Interest in reducing energy usage helps energy management software company grow
By Barry Kroeker
12/09/11 at 03:03 PM
Interest in Energy Efficiency Spurs EnergyCAP, Inc. Growth
Keystone Edge Innovation & Job News reported recently on EnergyCAP Inc.'s 55 percent growth in business over a three-year period.
EnergyCAP's software products keep track of utility bills, and produces reports that help explain where an organization is using energy and how energy usage can be trimmed.
According to EnergyCAP CEO Steve Heinz, his company's growth is easy to explain, even in an uncertain economy:
"It's a good sector to be in because the software can fund itself," Heinz says. "It almost becomes a no-brainer for organizations that don't have something like this."
EnergyCAP, which has 40 employees and took in $4.6 million in revenue last year, was named No. 3340 on Inc. magazine's recent list of the country's 5,000 fastest-growing companies.
Barry is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP Climbs to #2 on ENERGY STAR Benchmarking List
By Barry Kroeker
11/11/11 at 02:13 PM
It's official--the #2 provider of automated benchmarking ENERGY STAR services is EnergyCAP, Inc.
According to EnvironmentalExpert.com, EnergyCAP has jumped up three places in the rankings since last year.
The federal ENERGY STAR program provides its own data entry interface, called Portfolio Manager, for comparing building energy expenses. Organizations from all over the country can create a Portfolio Manager account and manually input their utility bill data to benchmark their building energy use with other similar buildings. However, the process can be time-consuming, especially if the organizations wish to regularly benchmark multiple buildings.
As an energy management software supplier, EnergyCAP is one of 39 ENERGY STAR-approved providers of automated benchmarking services. Clients already have all required benchmarking information resident in their EnergyCAP database. All these clients need to do is to select which buildings they wish to regularly benchmark with ENERGY STAR. EnergyCAP does the rest, uploading a year's worth of utility bill data and building specifications for an entire organization to the Portfolio Manager with little more than a mouse click.
The list of ENERGY STAR providers is updated regularly at the ENERGY STAR website, and the newest revision indicates that EnergyCAP has obtained the #2 ranking by volume of buildings submitted, leapfrogging much larger organizations including Siemens and LPB Energy.
Barry is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP CEO Challenges Corporations to Track Energy
By Barry Kroeker
11/03/11 at 09:19 AM
EnergyCAP CEO Steve Heinz has thrown down a gauntlet to corporations across the country: Make better use of your valuable utility bill data.
Heinz issued his challenge in the latest issue of Corp! Magazine in an article titled Track Your Energy Costs and Consumption Patterns. He pointed out that historical, accurate and regular measurements of energy cost and consumption, and identification of that cost and consumption with specific places provides the foundation for evaluation of any energy conservation efforts.
Heinz also pointed out key factors in energy analysis, such as accounting for weather differences when comparing energy data from year to year. He pointed out the value of using widely-accepted benchmarks for building energy performance, such as the ENERGY STAR program.
Barry is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
An Energy Efficiency Rating for Multi-Family Units: How Can We Get There?
By Barry Kroeker
10/26/11 at 11:32 AM
A recent interview published in PropertyManagementInsider explores the challenges of developing and implementing energy efficiency ratings for rental units.
EnergyCAP CEO Steve Heinz suggests that future legislation may provide the impetus for information sharing between utility companies and apartment building owners that will provide a complete picture of tenant energy usage. This information could eventually provide the basis for an ENERGY STAR-type rating for an apartment complex or even individual submetered units within it.
The value of such an up-front rating is that potential tenants can more accurately anticipate energy expenses associated with a rental property. And multi-family property owners have a tool to assist them in energy analysis and capital improvements.
Barry is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
ENERGY STAR Newsletter Highlights EnergyCAP-2011 Partner of the Year
By Barry Kroeker
10/11/11 at 03:17 PM
The EPA's ENERGY STAR News (Automated Benchmarking Edition) for October 2 has featured EnergyCAP, a 2011 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year.
The Perspectives section of the newsletter noted that:
"EnergyCAP continued to build Automated Benchmarking functionality into all of its energy management software offerings, providing a mechanism for more than 4,000 customer buildings to be benchmarked in Portfolio Manager. EnergyCAP also seized the opportunity to promote ENERGY STAR tools and resources via a number of channels, including product websites, conference presentations, white papers, and marketing brochures."
