Michigan governor Jennifer M. Granholm that the investment in energy saving technologies in the past three years has reduced electricity use by 23% and saved taxpayers over $60 million. The Michigan Department of Management and Budget (DMB) is managing the projects were instrumental in achieving the savings.
In 2003, Governor Granholm issued a series of executive directives aimed at reducing energy use in state-owned and state-managed facilities. Since then, the DMB instituted energy audits in all its buildings, installed energy-saving technology, and implemented conservation methods to realize quantifiable reductions in energy consumption.
In 2008, Michigan governor Granholm said, We have implemented a number of efficiencies to reduce energy use in state government-owned facilities. At a time when energy costs are going up, our costs have gone down because of some common sense practices coupled with new products and technologies.
The State of Michigan noted, The DMB projects that have cut energy usage include installation of software that integrates building heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, lighting control, elevator monitoring, and energy management. And if reference to the installation of the Axis Technologies ballasts, highlighted the installation of daylight harvesting ballasts in several state buildings. These fixtures control lights near windows. On sunny days, the lamps emit less light than on cloudy days. Lighting levels are consistent and unnoticed by occupants.
Governor Granholm has also reported that by the year 2020, Michigan will cut its use of imported energy and reliance on fossil fuels for generating electricity by 45% through increasing the use of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and other new technologies.
Governor Granholm said, Our state government has cut electricity use by 23% and saved taxpayers some $60 million over the past three years. Governor Granholm continued, In the next year alone, we’ve set a goal of …installing energy efficiency and renewable technology in 1,000 buildings.
Jim Erickson, president of Axis Technologies commented, Axis has several on-going projects in buildings owned by the State of Michigan, and we are proud that our daylight harvesting ballasts are contributing to meeting the energy-reduction goals implemented by Governor Granholm.
