The Future of Energy Management

Gone are the days when only large organizations and businesses with mammoth sized budgets were the ones who had the ability to control their energy efficiency fates (so to speak). A new era is dawning where small companies (the majority of businesses that exist) will be able to have tools just as sophisticated and effective as those used by Boeing. FCI has partnered with Siemens to offer their new EcoView, a no nonsense energy management system, that allows businesses 10,000 sq. ft. and smaller to enjoy the power and privilege of a more efficient operation. Priced competitively, easy to set up and use (you can control it remotely from an iPhone or iPad), and an ROI of about less that 24 months (usually), it has all the ingredients needed to help small companies take their operations to the next level and save a nice chunk of change in the process. One of FCI's core values has always been innovation and we are excited to help lead the way in this new era of broader energy management opportunities by offering this "cool" new system to our amazing clients. 

FCI is intuned and aware that what customers look for is a system that is efficient, effective and user friendly. FCI and EcoView can deliver this to its customers at a competitive price.  This system is also unique because of it's ability to help small companies and large companies.  This new offering is about helping ALL of our customers achieve maximum energy effiency.

For more information on the FCI and Siemens system partnership of EcoView, contact FCI Management Consultants at (562) 719-9300.

Why Non-Green Companies are Going the Way of the Dinosaur

As customers, vendors, and stake holders become more savvy, the power they wield over the business world greatly increases. Companies are having to rethink, rewire, and rework how they do business in this dynamic economy. One of the concepts that many buyers associate with forward thinking and innovation is sustainability (marketers have caught on to this). Businesses that are stuck in their ways and not willing to adjust will soon find themselves out of favor with tomorrow's marketplace. Sustainability goes way beyond just changing out light bulbs. It is a belief system that has the welfare of the earth for future generations at its essence (it is also good for business). Sustainability is global stewardship. Firms who fail to realize this will slowly drift into obscurity and irrelevance, very similar to how old non efficient operations/programs are doing. You probably have already heard this, but some ideas bare repeating.

FCI Looking to Shake Things Up With Ozone Laundry Systems

With innovation being one of FCI's core values, we are always looking for cutting edge technologies to introduce to our client base. The newest addition to our product portfolio is AscendWash, an ozone supported laundry (OSL) system. Believe it or not, on premise laundry (OPL) is one of the largest operational expenditures in a property. Ozone systems greatly reduce these costs while doing a better job of laundry cleaning. FCI is partnering with E3 Pros to bring our clients this great new product that will reduce operational costs and disinfect laundry more effectively. Contact us today for a no obligation savings analysis on how AscendWash can work for you!

T-12 Lamps Will Be History in 2012

All good things must come to an end to make way for better ones. T-12 lamps with magnetic ballasts, most commonly found in office buildings and warehouses, will be phased out of production in the summer of 2012. Thus, the rebates an incentives that are offered to businesses to replace this old technology with the newer T-8 lamp with electronic ballast are expiring in 2012 as well. This is the perfect time to get your lighting upgraded, improve your facility, and reduce operational costs. A lighting retrofit is one of the simplest and quickest ways to boost your bottom line and increase facility efficiency. So what are you waiting for? Contact FCI today to start saving, before it's too late.

FCI Performs Massive Energy Assessment For Mattel Inc.!!!

FCI is excited to announce that we are performing an energy assessment for toy juggernaut, Mattel Inc. We will provide Mattel with recommended solutions that will assist them in reducing their energy load and carbon imprint, while simultaneously maintaining and/or enhancing the comfort ability, aesthetics, and safety of their facilities. We are providing Mattel with information that will help them decrease their utility bills and efficiently use their current lighting, HVAC, and water equipment. FCI is honored to be working with this globally recognized brand that is concerned about the environment. More updates soon!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen: Wear Sunscreen (When in Pursuit of Solar Panels!)

I had a thought recently, something that may be a little absurd, but an idea I gave some attention to regardless: It is summertime in NYC. The sun is at its hottest and the UV rays are coming at us harder than ever (let's blame that on the hole in the ozone layer). While being tan is still the hottest thing since Coco Chanel, people are still lathering on the SPF 15 in attempts to thwart the most prevalent cancer in the United States. It struck me then that these people are all heading to spots where the solar potential is highest: the shore, the baseball fields, stadiums, and most importantly the urban community pools. All spots prolific in the smelly tannins of sunscreen and all spots that would be equally prolific as viable locations for solar installations.

And then I remembered the aesthetic pleasure that drives our society and how solar panels in any of those places could be shunned and exiled as an ugly invention of future that should be kept in the closet until we can come to our own moral terms with it because having solar panels produce renewable clean energy is so wrong, right?

Slightly disillusioned, I put away my beach PV blueprints and set to work on a more feasible urban green/social good project. And then, two weeks ago, an amazing tool was introduced- the NYC Solar Map, eliminating the need to follow beach-goers to sun heavy spots.

The NYC Solar Map is an online mechanism that calculates the solar potential for any building in the five boroughs for one of the best spots to capture the sun's energy- on your roof. Using the dimensions of the roof and some other factors, the solar map will give you an estimate on how large of a system you can install (in kilowatts), the cost of the system, rebates you can get for the installation, how much carbon dioxide you would be reducing, and the equivalent amount of trees planted. Now that's really putting solar on the map! In addition to presenting the solar potential, current installations and statistics can also be found on the map. The power of the sun is now in any NYC building owner's hands. With the ability to see your immediate ROI, there's really no argument against the solar synergy. Just make sure to wear sunscreen when hanging out with the panels on the roof!

