Postal Service™ Celebrates Energy Conservation During Energy Action Month 2016
October is Energy Action Month. This month long celebration is declared by Presidential Proclamation each October. It is a time to celebrate energy saving successes and renew our commitment to energy conservation.
The Postal Service set a goal in 2003 to reduce energy usage in our more than 30,000 facilities by 30% by the year 2015. We surpassed that goal by reducing our facility energy usage by 32.1%. This is no small feat considering our Post Office™ and processing facilities are spread all across the United States and range from tiny offices of less than 100 square feet to large processing facilities of 1.4 million square feet. We celebrate the achievement of our goal but we are not stopping there because big changes begin with small steps.
Energy efficiency programs
One program that started off small and is now paying big dividends is sponsored by our Facilities Energy Team . These energy saving heroes searched for a way to meet heating and cooling temperature goals.
They looked to improve upon something that many people have in their homes – programmable thermostats. These devices ensure that heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units are conserving energy. They also help our homes maintain a comfortable temperature in the morning when we wake up and use less energy when we are sleeping or away from home.
Energy saving technology
The Postal Service adopted a technology that goes well beyond the capabilities of simple programmable thermostats. It is known as the Remote HVAC Monitoring and Control system and it ensures that more than 500 postal buildings adhere to USPS® temperature standards based on occupancy levels. Each building is equipped with sensors that communicate with a centralized server to collect energy consumption data.
Additionally, the system performs HVAC equipment diagnostics to keep it running smoothly and to remotely troubleshoot. This feature enables USPS to quickly pinpoint issues and avoid expensive investigation time before making repairs.
This amazing technology decreased energy usage by more than 15% and saved the Postal Service more than $1.5 million in utility bills.
We plan to expand this program to more facilities in 2017 to continue saving money and energy.
We challenge you to take steps to conserve energy usage in your home because big changes begin with small steps.
Visit our Sustainability Page to learn more about other USPS energy saving programs.