USIndoor's Official Magazine is a quarterly publication, dedicated to owners, managers, program administrators and other professionals, startups and providers involved with indoor recreational sports facilities.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/68815
ENERGY INNOVATIONS: TRENDS IMPACTING THE BOTTOM LINE Innovative technology is revolutionizing the way electricity consumers manage costs and consumption. From smart meters to smartphone apps, advances in gear and gadgets make a significant impact on your bottom line. by Kathy Kiernan C an your indoor sports facility use any of these innovations? Smart Grid. Often touted as the single greatest engineering achievement of the 21st Century, the Smart Grid is comprised of automated technology that allows two-way digital communication between utility operations centers and field devices, such as meters and voltage sensors. The Smart Grid eliminates some of the need for utilities to have employees physically read meters and inspect faulty equipment. A sports facility benefits from more reliable power delivery and increased energy efficiency. Sports facility owners understand the importance of reliable power. A power outage can literally be a game stopper. The Smart Grid automatically detects and isolates power delivery issues, and then instantly reroutes electrons to prevent outages. It also responds digitally to changes in electricity demand, which reduces peak demand and electricity costs. Good for the environment, the Smart Grid can accommodate electric vehicles, wind and solar power, and other renewable energy systems. Composed of millions of pieces, the evolving Smart Grid will be more fully implemented in the next decade. Smart meters. Smart meters give you insight and control over your facility's electricity usage by the hour, day and month. Remotely transmitting real time usage data, smart meters show you how much electricity your facility uses and when it uses it. You can use this information to reduce costs by using less electricity when the cost per kWh is most expensive. Simply dimming your facility's lights or adjusting its thermostat by a few degrees makes an impact. Smart meters help to balance supply and demand, thus reducing the risk of power outages. They alsoact as "first responders," automatically reporting disruptions in supply to utility operators. Websites. Websites including energysavers.gov, ASE.org (Alliance to Save Energy) and NRDC.org (Natural Resources Defense Council) offer online tools and information for reducing energy costs at home, work and in vehicles. On these websites, you'll discover resources for comparing product ratings, finding applicable tax rebates in your state, and tracking energy legislation in Congress. In the online customer service realm, many local utility companies, including TXU Energy in Texas and PPL in Pennsylvania, provide usage analysis tools and transaction platforms on their websites. In many states, sports facility owners can