Kill bills with an Energy audit

Many businesses are wary of energy audits because the inevitable recommendations involve spending money to save money and in times of slimmer profit margins this doesn’t sit well. However, the payback period on many energy-saving initiatives is short.

Eclipse has overseen the environmental processes and installed and maintained the equipment of many substantial projects in the motor trade such as the famous Audi Lighthouse in Sydney and our 2012 DuPont Performance Coatings Sustainability Award winner Wales Truck Repairs in NSW, as well as providing services and equipment to businesses across Australia.

An energy audit costs anything from $500 to $2500, depending on which company you use and how in-depth the report is, and this cost can can sometimes be factored into the energy solution.

It involves a visit to the shop to analyse the current electricity consumption and to look at the building construction and insulation, lighting and ergonomics. The energy audit company would usually provide scenarios based on which actions would create the best cost savings and what those would be against current prices and future pricing trends.

A savings solution plan will then be drawn up with what new practices you need to adopt, what rectification needs to take place and what new equipment, such as energy saving lights, you might need.

Eclipse has provided Paint and Panel with recent bodyshop case studies to demonstrate how investing in energy efficiency can have a payback of just over two years.

With energy prices spiralling ever upwards, the bodyshop owners who have already invested in energy saving initiatives will be feeling just a bit smug right about now.

The recommendations include investing in energy efficient lights, reprogramming  computers and installing sensor-controlled light circuits. The first shop invested $42, 550, which led to an annual saving of $16,030 with a payback period of just 2.6 years.

Further savings can be achieved by installing inverter type air conditioning and air compressor systems. These save energy by varying the speed of the drive motor to suit the demand.

On a smaller scale, another business invested $19,350 and began to harvest savings instantly.

This was without considering solar panels, water recycling and other resource saving strategies.

Many businesses that Paint and Panel has visited who have undertaken energy audits felt they were worthwhile. They didn’t always have the funds to implement all recommendations straight away but there were also a number of immediate, low-cost fixes. Energy-saving initiatives will have a substantial impact on the sustainability of your business in the marketplace; bigger energy bills mean lower profits.

Eclipse Environmental Australia can be contacted on: 1300 272 650 or at www.eclipseaustralia.com.au