We're even giving away an iPad if you vote and promote. Check out the website below for all the details. It'll only take a minute of your time and we greatly appreciate your vote!
voteforderekz.com
Monday, August 16, 2010
We need your VOTE!
Exciting news...Enovative Group has been nominated as a top 5 finalist for Entrepreneur Magazines's "Entrepreneur of the Year" contest and now we need your VOTE to win!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Finalists Announced for Entrepreneur Magazine's Entrepreneur of 2010 Contest
It's Now Up to the Business Community to Vote
IRVINE, Calif., July 27 /PRNewswire/ --Today, Entrepreneur magazine announced the five finalists for each of the three categories in the now third-annual Entrepreneur of 2010 contest presented by The UPS Store ®, the most prestigious award bestowed upon entrepreneurs today. Now through September 10, the business community is encouraged to vote online for their favorite finalist in each category.
The finalists receiving the most online votes will be awarded a 25-point preference by a panel of judges, who will determine the final winners based on contest criteria.
"Narrowing down the list was challenging," said Amy Cosper, VP/editor in chief at Entrepreneur. "Entrants really wowed us with their ingenuity, thirst for growth and passion for making a difference with their businesses. The entrepreneurial community is stronger than ever, and this contest is about recognizing their collective impact on us — socially and economically."
"Each of the finalists is making a big difference with his or her business, and they represent the innovative entrepreneurs we see in our centers every day," said Tom Crockett, vice president of sales and marketing at Mail Boxes Etc., Inc., franchisor of The UPS Store. "It truly is amazing to see the entrepreneurial community come together and cheer on their own."
To see the full profile and video of each finalist and to vote for your favorite in the Established and Emerging categories, go towww.entrepreneur.com/e2010
About Entrepreneur Media Inc.
Entrepreneur Media Inc. is the premier content provider for and about entrepreneurs. Our products engage and inspire every day with the advice, solutions and resources that fuel the bold and independent way entrepreneurs think.
After 33 years, nobody reaches more growing businesses. As the original magazine for the small and midsize business community, Entrepreneur continues to be the definitive guide to all the diverse challenges of business ownership.Entrepreneur.com is the most widely used website by entrepreneurs and emerging businesses worldwide. Entrepreneur Press publishes the books that turn entrepreneurial skills into business success.
To learn more, visit www.entrepreneur.com.
To advertise, please contact us at www.entrepreneur.com/mediakit.
About The UPS Store
With approximately 4,800 locations, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. ® network comprises the world's largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, document and business service centers throughout the United States, Puerto Rico andCanada. In the United States, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc., a UPS subsidiary. In Canada, locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of master licensee MBEC Communications, L.P. For additional information, please visit www.theupsstore.com orwww.mbe.com.
SOURCE Entrepreneur Magazine
Monday, July 5, 2010
Demand Controlled Pumps in Multifamily Buildings: Helping CA Achieve its Strategic Energy Goals
In previous blog posts we have discussed the opportunities for saving energy in a central domestic hot water system by regulating the method of hot water distribution. Specifically, we call for replacing recirculation pumps that generally run continuously with those that operate based on user demand. By operating these pumps only when hot water is needed, distribution heat losses are reduced, thereby increasing the efficiency of the water heater.
As a test proven and cost effective energy efficiency measure, demand controlled pumps offer owners and managers of multifamily buildings a smarter alternative to conventional circulation pumps and help them to permanently reduce building operating costs. Water heating now accounts for about 45% of total gas usage in an average household and is one of the major operating expenses incurred by a multifamily building owner. By reducing heat losses through demand controlled pumping, natural gas usage can be cut down by 10-30%, saving owners thousands of dollars on an annual basis and also saving wear and tear on their distribution pipes. But as attractive as demand controlled pumping systems are to multifamily building owners, they are also an equally attractive energy efficiency measure in a much larger picture: Helping California meet its ambitious energy reduction goals by 2020.
