How One Iowa Dealership Discovered Thousands of Dollars in Energy Savings NIKAYLA HOFFMANN, Iowa Waste Reduction Center MOLLY WELLS, Iowa Waste Reduction Center
Energy efficiency is vital to Iowa’s energy management plan and it reduces the amount of energy consumed. For a business, that means a decrease in energy generated environmental impact and a significant reduction in business energy costs. As energy demands continue to increase, businesses, both large and small, need to take action yesterday to reduce their energy consumption and look for energy-efficient solutions. The Iowa Waste Reduction Center’s (IWRC) Iowa Energy Efficiency Program for Rural Small Businesses is designed to assist small businesses seeking to reduce their energy consumption and improve their bottom line. In August 2022, Bodensteiner Implement Company took advantage of the IWRC’s free energy assessment to identify steps their facilities could take to reduce their energy consumption. Bodensteiner Implement Co. is a family-owned corporation founded in 1982. The company operates 10 John Deere retail locations serving 12 neighboring counties in Northeast Iowa.
Assessment Process Associate Director Dan Nickey worked with facility managers at each location to schedule their assessment. The assessment took anywhere from one hour to 90 minutes, requiring a maximum of five minutes of the facility manager’s time to show Dan around the facility. A typical energy assessment evaluates a facility’s compressed air, lighting, and building envelope. The compressed air audit identifies any leaks in the compressor itself and any hoses using an ultrasonic leak detector. When a leak is found, Dan tags it noting the leak number and leak size (db).