tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17779558088140783502024-03-13T08:32:45.252-07:00Birdsall Services GroupBirdsall Services Group (BSG) would like to welcome you to our new blog, where the very same blend of talented individuals that keep us on the forefront of our industry will provide you with cutting-edge, informative content, ranging from advice on how to better work with your engineering consultants, to discussions on new trends and technologies.Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-47362551020489940232013-03-20T06:10:00.001-07:002013-03-20T06:10:03.825-07:00Where Can all the Water Go?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7C0S2yiZhRo/UUmyuism0WI/AAAAAAAAALA/LgQLCZjOovA/s1600/green_systems_clean_water(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7C0S2yiZhRo/UUmyuism0WI/AAAAAAAAALA/LgQLCZjOovA/s320/green_systems_clean_water(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As municipalities and
professionals attempt to envision new and innovative approaches to stormwater
management, BSG has taken a leading role in searching for novel applications
and effective solutions.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many cities in the northeast
corridor, such as Philadelphia, are confronted with the challenge
of older sewer systems, which combine sanitary and storm sewage in the same
piping. While this was deemed an efficient system in previous eras, the
federal EPA has begun to regulate and fine the discharges from these system
into waterways like the Delaware River. In response, an ever growing field
of green stormwater management has developed, and BSG has been on the forefront
of the investigation and conceptual design of new systems that can separate
stormwater from sanitary flows.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The basic premise of most of
these green designs is an attempt to remove a portion of the stormwater
flow prior to it entering the CSO (Combined Sewer Operating) system. This
can be done in a number of ways, from diverting the flow into raingarden areas
and what are referred to as Bioswales, to the development of stone storage
trenches which capture and, based upon the soil conditions, either infiltrate
or store and slow release the first 1” of rainfall. This involves
calculations of volumes based upon drainage areas and the development of
strategies for the mitigation of green acres.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Birdsall has been instrumental
in looking at alternative design strategies, such as porous paving, and the use
of open space in the management process. We have also created a design
for a Curb Infiltration Unit (CIU) which can be placed flush with a curb and
can divert water to feed adjacent shade trees and plantings. This system
provides a more direct means of infiltration and has shown to be of benefit to
the nearby plantings. These units can also be linked with other storage
methods to provide a larger infiltration system.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many of these ideas have been
developed as pilot projects and are now being implemented on a city wide
basis. BSG is working to remain in the forefront of these efforts and to
consistently move the bar for creative stormwater management ideas that have
practical applications.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-65808197789522847272013-01-31T06:35:00.002-08:002013-01-31T09:34:50.000-08:00Andy on Sandy: Under the Boardwalk<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the time my mother would let me, I spent my high school
and college summers (80’s and 90’s) working at the Coin Castle on the Seaside
Heights boardwalk, and surfing Casino Pier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In spite of that experience, I went on to secure advanced degrees in marine
engineering and a career in coastal infrastructure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even married a bartender from Sawmill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an unmitigated “Seaside Trifecta.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
With that experience in hand, Sandy-impacted boardwalks are
a matter of great interest to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are
designing their reconstruction in the BSG offices, and cajoling FEMA to pay for
their replacement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another of my
comrades, Dennis Giuliano, has similar interests (he’s more of a Lavallette
trifecta wannabe), and we set out to take a look at the Monmouth and Ocean County
boardwalks to see what worked (and didn’t work), and why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can link to our report by clicking <a href="https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D8258791_63534858_01916" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-paWlk-mdqkY/UQgZjGYANMI/AAAAAAAAAKo/ejpBrr_X4aM/s1600/Boardwalk+Before.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-paWlk-mdqkY/UQgZjGYANMI/AAAAAAAAAKo/ejpBrr_X4aM/s200/Boardwalk+Before.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BEFORE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suffice to say, the key is not letting waves get “under the
boardwalk.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we all know, nothing good
happens under there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the case of
waves, they tend to impact the girders, stringers, decks, etc. and rip them to
pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only time “under the
boardwalk” works is if the deck is so high that the waves can simply pass
underneath and go on their way toward destruction of houses and roads (not exactly
a good outcome either). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What we do know is that preventing waves from getting to the
boardwalks (big beaches, dunes, seawalls, revetments) works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alternatively, causing waves to rise up and
over the boardwalk using the same types of structures worked too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thought that we can just rebuild the
structures “stronger” is unrealistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the same reason that offshore oil structures and well-designed
recreational piers are so high (e.g. Atlantic City, NJ; Huntington Beach, CA )
it is clear that getting boardwalks out of harms way is the preferred solution
– not simply reinforcing the structure to withstand the awesome power of wave
impact.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oUAy_sU54eo/UQgZqHQD_GI/AAAAAAAAAKw/lSVMEAONPHU/s1600/Boardwalk+After.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oUAy_sU54eo/UQgZqHQD_GI/AAAAAAAAAKw/lSVMEAONPHU/s200/Boardwalk+After.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AFTER</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
The bottom line here is cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a premium associated with protecting
boardwalks and other coastal structures from harm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I’ve inventoried the damage over the last
several months, it is very clear that coastal structure survival is less about
engineering than it is about the foresight of owners to see that this was
coming and protect their investments. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Investment in resiliency is the number one
consideration that we will face as we reoccupy and rebuild.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not always a certainty that resiliency
is the right solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes cost
considerations render a structure “sacrificial,” and we’d rather abandon or
reconstruct after a storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes,
financial considerations give us no choice but to take our chances that Sandy
Part II doesn’t arrive in our planning horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I like to help people make those decisions in an informed way --- that’s
my job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
</div>
Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-16248234317269422612012-12-26T11:47:00.002-08:002013-01-31T09:35:32.966-08:00Andy on Sandy: V-Zone Voodoo<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If you are a
coastal resident, you likely have heard that FEMA revised their </span><a href="http://www.birdsall.com/files/New%20FEMA%20Flood%20Maps.pdf" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">flood mapping on an “advisory” basis last week</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">. The
mapping changes are wholesale in nature, and include increases in predicted
flood elevations and the number of properties subject to flooding. The
implications of these changes affect flood insurance and the development
potential of land. As an example, I’m working on a site on the Raritan Bay
where the flood elevation increased by </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">9 feet! </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As you can imagine, that
puts a big kink in the Owner’s plans to redevelop the site.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dzq0lBe1Ve4/UNtSGPZuxEI/AAAAAAAAAKA/PvxxauX-XwY/s1600/photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dzq0lBe1Ve4/UNtSGPZuxEI/AAAAAAAAAKA/PvxxauX-XwY/s400/photo1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A-Zone Flooding</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Among the many
changes, the proliferation of V-Zones is one of the most dramatic. To
understand what a V-Zone is, consider the following photos. The flooding that
you see at right is an A-Zone flood. It is flooding that is generally devoid of
waves and currents. In contrast, a V-Zone is an area where waves exist, and are
expected to cause substantial damage to structures (see image below). </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The