California's Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan
California's Long Term EE Strategic Plan, or the "Plan", created by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 2008, is a framework for integrating energy efficiency into the fabric of California, thereby helping the State to meet its goals for reducing carbon emissions by 2020. The focus of the plan is to create a roadmap for addressing the overarching strategy as defined in the CA Energy Action Plan II, which states:
As a test proven and cost effective energy efficiency measure, demand controlled pumps offer owners and managers of multifamily buildings a smarter alternative to conventional circulation pumps and help them to permanently reduce building operating costs. Water heating now accounts for about 45% of total gas usage in an average household and is one of the major operating expenses incurred by a multifamily building owner. By reducing heat losses through demand controlled pumping, natural gas usage can be cut down by 10-30%, saving owners thousands of dollars on an annual basis and also saving wear and tear on their distribution pipes. But as attractive as demand controlled pumping systems are to multifamily building owners, they are also an equally attractive energy efficiency measure in a much larger picture: Helping California meet its ambitious energy reduction goals by 2020.
California's Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan
California's Long Term EE Strategic Plan, or the "Plan", created by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 2008, is a framework for integrating energy efficiency into the fabric of California, thereby helping the State to meet its goals for reducing carbon emissions by 2020. The focus of the plan is to create a roadmap for addressing the overarching strategy as defined in the CA Energy Action Plan II, which states:
“[The] goal is for California’s energy to be adequate,
affordable, technologically advanced, and
environmentally-sound…[C]ost effective energy
efficiency is the resource of first choice for meeting
California’s energy needs. Energy efficiency is the
least cost, most reliable, and most environmentally sensitive
resource, and minimizes our contribution to
climate change.”
affordable, technologically advanced, and
environmentally-sound…[C]ost effective energy
efficiency is the resource of first choice for meeting
California’s energy needs. Energy efficiency is the
least cost, most reliable, and most environmentally sensitive
resource, and minimizes our contribution to
climate change.”
California's Plan calls for market transformation through the adoption of technologically advanced products that will make the most efficient use of energy. There is no doubt that centering an energy plan around energy efficiency, as opposed to renewables (solar, wind turbine, etc.) or biofuels, makes the most sense and gives you the best value for your money. Unlocking the energy efficiency potential of California remains the best chance to realize the goal of reducing energy in existing homes by 40% by the year 2020.
How do demand controls fit into the CA Long Term EE Plan?
It is noted in the Plan that there are no specific strategies to upgrade efficiencies in multifamily buildings, even though approximately one-third of all households in California live in multifamily buildings. Part of this is due the challenge of having a limited menu of cost effective measures for these types of buildings. The CPUC recognizes this shortcoming and it is mentioned in the plan that this must be addressed in greater detail in the next iteration. In the meantime, demand controlled pumps present CA with a legitimate energy efficiency measure for this under served segment of the market. It has a quick payback (most often under 2 years), persistence of energy savings (15-20 year product life) and saves water, gas and electricity. Given the proven energy savings and product reliability, demand pumps are regarded by many as being in the same "low-hanging fruit" category as compact fluorescent lighting retrofits and weatherization improvements.
By the numbers:
44%- is the percent of total gas used for water heating per household
1/3- Approximate number of households in California that live in a multifamily building
10-30%- Reduction in gas use by a central water heater when using a demand controlled pump
40%- Is the goal of California to reduce energy use per household by 2020.
How do demand controls fit into the CA Long Term EE Plan?
It is noted in the Plan that there are no specific strategies to upgrade efficiencies in multifamily buildings, even though approximately one-third of all households in California live in multifamily buildings. Part of this is due the challenge of having a limited menu of cost effective measures for these types of buildings. The CPUC recognizes this shortcoming and it is mentioned in the plan that this must be addressed in greater detail in the next iteration. In the meantime, demand controlled pumps present CA with a legitimate energy efficiency measure for this under served segment of the market. It has a quick payback (most often under 2 years), persistence of energy savings (15-20 year product life) and saves water, gas and electricity. Given the proven energy savings and product reliability, demand pumps are regarded by many as being in the same "low-hanging fruit" category as compact fluorescent lighting retrofits and weatherization improvements.
