Small Business Owners Keen to be Green

How much energy does your "EXIT" sign contribute to your business' overall costs? What about overhead lights, refrigerators, ovens and air conditioning? For every dollar spent on the electricity needed to run a small business, its profit margin gets smaller and smaller.

A proactive coalition of environmentalists from Dobbs Ferry, Hastings, Irvington, Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow joined forces Wednesday to sponsor a comprehensive presentation on how local business owners can save energy and, in turn, save money. 

"We are all too aware of the empty storefronts on Main Street and business owners' depleted bank accounts," Nina Orville, chairwoman of Dobbs Ferry's Energy Task Force, said in her introductory statement. "But saving energy and saving money is easier than many people think." 

Peter Simon, co-owner of Riviera Bakehouse in Ardsley spoke first, presenting his bakery as a case study on how going green can be great for business.

"The biggest thing we have done is to install a photovoltaic solar system," Simon said, describing the solar panels that cover Riviera's roof and outer walls. "The solar panels provide a significant percentage of our overall energy usage, so our monthly energy costs have gone way down."

Besides installing solar panels, Simon and his wife Kaye Hansen have also promoted use of reusable coffee cups, changed to degradable plastic bags, changed all light fixtures to accommodate energy-efficient light bulbs and recycled whenever possible.

"I also take organic waste to my garden for composting," Simon said. 

Next, Esteban Vasquez a representative for Con Edison's Small Business Direct Installation Program (SBDI) expounded upon the opportunities the electric company offers to help businesses become more efficient.

"We offer a free energy survey, free energy saving upgrades and incentives for up to 70 percent of installations," Vasquez said.

Using three case studies as examples, Vasquez showed how actual small companies were able to save $45,000, $12,000 and $545 in one year by participating in the SBDI program.

"The last case study showed the savings of a tiny print company, whose entire office is maybe half the size of this room," Vasquez said. "But even thought the savings may seem insignificant, people comment that it could cover their Time Warner cable bill or something else like that."

Ken Bernstein, an Irvington trustee and intellectual property and business lawyer who practices on Main Street, presented his success story with Con Edison's program for small businesses.

"It wasn't until Nina [Orville] called and asked me to present at this meeting that I actually looked at my bills from this year compared to last year," Bernstein said. "But when I did, I realized our overall energy costs had dropped between $100 and $200 per month."

Bernstein said the contractor he worked with helped him change all 40 of the light fixtures in his space to hold energy-saving fluorescent bulbs free of cost. Bernstein also uses a programmable thermostat that controls the temperature based on his schedule and tries to keep all information on the computer so his office can be virtually paperless.

"Any paper we do use goes immediately into the recycling bin," he said.

Representatives from NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, described the programs their agency offers to help small businesses and restaurants reduce energy expenditures. 

On every electric bill—both residential and commercial—is a line item designated the "systems benefit charge," Scott Kessler, a programs manager for NYSERDA, said.

"Residents and small businesses generally pay between $2 and $10 per month, and that money goes directly to us," he said. "But we don't get to pocket that money if it's not used, so we focus on community outreach to teach you how to use our services and reclaim that money." 

Like Con Edison, NYSERDA performs energy audits for small businesses and offers partial reimbursements for equipment purchased to save energy.

But unlike Con Edison's program, the initial audit costs a small fee, which can then be reclaimed if business owners prove they have taken initiative and purchased energy-saving equipment recommended by the auditor.

"We want to work with businesses ready to push themselves and go green," Kessler said. "Once we've seen that dedication, we'll reimburse them for the fee."

Kessler made it clear that while he and Vasquez are in constant communication, customers cannot work with both Con Edison and NYSERDA for the same project.

"What we offer is very similar," Vasquez said. "But one of the great things about New York is the amount of choice you have in how to make your business save energy."

Kessler's NYSERDA colleagues Amelia Whitney and Elizabeth Silleck presented specific programs on cutting energy in commercial kitchens and solar panel installation incentives.

"Solar power is exciting and sexy these days," Sillek said. "This program has not yet been rolled out, but we hope to offer great incentives for solar system installation in coming months." 

Finally, Neil Cutler and Dani Glaser presented the Westchester Green Business Challenge, "a friendly competition" sponsored by the Westchester County government and the Business Council of Westchester, designed to push local business to be as green as possible.

Businesses can take the challenge by signing up and filling out an energy use scorecard.  Designated green businesses are then listed on the site, along with case studies revealing how each has worked to save energy. 

"It is very helpful for business if customers see your company's name on the site," Cutler said. "Consumers now are very concerned with how environmentally conscious a business is."

An overall theme of the presentation was how user-friendly energy saving programs can be—both in terms of time and money.

"I saw it as a no-brainer," Bernstein said of the changes he's made to his joint law office/optometrist's office used by his wife. 

And Simon, effusive in his praise of solar-powered electricity, made it clear there's a bigger picture to going green than saving money on monthly utility bills.

"We did this for one reason," Simon said. "And that's our grandson. We love the bakery; but we get up in the morning because of our grandson. That's why protecting the environment is so important to us." 

Wednesday's event was co-sponsored by: Dobbs Ferry Energy Task Force, Dobbs Ferry Downtown Improvement Committee, Greenburgh Climate Action Task Force, Hastings Chamber of Commerce, Hastings Conservation Commission, Irvington Chamber of Commerce, Irvington Green Policy Task Force, Irvington Business Improvement Committee, Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown Chamber of Commerce, Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council and Westchester Green Business Challenge.