substantial damage expectation causes development in V-Zones to be highly
regulated.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OvuBsu3OWtE/UNtSGQoIapI/AAAAAAAAAKI/7Ks4_6Aj2HY/s1600/photo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OvuBsu3OWtE/UNtSGQoIapI/AAAAAAAAAKI/7Ks4_6Aj2HY/s400/photo2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">V-Zone Flooding</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Prior to the
recent FEMA mapping release, the only V-Zones in New Jersey were along the
Atlantic coastline and in very large bays (Raritan and Delaware). The new
mapping changes everything. Now the entire shorelines of New York Harbor,
Barnegat Bay, Manahawkin Bay, etc. are mapped as V-Zones.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y5Y0UpP_rRs/UNtSGhYzVcI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/Mf7ofBvZDnc/s1600/photo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="323" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y5Y0UpP_rRs/UNtSGhYzVcI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/Mf7ofBvZDnc/s640/photo3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">To the single
family homeowner, this change means that reconstruction requires conformance
with V-Zone construction standards. If you’ve ever been to the outer banks of
North Carolina, you’ve seen what this construction standard looks like. For residential/commercial developers, the implications are more
substantial. For instance, in New Jersey, residential development is outright </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">prohibited</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
in a V-Zone. Likewise, commercial development is discouraged.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kw_qByF974g/UNtSHWNEFDI/AAAAAAAAAKY/SaI_-c3nlB8/s1600/photo4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kw_qByF974g/UNtSHWNEFDI/AAAAAAAAAKY/SaI_-c3nlB8/s320/photo4.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Rest assured,
there are opportunities to mitigate the V-Zone designation if you are the owner
of a piece of land that is substantially affected. FEMA has an established a
protocol for challenging or modifying their flood designations. The least
costly alternative (but least likely to succeed) is to challenge FEMA’s
science. The “granularity” of FEMA’s analysis doesn’t consider individual
properties. Therefore, there may be something unique about your particular
property (i.e. the presence of a seawall, etc.) that would cause it to be
unaffected by waves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In the absence of
scientific justification, the only way to remove your property from the V-Zone
is to make a physical improvement such as a seawall, revetment, or other
coastal structure. Faced with the NJ ban on residential development in V-zones,
BSG has undertaken V-Zone modification applications for properties in Perth
Amboy, Atlantic City, South Amboy, and Highlands. To our knowledge, we are the
only consultant to successfully remove a V-Zone designation in New Jersey
within the last decade.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As always, I’m
here to assist. If you have a question or need some advice, drop me a line at </span></span><a href="mailto:araichle@birdsall.com"><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">araichle@birdsall.com</span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">.
Thanks. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">- Andy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Andy Raichle, PE,
serves as Senior Vice President within the Land & Marine Engineering
Division and is a civil and marine engineer with nationwide experience in a
broad range of waterfront development and maritime projects. His project
experience includes planning and design of coastal and port structures,
sub-aqueous utility construction, navigational dredging, contaminated sediment
remediation, and shore protection projects. He is well versed in the technical,
political, and regulatory specialties that are unique to the process of
waterfront development and remediation, and has applied these skills throughout
the U.S. and the Caribbean.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span>Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-66892666663726658462012-11-09T06:22:00.000-08:002013-01-31T09:36:12.930-08:00Are Communities at Risk for Losing the FEMA Funding they Deserve?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The nature of a natural disaster
requires communities to act first and think second <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">—</span>
but often times this results in the inability to receive reimbursement just when it's needed the most<strong>. </strong>The process of recovery can take months, even years, and the lives and livelihoods of the entire area will be affected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With so much at stake, it's vital to have an adovocate that not only assists with debris management and operations, but also in the process of quickly securing the Public Assistance and FEMA funds to pay for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Birdsall Services Group, Inc. (BSG)</strong> and <strong>The Louis Berger Group,
Inc. (LBG)</strong> are teaming up in the wake of Hurricane Sandy to combine
their expertise and experience in major disaster recovery to come to the aid of
the battered Jersey Shore. The combination of LBG’s rapid response emergency
management team and FEMA expertise, and BSG’s large public client base and
intimate knowledge of the infrastructure, facilities, and operations of the
Jersey Shore, makes the BSG-LBG team the perfect advocate to help clients
streamline their disaster recovery programs and receive the maximum
reimbursement possible from Public Assistance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<a href="http://pipeline/Lists/CrossSelling%20Corner/DispForm.aspx?ID=3&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline%2FSitePages%2FHome%2Easpx" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Click Here to Learn About our Full Suite of Disaster Recovery Services</strong></span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
</div>
Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-81850840496933629082012-11-05T07:43:00.000-08:002013-01-31T09:35:44.994-08:00BIRDSALL SERVICES GROUP CANCELS ANNUAL LEAGUE PARTY AND DONATES PARTY COSTS TO HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">(Eatontown, NJ) – Birdsall Service Group today
announced that it would be cancelling its annual hospitality party at the Revel
Resort in Atlantic City during the upcoming League of Municipalities Convention
and donating the $35,000 event costs to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief
efforts in the area.<br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“To stand in the shadow of devastation and celebrate
hardly seems appropriate,” said Scott Ma<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>cFadden, Chief
Administrative Officer of Birdsall Services Group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Our company extends our deepest sympathy to
those affected by Hurricane Sandy and we hope that our actions will be followed
by others planning events during the convention. These funds are better spent
helping the community rather than entertaining.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">MacFadden added that
the company will maintain a reduced presence at the League of Municipalities
conference while key employees work throughout the region on emergency
assessment projects. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-17309846904271990842012-09-21T08:00:00.000-07:002012-09-21T08:00:14.471-07:00NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust Drinking Water State Revolving Fund<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-21Aka0UOsg0/UFyA4E9gLfI/AAAAAAAAAIs/lvO8Tomcfs8/s1600/runningwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-21Aka0UOsg0/UFyA4E9gLfI/AAAAAAAAAIs/lvO8Tomcfs8/s320/runningwater.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<b>Municipalities, counties, sewer, utility or improvement authorities or local government units in charge of constructing or improving related water management facilities </b><b>may be eligible! </b><span style="font-family: ArialNarrow;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: ArialNarrow;"><div align="LEFT">
</div>
<div align="LEFT">
The EIT works to provide and administer low interest rate loans to New Jersey's municipalities, counties, and regional authorities for water quality infrastructure projects that improve the State's natural resources and protect the public health.</div>
</span><div align="LEFT">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: ArialNarrow;">Letters of Intent and Environmental Planning Documents must be submitted by Monday, October 1, 2012 for SFY2014. The project application along with Construction design documents must be submitted by March 4, 2014.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.birdsall.com/files/Funding%20Alert%20-%20NJEIT%20Drinking%20Water%209-12.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Learn More about this program Here</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: ArialNarrow;">
</span><b><span style="font-family: ArialNarrow-Bold;"></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: ArialNarrow-Bold;"><div align="LEFT">
</div>
</span><div align="LEFT">
</div>
</b><div align="LEFT">
</div>
<span style="font-family: ArialNarrow;"></span><br />Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-81994906749242225382012-09-18T06:43:00.001-07:002012-09-18T06:44:58.459-07:00Purchasing Energy for Municipal Accounts<em><span style="font-size: large;">"How do I make a comparison to all my alternatives?"</span></em><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By<br />Fred