Barry is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
Utility Bill Management Vendors: Owning the Enterprise Energy Database
By Barry Kroeker
10/06/11 at 10:45 AM
Paul Baier of Groom Energy has posted a thoughtful article about the critical importance of utility bill management for large organizations, especially those with green aspirations. Baier's vital observation is that sustainability software providers in the new field of carbon accounting are facing what he calls a "large data capture problem" that can best be met by a robust historical utility bill database-the core of EnergyCAP's energy management software.
It's great PR for EnergyCAP, which is mentioned twice in the article.
Baier closes with this observation:
"Yes, utility bill management vendors are in a very good position. Most firms have basic data carbon reporting needs and cannot justify the expense of submetering at all of their facilities. Utility bill management solutions offer a cost effective approach to building a company-wide database of energy use and cost."
Barry Kroeker is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
AccuWeather shares GreenQuest home and business energy management tool
By Barry Kroeker
10/05/11 at 12:02 PM
AccuWeather.com is sharing a link to GreenQuest, EnergyCAP's free online home and small business energy management tool, at its high-traffic website.
The link to GreenQuest, found in the Home & Garden section of the Accuweather site, is providing great exposure for home and small business energy management. The GreenQuest online software application provides a graphics-rich interface for tracking uttility bill data for up to three meters (electric/fuel/water). GreenQuest is a great way to keep tabs on your home or business energy expenses. Share this link with your energy-conscious friends!
Thank you, AccuWeather.
Barry Kroeker is Advertising Manager for EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP and Energy Management in the New York Times
By Barry Kroeker
09/23/11 at 11:58 AM
EnergyCAP is in the news again this week with a thoughtful article in the New York Times on measuring building energy efficiency, written by Saqib Rahim of ClimateWire.
Mixing personal biography and green technology with a journalist's skill at storytelling, Rahim introduces the reader to Steve Heinz, a pioneer in the development of energy management software.
Rahim explains the genesis of computerized energy management, the challenges in energy conservation faced by building owners and managers, and the significance of Heinz' most recent achievement: a weather-normalization module in his EnergyCAP software that uses degree day data from AccuWeather to interpret years or even decades of utility bill history.
The weather normalization technology enables the EnergyCAP software user to pick any calendar year as a 'base year' for energy use/cost comparisons. EnergyCAP then 'calendarizes' and crunches year after year of available utility bill data with a decades-tested regression analysis, yielding a comparative analysis in charts and tabular data that effectively mitigates any weather-induced differences. Or to put things another way--Heinz has made it possible to make year-to-year apples-to-apples energy use and cost comparisons.
All this information can take the building owner or manager a giant step closer to understanding how effective energy management efforts have been, and will be in the years to come.
Read the EnergyCAP article in the New York Times.
Barry Kroeker is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP, Accuweather partner for more accurate energy use comparisons
By Barry Kroeker
09/20/11 at 08:52 AM
EnergyCAP and Accuweather have partnered in a new data sharing agreement.
Improved access to daily degree day data from weather stations around the country will enable EnegyCAP clients to more quickly take into account weather patterns revealed by degree day temperature variations when making month-to-month and year-to-year energy consumptions comparisons.
New EnergyCAP calendarization and normalization modules will use the daily Accuweather temperature data to enable comparisons that are easily verifiable and accurate. Calendarization processes provide for more useful reporting of utility use/cost data represented by utility bills that often span portions of two or even three different months.
By allocating the data to the most appropriate calendar month (calendarization), and by taking the critical weather variable into account when doing the allocation (normalization), EnergyCAP is providing its clients a monthly view of their energy use and cost that is the next best thing to real-time energy monitoring. Apples-to-apples year-to-year comparisons are made possible by normalizing the data to a selected weather 'base year'.
"Better data visibility and access allows auditing, analytics and reporting, and helps foster cooperation between utility and customer as both seek to eliminate errors and optimize energy usage and cost," said EnergyCAP CEO Steve Heinz.
Barry Kroeker is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP Honored By ENERGY STAR and Inc. Magazine
By Chris Heinz
08/29/11 at 12:43 PM
In 2011, EnergyCAP, Inc. was honored as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year and an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company. These national honors highlight the fact that thousands of government, education, and business organizations depend on EnergyCAP as a money and energy savings solution. We are particularly proud of the fact that we've created jobs in Pennsylvania. While other energy software companies fund jobs overseas, a core value of EnergyCAP, Inc. is domestic job creation.
