Oregon DEQ: Land Quality - Solid Waste - Commercial Waste Reduction Clearinghouse - Success Stories

Lighting

Business: Ashland Flower Shop (Ashland)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Installed efficient electronic ballasts for fluorescent lights.

Installed an occupancy sensor to turn lights off when room is not in use.

Installed an ultra low flow toilet.

Installed a new hot water heater. The new water heater significantly reduces the amount of time waiting for hot water at the faucet, and saves water.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $400/year (all activities).

Case Study

Call Oregon Office of Energy, 1-800-221-8035

Business: Barker-Halland Insurance Company (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 21

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Lighting retrofit reduced electricity use by 34%. The retrofit includes replacing T-12 fluorescent lamps and magnetic ballasts with T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts, removing lamps in areas that were overlit, and replacing standard "screw-in" incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. The retrofit cost $880 (after a utility rebate and Oregon Business Energy Tax Credit). FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $717/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 13,812 kWh/year.

Installed a new high-efficiency variable speed condensing gas furnace and replaced an undersized air conditioner. Also replaced a continuous speed fan with a variable speed fan that uses approximately 42% less electricity. The fan runs at a lower speed when the building isn’t being heated or cooled. While these changes will reduce energy use, they will also significantly improve employee comfort, and thus productivity. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $429/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 6,990 kWh/year (electricity) and 217 therms/year (natural gas).

Implementing a fully-electronic system for storing, accessing, and changing customer records. This is expected to save considerable time and paper. RESOURCE SAVINGS: about 9 cases of paper per year.

Uses remanufactured toner cartridges. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $360/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 45 pounds/year.

Recycles office paper. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $270/year.

Purchases stationery and paper towels manufactured from recycled paper.

Sends faxes electronically where possible; or uses small sticky notes or 1/2 page fax covers rather than full page covers.

Insulated hot water heater.

Placed bathroom lights on a crank-style timer, so that they can’t be accidentally left on.

Case Study

Case study exists.

Business: Bend Community School (Bend)

Number of Employees: 3

Vignette

Placed signs above light switches and next to computers to turn lights and computers "off" when not in use. Set thermostats back at night. Turned down water temperature from 135o to 120o Fahrenheit. Installed 1.5 gallon-per-minute aerators on faucets at hand-washing sinks. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $210/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 3,000 kWh/year and 13,000 gallons/year of water.

Reduced paper use by encouraging double-sided copying, placing a bin next to the copy machine with "draft" paper (paper that is already used on one side, but can be reused), and turning off the automatic transmission report on the fax machine.

Case Study

None

Business: Breaker Point Condominiums (Cannon Beach)

Number of Employees: 3

Vignette

Reorganized garbage pick-up areas. A single large garbage dumpster was used to replace a large number of small dumpsters spread throughout the complex. While this made garbage removal slightly less convenient for residents, it saved an impressive amount of money. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $7,600/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 175 pounds of metal/year (less metal in dumpsters overall, amortized over the expected life of the dumpsters).

Began mailing newsletters and bills are in a single envelope, rather than separately, reducing the use of envelopes and postage.

Put lights in recreation areas (tennis courts, pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, and common room) on a timer so that lights automatically turn off after hours. The timers can only be changed by staff.

Installed photocells and timers on exterior lights, so that lights are only on in the evening and early morning.

Installed "toilet dummies" (foam inserts) in the tanks of 5 toilets to reduce the volume of each flush by ½-gallon. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $50/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 13,700 gallons/year.

Case Study

None

Business: Brothers’ Restaurant (Ashland)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Replaced most standard incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Installed controls to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.

Sealed areas where cold air leaked in the building.

Replaced inefficient ductwork.

Installed faucet aerators to reduce water use.

Raised awareness among staff to point out drips and leaks and not run water unnecessarily.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $600/year (all activities).

Case Study

Call Oregon Office of Energy, 1-800-221-8035

Business: Central Oregon Council on Aging (Bend)

Number of Employees: 3

Vignette

Central Oregon Council on Aging operates a senior lunch program at the Bend Senior Center.