Fastiggi, CEM<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Senior
Vice President – Energy<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Birdsall
Services Group<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As an energy consultant with a substantial portion of our
practice involved in Energy Procurement Advisory Services, we are often asked by
our clients “how does the price you secured for me, compare to this alternative
I just heard about?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are constantly getting these inquiries, and the most
difficult thing is trying to answer them with facts so that our clients can
make a true “apples to apples” comparison. While we always have the facts
from our end (they come right off the supplier’s contract), inquiries spurred
by competitor pitches usually contain no detail other than a claim that “we can
save you more money”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps they can, but in order to answer the question, we
need to delve a little deeper into what, when and why a user is buying energy
from a non-utility supplier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also
need to understand exactly what the buying alternative being promoted actually
represents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">One Client’s Question</b>
- We recently had a client tell us that they could get a rate of $0.0784 per
KWH from a competitor, while we were under contract at $0.085 per KWH.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally they were curious as to why the
contract we procured for them was so much higher than the competitor’s offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We too were curious, but to answer that
question we needed to understand a few more things:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>What tariff are we talking about when you quote the
$0.0784 rate? - </b>We were buying electricity for this client for two very
distinct types of accounts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is for what are called “fixed price
accounts,” and these are the accounts typically found at town hall, the police
station, the fire house, the library and other buildings where the town pays
the electric bill. Usually for these types of buildings and accounts, in
PSE&G’s territory, a town is on either a GLP or LPL-S tariff. The smaller
accounts are on GLP, the larger ones, who have a demand of at least 150KW in
any month during the year, go to LPL-S (Large Power and Light-Secondary
Service). LPL-S service is generally going to be less costly than GLP
whether you take it from PSE&G as your default supplier, or from a Third
Party Supplier because LPL-S accounts usually have higher volume and less
volatility in usage patterns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both
characteristics are very desirable for a supplier due to economies of scale and
because the risk of buying too much, or too little to service the accounts, is
greatly reduced for a supplier. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The town in question has 18 separate “fixed price” accounts,
all on PSE&G’s GLP tariff. Collectively they consume 509,564 KWH per
year. Our contract rate for these accounts is $0.085 per KWH and is
a flat rate for the entire 12 months of the contract running from June 1, 2012
to May 31, 2013. Our price will not change from month to month over the
term of the contract, as many competitive offers do. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is included in
the quoted price?</b> – Our price is totally comparable to PSE&G’s price-to-compare
(also known as Basic Generation Service or BGS) and includes NJ Sales and Use
Tax, as well as charges for generation and transmission capacity , line losses,
PJM ancillary service charges and all of the items in PSE&G’s BGS component
of their default tariff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is very important when evaluating competitive offers to
understand not only what tariffs the quote is applicable to, but also to understand
what is included in the price being quoted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> Many times vendors do not include Sales and Use tax in their
quotes. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There may also be other charges in the price which you may,
or may not, want to pay for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
example, our price also includes a small fraction of a cent, to pay for the operating
costs, legal fees, audit fees, automated auction fee and our firm’s fee as the
energy consultant for the buying group that this town is a member of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
buyer needs to decide if these are services they want to pay for in their
electric cost.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The members of our buying group get many benefits, including:
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The administrative expertise of an Executive
Director who manages the buying group, schedules and runs meetings, promotes
new membership, and makes sure the group adheres to public contract law;</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An attorney who provides legal services in the
drafting of contracts that are favorable to the membership;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An Energy Consultant who provides advice on
contract structure, reviews supplier qualifications, writes the RFP, answers
member questions, analyzes and monitors energy markets, forecasts a guaranteed
target pricing level for the members prior to asking them to commit to a
contract, and conducts either a traditional paper bid or automated auction for
suppliers to bid, and; </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Board Members who make decisions on behalf of
the buying group, who themselves are Municipal Business Administrators making
decisions, sharing their efforts with their fellow Business
Administrators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It gets more
complicated - </b>This particular client also has their Street Lighting
accounts in our program. These accounts use approximately 302,800 KWH per
year, and our rate for them is much lower, at $0.04632 per KWH. Again,
this rate is fixed for the 12 month contract period and includes Sales and Use
Tax and all components of PSE&G’s BGS for their street lighting tariff.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What was in the
competitive offer?</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Upon further
questioning, we found that the competitive price being quoted to our client was
not a “firm” commitment and was only supposed to be “representative” of what
they could secure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The competitive
offer was based on a neighboring town with a contract already in place, that on
the surface appeared to be a town with very similar energy needs to our
client.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In reality, the competitor’s
price was a bundled price for all accounts in the neighboring town (fixed price
accounts, street light accounts <u>and</u> even accounts having to do with
their water treatment plant (which was a regional plant serving five towns!) Their
rate was not comparable to our rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Accounts
serving a water treatment plant in PSE&G’s territory are usually on yet
another tariff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this case, the plant
was on LPL-P (Large Power and Light – Primary Service).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This type of tariff is referred to as
Commercial and Industrial Pricing (or CIEP) and is characterized by high
volumes, higher voltages and usually still steadier usage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Predictability of load is very important to a
supplier bidding into a supply contract and, as you can imagine, a water
treatment plant has a high volume and relatively steady demand for
electricity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of this, most of
these plants are on CIEP tariffs like LPL-P.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>CIEP loads are very attractive when compared to Fixed Price loads and,
as such, they get much lower pricing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The real cost of each
alternative</b> - When calculating the weighted average (weighted by usage
between our fixed price and street light accounts) for our client, our weighted
average rate was $0.07058 which is less than the competitors quoted rate of
$0.0784 per KWH (and their rate was a blended rate that included fixed price
accounts, street lights and even a water treatment plant that served five
towns).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Timing? </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Timing also has a lot to do with electric
pricing. Competitive pricing differs significantly when you go out to bid
at different times of the year, and the term of the contract can also affect
pricing. Sometimes a longer contract term is cheaper than a 12 month
period and other times it is not. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The month In which you secure your supply can also affect
pricing. The price of gas generally drives the price of electricity
because most electric pricing is based on natural gas as a fuel for generation. If we purchased a 12 month contract volume in March, for a term beginning
on June 1<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>st</sup>, and the market for natural gas has since been in a decline,
a contract put on at a later date, should have a lower price for electricity
than one put on when the natural gas fuel price for electric generators was
higher.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Additionally, electric prices are usually higher in a peak
period, so if one contract has a term that includes many peak periods (e.g.
