Area Development
It seems like all you ever hear about these days are problems. ElectriCities would like to interrupt the negativity with some talk about solutions - specifically, its Energy Solutions Partner program. As the name implies, it's all about finding solutions for boosting the bottom line.

One such solution is the program's lighting audit. Part of the audit is about finding instances when more energy-efficient lights would help, or when lights are lit if they aren't needed. But a lighting audit also might discover that part of a manufacturer's facility is not properly lit, and with more lighting, productivity would increase. It also might help a clothing retailer discover lighting options that more accurately display colors, and that can increase sales.

Another bottom-line booster is distributed generation, which calls for installing peak-shaving generators on-site at certain customer locations. When a period of peak power usage arrives, the generators switch on and reduce the customer's need for power from the grid. It helps makes the overall electric system work more efficiently, and saves money for the participating businesses. And those businesses with generators benefit further by having a source of backup power in case of outages.