Another low-cost and fairly simple way to reduce energy use in your building is to prevent air exchange between the indoor conditioned space and the outdoors. To do this, you will want to make sure the air sweeps at the bottom of your doors are in good condition, and replace them if not. Similarly, check the weather stripping on the sides of outer doors to ensure that it isn’t degrading, and replace it if it is. Take a close look at your windows. If you notice cracks around the window frame, these can be filled with caulking to prevent air flow. Lastly, walk around the exterior of the building. Any place where mechanical or electrical equipment leaves or enters the building you may find gaps where air can escape and enter. Fill these with insulation or caulking.

The easiest DIY option for reducing water consumption at your hall that costs very little is to install low-flow faucet aerators . This is relatively easy and can be done by a volunteer. If your faucet aerator is more than 1.5 GPM, it should be replaced. You can find the flow rate on the side of the aerator. Take a look at this video to learn how to replace your faucet aerators.

Now that you have begun monitoring your energy use, it’s time to lower your consumption. One of the most low-cost upgrades with the fastest payback is LED lighting. Go through your hall and check what type of lighting is used in each fixture. For incandescent or CFL bulbs, simply purchase the equivalent LED bulbs and replace them. This can be done by a volunteer. Fluorescent tube lighting may be trickier, as it can involve replacing the fixture itself. It is recommended that you hire a registered electrician to perform this task. See our Community League Recommended Contractors List for electricians recommended by other Community Leagues. Adding motion sensors in hallways and bathrooms is a foolproof way to lower your electricity usage. These can be installed at the lightswitch or wired into the roof. Again, hire a registered electrician to perform this step. It might be a good idea to address your outdoor lighting as well, as rink and parking lot lights consume a lot of electricity. Again, hire a registered electrician to replace outdoor lights with modern LEDs.

FAQs Archive - Page 4 of 15 - Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues

Q: Step 1: Energy Benchmarking

Like any measurable goal, you can’t assess where you want to go or how well you're doing unless you know where you are at. We do this by measuring our energy use from year to year. This is an important but often overlooked aspect of energy management. In order to begin to benchmark your energy use, you will need to collect all of your energy bills (electricity, natural gas, and (optionally) water). Input the information from your bills into the free Energy Star Portfolio Manager . This will allow you to monitor your energy consumption over time, so you can see the positive impacts of your reduction strategies and pinpoint sudden increases in energy usage that might need to be addressed.