It was observed that many clients would not eat their roll because they were too full. Historically, rolls were placed on every client's plate along with all other foods. Now, staff try to circulate among the clients with the rolls in a basket; those clients who want a roll are given one, while others can choose to pass. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $450/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 2,500 rolls (312 pounds)/year.

Paying closer attention to the amount of food left over (unserved) after each meal and adjusting orders for the off-site kitchen reduced entree waste by 50% and side dish waste by 25%. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $990/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,200 pounds/year.

Soup is served once a week. The kitchen switched to reusable (washable) bowls for soup for sit-down clients (previously, disposable polystyrene bowls were used). Disposable bowls (with lids) are still used for the meals-on-wheels program. The reusable bowls are washed, along with other dishes, in the on-site commercial dishwasher. Additional water, energy, and detergent costs total a mere $6/year. It requires an additional 5 minutes of volunteer time per week to wash these extra dishes. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $45/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 2,600 polystyrene bowls/year.

Removed 25% to 50% of the lamps in the manager’s office and kitchen, which were both perceived as being "overlit". FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $30/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 650 kWh/year.

Case Study

None

Business: Central Oregon Independent Health Services (Bend)

Number of Employees: 63

Vignette

Switched to double-sided copying for the Participating Provider Directory. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $12,100/year (including postage). RESOURCE SAVINGS: 4,500 pounds/year of paper.

An employee newsletter is now distributed to most employees via the company intranet, rather than in hard copy format. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $90/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 23 pounds/year of paper.

Reminders at staff meetings, an e-mail message and wall signs were used to remind employees about the importance of turning off lights, monitors, copiers, and printers when not in use, especially at the end of the day. Also, lamps were removed above work stations as requested by employees. This resulted in a 1% decrease in electricity use despite a 15% increase in employment.

Reduced hot water temperature from 130^o to 120^o Fahrenheit. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $85/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,700 kWh/year.

Case Study

None

Business: City of Milwaukie (Milwaukie)

Number of Employees: 148

Vignette

The City of Milwaukie has four buildings: City Hall, Ledding Library, Public Security (fire and police), and the Johnson Creek Building (offices and shops).

Reduced hot water temperature at all faucets to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $104/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 230 therms/year.

Installed water conserving valves on all urinals in men’s restrooms. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $97/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 25,000 gallons/year.

Purchased a unit to recondition rechargeable batteries. After multiple rechargings, most batteries lose their ability to hold a charge. Reconditioning restores the batteries so that they can be recharged and reused again. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $274/year (net). RESOURCE SAVINGS: 55 pounds/year.

Reduced paper use across all City offices by 6% through employee education about double-sided copying and efficient printing and formatting practices. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $351/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 585 pounds of paper/year.

Encourages reuse of filing folders, hanging files, and other office supplies.

Installed a crank timer for lights in a storage loft. This turns the lights off after 10 to 30 minutes. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $321/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 7,400 kWh/year, plus light bulbs.

Installed a crank timer for lights in the parking garage. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $522/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 11,000 kWh/year, plus light bulbs.

Reduced outside night-time lighting levels by 50% to 75% at the Johnson Creek Building offices and shops. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $3,211/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 50,900 kWh/year, plus light bulbs.

Fixed a shower drip in a locker room. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $28/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 16 therms (gas) and 4,900 gallons (water)/year.

Fixed a leak at the truck/car wash. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $113/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 29,200 gallons/year.

Incorporated recycled content building materials into several remodeling projects.

Case Study

Report available on use of recycled building materials in remodeling projects. Call Metro, 503-234-3000.

Business: Columbia Gorge Veterinary Clinic (Hood River)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Installed a ventilation system that reduces the need for air conditioning by using fresh outside air during morning and evening hours. This reduced electricity use by 25-30% and had a two-year payback.

Upgraded lighting and lighting controls and insulated the hot water heater, reducing electricity use another 15-20%. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $225/year.

Installed faucet aerators and a toilet tank displacement to reduce water use.