EnergyCAP Wins ENERGY STAR Award
EnergyCAP, Inc. has won a 2011 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award. The national award by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy is given annually to leaders in energy efficiency.
“EnergyCAP, Inc. is a leader in showing its customers how they can help protect our environment while saving energy and money,” said Elizabeth Craig, Acting Director of EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs. “EnergyCAP’s creative solutions are a model for fighting climate change through greater energy efficiency.”
“We’ve worked hard for this national recognition,” said Steve Heinz, Founder and CEO of EnergyCAP, Inc. “Our selection as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award winner highlights the proven energy saving power of our software and validates what we’ve been saying for over thirty years—energy management is built on a foundation of energy information. In the past, we’ve enjoyed seeing our clients receive ENERGY STAR national recognition and this year we’re honored to join them."
The formal EPA announcement and recognition ceremony took place in Washington, D.C. on April 12, 2011.
EnergyCAP listed in Inc. 5000 for 4th Consecutive Year
EnergyCAP has once again appeared on the Inc. 500/5000 list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. Debuting on the list in 2008, EnergyCAP has now been honored for its growth for four consecutive years. Only 28 Pennsylvania companies have ever appeared on the list four times.
According to Inc. magazine, the list represents a comprehensive look at the most important segment of today's economy--America's independent entrepreneurs. In a sluggish economic environment, median growth rate of 2011 Inc. 500|5000 companies remains an impressive 94 percent.
"We view Inc. magazine's recognition as an affirmation that our hard work and dedication have placed us on the right track," said Steve Heinz, Founder and CEO of EnergyCAP.
The Inc. 5000 list was released August 26, 2011.
Chris S. Heinz is director of marketing for EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP Listed in Inc. 5000 for 4th Consecutive Year
By Barry Kroeker
08/26/11 at 10:24 AM
EnergyCAP has once again appeared on the Inc. 500/5000 list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. Debuting on the list in 2008, EnergyCAP has now been honored for its growth for four consecutive years. Only 28 Pennsylvania companies have ever appeared on the list four times.
According to Inc. magazine, the list represents a comprehensive look at the most important segment of today's economy--America's independent entrepreneurs. In a sluggish economic environment, median growth rate of 2011 Inc. 500|5000 companies remains an impressive 94 percent.
"We view Inc. magazine's recognition as an affirmation that our hard work and dedication have placed us on the right track," said Steve Heinz, Founder and CEO of EnergyCAP. "In April, we were named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. These national honors highlight the fact that thousands of government, education, and business organizations depend on EnergyCAP as a money and energy savings solution. And I'm particularly proud of the fact that we've created jobs in Pennsylvania. While other energy software companies fund jobs overseas, a core value of EnergyCAP, Inc. is domestic job creation."
EnergyCAP enables users to track utility bills, identify billing errors, benchmark buildings,spot energy usage problems, motivate occupants to conserve, create usage and cost reports, track greenhouse gas emissions, receive ENERGY STAR building ratings, and perform campus utility reimbursement chargebacks.
EnergyCAP serves the complex energy tracking needs of any size of organization with installed and online product versions.
Barry is Advertising Manager for EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP’s Matthew Heinz Visits Rwanda Education Project
By Barry Kroeker
08/15/11 at 03:01 PM
Matthew Heinz, Director of Customer Service for EnergyCAP, Inc., left Friday on a two-week visit to Rwanda in central Africa.
Heinz, who is founder and Executive Director of Global Capacity, an EnergyCAP-sponsored non-profit organization, will spend time in staff and program development. He will also meet with 28 secondary school students whose tuition expenses have been provided through the Global Capacity Right2School program. Rwanda, among the poorest countries in the world, is still recovering from a 1994 genocide, when a million people lost their lives in 100 days. The tragedy left behind an estimated 860,000 orphans, many of whom have yet to be educated. Today, only about one in ten Rwandans between the ages of 13 and 18 is enrolled in secondary school.
Heinz is looking forward to meeting the sponsored students in the village of Akindege (pop. 2100) and sharing with them from The Purpose-Driven Life by Pastor Rick Warren. The best-selling book has recently been translated from English into Kinyarwanda, the official language of Rwanda.
In a recent letter to EnergyCAP employees, many of whom are contributing to the Right2School program, Heinz wrote: “Your monthly donations are sending TEN students to secondary school this year, children who would not normally have the opportunity to attend school. They are getting unstuck from the cycle of poverty in their lives and making a change for themselves and their future families.”