summer months) in it, and another does not, you would expect the contract with
more non-peak usage in it to be cheaper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is usually true but if the tariff you are buying against has a
large portion of fixed cost components in it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(e.g. capacity charges), the opposite can be true because you are
spreading that fixed cost over more KWH’s if you have a lot of peak usage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each situation needs to be analyzed
individually to see what effect the seasonality, periodicity or hour-to-hour
variation in usage does to the price of a particular account (or accounts) and given
that, what price for electricity you can realize in the marketplace at that
point in time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Terms <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Conditions?</b> - Finally, the contract we
have with our supplier is what is called a “full requirements” contract, which
means the suppliers have to supply whatever the municipality needs at the
agreed upon pricing. If the municipality takes less than originally
specified in the bid document, the supplier still needs to supply that
deficiency at the contract price. Same if the municipality takes more,
the excess is priced at the contract price. Many competitors who claim to
offer lower pricing are not offering full requirements contracts and if usage
should vary, you may find you are paying a different price of the variation
from your originally anticipated volume. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So, Let’s circle back</b>
- These are a few things you should initially ask a broker, consultant,
supplier or aggregator when they approach you about buying energy: </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What tariff(s) does the quoted rate cover?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are the volumes included in that price?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Is the price flat for a specific period, or does
it vary?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If it varies, what event or condition triggers a
change in the price you quoted?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What period is covered? When does it start and
stop?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What happens if my consumption patterns change
during the term of your supply contract?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When did you go out for pricing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was the price of gas at that time and
how does it compare to today’s price for gas? </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Does the price include sales tax, and is the
price fully comparable to the “Price to Compare” or the Basic Generation
Service charge (they are one in the same) on my electric bill?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Who do I go to with questions on billing?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can I see the contract under which you are
buying this electric service?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are you complying with Public Contract Laws?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are you and your suppliers and subcontractors
licensed and approved by the NJ Board of Public Utilities? </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some of the intangibles you may want to ask about are:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How are the decisions made to enter into a
competitive supply contract on my behalf? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our buying group has a team of Municipal Administrators,
Lawyers, Energy Consultants and an Executive Director that plan for, and
administer, the Electric and Gas cooperative purchasing programs for its
members. The buying group ultimately takes its direction on the
timing, and contract length from its Board, which is made up exclusively of
Municipal Administrators who deal with the same issues other<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Municipal Administrators deal with on a day
in and day out basis. Getting competitive pricing is important to
them, as is budgetary certainty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
the case cited above, the Board’s direction was to secure an appropriately
aggregated supply (with specific bid packages for similar groups of accounts
that will allow for the optimization of their usage) with a competitive price,
as well as a flat rate for budgetary certainty, over the twelve month contract
period. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other instances they
may direct their professionals to secure a floating price, or a “block and
index” price where part of the requirement is at a fixed price and another part
floats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For natural gas they may direct
their professional to lock only the “basis” (a/k/a) the transmission costs from
the gulf to the local utility’s City Gate, and to let the commodity portion
float.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are an almost infinite
number of contract structure possibilities, but what should be specified to the
bidders is what satisfies the pricing and functional needs of the users given
their risk appetite.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of our buying groups tells all their members ahead of
time, and in writing, that the Board will not authorize a final supply contract
unless the chosen bid is at, or below a targeted price which reflects the host
utilities lowest, forecasted BGS electric price during the course of the contract
term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If members don’t like the price,
they can opt out of the auction. This is a unique feature of this program
as are the features of having Municipal Administrators making decisions for
their fellow Municipal Administrators, and having legal, energy and
administrative professionals retained as part of the buying process. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of these features bring more value to the
procurement process than just supplying competitive, low-priced electricity
(which, obviously, is also a needed objective of the buying group). </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>A few more questions still:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who is your Consultant/Broker/Aggregator, and
what is their role in the Electric Procurement process? - </b>The state of New
Jersey has very specific guidelines, requirements and safety measures in place
which govern the purchase of energy by government entities. These
guidelines and directives should be listed on your supplier’s website or in their
promotional material. The suppliers of electricity need to be licensed
and approved by the NJ BPU. That is also true for aggregators or
consultants serving this market. Make sure that your consultant or broker
has been screened to meet the licensing requirements of the state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those requirements are there to protect
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Regulations also require that public entities understand and
adhere to Public Contracts Laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Non-utility energy supply must be procured
under public bid, satisfying all the requirements of applicable law. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You should ask any potential supplier what their specific
role is in the acquisition of competitive supply. Are they a supplier,
broker, aggregator, consultant, etc., and how are they paid? What
specifically do they do to facilitate the supply transaction? Do they
work alone? Do they work with a law firm to make sure the town’s
interests are protected? Are they splitting his fee with other
parties, and if so, what do they do? Also, are they, and any of the
parties they work with, licensed by the NJ BPU?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Any energy supplier, broker, consultant or aggregator should
also be willing to show you the contract they will be securing their quoted
price under.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having that contract helps
immeasurably in understanding if you are comparing apples to apples and in the
public sector, that contract is public information so they should have no
reluctance to sharing it with you. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If a supplier, broker, consultant or aggregator can’t
produce a contract, that would suggest that they might just be fishing for a
quick transaction and may not have your strategic interests at heart.
