This month Green Living Magazine asked our local businesses what they do to conserve energy during the warmer months.

Bill Clay Design Studio

BCDS implements direct energy-saving initiatives, such as turning off the lights or adjusting thermostats.  Deliveries are eliminated, which reduces fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance and tire production, thereby indirectly reducing energy consumption.

We encourage sustainable designs, materials, finishes and fixtures that are beyond standard code.  We try to eliminate paper usage by sharing information electronically and upload to a FTP site so clients and contractors can access remotely.

We integrated CFL lights throughout our firm and turn lights off when there is adequate natural daylight.  Ceiling fans are always utilized, and air conditioning is shut off and windows are opened when the weather allows.  Telecommuting and teleconferencing is encouraged, which increases productivity, reduces stress, saves fuel and minimizes CO2 production; however, when out-of-office meetings are planned, we attempt to schedule them on the same day, making a loop from meeting to meeting when possible.  Additionally, waste paper, electronics, CFLs and batteries are recycled, and plastic bottles and paper plates are avoided.

Sustainable Communities AZ Foundation, founded in part by Bill Clay, educates the community about the benefits of sustainability. 

Bill Clay, President | Bill Clay Design Studio, LLC

Gateway

We had SRP conduct an energy audit for us last year, and affirmed that we’ve been doing a great job conserving energy.  The staff automatically turns off the lights when they are the last to leave a non-customer area, and we wait to turn on the lights until we have customers during the day.  We have programmable thermostats throughout our building and make sure to reduce air conditioning usage in unoccupied rooms and overnight.  We also use energy-efficient lighting and have tinted the windows in the bank that take direct heat during the day.  These conservation efforts are good for the community and have saves us quite a bit of money along the way too. 

James E. Christensen, President/CEO.

PPG Pittsburgh Paints

Energy savings is a yearlong endeavor for PPG Pittsburgh Paints.  With over 450 stores across the nation, even the smallest energy-saving techniques can add up to lower operating expenses on the bottom line, helping us keep our overall paint prices down.  All of our stores have UV-resistant film installed on the windows of our front retail spaces to reduce the heating effects of direct sunlight.  Where needed, in the sunniest areas of the country, awnings are also installed to lower the heating effects.  CFL lights are used throughout our stores and office locations, and plastic cool-wall dividers are used to separate working spaces between our showrooms and warehouse areas.

As we enter the hot summer months, PPG has their contracted air conditioning service providers to visit all company stores to ensure that their units are running properly and that all filters are changed.  We also have a test program in place to centralize air conditioning controls in our stores from our home office.  The temperatures are automatically raised at the close of the business day and then reset one hour prior to opening. 

Jay Lickus | Regional Sales Manager.