By Tim Breitbach
In the course of my job at Minimise, I have been able to meet some amazing people. At one event, I met a woman from The Sustany Foundation, Andrea Cheney. Right away, I was struck by her passionate advocacy for the planet. So, we started following each other on Linkedin and one day I saw an application from her organization for Sustainable Business Awards. It leads me to thinking about our credentials to be considered. So I asked myself what does sustainability means to Minimise?
Sustainability is …creating the largest EEaaS (Energy Efficiency as a Service project in the world─ right here in Tampa Bay.
…designing a financial model that affords products, services and industry expertise in upgrading the infrastructure of the Hillsborough County Public School (HCPS) district─ at no additional cost.
…giving the HCPS district a pre-paid savings of $1,707,638; money that can be reallocated to fund other initiatives and dollars that can go toward underfunded educational programs.
…collaboration with the HCPS district to create/implement STEM curriculum, focused on energy education for elementary classrooms and Secondary CTE curriculum focused on careers in energy.
…spearheading Energy Awareness Month throughout the HCPS District and being named a “Partner in Education” by the HCPS School Board.
…securing the approval of the Hillsborough Electrical Board in accepting CTE classroom hours, earned through HCPS programs, as credit toward an Electrical Licensure.
…implementing 4 lighting solution sets with LED lamps and fixtures will save close to $6,000,000 in energy savings per year.
…removing and recycling 243,139 light fixtures and removing and properly disposing of 572,087 T8 tubes.
…reducing the HCPS energy load in lighting alone by 13,500 MWh annually and 337,500 MWh for the life of the 25-year contract.
…offering the No Capital Outlay Agreement (NCOPA) financial model throughout Florida, the United States and the globe.
So, not sure about you, but I’m thinking we have a pretty good list and even better intentions. Then, one day, not long after we had received a nomination, I got a text from Ms. Cheney and she said “I have one question? Since the triple bottom line of sustainability is known as the three Ps: People, Planet and PROFIT, how in the world do you make any money?”
My answer: Think about how much the world consumes, in turn, wastes. Energy is no different. So if you identify that waste…it is much easier to get rid of wasted energy than plastic or trash. And if the math works and you reduce waste first, then produce power with solar to a right-sized scale – you can find a sweet spot.
An ultra cool energy saving LED lamp went on over her head and it started to make sense.
That sweet spot can be the thing that makes Florida one of the most sustainable states in the union. I look forward to supporting The Sustany Foundation and doing our part at Minimise to find other sweet spots in helping reducing our carbon footprint and saving energy and money.
Regards,
Tim Breitbach
Chief Creative Officer
Minimise