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Environmentally friendly ways to heat and cool buildings are becoming more popular as Americans seek to reduce their carbon footprint and also lessen the country’s dependence on foreign oil. Alternative energy solutions like solar power are usually more costly than conventional technologies. However, in many cases, adding solar or another alternative energy source to existing conventional equipment can be a practical solution that saves energy and money at the same time.
Reducing the amount of power needed to heat and cool your building may allow you to economically control your building’s climate through alternative means. Solar thermal technology converts radiation from the sun into usable energy for hot water and space heating. It can even be used to cool commercial buildings through the use of absorption chilling technology.
The first step in reducing energy consumption is determining your starting point. How much power does your commercial building currently use? How does that compare to similar structures in your area? A good starting point is to get a free assessment from a company certified by the federal government’s Energy Star program, a joint initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The Energy Star contractor collects data about the building, and also reviews recent bills for electricity, natural gas or other energy sources. These figures are entered into special software that rates the building for energy efficiency. This provides a baseline that enables the contractor and building owner to judge the success of the changes they make.
The contractor creates a customized plan to help the building owner reduce energy consumption, based on what he observed during the initial inspection. It’s important to keep the owner’s budget in mind and to recommend solutions that offer the most return on investment. For example, replacing the entire air conditioning system may not be a practical alternative, but inspecting and servicing it on a regular schedule will maximize its efficiency. If the lighting system is inefficient, the owner may see a significant improvement by changing to a different type of light bulb rather than switching out all the fixtures. Replacing all the windows might be cost-prohibitive, but adding solar shades may be an economical alternative. Other low-tech solutions include adding insulation or weather stripping.
Once improvements have been made, it’s important to work with your Energy Star contractor to monitor energy usage on a regular basis. This allows you to identify problems and fix them before they cost any more money.
There are many opportunities to heat and cool your building using free energy. In cold weather, you can use the outside temperature to cool the water for air chillers instead of using refrigeration. Air-side economizers can bring in ambient air when it’s cool, instead of using air conditioning.
Modern technology can control the schedule of all the mechanical equipment and make complex systems work together more efficiently. Putting an outside thermostat on a heat pump that has auxiliary heat strips can save energy by preventing the heat strips from engaging unless they are really necessary, which is usually when the outside temperature dips into the 30’s. Even something as simple as switching to programmable thermostats with more options can result in cost savings.
Finding out your building’s rating on the Energy Star scale, and making efforts to improve it, can even be helpful when it comes time to sell the property. If the building rates high enough to be certified as an “Energy Star Building,” the owner can advertise the fact that the building uses less energy than comparable structures, and this can be a big selling point.
Ron Bishop is president and CEO of Henderson-based Bishop Air Service, an HVAC contractor recently named a Service and Product Provider by the federal Energy Star program.
Bishop Air Service has been licensed by the Nevada State Contractors Board to provide solar-powered heating and air conditioning equipment and services to southern Nevada clients. The Henderson-based company has also been named an Energy Star Partner, a designation indicating its expertise in heating and cooling alternatives that reduce power consumption.
“Concerns about global warming and energy independence have made many people look for environmentally-friendly solutions such as solar power for heating and cooling,” said Ron Bishop, who founded Bishop Air Service in 1992 and serves as its president and CEO. “Using energy from the sun to heat buildings and provide domestic hot water makes more sense now than ever before. Recent technological advances make solar a practical and inexpensive alternative to fossil fuels.”
Bishop Air Service has contracted with suppliers that offer exciting new ways to convert radiation from the sun into usable thermal energy. Even cloudy days now offer enough sunshine to heat liquid within solar collectors, and equipment then transfers the heat to other applications. These can include warming a home or providing hot water for household use, pools or spas. Absorption chilling technology can even convert solar energy into air conditioning.
Today’s vacuum tube solar heaters, containing rows of parallel glass tubes, are much more efficient than old-fashioned flat-plate collectors, which were invented decades ago. “This is not your grandpa’s solar heating system,” said Bishop. “People are amazed when we show them how simple it is to replace their old equipment with an energy-efficient system that not only saves money, but also reduces their carbon footprint.”
Because of its commitment to energy efficiency, Bishop Air Service has been named a Service and Product Provider by the federal government’s Energy Star program. Energy Star is a joint initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
“We work with commercial building owners with the ultimate goal of lowering their energy consumption,” explained Bishop. “As an Energy Star Partner, we have access to tools that help us rate buildings on their energy usage. We evaluate a building and enter data into a program that tells us where it ranks when compared to similar structures. We can then work with the building owner to find ways to reduce energy usage and save money.”