Read an older Time Magazine article on Rick Warren and Rwanda.
Barry is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
The Widening Energy Manager Job Description
By Barry Kroeker
07/11/11 at 09:58 AM
Peter Garforth says energy management includes sustainability, finance, manufacturing, engineering and safety. His article in PlantServices.com explores the unique challenges in defining the energy manager role and recruiting individuals with the appropriate skill sets.
Barry Kroeker is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP Announces Enterprise Release 6.2 Availability
By Barry Kroeker
05/09/11 at 01:26 PM
EnergyCAP, Inc. has announced the availability of the newest software version of its flagship product, EnergyCAP Enterprise.
The new software, Release 6.2, was made available earlier this month to clients with data hosted by EnergyCAP. Now all other clients wishing to install the upgrade on their PCs and networks can access the installation download.
Enterprise Release 6.2 provides an updated web browser version with major improvements, including a user-configurable Dashboard that enables individual users to customize the application home page with up to four display 'widgets'. Each widget can capture an EnergyCAP dataset or PowerView, such as use/cost trends and/or summaries. The Groups Manager of EnergyCAP Enterprise has also been improved to enable user permissions and reporting for specific buildings.
Other improvements include:
- Three new audits (#50, 51, 52)
- New Custom Spreadsheet templates
- More bill templates
- Copy to Clipboard option from the Bills tab and Bills lists
- More than 60 other fixes, tweaks, and enhancements
Barry Kroeker is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
EPA ENERGY STAR launches Battle of the Buildings
By Barry Kroeker
05/05/11 at 01:16 PM
The EPA's ENERGY STAR program has launched its 2011 National Building Competition. Teams from 245 buildings around the U.S. will compete to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Plant Engineering Magazine.
The Battle of the Buildings competition includes 26 types of commercial buildings, including schools, hotels, and retail stores. Competitors will measure and track monthly energy consumption using EPA's Energy Star online energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager.
Barry is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
Eliminate Billing Errors
By Barry Kroeker
04/29/11 at 02:35 PM
Mistakes Happen video now available.
Whether you're a musician or not, you'll appreciate this pithy and poignant reminder about a powerful solution to utility billing errors!
Barry is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
Five Ways to Green Your Church
By Barry Kroeker
04/28/11 at 01:55 PM
Check out this great article on the intersection of sustainability and stewardship!
Representatives from ServiceU provide several energy-saving tips specifically targeted at church organizations. EnergyCAP is cited as an energy management tool appropriate for helping organizations verify and control their utility expenses.
Barry is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP Helps Green Data Center
By Barry Kroeker
04/11/11 at 06:56 PM
EnergyCAP is mentioned in a thoughtful article on greening the data center through practices including centralization of server functions, server virtualization, and data center climate control.
The article by Dan Gordon, published in The Journal: Transforming Education Through Technology, provides a list of popular and effective K-12 school energy reduction processes. It also highlights actions taken and savings achieved by Burke County Public Schools (NC), Orange City School District (OH), and the Alvarado Independent School District (TX).
Barry is Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 No Longer Supported by EnergyCAP
By Chris S. Heinz
03/23/11 at 09:59 AM
The EnergyCAP Technical Support team no longer supports Microsoft SQL Server 2000. Ever since Microsoft discontinued support for SQL Server 2000 several years ago, EnergyCAP, Inc. has recommended SQL Server 2005. If you are currently using SQL Server 2000, please discuss updating to SQL Server 2005 or better with your IT group.
Another reason we require SQL Server 2005 or better is for submitting building data to the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Program. SQL Server 2000 does not support this service, but SQL Server 2005 and better does.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. To stay current with the latest technology, we must occasionally make these adjustments to the software. For pricing from Microsoft for SQL Server 2005 and 2008:
SQL Server 2005:
http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2005/en/us/pricing.aspx
SQL Server 2008:
http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/pricing.aspx
If you have questions on system requirements, please visit our Help manual article.
Chris is the Director of Marketing for EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP Wins ENERGY STAR Partner Award
By Chris S. Heinz
03/22/11 at 03:03 PM
EnergyCAP, Inc. has won a 2011 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award. The national award by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy is given annually to leaders in energy efficiency.
“EnergyCAP, Inc. is a leader in showing its customers how they can help protect our environment while saving energy and money,” said Elizabeth Craig, Acting Director of EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs. “EnergyCAP’s creative solutions are a model for fighting climate change through greater energy efficiency.”