Reconfigured margins and simplified a medical form to fit onto one page of paper.

Reuses large envelopes and file folders.

Case Study

Call Hood River Green Smart, 541-386-2000.

Business: Corvallis Area Chamber of Commerce (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 12

Vignette

Monthly newsletter is mailed to members without a manila envelope ("self-mailer"). FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $2,100/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 520 pounds of envelopes/year.

Staff have been educated to turn computers off at night and monitors off when not in use. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $380/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 6,900 kWh/year.

Staff have also been educated to turn off lights when they leave the room. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $53/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 850 kWh/year.

Aerators were installed on bathroom faucets to reduce water use and the energy to heat it. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $61/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 26 therms (gas) and 6,300 gallons (water)/year.

Programmable, 24-hour, 7-day thermostats were installed to automatically reduce heating and cooling during unoccupied times.

Ceramic mugs are provided at meetings for guests who don’t want to use disposables. The mugs are then washed in the on-site dishwasher. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $24/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 15 pounds of disposable cups/year.

In over-lit offices, some light bulbs were removed to save energy and reduce the lighting to comfortable levels. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $62/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,000 kWh/year, plus light bulbs.

Employees have been educated how to use paper more efficiently in the printers (such as reducing margins and line spacing), how to copy on both sides of the page, and alternatives to full page fax cover sheets. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $74/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 74 pounds of paper/year (about 1-1/2 cases).

Case Study

None

Business: Corvallis Hardware/ True Value (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 11

Vignette

Corvallis Hardware purchases the large majority of its products from Cotter & Company. Deliveries from the Portland distribution center are shipped in reusable plastic totes. Empty totes from the previous week are picked up for reuse when new merchandise is dropped off.

Cotter & Company also redesigned its billing statement; invoices are now sent every two weeks rather than weekly. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: more than $20,000/year (Cotter & Company). RESOURCE SAVINGS: 22.5 tons of paper/year (Cotter & Company).

Corvallis Hardware is also retrofitting magnetic ballasts and T-12 fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts and T-8 lamps as old lamps and ballasts burn out. This will eventually reduce electricity bills by about $1,300/year.

Case Study

Case study exists.

Business: Corvallis-Benton County Public Library (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 62

Vignette

Transports books between locations in durable plastic totes, rather than paper boxes.

Uses remanufactured toner cartridges. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $325/year.

Buys stationery containing recycled paper.

Recycles office paper, corrugated cardboard boxes, newspaper, yard debris, and bottles and cans.

Encourages the reuse of books through an annual used book sale. Consolidates unsaleable books with Oregon State University for recycling.

The Library has an unofficial policy banning the use of brightly colored papers ("astrobrights") which are difficult to recycle. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $200/year.

All restroom sinks have self-regulating faucets that provide water for about three seconds before shutting off. Water is also set at a constant temperature, so patrons don’t waste water adjusting the temperature.

Reduced run times on automatic sprinkler irrigation system from 20 minutes per station to 6-10 minutes per station. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: approximately $530/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: approximately 440,000 gallons of water/year.

As bulbs in exit signs burn out, staff are replacing them with LED lamps. LED lamps have life expectancies of 30 to 50 years, compared to 4 to 6 months for traditional incandescent lamps. The full retrofit will cost $1,352. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $628/year when fully implemented (electricity and bulb savings, labor savings not included). RESOURCE SAVINGS: 8,000 kWh/year (when fully implemented).

Case Study

Case study exists.

Business: Department of Environmental Quality (Bend)

Number of Employees: ~40

Vignette

Canceling eight out of nine subscriptions to a newsletter and circulating the remaining subscription reduces paper use. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $393/year.

Sending 1,500 copies of a public notification using a postcard rather than a full page inside an envelope saves paper and postage. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $330/year.