Alternatives to help reduce power consumption might involve updating existing equipment, designing a more efficient heating and cooling system, or installing building controls that save energy. Automated Building Systems, an affiliate of Bishop Air, has been designing automated control systems for commercial buildings since 1992.
“Each situation is unique,” said Bishop. “Building owners need to know all the different options available to help reduce their power bills. That is why it’s important to consult a company with expertise in all areas of energy management.”
ABOUT BISHOP AIR SERVICE: Bishop Air Service, based in Henderson, Nev., is a licensed HVAC contractor serving southern Nevada since 1992. In addition to air conditioning, heating and refrigeration services, Bishop Air also provides automated control systems for commercial buildings through an affiliated company. For more information, visit www.bishopair.com.
ABOUT ENERGY STAR: Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Introduced in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program to promote energy-efficient office products and computers, it was expanded in 1995 to include residential heating and cooling equipment. Energy Star now includes more than 50 types of products that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the federal government. For more information, visit www.energystar.gov
Bishop Air Service teamed up with Rebuilding Together - Christmas in April in 2004 to provide low or no cost repairs to the valley's senior and low income families. Over 30 homeowners found relief from the summer's heat with repaired or replaced heating and cooling equipment from Bishop Air Service.
On April 11, 2006 Senator John Ensign designated Ron Bishop as Vendor of the Year for Bishop Air Service's efforts in helping the community.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has named Ron Bishop, President of Bishop Air Service, Small Business Person of the Year for the State of Nevada for 2002. He was chosen by an independent panel of small business leaders according to a variety of criteria including: staying power, innovation, growth in number of employees, increase in sales, response to adversity, and contributions to community projects. The SBA's winners "exemplify an excellence in entrepreneurship that is to be respected and emulated," said John Scott, Director of the SBA's Nevada district office.
Bishop has been invited to attend a special ceremony at the White House during Small Business Week, May 5-11, and will be honored at an awards luncheon at the Venetian on May 17. He will be considered along with winners from the other 49 states for designation as the U.S. Small Business Person of the Year." I am tremendously honored by this award," declared Bishop. "Although I put years of hard work into the company, I couldn't have succeeded without the support of my terrific staff. I'm looking forward to building and expanding Bishop Air in Southern Nevada. I feel like we've just scratched the surface of what we can do."
Ron Bishop incorporated Bishop Air Service in the state of Nevada in 1992, just four years after beginning his career in the HVAC field. The 26-year-old Air Force veteran started his company with $2,000 in personal savings and a dream to become a successful business owner. His company has grown from an in-home office, one man and one used service truck to a firm now employing over 30 people, with 25 trucks on the road and 2001 sales of over $6 million. Bishop Air Service now provides building automation systems as well as air conditioning, heating and refrigeration service to commercial and residential customers throughout Southern Nevada. Along the way, Bishop received recognition in 2001 as one of Nevada Business Journal's Top 40 Nevada Business Leaders Under the Age of 40.
Bishop Air Service has secured and completed many large-scale projects for clients, including some of the largest companies in Southern Nevada. Its client list includes the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Stardust Casino and Resort, the Las Vegas Review Journal newspaper, the Clark County School District, Faith Lutheran School, Pahrump Library, Caesar's Palace data center, Cascata's clubhouse (MGM golf coupe clubhouse), The Palms Casino, Flamingo Nursing Care/Hospital Deluca Liquor Company and many others.
Through the firm's involvement with mechanical contractors, building managers and building owners, Bishop saw that many customers were not getting the service they wanted from their building controls company. He felt there was an opportunity for a company like Bishop Air Service, which was already well known for providing quality service, to fill this void.
Building control systems, first developed in the 1970's as a means of controlling energy costs, can be programmed to monitor air conditioning, lighting, sprinklers, alarm systems and an almost endless variety of other functions. They are an important means of reducing energy expenses for commercial buildings. Bishop began searching for a building control product to offer his customers, and decided on a system manufactured by Automated Logic Corporation, which had been designing and producing building automation systems for more that two decades. Theirs was also one of the first building control software designed to operate via the Internet, allowing users the ability to access building information from anywhere, using a variety of devices, from desktop PCs to Web-enabled cell phones. Bishop Air Service became the exclusive distributor in the state of Nevada for Automated Logic systems. It succeeded so well that it was chosen from 130 firms worldwide as Automated Logic's 2000 Dealer of the Year.
