The pictures below provide a clear illustration of energy and water waste that is embedded in the daily operations of most commercial, residential, governmental, and industrial facilities in the United States. A waste that is so prevalent and so widespread -- but to which most Americans are oblivious! It begins at the doorstep of our office buildings and apartments; in our parking lots and garages; and is prevalent inside our malls, offices, and homes -- a waste which we conservatively estimate at 15% to 20% of our daily use of energy.
Here are some examples: Hallway lights in residential, commercial, and governmental buildings in the United States usually stay on at full capacity 100% of the time, but people are typically present in these hallways not even 10% of the time in a normal 24-hour day; parking lots in homes and office buildings are often lit like Christmas trees 100% of the time when not even 2% of the occupants use these parking lots between midnight and 6:00 am; office lights, task lights, monitors, and computers often stay on 24-hour per day when they are used at a maximum, only 50% of that time on most working days; escalators and rolling carpets run non-stop all day long at most malls and airports, even though visitors use these amenities less than 50% of the time they are turned on in an average working day. Bathroom lights at most restaurants and retail outlets are left on 24-hour per day when long stretches of time go by without anyone using the bathroom. These are but a few of the most glaring examples of wasteful energy use practices currently prevalent in the United States. Most of this waste can be quickly eliminated with the installation of cheap motion sensors and simple "On/Off" switches.
The problem is that energy is currently highly undervalued in the United States. While it is subject to the laws of supply and demand; current pricing does not take into consideration energy security and climate change. Yet, sources of the World's conventional fossil fuels are dwindling and those being used add to the Earth's envioronmental problems. Unless something is done almost immediately, the quality of life in the United States, and other industrialized nations, will be greatly diminished by what is being characterized as increasingly unreliable and unhealthy sources of energy.
Efficiency3 Corporation's unique system and services are particularly geared to address the problem of energy waste by helping identify, quantify, monetize and provide the motivation to eliminate the majority of operating waste at large facilities – with minimal cost and effort to the client!
WASTE YOU CAN SEE
The pictures below were taken randomly, at different locations, and at different times, to illustrate the prevalance of energy waste as described above. However, energy waste is not limited to lighting; acutally, energy waste related to the heating and cooling of unoccupied space is much more wasteful than energy waste related to the lighting of unoccupied space -- but wasteful heating and cooling can not be captured in pictures:
This picture was taken on a Saturday afternoon, but the high intensity lights throughout this vast building construction site could be seen shining brightly from miles away -- 24-hour each day -- day and night; weekdays and weekends, even though construction stops in late afternoon on weekdays and is stopped completely on weekends.
This is an office building typically populated by organizations that shut down between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm; yet, most of the offices were brightly lit well into the night when the great majority of office workers and cleaning crews have left the building hours ago!
This is a picture of three office towers taken almost at 3:00 am on a Sunday night. From the location where the photo was taken, it was clear that the lit offices were totally emplty when this photo was taken.
This picture was taken of a hallway in a totally closed office building on a Sunday after-noon. It shows the hallway lights lit at 100% capacility when no one works on this floor throughout the weekend. Actually, all hallway lights in this building are typically left on at full capacity, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
This picture is a familiar one in practically all residential high rise buidlings in the United States; lights being left on 24 hours per day / 7 days per week, regardless of anyone being in the hallways. The same goes for trash disposal rooms, game rooms, exercise rooms, etc... This situation can easily be rectified with cheap motion sensors and "On/Off" swiches.
The pictures above illustrate what is typical of most office buildings in the United States; a totally empty parking lot with lights glaring at full capacity on a Sunday night. Actually, in most office buildings, parking lots remain lit at full capaity 24 hours per day, seven days per week, throughout the year -- regardless of whether someone is in the building or not.
This picture was taken at a relatively small office suite, it shows the presence of an "Exit" sign which remains lit 24 hours each day; all year long. Such a light is not only unnecessary in a such a small office space; it was pointing in the wrong direction. The employees at this office suite, some have worked in this office for eight years, have never noticed that it was pointing in the wrong direction, because they never paid any attention to it. Yet, it must have required a few barrels of oil to keep it glowing uselessly, non-stop, throughout the years.
This is another useless application of an "Exit" sign at a parking lot. Not one, but two, Exit signs are used and both pointing in the wrong direction. One can visibly tell that there is no way out to the left because of the presence of a wall. The only way out in this case is going to the right.
This is a lit and functioning water fountain operating for the benefit of very few night owls at 1:40 AM.
The pictures below were taken on a Thursday night, past midnight, in downtown Washington, DC. They represent what one will likely find on a casual stroll, late at night, in the downtown area of a typical large city in the United States.
Construction site.
Empty office space.
Office renovation.
Conference room with ligths left on all night long.
Random small offices with lights left on all night long.
Task lights likely left on all night long.
Random small offices with lights left on all night long.
Random small offices with lights left on all night long.