Energy

Reduction
Proposal

Naomi Isom,
Sustainability Intern
Proposed to Pamela Isom,
CEO of Ice Safety Solutions,
Inc.
NOVEMBER 8, 2018

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS

47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA

TABLE OF
CONTENTS

Executive Summary ........................................................................... 3

The Problem with Our Current Energy Use

How to Implement the Energy Reduction Proposal

Outcomes with the Energy Reduction Proposal

Problem and Necessity ..................................................................... 4

Why Saving Energy Matters in California

Addressing Energy Use at Ice Safety Solutions

Proposed Project Description ........................................................... 6

Five-Step Process

Energy Reduction and the Triple-Bottom Line

Cost Analysis .................................................................................. 8

Assessment Summary .....................................................................10

Short-Term Change
Long-Term Change

Conclusion .................................................................................... 11

Appendix: Memo ............................................................................ 12

Works Cited .................................................................................. 13

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 2

EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY

The Problem with Our Current Energy Use

Ice Safety Solutions Inc. provides services, products, and training courses to individuals
and companies to ensure safety in the workplace. We have recently added a new
service: Virtual Reality CPR and AED training. In order to complete the training, we have
to provide Samsung cell phones in a headset with our Virtual Reality video. The phones
are connected to a charger around 17-18 hours a day. Whether the phones are
connected or not, the extension cord is always plugged in at the main office. There is
also a large vending machine at the main office that is rarely used. The amount of
energy used from these two sources increases our carbon footprint and the energy bill.

How to Implement the Energy Reduction Proposal

We propose a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution: to replace the
extension cords with power strips and eliminate the large vending machine. Power strips are
a more sustainable solution because they have an on-off switch on it, allowing workers to
turn it off at the end of the workday. Also, eliminating the vending machine will be effective
because it is only used up to four times per month, as the Office Administrator states.
Replacing it with a display shelf filled with snacks and prices in it requires no energy at all.
Any employee in the office can help with the transaction of selling the snacks in the shelf.

Outcomes with the Energy Reduction Proposal

The cost of the power strips and display shelf will be outweighed by the savings from the
energy bill and the reduction of our carbon footprint. Using our energy bill from 2017 and a
Wattage Measuring Device borrowed from Santa Clara University’s Sustainability
Department, we were able to measure the financial costs associated with energy usage at
the main office. The total amount that we pay per year for our energy bill is around
$5,442.48. Fortunately, the cost benefit comes out to be $167.40 year. Looking long term,
applying these changes will allow us to decrease costs and become more sustainable.

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 3

 PROBLEM
AND
NECESSITY
Why Saving Energy Matters in California
As of 2016, California’s energy-efficiency standard goal is to lower electricity and natural gas
consumption through increased energy efficiency and reduced demand.1 Targets will be
reached through a variety of measures.2 A few being:
Enhanced appliance standards
Efficiency improvements in public buildings
Additionally, California’s leading Building Energy Efficiency Standards are moving the state
3
closer to achieving its zero-net energy (ZNE) goals by 2030. We at Ice Safety Solutions
need to recognize the lengths that California is taking to make our energy usage more
efficient and find ways to achieve the standards. Since enhancing appliance standards and
finding ways to improve on energy efficiency are two of the measures to reach zero-net
energy, eliminating the vending machine and implementing power strips will directly address
these standards.

*The line graph shows how

California uses less electricity (in
kilowatts per hour) compared to
the United States. 4
*California leads the country in
energy efficiency and we, as a
business, need to maintain the
hard work that has been put in.

(1) NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, California Energy Efficiency Resource Standard, updated May 25, 2016.
(2) California Energy Commission, Energy Efficiency Programs, accessed November 1, 2018.
(3) California Energy Commission, Energy Efficiency Programs, accessed November 1, 2018.
(4) Doh, Paul. “California: A Portrait of Energy Efficiency.” AAA Windows for Less, 31 July 2013, Accessed 2 Nov. 2018.
916 Junior Avenue Norcross, GA | 404-604-6058 | www.danversolutions.co
ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 4
PROBLEM AND
NECESSITY
(CONTINUED)
Addressing Energy Use at Ice Safety Solutions
In the book Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, the brothers talk
about ways to make ideas “sticky”. There is one idea that incorporates three
principles of “stickiness” that can address the problem of energy use. The
idea is called "The Sustainable Superhero".

