Marco Dano
Manager, Energy Conservation – Green Building Initiative
mdano@leegov.com
239-533-1764
As Energy Manager, my primary goal is to reduce the cost and environmental impact of the local government by advancing energy efficiency and water conservation, promoting the use of distributed and renewable energy, and improving utility management decisions at County facilities.
As County employees, we must all be good stewards of the taxpayer's money. Millions are spent annually to pay Lee County electrical bills. This has to be a collaborative effort on everyone's part. A conscience effort must be taken to minimize energy consumption.
Be bright about light – Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings.
- Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.
- Promote using Energy Star rated light bulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting.
- Use timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.
Maximize computer efficiency – Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.
- Make it a habit to turn off your computer – and power strip it's plugged into – when you leave for the day.
- During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.
- Make it a policy to invest in energy–saving computers, monitors, and printers.
Minimize air conditioning costs
- Set the temperature a little higher. 7 percent to 10 percent of your cooling costs can be reduced for each degree above 78.
- Ensure your filters are clean and preventative maintenance is being performed on your HVAC system.
- Keep doors and windows closed.
- Use shades or drapes to block the hot sun from heating your office.
Thank you for your support and visiting the site! A little here and a little there adds up to be a lot.