There have been a lot of efforts by network marketers to build their energy sales
force in a similar manner to the way Amway developed a network marketing organization
to sell soap and personal products. They recruit hundreds of people as
sub-distributors, provide minimal training, and turn them loose to chase
customers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to decide if
this type of procurement effort is all you need, or if you are looking for a
more organized and professional approach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd60EqWAFOg/UDeh4EczifI/AAAAAAAAACk/c0YxlqDUFJI/s1600/Fastiggi%252C+Fred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd60EqWAFOg/UDeh4EczifI/AAAAAAAAACk/c0YxlqDUFJI/s320/Fastiggi%252C+Fred.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are many alternatives and options for buying
electricity and gas competitively in the state of New Jersey, however if you
hope to make a realistic comparison to your current situation, there are many questions
you and your associates should<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wade
through before jumping to conclusions about which price is better or worse than
what you have now. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">About the Author</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fred Fastiggi is Senior Vice President of
Energy Services for the Birdsall Services Group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has worked in the energy industry for over
twenty-five years both for regulated utilities and as a consultant to
commercial, industrial and public clients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fred’s firm is currently the Energy Consultant to the New Jersey Sustainable
Energy Joint Meeting (an organization of over one-hundred and ninety New Jersey
municipalities and public authorities), the Mid-County Cooperative Pricing
System (six NJ counties who have banded together to do cooperative energy purchasing)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and numerous individual counties, school
districts, colleges, hospitals and other commercial or industrial
entities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He holds the designation of Certified
Energy Manager and Distributed Generation Certified Professional from the
Association of Energy Engineers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></i></div>
Fred Fastiggi, Senior Vice President - Energy Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993559519220629437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-48011793325583082522012-09-17T07:36:00.002-07:002012-09-17T13:25:33.390-07:00Cooper Cancer Institute in Camden Fitted for its Final Steel Beam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On September 12, the Cooper Cancer Institute in Camden was fitted for its final steel beam during the topping-off ceremony. The beam, which was painted in white displayed the words “Building Hope,” and was signed by the construction trades and Cooper's cancer team, symbolizing the sentiment behind the new cancer center to open in the fall of 2013. </div>
<br />
The $100 Million, four-story, 103,050 square foot building will provide a full range of specialists and cancer care services with the benefit of patients having all their medical needs in one place, including: radiology and radiation oncology, hematology/medical oncology, surgical oncology, urology and gynecologic oncology; chemotherapy infusion and laboratory space; and chemotherapy pharmacy. Abundant examination, treatment and procedure space throughout the new building will improve patient flow and access; and conference room and academic spaces will foster the team-approach to cancer treatment for which Cooper Cancer Institute is already well-known.<br />
<br />
Birdsall Services Group (BSG) is providing a full range of engineering and consulting services on this project and was on site for the ceremony. In conjunction with Francis Cauffman Architects, BSG provided the MEP and IT design and utilized Building Information Modeling (BIM). Additionally, the building is under review for LEED status.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<embed height="420" src="http://v6.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=t8omxz&s=6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="440"></embed><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=t8omxz&s=6">Original Video</a> - More videos at <a href="http://tinypic.com/">TinyPic</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
<a href="http://ehealth.cooperhealth.org/2012/09/building-hope-in-camden/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Read the Entire Article Here</span></a>Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-76234140623706111092012-08-28T08:16:00.000-07:002012-08-28T08:32:50.795-07:00Engineering Firm Opens New Location in Manhattan<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"></span></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.birdsall.com/" target="_blank">Birdsall Services Group (BSG) to Take a Bite of the Big Apple with New Location in Manhattan</a></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em>Press Release - August 28, 2012</em></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ecM0D-HeQaI/UDzkMBK6_gI/AAAAAAAAAIY/lkvfeDOwNvo/s1600/apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ecM0D-HeQaI/UDzkMBK6_gI/AAAAAAAAAIY/lkvfeDOwNvo/s1600/apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ecM0D-HeQaI/UDzkMBK6_gI/AAAAAAAAAIY/lkvfeDOwNvo/s1600/apple.jpg" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Birdsall
Services Group (BSG)</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, a professional services firm and recognized leader in
engineering and consulting services, announces the opening of their new
location in New York City at One Penn Plaza in the Borough of Manhattan.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Heralded as another milestone in
the strategic growth plan of the firm, BSG’s presence in Manhattan will further
stimulate and drive business development operations focused in the New York
City market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BSG’s Manhattan office will
provide all of the firm’s disciplines, creating the opportunity to expand BSG’s
broad range of services to its existing clients in the City, as well as facilitate
opportunities with new clients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new
Manhattan office,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>along with the firm’s existing New York
offices located in White Plains, and Patchogue, Long Island, puts the firm in
an advantageous position to serve the six major Counties of Westchester,
Suffolk, Nassau, Rockland, Dutchess and Orange, in addition to the five
boroughs of New York City. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BSG’s Vice
President of Business Development, Kenneth Sisk, P.E., will be the Principal in
Charge of this office, with support from our existing staffing in the White
Plains and Patchogue offices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Drawing on over twenty-five years of experience, Mr. Sisk will be
responsible for all phases of marketing, business development and project
management for BSG’s New York City operations, driving the continued expansion
into the City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having spent a number of
years working in New York City and the State of New York, Mr. Sisk is
exceptionally qualified with a unique knowledge of the marketplace.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Our firm has already established a valuable clientele
in the City from a number of projects in both the public and private sectors,”
states Mr. Sisk, “however, having a presence in the City will help us better
capture the wealth of opportunities for our unique brand of services<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that exist in the New York City market.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“This is a very exciting time for BSG.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The decision to open an office in Manhattan
is not only consistent with our strategic growth plan from a business
development perspective, but it is also in line with our spirit of expansion,
which has been a core philosophy throughout our firm’s history,” stated Howard
Birdsall, President and CEO of BSG.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The
transition should prove to be a natural one, as BSG is a carefully planned
combination of firms that have a documented history of over twenty-five years
of experience in this market.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Under the leadership of Ken Sisk, and driven by our talented staff, we
are confident this new office will help cultivate new business opportunities in
this extremely fertile and important marketplace.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The address to BSG’s Manhattan office is One Penn Plaza, 36<sup>th</sup>
floor, New York, NY 10119.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more
information, please call Ken Sisk at 212-786-7369. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Birdsall Services Group
(BSG) is a professional service firm and a recognized leader in engineering and
consulting services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The strengths of
our licensed and certified professionals enable us to serve a wide variety of
clients throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania in the
private sector as well as all levels of government, public authorities, and
non-profit organizations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Founded 1919,
BSG has nine offices located throughout New York and New Jersey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BSG has continually been ranked by McGraw
Hill Companies, Inc., Engineering News Record, and other construction
publications as one of the region's leading engineering and consulting firms.</span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 8pt; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.birdsall.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Visit our Site to Learn More</strong></a></span></span></i></span></span></span><br />Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-77695304036981062482012-08-24T09:45:00.000-07:002012-08-24T09:46:10.455-07:00BSG Ranked in ENR's Top 200 Environmental Firms<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The list is out: <u>ENR's Top 200 Environmental Firms of 2012</u>...and Birdsall Services Group ranks in at the 189th spot!</span></strong> <br />
<br />