Staff conducted a major paper waste prevention program that reduced per-employee use of copy and printer paper by 32%. Employees were encouraged to copy on both sides, avoid printing e-mails, and reformat documents to use less paper. A "tip card" was provided to all employees giving detailed instructions on various methods to use less paper, and the office’s "paper waste prevention coordinator" provided hands-on training to employees. Personal computers were also networked to "draft" printers which use paper that has already been printed or copied on one side. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $472/year (paper only, doesn’t include printing, copying, and filing savings). RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,000 pounds(20 cases) of paper/year.

Removed 25% to 50% of lamps from fixtures next to windows, in hallways, and in conference rooms. Also removed lamps above individual work stations as requested. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $208/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 4,200 kWh/year

Installed 1.5 gallon per minute aerators on all hand-washing sinks. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $120/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,600 kWh and 16,600 gallons of water/year.

Case Study

None

Business: Doubletree Hotels (formerly Red Lion Hotels) (Portland)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

By filtering and recycling water, the central laundry facility saves $35,900 annually in water costs and $16,000 annually in natural gas costs. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $51,900/year.

Other comprehensive energy and water conservation measures include energy management control systems for heating, cooling, and lighting; chillers connected for more efficient operation; converting incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents; exit sign retrofits; more efficient ballasts in fluorescent fixtures; adjustable speed drives on fan motors; automatic fan controls for individual guest rooms; low-flow showerheads and faucets; and toilet tank adapters to reduce the amount of water used per flush. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: more than $200,000/year.

Case Study

Call the City of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development, 503-823-7222.

Business: Hood River Electric Cooperative (Hood River)

Number of Employees: 12

Vignette

Reduced energy use approximately 30%.

T-12 fluorescent lamps and magnetic ballasts were replaced with T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts in all areas where the lights are used on a regular basis. Incandescent bulbs were replaced with compact fluorescents in other high-use areas, such as the entryway and restrooms.

Installed a ground-source heat pump, which warms and cools the building by pumping heat from or to the soil. This system replaced electric resistance heating and a separate air conditioning unit in the ducts of the air handling system. Connecting a standard electric water heater into a heat exchanger circuit with the heat pump compressor further supplies most of the building’s hot water.

Controls further reduce energy use when the equipment is not in use. This includes a programmable thermostat for the heat pump system, and low-power/"sleep" modes for computers, printers, and the photocopier.

RESOURCE SAVINGS: 32,000 kWh/year. 32,000 kWh/year.

Improved its irrigation system by replacing "rain bird" type impulse sprinklers with drip emitters and "micro-sprinklers" to use less water. Placement of mulch around landscaping also conserves water by reducing evaporation.

The shop floor is now swept rather than hosed down, further saving water.

The electric cooperative is switching to a longer-lasting electric cable that reduces material use (replacement) and labor costs. Although the longer-lasting cable costs more up-front, it is expected to reduce overall costs from anywhere between 19% and 57% after replacement costs (including labor) are factored in.

The office reuses file folders, cuts old paper into notepads, and purchased a duplexing unit as an option when replacing an older copy machine to allow two-sided copying.

Case Study

Call Hood River Green Smart, 541-386-2000.

Business: Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Replaced two water heaters with higher efficiency models.

Reduced thermostat settings for both water and space heating systems.

Installed energy-efficient lights and controls.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival expects to save around $5,000/year as a result of these three changes.

Case Study

Call Oregon Office of Energy, 1-800-221-8035

Business: Royal Blend Coffee (Bend)

Number of Employees: 22

Vignette

Royal Blend Coffee’s First Street Store in Bend added a bulk dispenser of skim milk and stopped purchasing and wasting cartons of skim milk. The dairy supplier provided the dispenser at no charge. Each 6-gallon plastic bag of milk replaces 24 one-quart cartons. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $767/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 812 pounds of packaging/year.

Lamps were removed in the reception area, offices, and conference rooms, all of which were overlit. Exit signs were changed from standard incandescent bulbs to low-energy LED lamps. The lights inside and above the reach-in cooler in the bakery were also turned off. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $143/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 2,400 kWh/year.

Case Study

None

Business: Sandtrap Inn (Cannon Beach)

Number of Employees: 4

Vignette

Staff used to automatically mail confirmation notices to guests when they booked a reservation. Now, guests are asked if they want a confirmation notice. Approximately half of the guests ask not to be mailed a notice. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $426/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 14 pounds of paper/year.