Check out the NYC Solar Map at www.nycsolarmap.org. Type in FCI's NYC HQ address at 37-18 Northern Blvd to see how much solar energy we'd be generating if we didn't have an organic farm on our rooftop which is just as awesome.

FCI Announces New Company Division

FCI is proud to announce that it has rolled out a new direct install division of the company that will be able to serve commercial clients that are above 100 KW. Under this new division, clients will be able to customize their project so that it best fits their energy needs and goals. FCI will perform free comprehensive audits of client facilities and deliver a proposal based off of the findings. Customers who choose to participate will be eligible for rebates and incentives from utility companies that will off set significant amounts of financial investment. FCI can provide solutions for lighting, HVAC, Energy Efficiency, Water usage, and Demand Response within this new direct install division. Be sure to visit fcimgt.com to find out how to make your business green through our new services!

Bill Gates Not Sold on Energy Efficiency

Bill Gates, the 2nd richest person in the world, announced that energy efficiency was a "cute" attempt at solving climate change but not a viable answer at the most recent Wired conference held in New York. The Microsoft mega mind is convinced that nuclear power is the way to go when choosing an energy source that will effectively deal with climate control. Gates has invested heavily in nuclear R&D companies and is noted for his support of nuclear initiatives. He argues that energy efficiency technologies will never get us to the 90% reduction in carbon emissions that the nation is aiming for. Even if that were true, a staunch supporter of nuclear power would have to admit (if they were truthful) that energy efficiency is the game changer that has opened up innovative and conscientious thought concerning how we power our country. The advent of the CFL has spurned both rich and poor on a massive scale to give thought to changing the way we produce and utilize energy. If anything, we should seek to find ways to utilize clean energy. Nuclear power has the potential to put us in the same position as coal has. It is the author's biased (won't lie about that) opinion that Nuclear power is a quick fix method that has a high potential to backfire whereas energy efficiency and conservation will require more time, energy, and creativity but will yield more effective results that will last longer. This is about future generations too. But then again, I'm no billionaire. What do you think? Does Nuclear energy trump energy efficiency?

What State is Top Dog in Energy Efficiency???



According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the most energy efficient state is (drum roll please....) California. Massachusetts and Oregon followed behind in second and third place. Other states that filled the remaining top ten spots were New York, Vermont, Washington, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Maine. California has held the number one spot in the ACEEE ranking for four years in a row. The golden state has proven itself to be a leader in energy efficiency over the last several years by modeling and implementing an energy efficiency plan that out performs other states as well as the expectations of the federal government. President Obama has stated that his goal is to have 1 million electric vehicles on American roads by 2015.



Nissan Leaf



Part of California's energy initiative is to have 1 million electric cars on California's roads by 2020. The plan also looks to generate 30 percent of the state's electric power from renewable energy sources (such as solar, wind, hydropower, etc.) by 2020 as well. Among the most improved states concerning energy efficiency were Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Alaska. Texas, Alabama, North Dakota, Mississippi, and New Hampshire were at the bottom of the list.

FCI Looking To Roll Up Its Sleeves in Long Beach (Delivering A Sustainable Planet #4)

So it turns out the city of Long Beach is serious about energy efficiency and conservation. In 2006, the city installed a giant photovoltaic system in the Long Beach Convention Center. According to LongBeach.gov the system pumps out over 1 million kW-hours of pollution free electricity, making it one of the premier solar systems on the west coast. Since FCI has recently made its humble abode in Long Beach, we are eager and anticipating to join the city's energy cause as it pertains to the city wide approach to sustainability, conservation, and efficiency.  This progressive city is a perfect fit for FCI because we share a common goal in delivering a sustainable planet. FCI is looking to partner with Long Beach in implementing Demand Response programs (The convention center and city hall participate in Edison DR programs) and other initiatives that assist Long Beach in reaching its conservation ambitions. For more information on Long Beach EE projects, visit LongBeach.gov.

Weatherization-The Bread and Butter of Energy Efficiency (Delivering a Sustainable Planet #3)

FCI Managment has been positioning itself to be a leader in weatherization services for the residential sector. We are involved with several utility company weatherization programs that allow customers to receive free attic insulation, window glass replacement, and new low flow shower heads just to name a few measures. We believe that weatherization is a very important component to our program portfolio because roughly 80% of homes in the US were built before 1973 when there was no enforced energy code, such as Part 6 of Title 24. The ultimate goal of weatherization is to reduce household energy consumption while making the home safer, more comfortable, and greener for household residents in the process. Customers can begin to see savings immediately by just making a few adjustments in their behavior, so we not only seek to improve a home's features but to educate our residential clients in the process. Our team of HERS (Home Energy Rating System) raters and BPI (Building Performance Institute) professionals employ state of the art equipment, software, and methods to help residential customers achieve maximum results. We seek to assertively decrease the percentage of in-efficient homes in the state of California in our effort to Deliver a Sustainable Planet. For more information on our weatherization services and programs, visit fcimgt.com

FCI Announces NY Operations (Delivering A Sustainable Planet, Edition 2)

FCI Management is excited and proud to announce that it has extended its reach beyond California and has set up shop in the "Big Apple". FCI has joined forces with fellow energy solutions provider, Willdan Energy Services (WES) to implement Con Edison's direct install program. The Small Business Direct Install Program (SBDI) consists of an energy specialist conducting an evaluation and making a custom recommendation for a small buisness' lighting, ballasts, fixtures, HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems, and more. The purpose is for these systems to be retro-fitted with energy efficient equipment, allowing the customer to lower energy costs and increase their bottom line. For more information on this great program visit: fcimgt.com and coned.com.