By the numbers:
44%- is the percent of total gas used for water heating per household
1/3- Approximate number of households in California that live in a multifamily building
10-30%- Reduction in gas use by a central water heater when using a demand controlled pump
40%- Is the goal of California to reduce energy use per household by 2020.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Energy Failures in Central Domestic Water Heating
In an earlier post, I gave statistics from a California state funded research project on central water heating systems. The goal of the project was to determine how energy flows through the system. From the initial raw energy of natural gas that is input to the system to the end-use of the energy, which is the hot water that we use for our showers, sinks, and washers.
Secondly, I am in dozens of boiler rooms every week, in almost every case I run into timers and aquastats they are overridden and not doing anything. During holidays, or during a power outage the timing gets screwed up and next thing you know the maintenance manager has deactivated these devices.
Here is a graph from HMG, the engineering firm tasked with the research, from their 2010 Hot Water Forum Presentation (Click here for source).
Their research shows that only 29% of the energy input is actually used for its intended purpose.
Doesn't this seem like a massive failure for energy efficiency and central domestic water heating systems?
We are losing 70% of the energy, which is astounding to me. The two biggest factors, water heater losses, which is energy lost from combustion, standby tank heat losses, and transfer of heated water to storage tanks, and distribution losses, which is heat radiating from the hot water piping that is run throughout the interior (and in worse cases exterior) of the building and exacerbated by running a recirc pump continuously which is keeping the piping out all the time, whether needed or unneeded.
These numbers represent a call for the technological advancement of water heating. Here are some ways to reduce these inefficiencies.
1. Upgrade water heaters - Water heaters and boilers have advanced in their efficiency, but since they last so long, most buildings are using water heaters which an efficiency rating below 0.62. Boilers and tankless heaters also have higher ratings.
2. If you water heater does not have a flue damper, add one.
3. Insulate all piping. If it's accessible, great. If not, make this a requirement for any future re-piping jobs. Even if it is within interior wall space, they should be insulated.
4. Control the circulation of hot water. There are three basic options, timers, temperature sensors (aquastats), and demand pumps. You already know I'm going to suggest demand pumps, but the third party research published the 55% reduction in heat losses from our systems, not us.
Secondly, I am in dozens of boiler rooms every week, in almost every case I run into timers and aquastats they are overridden and not doing anything. During holidays, or during a power outage the timing gets screwed up and next thing you know the maintenance manager has deactivated these devices.
So if you are ready to make some easy changes, that will save energy and money. Give us a call and visit our website. Enovative Kontrol Systems.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Enovative 2010 Clean Tech Open Semifinalist with demand pump
We submitted Enovative Kontrol System and the demand pump line to the 2010 competition back in late May. Today the semifinalists were announced and we were one of them!
We at Enovative are looking forward to taking on the best energy efficiency products in a business plan battle royale. We will be undergoing a series of crash course business training leading up to the final investor pitches.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Central Domestic Hot Water Inefficiency Statistics
Did you know that of all the energy that is input into a central domestic water heating system only about 30% is actually used?
70% of all the water heating energy is lost.
30% of the energy loss comes from the pipes in the recirculation loop losing heat. The same amount of energy you actually use is equivalent to the energy lost from the loop.
Enovative's demand pump control system - D'MAND KONTROLS(TM) can reduce the energy lost from the recirculation loop by 55%! go to www.enovativegroup.com to learn more about demand pumps and controls.
The source of the statistics shown above comes from a study on multifamily hot water ditribution. Research was done by Heschong Mahone Group (HMG) under the California Energy Commission PIER program. Click here to download a presentation on this topic by HMG.
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