Our firm is proud to have made this year's list, which includes firms from all over the United States, Canada and the U.K. Furthermore, ENR reports that this year's list is extra-amazing because these firms managed to grow revenue in 2011 despite a challenging economy and budget restraints in the public sector. Kudos! <br />
<br />
Our <a href="http://www.birdsall.com/services/environmental-a-geotechnical" target="_blank">Environmental and Geotechnical professionals</a> will enjoy this achievement as they continue to provide a full scope of services that include preliminary site feasibility and selection studies, development of detailed site preparation and foundation design criteria, and inspection of construction activities. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JAbHdN3n8qY/UDeupLXbUaI/AAAAAAAAAIE/XagjjjKrMLs/s1600/list.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JAbHdN3n8qY/UDeupLXbUaI/AAAAAAAAAIE/XagjjjKrMLs/s640/list.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.birdsall.com/files/ENR%202012%20Top200%20Environmental%20Firms.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">View the entire ENR list here!</span></a><br />
<br />
<em>and </em><br />
<br />
<a href="http://enr.construction.com/business_management/companies/2012/the-top-200-environmental-firms-for-2012-analysis.asp" target="_blank">Read the Analysis and ENR.com Here</a>Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-40586309430582970302012-08-23T08:13:00.000-07:002012-08-23T08:13:17.639-07:00Ground Broken to Transform Dormant Newark Brownfield Site<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GgBLixjmQiY/UDZHwUdkKkI/AAAAAAAAAH0/ZW5xF3uXvkk/s1600/newark%2520brownfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GgBLixjmQiY/UDZHwUdkKkI/AAAAAAAAAH0/ZW5xF3uXvkk/s1600/newark%2520brownfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GgBLixjmQiY/UDZHwUdkKkI/AAAAAAAAAH0/ZW5xF3uXvkk/s320/newark%2520brownfield.jpg" width="320" /></a>BSG’s Senior Vice President of Land and Marine Engineering, Andy Raichle, P.E., was on site for a groundbreaking July 31st on a $50 million 350,000-square-foot warehouse in the Ironbound section of Newark. Morris Companies, a Rutherford, N.J.-based developer, is building on the dormant brownfield site, the home of a former Sherwin Williams Co. paint facility at 60 Lister Avenue. BSG is providing a full range of consulting and engineering services for this project, including civil, marine, environmental, survey, construction administration, and grants and funding. The site will also qualify for the state of New Jersey’s Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit program, which offers incentives to companies to develop near major transportation centers. Vital to the economic health of existing cities and suburban centers, Newark has actively been transforming and redeveloping brownfield sites, such as this one.<span style="display: none;"> </span> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.birdsall.com/" target="_blank">More BSG News Here!</a></div>
Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-69311845027897995402012-08-22T07:59:00.000-07:002012-08-22T07:59:21.683-07:00BSG VP of Water Resources Helps to Foster Relationship Between Two Local Charities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KwuIHZVJOpo/UDTzYvvQsGI/AAAAAAAAAGs/zQsxCOLSxiI/s1600/Dave%2520Applegate%2520NOHFH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KwuIHZVJOpo/UDTzYvvQsGI/AAAAAAAAAGs/zQsxCOLSxiI/s1600/Dave%2520Applegate%2520NOHFH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KwuIHZVJOpo/UDTzYvvQsGI/AAAAAAAAAGs/zQsxCOLSxiI/s320/Dave%2520Applegate%2520NOHFH.jpg" width="239" /></a>Dave Applegate, BSG's Vice President of Water Resources, was recently recognized
by Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity (NOHFH), a local branch of the national
nonprofit housing organization that he is actively involved with and that BSG
frequently supports. NOHFH formally thanked Dave for all of his efforts with
their organization, most recently for serving as NOHFH Construction Committee
Chairman, and for organizing volunteers from the Toms River Kiwanis Daybreak, an
organization that sponsors and participates in many projects to support children
and the local community. Dave has been an active member of the Toms River
Kiwanis Daybreak since 2010, and involved on the NOHFH Construction Committee
for 2 years. His passion for both local charities is evident in his unwavering
commitment and hard work. Great work, Dave!<br /><br />To learn more about either
organization, visit <a href="http://www.nohfh.com/" target="_blank">nohfh.com</a>
or <a href="http://www.tomsriverkiwanis.org/" target="_blank">tomsriverkiwanis.org</a>.Julia Gliddon, Marketing Content Coordinatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717449660588356456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-86796893319537162822012-01-24T07:01:00.000-08:002012-08-24T08:47:30.282-07:00A Word on Energy Audits<div class="WordSection1">
<div class="WordSection1">
<div class="WordSection1">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd60EqWAFOg/UDeh4EczifI/AAAAAAAAACk/c0YxlqDUFJI/s1600/Fastiggi%252C+Fred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd60EqWAFOg/UDeh4EczifI/AAAAAAAAACk/c0YxlqDUFJI/s1600/Fastiggi%252C+Fred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dd60EqWAFOg/UDeh4EczifI/AAAAAAAAACk/c0YxlqDUFJI/s200/Fastiggi%252C+Fred.jpg" width="133" /></a><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.4pt; mso-font-width: 110%;"><em><strong>By Fred Fastiggi, CEM<br />Senior Vice President - Energy Services<br />Birdsall Services Group</strong></em></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.4pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">Energy Audits are becoming more commonplace as the price and volatility of the various forms of energy (fuels and electricity) used in a building continue to rise. This upward trend, coupled </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">with the proliferation of programs, grants and incentives offered by various governmental </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.55pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">agencies or other sources, have greatly increased both the need for energy audit services and the </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">number and types of consulting and audit firms chasing this work. If you ask one hundred </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">people for the definition of an energy audit, you will get one hundred answers. The American </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has been at the </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">forefront of providing a baseline and standard for defining energy audits. The energy user who seeks the efficient supply, demand and conversion of energy should understand the various types </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">of energy audits and should know how to look for the differences in work scope and pricing that </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful energy audit.</span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 105%;"></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="border: currentColor;">
<span class="CharacterStyle1"><b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; mso-font-width: 105%;">ENERGY AUDIT TYPES</span></b></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="border: currentColor;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.6pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">A Level I audit</span></b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.6pt; mso-font-width: 110%;"> is also known as a “one-day” or “walk-through” audit and involves an analysis of </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">energy bills and a brief survey of buildings to produce a rough estimate of how efficiently energy </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">is used in the building. This level of effort will detect some “low hanging fruit” and may suggest </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; mso-font-width: 110%;">other options worthy of more study, but should not be viewed as comprehensive. They are <span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.45pt;">merely geared toward pointing you in the right direction.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="border: currentColor;">
<span class="CharacterStyle1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.55pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">A Level II audit</span></b></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.55pt; mso-font-width: 110%;"> invests more effort in the building survey and energy analysis and often includes </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">some level of performance testing or benchmarking versus similar buildings. This level audit </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.65pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">provides a breakdown of how energy is used in the building as well as a broader range of savings </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.35pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">options, including simple capital budgeting analysis with payback calculations. It may address </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.4pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">the “people factor” and its’ effect on the uncertainty of savings. It may explore maintenance </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">procedures and assesses any impacts energy conservation measures may have on savings. The </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.6pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">current New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Local Government Energy Audit program is largely </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.4pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">based on a Level II audit specification.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V2DIWeGyhzA/Tx7JcEUrHyI/AAAAAAAAABs/x-fkLxpg4uU/s1600/article-page-main_ehow_images_a07_co_7a_energy-audit-tips-800x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="195" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V2DIWeGyhzA/Tx7JcEUrHyI/AAAAAAAAABs/x-fkLxpg4uU/s200/article-page-main_ehow_images_a07_co_7a_energy-audit-tips-800x800.