EnergyCAP’s industry-leading utility bill management software makes it easy for users to receive ENERGY STAR building ratings. Users can identify billing errors, benchmark buildings for inefficiencies, motivate occupants to conserve, run reports to present data, track greenhouse gas emissions, measure and verify energy management performance, and perform campus billing chargebacks.
The flagship product, EnergyCAP Enterprise, is used by Fortune 1000 businesses, universities, and state and municipal governments with complex energy management needs. EnergyCAP Express is a new web-based version that enables towns, colleges, and small businesses to track their utility bills online. A free 30-day trial is immediately available.
“We’ve worked hard for this national recognition,” said Steve Heinz, Founder and CEO of EnergyCAP, Inc. “Our selection as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award winner highlights the proven energy saving power of our software and validates what we’ve been saying for over thirty years—energy management is built on a foundation of energy information. In the past, we’ve enjoyed seeing our clients receive ENERGY STAR national recognition and this year we’re honored to join them."
The formal EPA announcement and recognition ceremony took place in Washington, D.C. on April 12, 2011.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership in environmental sustainability. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings; it is widely perceived and trusted as a symbol of energy efficiency. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $18 billion on their utility bills, with corresponding reductions in pollution associated with energy consumption. Products, homes and buildings have earned the ENERGY STAR prevent emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency specifications set by the EPA. In addition, More than 20,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information, go to http://www.energystar.gov.
Chris is the Director of Marketing for EnergyCAP, Inc.
Sustainability Blogger Highlights EnergyCAP Express Functionality
By Barry Kroeker
03/14/11 at 11:56 AM
if you're looking for a quick overview of EnergyCAP Express functionality, take a look at Paul Baier's sustainability blog.
Baier, who is a VP at Groom Energy, is careful not to provide an outright endorsement, but he adds to "the buzz" about our new web-based entry-level energy management solution for small to midsize organizations.
His headline at the PracticalSustainability blogsite shares the good news:
Affordable Energy Management Software Starting at $50/month
Barry is Advertising and Documentation Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP CEO Shares Cost-Cutting Energy Management Ideas
By Barry Kroeker
02/22/11 at 10:09 AM
EnergyCAP CEO Steve Heinz has publicly shared ten cost-cutting energy management ideas. The article, 10 Ways to Slash Energy Costs," appeared in the Buildings section of the Daily Energy Report.
Heinz reviews the history of energy management software and then illustrates its power by demonstrating ten value streams that can result from maintaining an accessible energy management database.
Says Heinz, "Energy management software tracks utility bills, which enables you to identify abnormal trends and suspected billing and metering errors. Some programs also track 15-minute electric meter data (demand), which can provide valuable insights into near real-time usage patterns and expensive peak loads, leaks, or process inefficiencies."
Barry Kroeker is the Advertising Manager, EnergyCAP, Inc.
CSR-It’s not Just for the Fortune 500
By Barry Kroeker
02/09/11 at 03:23 PM
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a catch-phrase common in big business circles. But in a new video, EnergyCAP CEO Steve Heinz shares why CSR is good business, no matter how large, or how small, the business is.
"It's the right thing to do," says Heinz. He reports the perceived employee benefits for the company's program of tithing (charitable giving), and explains how EnergyCAP's CSR program aligns with company core values. He also relates the surprising advantages of CSR that have made believers of a skeptical sales staff while building a loyal customer base.
Barry Kroeker is the Advertising Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
Blogger Picks GreenQuest as Best Product for Home Energy Tracking
By Barry Kroeker
02/03/11 at 04:46 PM
Sym-home, a website for readers wanting to live in symbiosis with their environment, has published a blog review of home energy tracking tools.
The winner and still champion-GreenQuest!
Blogger JL picked GreenQuest as the winner over two other free web-based products, the survey-based Microsoft Hohm and the reward-based EarthAid. GreenQuest was selected for several reasons including:
- Utility tracking capabilities for up to three meters (electric, fuel, water)
- Energy project tracking feature (see how your energy improvements impacted use and cost)
- Quality and depth of energy information provided (charts/graphs/trends)
- Weather-adjusted analysis (apples-to-apples comparisons from one year to the next)
- Energy report card (compare your performance with similar buildings in your region)
So check out the blog review and start saving today!
Barry Kroeker is the Advertising Manager for EnergyCAP, Inc.