The Sustainable Superhero

There will be an employee assigned to
turning off the power strips at the end
of every work day.
In the morning, a different employee
will check to see if they are turned off
so they can be turned back on.
This Superhero mascot will be placed
on the desks of employees who do not
turn off the power strips as a reminder
that they forgot.

Made it Sticky
This idea is unexpected because when you first sit down at your desk
with your coffee you don’t expect to see a superhero man staring at you.
This idea is simple because there does not have to be a long
conversation with someone about remembering.
This idea is concrete because an employee’s senses of sight (seeing the
superhero) and touch (the toy is spongy) are triggered with memory to
the task.
ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 5
 PROPOSED
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION
Five-Step Process
Implementing the power strips and display shelf will help start an increase of
sustainable practices. The main goal is to reduce the energy bill and our carbon
footprint. This can be attained through a five-step process:

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 6

 PROPOSED PROJECT
DESCRIPTION
(CONTINUED)
Energy Reduction and the Triple-Bottom Line

The Energy Reduction Proposal will have a positive affect on the triple-bottom line
for three reasons:

1. The profit that we

will make from the
energy bill just by
actively turning off the
power strips can grow
significantly over time.
2. By focusing on
decreasing our
carbon footprint, we
are taking a big step
to being
environmentally
conscious.
3. By implementing
"Sustainable
Superhero", our
proposal will work
easily into
organizational culture

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 7

 COST
ANALYSIS

*Chart of Ice Safety

Solutions 2017
Energy Bill
*The average
amount we pay per
month on electricity
is $453.54

*The Wattage
Measuring Device
recorded 53 hours
and 44 minutes of
kilowatts/hour
*After using the
Energy Use
Calculator online, it
recorded the cost of
keeping the
cellphones and the
vending machine
plugged in per
month and per year

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 8

 COST
ANALYSIS

TOTAL Two power strips at $9.99 One InterMetro Serving

(9.99*2) = $19.98 + Cart at $177.89
COST:
= $197.87

The cost per month for electricity - (The cost of

cellphones + The cost of the vending machine)
$453.54 - (3.83+10.12) = $439.59

COST BENEFIT: $453.54 - $439.59 = $13.95/month

Ice Safety Solutions can save
$13.95 per month ($167.40 per
year) by changing their extension
cords to power strips and eliminating
their vending machine.

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 9

ASSESSMENT
SUMMARY

Short-Term Change

The results of energy saving should be almost immediate.

Even after one week of turning off the power strips when they
are not in use, the amount of kilowatts being used will reduce.
We can measure this change with the Wattage Measuring
Device. There is no setup for the device besides plugging the
power strip into it. It is simple, easy, and a a good measure to
see if the kilowatts are lower than the number we recorded.

Long-Term Change
Over many years, the return on investment will continue to
increase. Since we can get $167.40 in one year, after two we
will have made up for the cost of buying two power strips and
one display shelf. We would want to implement power strips for
different types of electronics. Such as, computer monitors, the
refrigerator, and the water cooler.

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 10

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, changing the extension cords to power strips

when charging or not charging the cell phones and removing
the vending machine will be crucial to our energy conservation
in addition to being a cost benefit.

Implementing the "Sustainable Superhero" provides an

unexpected, simple, and concrete way to make sure the
Energy Reduction Proposal will be used in the workplace.

The project will affect our profits, sustainable habits, and

employees in a positive way. Saving money and allowing our
employees to practice environmentally friendly solutions will
increase their awareness as well as spark their creativity for
more ideas.

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 11

APPENDIX:
MEMO

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 12

WORKS
CITED

Works Cited

NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, California Energy

Efficiency Resource Standard, Updated May 25, 2016. Accessed
1 Nov. 2018.

California Energy Commission, Energy Efficiency Programs,

Accessed 1 Nov. 2018.

Doh, Paul. “California: A Portrait of Energy Efficiency.” AAA

Windows for Less, 31 July 2013, Accessed 2 Nov. 2018.

ICE SAFETY SOLUTIONS • 1-877-743-8423 • 47703 FREMONT BLVD. FREMONT, CA 94538 13