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Our Customers Saved over 3.2 Million kWh of Electricity...

Sustainability

Sustainability: making wise use of our natural resources to assure they will meet the needs of future generations – is everyone’s responsibility. At the Holland BPW we take this responsibility seriously, from the sustainable practices we employ in our day-to-day operations to the tools and teachings we share with our customers and community.

Sustainability at the Holland BPW
Sustainability begins at home, and at the Holland BPW we are constantly finding efficiencies, some literally in our own backyard. For example, we have established new landscape management practices that include less frequent mowing for some areas – a simple choice that conserves a significant amount of fuel over the warm-weather months.


Energy Smart
The Holland BPW is engaged with several customer and civic initiatives designed to improve energy use and efficiency. In 2009, the Holland BPW designed and implemented “Energy Smart”, our energy efficiency program focused on encouraging energy efficiency to our residential and commercial & industrial customers.
  • More on "Energy Smart"

Sustainability at the Holland BPW

We are also in our third season of growing a low-maintenance garden of native plants. We’re learning a lot from the experience, and it’s something we’re happy to share with customers and fellow landscaping enthusiasts who are looking for ways to reduce their water and fertilizer usage.

Outside and in, lighting throughout HBPW facilities now features high-efficiency bulbs, motion sensors, or both. We’ve introduced low-tech strategies for energy conservation as well, such as simply removing lights wherever they are redundant or otherwise unnecessary.

Not surprisingly, we are also exploring the possibilities of solar energy. Although Michigan does not offer the ideal year-round climate for solar, as a utility we feel it’s important to gain first-hand knowledge of the science behind it. That’s why we have installed an array of solar panels at our HBPW Service Center. We continue to gather data daily on solar energy generation in this climate and can offer practical advice on the fundamentals of solar energy based on our own experience.

Striving for sustainability also means reducing waste. In 2008 we formed a Central Environmental Committee with the ultimate goal of leading the effort to reduce, reuse or recycle as much as possible throughout our organization.

BPW Garden

In addition to ongoing HBPW building efficiency upgrades, we are investigating the feasibility of capturing heat from our wastewater treatment operations to warm the buildings on our wastewater plant site.

Energy Smart

In 2009, the Holland BPW designed and implemented “Energy Smart”, our energy efficiency program focused on encouraging energy efficiency to our residential and commercial & industrial customers.

In 2009, the first year of the program, our customers saved over 3.2 million kWh of electricity, utilizing various energy efficiency techniques, like installing Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) in homes, removing and recycling old energy wasting refrigerators/freezers and installing new energy-efficient lighting in commercial & industrial facilities. Also in 2009 we partnered with the West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC), West Michigan Creation Care and the City of Holland for Project Light Change. Our united effort successfully distributed high-efficiency CFL bulbs to 5,000 city residents.

Bob Mihos
Energy Optimization Programs at the Holland BPW
Movie: See Bob Mihos talk about Holland BPW's Energy Optimization Programs

CFL Bulb Recycling Program
We also offer a CFL bulb recycling program for our residential customers. Old, unbroken CFL bulbs may be dropped off at the BPW Service Center, 625 Hastings Avenue, Holland, MI 49423. Education is another key component of our public outreach efforts.

CFL Bulb Recycling Program

We also offer a CFL bulb recycling program for our residential customers. Old bulbs may be dropped off at the BPW Service Center, 625 Hastings Avenue, Holland, MI 49423.

Education is another key component of our public outreach efforts. In 2009, the BPW hosted multiple public education programs – including two at the Herrick District Library – as well as community events like National Night Out to encourage and communicate the value and importance of energy efficiency and conservation. Through education and additional communication, the BPW goal for energy efficiency in 2010 is to achieve over 5 million kWh in savings.

We are firm believers in the value of CFL and Light-emitting Diode (LED) lighting, which are more energy-efficient, less expensive to operate and longer-lasting than traditional incandescent lights. In addition to changing out all of our traffic signals to LED technology in 2009, we continue to convert other municipal lighting throughout Holland to LEDs, and provide and install 30,000 LED lights each year in Centennial Park to illuminate the city for the holiday season. It’s also worth noting that the decorative streetlamps that now grace Holland's Eighth Street downtown shopping district will be changed to LEDs in 2010. Innovation can be beautiful!

Street Lamps

We are firm believers in the value of CFL and Light-emitting Diode (LED) lighting, which are more energy-efficient, less expensive to operate and longer-lasting than traditional incandescent lights.

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Holland Community Sustainability Committee
To further reinforce our commitment to sustainability, the BPW, along with the City of Holland, formed a new committee in early 2009: the Holland Community Sustainability Committee.

This nine member committee, made up of community citizen representatives, is charged with engaging the greater-Holland community in sustainability measures. In 2010, the Sustainability Committee hosted 19 community forums, which gathered information and input on two important subjects: energy management and water management. The committee will continue to explore opportunities to engage the community on other sustainability efforts in the future.

 

What Our Customers Say about the BPW and Sustainability

Hope College

Powering the Hope College Campus

Movie: Watch as Greg Maybury discusses how the Holland BPW helped Hope College optimize their energy practices.

Haworth Video

Partnering with Haworth

Movie: Listen as Steven Kooy talks about Haworth's relationship with the BPW.

Kandu Video

New Lighting at Kandu

Movie: Watch as Tom Vreeman tells how the BPW helped Kandu go greener.

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You need Adobe Flash Player to watch this video. Download it here.
You need Adobe Flash Player to watch this video. Download it here.
Home Message From Loren Howard Innovation in West Michigan Board of Directors Finance
 
 
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