New Clients, New Products Spur Record Growth In 2010
By Chris S. Heinz
01/27/11 at 12:42 PM
New clients of EnergyCAP Enterprise increased 130% in 2010 versus 2009. Notable new clients include Denver, Cleveland, University of Colorado, Pima County (AZ), and The Eric Ryan Corporation. The year 2010 also marked the introduction of EnergyCAP Express, a web-based version tailored to small and medium-sized organizations. And at a time when other companies are downsizing, EnergyCAP is hiring.
“Organizations realize they can only manage what they measure,” said Steve Heinz, CEO of EnergyCAP, Inc. “With energy tracking tools, they can reduce their energy expenditures. And there is great potential to save; energy is often an organization’s #1 controllable operating expense. EnergyCAP’s powerful features provide the opportunity for substantial and quick payback. These factors explain the growth we've experienced.”
EnergyCAP Express enables towns, colleges, and small businesses to track their utility bills online. A free 30-day trial is available. More than 40 government, education, and commercial organizations registered to try EnergyCAP Express in the last 30 days alone.
EnergyCAP enables users to identify billing errors, benchmark buildings for inefficiencies, motivate occupants to conserve, run reports to present data, track greenhouse gas emissions, receive ENERGY STAR building ratings, and perform bill chargebacks.
Designed for organizations with complex energy efficiency needs, EnergyCAP Enterprise is used by Fortune 1000 businesses; universities; and state and municipal governments.
Chris Heinz is the Director of Marketing for EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP Sponsors Event For Interaction Design Association
By Brian J. Hoffman
01/26/11 at 09:42 AM
Life can be challenging enough without the poorly designed interfaces of everyday things making it even harder. Interaction designers strive to make your experiences with everything from websites to cars positive ones. And the Interaction Design Association (IxDA) strives to make interaction designers better at what they do. Because of its commitment to making easy-to-use products, EnergyCAP, Inc. is sponsoring the January meeting of IxDA State College.
Professionals interested in interaction design from all over central Pennsylvania will converge on State College, PA on January 27 to hear a presentation about and discuss incorporating good usability practices into modern development processes. In addition, an exciting announcement is being made about a new project to assist a local charity by improving the experience of volunteers and donors.
Brian J. Hoffman, IxDA State College's founder and current leader, is also an EnergyCAP employee. He works to improve the usability of EnergyCAP's websites and energy management software products. EnergyCAP is dedicated to improving the energy management experience by continually enhancing the interfaces of its products.
Brian Hoffman is the Web Experience Specialist for EnergyCAP, Inc.
Ten Ways to Slash Energy Costs
By Steve Heinz
01/21/11 at 10:50 AM
Your bottom line. In the war against energy waste, that is where the winner is declared. It is not how you save energy dollars; it is how much you save.
Fighting for energy savings is a war fought on many fronts—lowering lamp wattages, installing automated building control systems, and replacing inefficient equipment are commonplace strategies that play a role in most energy management systems. Yet many building owners are surprised to learn that there is an often overlooked area that can yield remarkable cost avoidance at a fraction of the price of retrofits and automation hardware.
Energy Management Software
Energy management software is a highly economical tool in the cost reduction war. Sometimes called energy accounting, energy information, energy efficiency, or energy tracking software, these programs are fundamentally a database of your utility bills. It might seem like a simple matter to throw together a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that tracks your monthly electric bill, and it is—if you only receive a bill or two. However, building owners who receive hundreds or thousands of bills a month need specialized software to zero in on problems and highlight potential cost savings.
Energy management software has been gaining popularity for almost 30 years. The first software to win widespread industry adoption was FASER Energy Accounting, first released in 1982. As PCs became much more prevalent in business, building owners found that software such as FASER was indispensable in combating energy waste.
As with most software applications, there are numerous vendors and a wide range of products—from simple spreadsheet-like programs that are low cost but offer few features, to powerful and pricey applications for Fortune 1000 corporations and large government agencies.
So what exactly does energy management software do? Energy tracking says it best. Energy management software tracks utility bills, and in doing so spots abnormal trends and suspected billing and metering errors. Some programs also track 15-minute electric meter load data, which can provide valuable insights into near real-time usage patterns and expensive power leaks.
The best selling energy management software is called EnergyCAP. EnergyCAP is the official and certified upgrade to FASER.
Ten Ways to Save
By compiling a database of utility bills, energy management software puts the power of information at your fingertips. Here are ten ways that EnergyCAP can help you slash your energy costs.