Redesigned promotional brochure to be a "self-mailer" (without an envelope). FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $15/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 5 pounds of paper/year.

Reduced the number of exterior ornamental lights by 1/3. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $66/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,300 kWh/year.

Eliminated an extra, unnecessary rinse cycle in washing machines. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $20/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 5,200 gallons/year.

In a few condos, refrigerators and hot water are turned off during the slowest month of the year and these condos are not rented out. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $23/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 420 kWh/year.

Installed low flow showerheads to reduce energy and water use. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $119/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,400 kWh/year and 10,200 gallons of water/year.

Eliminated "sanitized for your protection" paper toilet strips. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $23/year.

Case Study

None

Business: Southside Physical Therapy (Bend)

Number of Employees: <10

Vignette

Reformatted newsletter so that it can be mailed without an envelope.

Purchased microwavable hot packs and disconnect hydroculator (a tank of hot water that kept hot packs warm).

Keep lights off in rooms when not in use.

Switched to lower wattage light bulb.

Retrofitted exist sign with high-efficiency LED.

Limit washing to full loads only.

Installed 24-hour 7-day programmable thermostat.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $87/year (energy bills only).

Case Study

None

Business: Tualatin High School (Tualatin)

Number of Employees: ~100

Vignette

Encourage teachers and students to copy, print, and write on both sides of the page.

Eliminated print overruns of the school newspaper. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $1,260/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 260 pounds/year.

Use a posting policy to discourage excess posters; install more bulletin boards, reduce number of posters. This reduces high custodial costs repainting damaged walls.

Classroom garbage can liners are no longer changed every night unless obviously soiled. Lunchroom garbage can liners are only pulled between lunches if more than half full.

Replaced paper food trays for a la carte items with wax tissue pickups. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $458/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 320 pounds/year.

A mulching mower is used everywhere except the football field and baseball diamond. This saves mowing time, hauling expenses, and garbage bags. It also returns nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil, reducing lawn fertilizer needs. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: more than $10,000/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 37,800 pounds/year.

Purchase cleaning solutions in concentrate. A dispenser unit is used to mix the concentrates with water at the correct ratio. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $300/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 350 pounds/year.

Purchase remanufactured laser printer cartridges rather than new cartridges. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $1,200/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 72 pounds/year

Built in 1991, the school features glazed and double-paned windows, electronic ballasts, advanced fluorescent lights, and computer controlled heating and cooling. As a result of these design features, Tualatin High School uses 36% less energy per square foot of building space than the district’s other high school. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: approximately $35,000/year.

Case Study

Case study exists, call Metro, 503-234-3000.

Business: Western View Middle School (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 55

Vignette

The Student Leadership Class designed and delivered educational messages to teachers and other students on the importance of using both sides of paper, conserving energy, and recycling. Electricity use dropped 7% compared to the same period one year earlier.

The school reduced the size of the school newsletter by shrinking advertisements from full pages to half- and quarter-pages, replacing registration forms with short articles (with phone numbers), and reformatting articles and announcements to use space more efficiently. The amount of paper used in the newsletters dropped 17%. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $155/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 70 pounds/year (about 14 reams).

Each teacher is given a photocopying budget at the start of the year. Teachers who don’t use all of their allotment are allowed to spend the difference on other improvements. One team of teachers saved enough to buy an extra computer for use by students.

As 40-watt fluorescent lamps burn out, they are replaced with high efficiency 34-watt lamps. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $1,289/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 32,000 kWh/year.

Case Study

Case study exists.

Business: Winchester Country Inn (Ashland)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Reduced water heater and laundry temperatures.

Using less water in the kitchen and garden.

Sealed air leaks in the building.

Installing higher efficiency lights and educating staff to turn fewer lights on.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS: Winchester Country Inn expects to save $3,000/year from these measures.

Case Study

Call Oregon Office of Energy, 1-800-221-8035