Creating Sustainable Futures: Innovative Solutions for Energy Efficiency
Have you ever looked around and noticed the excessive waste in the world? Wasting food. Wasting time. Wasting plastic. Wasting money. But there's one form of waste that often goes unnoticed yet has a massive impact: energy waste. In a world that runs so heavily on energy, you might think there would be more focus on safeguards and conservation methods. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. This is where the Advanced Energy Management (AEM) Movement comes in, offering an innovative solution to this pressing issue.
Optimizing Energy Management with AEM Movement
Odds are, on a regular basis you are entering some of the largest energy wastes on the planet: office buildings or places of employment, school buildings, grocery stores, shopping malls or outlets, hospitals, government buildings - there is a plethora we could list. How long do you typically spend in these structures? Even if you work full-time in an office, you're likely there for no more than 40-80 hours a week. Maybe your kids are in after school or sports on top of school – 40-60 hours on the premises. Point being, out of the 168 hours we have in a week, we never come close to spending a majority of our time in any given commercial building. Now, consider this startling fact:
Most commercial buildings are unoccupied for 40-60% of the 8,760 hours in a year, presenting the greatest opportunity for either wasting or saving energy.
3,504 - 5,256 hours of wasted energy a year. Per building. Let that sink in.
Have you ever driven by office buildings at night, well after closing time, and you see lights on scattered through the building? Sucking energy second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour. Lights left on in bathrooms, someone forgot to shut off a fan in the meeting room, outdated AC systems working overtime, day and night. And no one catches it. It’s deemed normal to have an electric bill that high, I mean the industry standard hits that every month…right?
Maybe it is the norm. Maybe it’s the standard. But it doesn’t have to be. Beyond that, it shouldn’t be. The AEM Movement can save up to 20-40% of your building's energy costs through partnership with Energy STAR. Imagine taking 20-40% of your annual energy budget and redirecting it towards other areas of your business, your employees, or your community. All within reach, yet untouched. That's the untapped potential AEM helps you unlock.
Advanced Energy Management (AEM) is an innovative technology solution that makes energy use visible, empowering people to optimize energy use, eliminate waste, generate cost savings (20-40%), and reduce CO2 emissions. The goal, as you are starting to see, is not just about saving money, it is about making a tangible difference in the world around us.
One of the key components of AEM's approach is the Shutdown with ENERGY STAR initiative. This program fosters the growth of a high-performance energy conservation culture within organizations. By encouraging simple yet effective practices like turning off lights and equipment when not in use, AEM helps create lasting behavioral changes that result in substantial energy savings. This new culture quickly yields significant cost savings keeping more dollars circulating within the local economy, sustaining avoided cost savings for decades into the future.
Fostering a New Generation of Energy-Conscious Professionals
How is this made possible and deployed to the public? We’re so glad you asked. At the heart of the AEM Movement are high school students serving as AEM(Interns). These energy-literate, tech-savvy young individuals act as outsourced energy management teams for commercial buildings in their communities. By partnering with AEM Interns, building owners and operators not only become beacons of energy efficiency but also contribute to the real-world education of their future workforce. Each participating commercial building becomes an “educational classroom” for students to learn real-world professional and life skills.
Regardless of your industry, AEM Interns can help you:
Improve Your Operating Expenses: Partnering with high school students, as AEM Interns, results in substantial energy use and cost reductions of 20-40%.
Improve Your Local Labor Market: Active participation in this real-world professional and local Workforce Development program significantly improves our high school student's education experience, which better prepares them for the job market (your potential future employees) and their future.
Improve Your Carbon Footprint: Joining the AEM Movement and partnering with AEM Interns for your building to become ENERGY STAR Certified reduces your buildings energy use, cost and CO2 emissions. Combined with other local buildings in the quest to create a “Community of ENERGY STAR Certified Buildings”, your active involvement will have a substantial impact in the fight against climate change and creating a better future for generations to come.
Beyond the tangible efforts of these students, they also excel at inspiring adults to adopt energy-saving behaviors. Their fresh perspective and enthusiasm for sustainability often lead to creative solutions and increased engagement from building occupants. As they work towards creating a "Community of ENERGY STAR Certified Buildings," these interns are strengthening and preparing their community for the future.
Collaborating for Collective Impact
The beauty of the AEM Movement lies in its simplicity and adaptability. It's designed as a turn-key conservation program that can be easily implemented in any commercial building, regardless of size or industry. Whether you manage an office complex, a school, a hospital, or a retail space, AEM can be tailored to meet your specific needs.
As energy costs continue to rise and environmental concerns grow, taking action to reduce energy waste becomes increasingly critical. The sooner you join the AEM Movement, the more you can save – both financially and environmentally.
There is no downside to partnering with the AEM Movement, only potential for positive change. You'll reduce costs, decrease your carbon footprint, contribute to workforce development, and play a crucial role in creating a more sustainable community.
So, the next time you look around your building and see those lights left on or feel that AC running overtime, think about the potential for change. Think about the impact you could make. And then, consider partnering with the AEM Movement. Because when it comes to energy management, every little action counts, and together, we can make a world of difference.
The AEM Movement offers a unique opportunity to address energy waste while simultaneously investing in future generations. By creating a network of energy-efficient buildings and educating young people in real-world energy management, we are not just saving energy today – we are building a more sustainable tomorrow.