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="border: currentColor;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; mso-font-width: 110%;">A Level III audit</span></b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; mso-font-width: 110%;">, also known as an “Investment Grade Audit,” digs into the details on large <span style="letter-spacing: -0.5pt;">capital projects that may have been discovered as part of a Level I or Level II audit, or are the </span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.35pt;">result of a specifically commissioned Level III audit. More detail is gathered from field </span>equipment inventories, extensive test measurements and interviews with operating and <span style="letter-spacing: -0.3pt;">maintenance personnel. Sometimes utility data is logged over a period of time. Always, a </span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.45pt;">sophisticated energy model is developed based on the physical audit of the building. Once this </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">model is developed, the projected energy use and demand is compared to actual bills, and if there </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.6pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">is a significant difference (>10%) the model is “calibrated” or adjusted until it produces energy projections which are within some elected level of accuracy (often 5-10% of the actual building </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.65pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">usage). At times the client may want an even greater level of accuracy in the model, and in these </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">instances, the recurring “calibration” effort can be costly and time consuming. Once an </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.4pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">acceptable level of accuracy in the model is achieved, possible reasons for variation are </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">highlighted, the capital requirements of proposed energy conservation measures are estimated </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.65pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">(with a higher level of confidence), and the investment decision can be made with a significantly </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">reduced amount of risk.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="WordSection2" style="border: currentColor;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">MARKET FOR AUDIT SERVICES</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.4pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">Needless to say, a client contemplating ESCO financing or any of the Performance based </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">Incentive Programs like the NJ BPU’s Pay for Performance Program, should be sure to hire </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">someone to perform its’ appropriate level of energy audit who understands the audit process. </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.35pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">While the definition of the various levels of audit seem relatively straight forward, every </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.6pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">company has a different idea of what an energy audit is, and the client would be well advised to </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">make a clear distinction between what is being offered by the various vendors or consultants.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.7pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">With the slowdown in the national and regional economies, companies who are slow in their core </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.65pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">businesses are looking for ways to make money and are increasing turning to the energy auditing </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">business. Energy consulting/auditing companies are doing well today despite the economy. This is the result of several factors: 1) With the focus on cost cutting, companies or government </span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">entities are realizing that energy costs don’t have to be a fixed cost but are actually a cost that </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">can be reduced by 10-30% or more with a little analysis and planning, and; 2) With the </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.6pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">availability of ARRA funds and/or state or utility funded programs, companies who are not in the </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">energy consulting business see a prime target area for keeping staffs busy by energy auditing.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.65pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">It is often we see architects, real estate management companies, real estate brokers, electrical and </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">mechanical contractors and equipment vendors all trying to sell and perform energy audits. Giant engineering companies have also entered the market to offset the slowdown in their </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">primary markets.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.25pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">For potential buyers of audit services, there is a good and bad news from this rush into the </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">market by new potential suppliers. With more competition, prices go down, but with decreased costs, the quality of work being done by unqualified suppliers can go down as well. Companies that are new to auditing often don’t have experienced auditors and produce poor quality audits. </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.4pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">Often, contractors, real estate companies and giant engineering firms don’t even do the audit themselves, but contract the vast majority, or all of their work, out to others. They just take a cut </span></span><span class="CharacterStyle1"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.5pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">off the top.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.35pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">Sometimes equipment vendors or contractors offer audits at a deep discount, or even for free. </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.55pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">They do this because their primary objective is to sell equipment and installation services and the audit serves as a loss leader to secure the more lucrative equipment sale or installation contract. </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.35pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">Invariably these audits lack the depth of analysis and completeness to get the best solutions for </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; mso-font-width: 110%;">the customer. The recommendations from these audits end up being the equipment (controls, <span style="letter-spacing: -0.25pt;">automation, software, chillers, etc.), installation services, or projects requiring detailed </span>engineering services, that the provider of the audit wants to sell.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.55pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">The level of variation, and occasion for conflicts of interest, is even greater for a Level III audit </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">because there are so many more elements of the job that need to be addressed (with varying </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">levels of diligence and expertise). As a rule of thumb, experienced field auditor should be billed </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.35pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">out at a rate of at least $100 per hour with specialists in various technical areas, project </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">management or upper management at rates much higher than that. For a rough comparison on </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.35pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">effort, if you take the price of labor the audit firm is giving you, and divide by $100, you will </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; letter-spacing: -0.45pt; mso-font-width: 110%;">have a rough idea of how many hours are being spent on your audit job.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif";">Want to learn more about energy audits? Feel free to contact Fred at 732-751-9592, ext. 6503, or email him at <a href="mailto:ffastiggi@birdsall.com"><span style="color: purple;">ffastiggi@birdsall.com</span></a>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Fred Fastiggi, Senior Vice President - Energy Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993559519220629437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777955808814078350.post-13845133264126087022012-01-16T06:38:00.000-08:002012-08-24T08:47:54.379-07:00Financing School Energy Infrastructure Improvements with the Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj4S663_7k8/TxQsFonIJbI/AAAAAAAAABE/ZUDbRdOv--A/s1600/NJBPU.jpg"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698227903843018162" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj4S663_7k8/TxQsFonIJbI/AAAAAAAAABE/ZUDbRdOv--A/s320/NJBPU.jpg" style="float: right; height: 199px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 224px;" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">With rising energy costs straining limited educational resources, a number of New Jersey school districts are implementing energy efficiency measures to stretch their tax dollars. These districts are, and will become, models for the many other districts throughout the state, placing pressure on school board administrators to follow suit and make energy infrastructure improvements with an ultimate goal of saving money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finding the funds among escalating operating expenses and tight budget caps has become a significant challenge. Funding is often unavailable to front the capital costs of improvement projects, and in these tough economic times, bond referendums may be unattractive. In 2009 the state legislature introduced a new solution to this old problem with the Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP). The ESIP law provides districts and other government agencies in New Jersey with a flexible tool to improve and reduce energy usage with minimal expenditure of new financial resources.<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The ESIP solution</b></span></div>
