The Biochar Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Costs’

Energy Costs Affecting Business Owners

Energy costs have risen globally, threatening the growth of businesses everywhere. Some of the hardest-hit organizations are those that own or lease property and pay for electricity. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, buildings account for 36 percent of total energy use and 65 percent of electricity consumption. So, when electrical energy costs rise, businesses demand a solution. Energy Automation Systems, Inc. (EASI), an international leader in energy-saving technology, can reduce energy costs by reducing the electrical energy waste and consumption already present in your facility today.

A Real Solution

Energy Automation Systems Inc. (EASI) designs, manufactures and installs systems that reduce electrical energy consumption and improve power quality in commercial and industrial facilities by enhancing the efficiency of electrical systems with no trade off in performance. Energy Automation Systems work passively, requiring no routine maintenance, and they function in virtually any facility that consumes electricity. The company’s proven systems can reduce a facility’s electrical energy consumption by 30% or more – and your savings are backed by a written guarantee, underwritten by a major insurance company.

Energy Automation Systems has installed customized energy conservation systems for decades for many thousands of clients in more than 60 countries around the world. Energy Automation Systems Founder and CEO Joseph Merlo has more than 30 years of experience in the energy conservation business and has helped countless companies reduce their energy costs. Paul Bleiweis, President of Energy Automation Systems, leads development of the company’s unique portfolio of energy-saving products. As a result of their leadership, Energy Automation Systems clients have included General Electric, British Petroleum, Apollo Management, Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and ConAgra Foods, as well as many other companies, large and small.

If your business is looking for a long-term solution to rising energy costs, visit the company’s corporate Web site at: www.energyautomation.com. If you would like to learn more about the company’s executive leadership, click here for a bio on Joseph Merlo and Paul Bleiweis.

A Unique Opportunity

As a result of rising energy costs, demand for Energy Automation Systems Inc. (EASI) systems is growing around the world. For years the company provided its systems directly to customers, but increasing demand lead the company to develop a unique business opportunity in which individuals can become Affiliates of the company and market its products to customers around the world.

For a brief overview of the Energy Automation Systems business opportunity, visit www.energysavingbusiness.com.

For an in-depth look at the Energy Automation Systems opportunity, including video interviews with current Energy Automation Systems Affiliates and customers and a detailed overview of Energy Automation Systems product portfolio, visit www.easibusiness.com.

A new study has demonstrated the strong correlation between air pollution and air quality and the level of costs incurred in by elderly patients seeking medical attention. The study took in millions of Medicare records of both in- and out-patients between 1989 and 1991 all the patients were white and aged between 65 and 84 years.

The study was conducted by Professor Victor Fuchs, professor emeritus at Stanford University and assisted by Sarah Franks, a doctoral student at Berkeley, University of California. The study results were published in the November/December issue of Health Affairs, and the conclusive results demonstrate a direct linkage between air pollution and the level of health, particularly respiratory health in elderly patients. More than this, the study demonstrates that investment in improving air quality and reducing pollution leads to direct cost savings which are substantial.

At a time when there is a great debate centered around healthcare, and especially who will be footing the bill, the report clearly demonstrates that pollution control provides an excellent opportunity for improving the nation’s health, reducing the cost of healthcare and provides opportunities to improve the quality of life for the elderly.

Factors taken into consideration in the study, which took in 183 metropolitan areas, included regional geographical variations, per capita income, educational achievement, ethnic breakdown of the sample location, weight levels (particularly obesity levels) and cigarette usage.

There are clear differences between urban and rural areas within the study samples; metropolitan areas also varied widely in the quality of the air and pollution levels the study demonstrates that there is only a small difference in rates of surgery between high and low pollution sample locations, however this picture radically changes when medical intervention short of surgery is assessed.

Outpatient care has a 7% difference between high and low air pollution locations, but when we look at inpatient care the difference increases dramatically to 19% more people seeking treatment in the more highly polluted sample locations.

Population size and density has a very significant impact on air quality Florida and Blue Sky country (centered upon Montana) has the cleanest air but Florida had twice the outpatient treatment rate (this being a factor of the higher population size and density). Hospital admissions were found to be at their highest in the Deep South and South Western areas of the country.

Overall, differences in admissions to hospital for respiratory conditions between low and high air pollution locations are relatively low; the data must be interpreted with care because of the small difference. Nevertheless, there is a clear relationship between air pollution and the need for increased medical intervention for the elderly. As the authors state in the conclusion of the report, the results do not provide, “absolute proof” that high pollution areas result in higher spending on medical care, however the data results are highly persuasive.

Irrespective of whether the study constitutes “absolute proof” or not, there is a clear need for greater outpatient medical treatment for those living in highly populated and highly polluted areas. The correlation between high pollution levels and population levels also demonstrates just who is actually responsible for creating the problem with air quality in the first instance.

Almost daily, you hear news reports about the increasing numbers of homes in foreclosure. What you don’t hear reported is how increasing energy costs are so often the cause of this devastating problem.

Are you losing your home because your can’t afford to pay your energy bills and your mortgage? If you aren’t facing foreclosure can you afford temperature settings that keep you feeling comfortable inside your home?

During the recent U.S. housing boom, builders completed homes quickly. Interest rates were low and investors eager to cash in on high returns on investments. Unless you were knowledgeable about energy-efficient home features and made sure they were included during construction, chances are your new home wastes a lot of energy. It’s also likely you don’t feel comfortable in your home due to uneven room temperatures, drafts, cold floors, etc.

There was a time when home air conditioning was a luxury. Now it seems more like a necessity. Average temperatures in North America have risen over the last 20 years, remaining high for longer periods and forcing people to turn on air conditioners powered by electricity to survive excessive exposure to heat.

Rate caps that once held down electricity costs are ending countrywide. Maryland residents recently experienced the shock of a 70% electric rate increase. Pennsylvania residents will receive the first of several rate increases starting in 2008.

The mortgage industry facing huge losses from foreclosures is working with homeowners to reduce monthly mortgage costs. A reduction in mortgage costs may help, but this is only a temporary solution. Moving to another home, unless it is energy efficient will not solve the problem.

The best solution is to implement energy saving features in your home as quickly as possible. This will not only be good for you financially, it will also be good for the planet.

©Siti Crook, 2007