The high demand for the company's products and services caused it to outgrow its1,750-square-foot location and Bishop Air broke ground in February 2001 for a 15,000 square-foot facility on Sunpac Court in Henderson. The recently-completed building will not only serve as headquarters, but also as a demonstration model for building control system. Its climate control and fire alarm equipment, lighting and key-card entry system will all be controlled by an Automated Logic system. When the system is complete, a visitor to the company's Web site will be able to select a link and view the building's control system as it works. The program will operate in real time, allowing viewers to get a good feel for what they could do with a building control system, as well as giving them a self guided tour of the user-friendly software.
Ron Bishop has allowed space in the new building for classrooms, and is excited about the possibility of creating a trade school. Once he develops a curriculum and the school becomes accredited, it will be able to address the needs of everyone from the high school student who wants to learn a trade to the service technician or engineer needing to update his skills. A student will be able to buy one class at a time, as his schedule and budget allow, instead of having to register for a long-term, expensive program. Bishop pointed out that a service technician who takes a class to broaden his skills, for example, to learn how to work on pumps or chillers - becomes a more valuable employee.
Bishop Air Service received a Key Community Services award from the State of Nevada Division of Aging Services in both 1999 and 2000 for its contributions to seniors in Southern Nevada. The company works with the state agency to provide repairs and/or new heating/air conditioning units at no cost to low-income seniors. Together with Fitzgerald's Casino, his company sponsors Christmas gifts for needy children. Bishop Air Service also sponsors several youth sports teams and a Boy Scout troop. Bishop is a family man with a wife and two small sons. He helps support the grandparents who raised him and is a role model for all business owners struggling to achieve a happy family life while building their companies. (Nevada Maintenance Journal - May/June 2002)
Nearly two decades ago, Ron Bishop was a bored 18 year old stuck in the desert.
From that beginning, he took an unusual path to owning the highly successful Bishop Air Services, and for his efforts, he has been named the U.S. Small Business Administration's Nevada Small Business Person of the Year.
"I moved to Las Vegas in 1983, because I was stationed at Nellis (Air Force Base). I grew to like the place during the four years I was stationed here," Bishop said.
He was far from the typical 18 year-old airman. Trained as a medic, Bishop excelled in the field of allergies and immunology to the point where he was one of only two students in his class to be sent on for more training at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. After a couple of his superiors in the medical field at Nellis left the air force unexpectedly, by default the young recruit found himself suddenly with a lot of responsibility. "I was an 18-year-old kid and I didn't even have a stripe yet, and I was running this clinic," Bishop explained. "You had to be a sergeant to run the clinic, so they gave me the title of non-commissioned officer."
Bishop soon found there were some perks to his new-found position: "I never had to take out the trash," he joked.
Realizing that he would need a lot more training in the civilian world to pursue a similar career, Bishop started planning for the future while still in the Air Force, taking classes in air conditioning service at night.
After leaving the Air Force, Bishop decided to stick around the Las Vegas Valley and apply his trade working for a hotel. At the urging of a friend, he got a contractor's license at the age of 26. "I was just looking to make some money on the side, a few hundred dollars," he recalled. "But it just took off. I had to quit my job and pursue it." Bishop pursued it all the way to a current annual income of $500,000 a year, and he started with a $2,000 investment. He credits an SBA loan with helping the Henderson business expand into a bigger facility, and Bishop said he is still trying to adjust to the recognition that comes with being named the SBA's Small Business Person of the Year for the state. "Things like this award are just beyond my imagination," Bishop said. "I'm just a kid who started an air conditioning company." (Las Vegas Business Press - May 13, 2002)
At the age of 26, Ron Bishop founded Bishop Air Service, which has grown into a multi-million dollar contracting firm, specializing in building control systems and large-scale air conditioning projects. His company was recently chosen from 130 firms as the 2000 dealer of the year by the Automated Logic Corporation, an international manufacturer of building automation systems. He is currently completing construction of a new headquarters building in Henderson for Bishop Air, which contains classroom space where he hopes to establish an accredited trade school.
Bishop enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons. Aaron Bishop, Ron Bishop's oldest son, is featured on the cover of the magazine. (Nevada Business Journal - September 2001)