses who have been ravaged by the pandemic survive […]

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