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Eliminate Billing Errors. Utility companies aren’t perfect—mistakes happen. EnergyCAP spotted an $873,000 over-billing that resulted in a one million dollar refund.
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Fast Processing of Utility Invoices. National chains and large property managers who receive thousands of monthly utility invoices can use EnergyCAP to rapidly process bills via manual entry and EDI for under $2. One retailer saves $380,000 a year.
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Make Wise Energy Purchase Decisions. Customer Choice programs save money by letting you select the lowest-cost vendors, generators and producers, but they require accurate energy use data. EnergyCAP gives you information to make the best choices.
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Submetering, Cost Allocation, and Re-Billing. Managing the cost accounting for a large university-owned utility system is a complex and difficult task. EnergyCAP gives you a single tool for submeter readings, virtual accounts, tariffs, cost allocation,and reporting.
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Uncover Account Ownership Errors. Are you paying for someone else’s energy? It sounds simple enough, yet large organizations often find they’re still paying for former leased space. One hospital chain didn’t notice a $15,000 error for eight years.
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Motivate Occupants to Conserve. Your dilemma—you have thousands of switches and thermostats, yet the occupants control them. EnergyCAP reports show saving energy is important, and you’re monitoring your occupants’ energy consumption.
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Identify Building Control Problems, Inefficient Facilities, and Spot Leaks. You can’t manage what you can’t see. Interval data charts, benchmarks, trends, profiles, and comparisons help you identify inefficient facilities. Also, interface with ENERGY STAR.
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Track and Report Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Green Energy Credits. Ninety percent of greenhouse gases come from energy usage, so EnergyCAP is the perfect platform for carbon tracking and reporting. Comprehensive features allow for organization-wide greenhouse gas tracking.
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Perform Energy Savings Measurement and Verification. Performance Contracting is the preferred method for energy retrofit projects, but not without accurate and timely “cost avoidance” reports. EnergyCAP, Inc. pioneered cost avoidance calculations.
- Improve Budgeting, Accruals, Accounting. EnergyCAP’s cost and usage budget, forecasting, and accrual features save time and money on the tricky and often time-consuming tasks of utilities cost accounting and management.
It is a sure bet that over time, energy management software will save you far more than what it costs. This is good news in your war on energy waste…and for your bottom line.
Steve Heinz is the Founder and CEO of EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP Releases ‘About Us’ Video
By Barry Kroeker
01/20/11 at 09:19 AM
EnergyCAP has released a new video that gives viewers a quick trip inside the doors at the leading energy management software company.
Focusing on the faces behind the company name, the videographer/tour guide leads the viewer through the front office and inside product development and technical services meetings, offering surprising insights into the company culture with intriguing glimpses of work and play. Company CEO Steve Heinz closes with an invitation to find out more about the EnergyCAP product line.
The video is available from the About Us web page at EnergyCAP; it's well worth the two minutes it takes to see it!
Barry Kroeker is Advertising & Documentation Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
EnergyCAP Express Leaves Beta Behind
By Barry Kroeker
01/20/11 at 08:55 AM
It's official—EnergyCAP Express has left the beta stage and is now deployed as a new product release.
The newest online build addressed several issues experienced by beta users. Highlights of the newest release include:
- New "Search Help" node from Home. This improves accessibility of HELP videos and documentation.
- Editable G/L codes (meter properties edit). This adds flexibility for account maintenance.
- Reliable organization node creation (had been an issue in the beta). Bug fix.
- Better displays from the Meter Wizard. Bug fix.
- Removable "Latest News" widget. Keep it on the dashboard to easily keep up with announcements about product updates. Or remove it from the display if you'd prefer to view other information.
- Firefox status update. Fixed known Firefox status bar issue.
Coming Soon: Historical bill import!
This will be a great boon to power users who want to import a billing history in flat file format.
Barry Kroeker is Advertising & Documentation Manager at EnergyCAP, Inc.
John Heinz and Chris Heinz of EnergyCAP on Penn State Radio Show
By Chris S. Heinz
01/19/11 at 12:29 PM
John Heinz, Director of Sales and Chris Heinz, Director of Marketing, appeared on Sustainability Now, a radio show at Penn State. They discussed energy trends, sustainability solutions, and answered caller's questions.
Listen to the recording.
Chris S. Heinz is the Marketing Director for EnergyCAP, Inc.