Charles Tralka

ChuckTralka
Menu

Where Your Energy Dollars Really Go

Most business owners underestimate how much HVAC, refrigeration, and lighting eat into their power bills. Here’s how to measure and control them.

Get My Free Bill Screen

HVAC: 40–50% of Energy Use

In many businesses, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning dominate energy consumption. Small adjustments yield massive savings.

  • Thermostat setpoints: Each degree can change consumption by 3-5%. Set intelligently for occupied vs. unoccupied hours.

  • Economizers: Free cooling using outside air when conditions are right. Often broken or misconfigured.

  • Dirty filters: Restrict airflow, forcing systems to work harder and waste energy.

Refrigeration: Silent Energy Drain

In many businesses, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning dominate energy consumption. Small adjustments yield massive savings.

  • Door gaskets: Torn or worn seals let cold air escape continuously, forcing compressors to run longer.

  • Defrost cycles: Poorly timed or excessive defrost wastes energy heating coils unnecessarily.

  • Maintenance: Regular cleaning of condensers and evaporators improves efficiency by 10-15%.

Lighting: The Quick Win

Typically 10-20% of commercial energy use. LED retrofits offer immediate ROI, often under 2 years.

  • LED retrofits: Use 50-75% less energy than traditional fixtures with better light quality.

  • Occupancy sensors: Automatically turn off lights in empty spaces—restrooms, storage rooms, conference rooms.

  • Daylighting: Integrate natural light with dimming controls to reduce artificial lighting needs.

Simple Measurement Tools

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Start with these accessible tools:

  • Smart plugs: $20-50 each, plug-and-play monitoring for individual equipment.

  • Sub-meters: Dedicated circuits for major loads (HVAC, kitchen, production) provide granular data.

  • Utility interval data: Free 15-minute or hourly usage data from your utility reveals patterns instantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start with your utility’s interval data and pair it with operational schedules. HVAC, refrigeration, and lighting are the usual suspects, but the real drivers vary by business. An energy assessment can identify your biggest cost centers. 

For some businesses, yes. They provide granular visibility into specific devices and can confirm whether equipment is drawing power when it shouldn’t. They’re most useful when you suspect certain machines or plug loads are driving hidden costs. 

Generally yes—especially smart meter data. But errors happen, and the utility’s data doesn’t always tell the full story of how and when equipment is running. Cross-checking with independent monitoring provides a more complete picture. 

Ready to Find Your Energy Hogs?

Get a free energy bill screening and discover where your business is wasting money.

Get My Free Bill Screen