OUR CLIENT PORTFOLIO

A New Mexico-based Institution of Higher Education boasts a sprawling campus with numerous buildings all serviced by a single electric meter. This lack of granularity made it quite difficult to pinpoint where energy consumption is highest, hindering planned energy reduction initiatives across campus. The campus-wide sustainability committee struggled to visualize and demonstrate the impact of their sustainability efforts. Energy usage remained a mystery, leaving management eager to both control and curtail consumption. Furthermore, an unidentified electrical issue plagued a new building, and the green building department wished to compare energy usage between a 'green' building and a non-green one for educational purposes.

Collaborating closely with management, the facilities department, and faculty members, Current-C Energy crafted a comprehensive monitoring system. This system provides insights into energy usage distribution across campus, laying the foundation for ongoing energy reduction projects. The initial phase focused on real-time monitoring of power consumption at three key buildings, providing detailed data on electrical usage, costs, and usage patterns. This information is accessible to management, facility staff, and faculty through a user-friendly web-based server and intuitive dashboards.

The anticipated payback period for the initial monitoring installation is less than two years, based on an annual electricity bill of approximately $300,000. Significant savings are expected through operational changes and cost-effective measures, including the implementation of occupancy sensors, temperature adjustments, thermostat optimization, elimination of 'personal heaters,' and insulating water pipes. Additionally, the monitoring equipment is likely to identify equipment issues that could lead to failures, overloaded circuits, and air handling equipment problems. Once these issues are pinpointed, the payback period may be reduced to less than a year. Most importantly, this initiative engages students in sustainability efforts by providing them with real-time data through individual building dashboards, enabling them to see the immediate impact of their actions.

Preserving a historic commercial building in Santa Fe which is subject to strict regulations governing exterior modifications. When occupants voiced concerns about the persistent drafts and chill, leadership of Southwestern Title & Escrow faced a challenge. Replacing the windows of this centuries-old Santa Fe, New Mexico commercial building with energy-efficient double-pane replicas of the originals proved to be financially daunting. In search of an effective and unobtrusive solution, he turned to Current-C.

To address the issue, Current-C recommended window inserts called indows which do a great job of integrating with the original design yet achieve a significant result in energy efficiency. Southwestern Title & Escrow opted to install 49 Standard Grade inserts over every single-pane window in the three-story structure. As a result, not only is the building steeped in history and character, but it's now a comfortable space too. This preservation effort has safeguarded the integrity of the original windows, which have borne witness to over a century of colorful history ranging from serving as a former brothel and later as a nunnery to an office building now.

The Sustainability Department of a nonprofit based in Wyoming sought advisory services to address various issues that had surfaced with their new headquarters building. Additionally, they needed assistance in coordinating with another supplier proposing a control system upgrade to ensure that the owner's objectives would be met.

Current-C Energy conducted a thorough assessment of the headquarters facility and an adjacent building, offering recommendations to enhance air handling system maintenance, optimize lighting configurations, and address severe thermal bridging issues on wall surfaces. Furthermore, we provided destratification equipment for common areas and facilitated the coordination of the controls system upgrade with the controls company.

The improvements were implemented with the guidance of Current-C Energy which enabled the organization to achieve its energy reduction targets one year ahead of schedule. This success translated into the need for fewer solar photovoltaic panels at their headquarters building, thanks to the substantial reduction in energy consumption.

The Sustainability Coordinator and Facilities Manager collaborated closely with Current-C Energy throughout the audit and evaluation process. They enthusiastically continued the sustainability efforts once the project was completed, emphasizing the ongoing importance of sustainability programs within the organization.

Current-C Energy was engaged to perform an in-depth energy efficiency assessment of four Tribal buildings, deliver an alternative energy feasibility study, and offer essential weatherization training to Tribal members.

For context, a small reservation located in Northern California had recently acquired several older buildings and constructed new ones to accommodate their administrative offices and Tribal members. The older structures were often uncomfortable, and the utility expenses for the newer buildings were straining an already tight budget. The Tribe had a strong interest in sustainability, alternative energy solutions, and resource conservation, including financial resources, all while fostering a sense of tradition and community.

We began by meticulously reviewing previous reports and the Tribe's Governing Documents. We collaborated closely with Tribal officials and members, conducted a comprehensive site visit, and engaged in consultations with Tribal staff. The final site visit involved training staff members on weatherization concepts and techniques, along with presenting a report to the Tribal Council that included the following recommendations:

Significant energy savings could be achieved by enhancing building infrastructure and optimizing their usage.

Tribal members and staff could enjoy substantial cost savings and enhanced comfort by implementing a small-scale weatherization team and introducing other 'low cost / no cost' programs.

One specific building exhibited a 50% higher energy consumption compared to similar structures in a comparable climate, primarily due to space conditioning. To address this, we recommended the implementation of a ground-source heat pump system when designing a proposed addition.

We suggested the installation of two solar generation systems: a DC stand-alone system for a small water pump and a grid-tied system as part of an outdoor community gathering space, providing power to one or two adjacent buildings.

Current-C Energy was commissioned to perform a comprehensive audit of a small water system, offer improvement recommendations, conduct a 'plan review' for proposed infrastructure enhancements, present findings to the Board, and educate staff about alternative energy solutions.

Throughout the United States and in various countries, numerous small rural drinking water systems play a crucial role in providing clean drinking water to communities, often managed by dedicated volunteers. While their financial resources are limited, these systems grapple with aging infrastructure and increasing energy costs for pumping and treatment. These challenges are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change and shifting population trends.

One pathway for small water systems to modernize their pumps and infrastructure involves the design and installation of alternative energy systems, with some funding assistance provided by government or other agencies to reduce long-term operational costs. However, to make alternative energy systems economically viable, the first step is to reduce energy consumption. An added advantage of energy reduction in water and wastewater systems lies in the 'water-energy nexus'—30% of water usage contributes to electricity generation, and 30% of energy usage is dedicated to water treatment and delivery. Reducing one directly impacts the other.

Several analyses were conducted based on limited available data from the water system. A significant recommendation was the real-time monitoring of pump operations and water production to enhance system maintenance and operation.

The Data: The average electricity cost was $0.14 per kWh, with daily expenses averaging around $8, covering two pumps, three space heaters, and lighting. Electricity consumption was higher during winter months, despite lower water production, due to electric heaters in the pump houses. Low-cost or no-cost measures, including insulation using stored scrap foam board within the building, coupled with operational and maintenance adjustments, were projected to save 20-25% annually, primarily in the office building. Solar generation had the potential to eliminate all utility costs for the pumps if an effective monitoring and control system were in place. Grant applications were recommended.