Would you be surprised to learn that an SPAV is actually less expensive than a PAV? If you only look at the upfront investment, you miss the greater picture; within 1 year an $800 SPAV will cost the SAME as a standard PAV! And within 5 years, a PAV actually costs more than DOUBLE.

Solar products qualify for a federal tax credit of 30% covering the cost of the product AND labor. After the 30% tax credit is figured in, at the end of year one, the Solar powered attic ventilator costs the same as a powered version. Because a powered version will continue to use electricity, after five years, the powered version can cost more than double that of the solar version. Find out more!
Federal tax form #5695

Occupancy Sensors = Energy Savings

For many years, occupancy sensors have been highlighted as a way to reduce energy consumption. The California Department of Energy has stated that lighting accounts for 35-45% of an office buildings energy use. As seen in the chart, occupancy sensors can potentially reduce lighting use by 13-90%. In a large office building, for example, occupancy sensors can be an excellent way of reducing energy costs for both building operators and tenants.
Occupancy sensors can save a building operator or tenant money, but what is the return on investment (ROI) for a capital expenditure of this nature? Hubbell has developed a tool, the H-MOSS® ROI Worksheet, that can be accessed from the Hubbell website. This simple-to-use worksheet helps calculate present annual energy costs without sensors and estimated annual costs with sensors. The savings and short payback time can be surprising. As energy costs continue to climb, standards and codes become more stringent, and the “greening” of commercial and residential buildings increases across the country, you should look toward Hubbell Occupancy Sensors to help decrease your energy costs. Find out more about how Hubbell H-Moss Occupancy sensors can start saving your company money.

Disposable or Rechargeable? What kind of flash light should you buy?

Disposable batteries, either alkaline or lithium, have excellent storage life, 7 and 10 years respectively. They generally offer longer runtimes for a given bulb power and are typically lower in initial purchase price and easier to keep spares on hand. Their operating costs are considerably higher than rechargeables (see chart) and they are seldom as bright. Lithium cells have high energy density, but are even more costly than alkaline.

Rechargeable flashlights using nickel cadmium or lithiumion batteries feature extraordinarily low operating expense and are well suited for frequent use. They can often support a brighter bulb or LED and store conveniently in custom charger holders. Their initial purchase price is higher and they self discharge at a higher rate when in storage.

Typical Cost of a Rechargeable vs. Disposable
Year	Rechargeable flashlight costs	D-Cell Flashlight Costs
1st	$97*	$103**
2nd	$0	$78
3rd	$0	$78
4th	$0	$78
Total Cost	$97	$337
*Average suggested cost of a rechargeable Flashlight **Includes $25 flashlight purchaces and a year's worth of replacement batteries

Information courtesy of Stream Light

 

The seven myths of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL's)

1. They are too expensive
Replacing incandescent with good quality CFL's is one of the best money saving investments in the long run.

2. Their design is less appealing
There are many new designs that are much more aesthetically appealing and, in many cases, are more compact.

3. They can't be dimmed
A range of dimmable CFL options are now available. These will work on the majority of dimmer circuits and are available in different colors and as bayonet or screw fittings.

4. They don't last as long as they say
The high quality brands will usually last more than the stated average life of 6000 hours and usually come with some form of guarantee. It is often the cheaper, no-name brands that are less reliable as they use much lower quality components.

5. They give a harsh white light
This is only partly true and is caused by many consumers being unaware that CFL's come in variety of colors and therefore pick the wrong CFL for the task.

6. A broken globe can contaminate your entire home
High quality bulbs tend to contain lower levels of mercury than some of the cheaper, less reliable brands – CFL bulbs have been used safety around the world for over 25 years.

7. They contain mercury which makes them worse for the environment
Switching to CFLs actually prevents much more toxic mercury from being released into the air from coal fired power plants than is contained in the energy saver bulbs themselves.

Information courtesy of Plant Ark