<div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fifteen years in the making, the Energy Savings Improvement Program is based on similar programs in other states and allows government entities to contract with Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) in lease-purchase agreements for energy infrastructure improvement projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before passage of the ESIP legislation, government agencies were prohibited from making contractual arrangements for energy projects if the contract had a term of longer than five years. Since many of the energy projects under consideration required more than five years to recover their investment, traditional ESCO financing offered for years by reputable companies like Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Siemens, Noresco, Ameresco, Constellation and others, was generally unavailable to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compounding this problem for school districts was the significant failure rate of bond referendums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These hurdles prevented many districts from moving forward on projects resulting in continued use of old infrastructure, excessive maintenance requirements and high energy costs.</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><br />The ESIP provides a clearer, more defined process to finance these projects. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Now, through an ESIP, initial project funding comes from the energy companies using Energy Savings Obligations (ESOs), and the debt is repaid through the savings from the reduced energy operations over a period of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Replacing the rigid contractual time limits of the previous ESCO financing program, the ESIP payback period now allows fifteen years on most improvements, and twenty on those for combined heat and power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with no need for a bond referendum specific to improvements under this program, districts now have a much more viable way to finally address the energy needs of their schools.<br /><br />Another benefit of the ESIP legislation is the safeguards, which were written into it to protect the government entities making the improvements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Department of Community Affairs governs the utilization of an ESIP using Board of Public Utilities guidelines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, the entire ESIP process can be streamlined with the various elements of design, installation, finance, and maintenance combined into a comprehensive agreement with the ESCO. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>However, the use of third-party consultants for different components of the process provides a system of checks and balances that protects the interests of the district.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5Pjrt6EP7w/TxQtPXRqj5I/AAAAAAAAABU/ZWrqJLinU4Q/s1600/Frankford.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="90" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5Pjrt6EP7w/TxQtPXRqj5I/AAAAAAAAABU/ZWrqJLinU4Q/s320/Frankford.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center">
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Frankford Township School District implemented ESIP </span></em></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">To cite an example, in 2010 the Frankford Township School District hired Honeywell to develop an Energy Savings Plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The necessary, first step audit, was performed by Steven Winter Associates, Inc., and another firm, Birdsall Services Group, performed the Third Party Verification of the energy savings calculations as indicated by both Honeywell’s Energy Savings Plan and the original Steven Winters energy audit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Birdsall’s verification was performed subject to specific New Jersey Board of Public Utility protocols.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><br />Developing and Implementing an ESIP</span></b></div>
<div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: currentColor;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are three options to developing and implementing an ESIP: the Traditional Model, the Do-it-Yourself Model, and the Hybrid Model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Traditional Model uses an ESCO to manage the various functions that make up an ESIP, while the Do-it-Yourself Model is usually utilized when a school district already has the funds to finance the improvements either from their own capital budgets, an Improvement Authority or some other source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Do-it-Yourself model, many of the responsibilities an ESCO would normally perform are given to the school district’s own staff, an engineer, or other specialist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the name suggests, the Hybrid Model can be a combination of the two, an ESCO being hired for some purposes, while other components may be left to the discretion of the district on how to manage them.<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Energy Audit </b>―<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>The ESIP process begins with an Energy Audit, which can be conducted through the BPU's Local Energy Audit Program (which is 100% reimbursed by the Office of Clean Energy) or by a contracted firm qualified to perform the audit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The use of an independent third party to conduct the audit is essential in order to provide the district with an unbiased assessment of the range of potential Energy Conservation Measures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This also ensures that vendors, who will be subsequently competing to develop the Energy Savings Plan, have an independent document on which to base their proposals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When completed, the Energy Audit will provide the district with a comprehensive analysis of current energy usage of the facilities in their current state and will identify the possible energy improvements that can be implemented to </span></div>
</div>
<div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: currentColor;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">produce energy savings and maximize energy efficiencies.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j8dh_IDTPcw/TxQuJwmEFYI/AAAAAAAAABc/71yOWjfZoJo/s1600/ESIP+graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j8dh_IDTPcw/TxQuJwmEFYI/AAAAAAAAABc/71yOWjfZoJo/s320/ESIP+graphic.jpg" width="309" /></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /><br />The Energy Savings Plan </b>―<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Once the audit is completed, an Energy Savings Plan (ESP) is developed. The ESP is a critical document in the ESIP process as it describes in detail the Energy Conservation Measures that will be implemented and the cost calculations that support how the plan will pay for itself through the energy cost savings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The ESP must contain a number of elements, including the results of the Energy Audit, a description of the Energy Conservation Measures that will comprise the program, an estimate of Green House Gas emission reductions resulting from the energy savings, identification of all design and compliance issues, an assessment of risks involved in the successful implementation of the plan, schedules showing calculation of all costs of implementing the proposed measures, and the projected energy savings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ESP will also indicate maintenance requirements for the measures that must be taken which are necessary to ensure continued energy savings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, if the ESP is developed by an ESCO, they must provide an option for an Energy Savings Guarantee, with the cost, or premium, for this guarantee.<br /><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Implementing the ESIP </b>―<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>After third party verification of the ESP, financing is secured in order to implement the plan and begin improvements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many energy infrastructure improvements are eligible under the ESIP, such as boiler and chiller improvements and retrofits, Building Automation Systems (BAS) upgrades and installations, HVAC improvements, lighting improvements, renewable energy systems, energy related process improvements, recycling programs, and any number of other improvements that provide energy cost reduction and conservation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, post-installation Measurement and Verification (M&V) of the improvements must be conducted by a firm independent of the one that prepared the ESP.</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><br />As a financing mechanism for energy improvement projects, the Energy Savings Improvement Program is beneficial to school districts that want to reduce the size of a public referendum for overall school improvements, and cannot otherwise afford to begin making energy infrastructure improvements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since its implementation, the Energy Savings Improvement Program has encouraged many districts to begin moving forward with the measures that can make their schools more efficient, as defined in audits already performed through the BPU’s Local Government Energy Audit Program.<br /><br />ESIP legislation undoubtedly benefits the school district in terms of energy conservation and economical investment in improving the performance of its buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even after meeting the debt service on the financing, there are net savings to the district which can be turned into additional resources for student education or taxpayer savings.</span> <br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", "serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><strong>By Fred Fastiggi<br />Senior Vice President - Energy Services</strong> <br /><em>Fred has over two decades of experience integrating the specialized and interdependent areas of auditing energy usage, quantifying project economics, design and engineering of energy solutions, project development, securing project finance, construction management and maintenance of energy infrastructure. Fred has extensive experience in the development of Combined Heat and Power and District Energy projects, and his consulting experience inlcudes extensive work for both Fortune 100 industrials and several public utilities.</em></span></span></div>
</div>
Fred Fastiggi, Senior Vice President - Energy Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09993559519220629437noreply@blogger.com1