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CESC- Community Energy Services Corporation

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Your Path to Efficiency - Commercial
Energy Efficiency Basics
 
Energy Audits
 
Most Berkeley energy users purchase natural gas and electricity from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). Your utility bill summarizes your monthly usage and energy rates, which may change seasonally and to reflect changes in PG&E’s cost of service.

Electricity. Your utility bill measures the amount of electricity you use in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kWh is the amount of kilowatts (kW) you use over one hour. For example, a 100W light bulb uses 0.1kWh of electricity every hour it is on. Electricity powers electric lighting and most appliances and machinery, many of which use electricity even when they are not in use.  

Natural gas. Your utility bill measures the amount of natural gas you use in therms. A therm is the amount of energy produced from burning about 1 cubic foot of natural gas. Natural gas powers most heating appliances including your furnace, hot water heater, and possibly cooking equipment and clothes dryers. 

The amount of energy consumed in your home or business is a factor of two things:
  1. How much energy your appliances, machinery, and other operations use:
    You can reduce your energy consumption with efficient appliances like compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and high efficiency furnaces.

  2. How often you use your appliances and machinery and engage in operations:
    You can reduce your energy consumption with efficient use of your appliances. Natural light can reduce your need for electric lighting. You will use your furnace less if its ducts are properly sealed and insulated.
An energy audit can help you begin to understand where and how you use energy.  This analysis of your usage can help you identify the most effective ways, both in cost and energy, to invest in energy efficiency measures and projects.    

Energy Audit. You can hire a trained professional to conduct your audit or do an analysis yourself. Past utility bills, building plans, and inspection of your facility and its operations can help to assess ways to save energy. Online calculators may also help you prepare a list of measures and projects to implement.  

PG&E provides many free energy auditing services.  Local organizations in the East Bay also offer free energy audits, including Rising Sun Energy Center (RSEC) California Youth Energy Services for residents and Community Energy Services Corporation’s (CESC) SmartLights program for businesses.  
 
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Energy Tips

Update your exit signs.  Many older exit signs still use incandescent bulbs.  Newer exit signs use LED technology, consuming approximately 1/10th the energy of an older sign and lasting 10's of 1000's of hours longer.  For enhanced safety, consider getting LED exit signs with emergency back-up batteries and safety lamps.