The Department of Environmental Protection this week honored Skyline Pittsburgh – Exhibit Place Inc. for implementing energy efficiency improvements that nearly cut the small business’s annual energy costs in half and helped to fuel its expansion into a new facility in McKees Rocks, Allegheny County.

These initiatives won the company the 2005 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence and you can now apply for the 2007 Governor’s Award Program.

Exhibit Place, a tradeshow exhibit and design consulting firm, conducted an on-site assessment in April 2003 to identify cost-saving opportunities in its newly acquired building.

As a result of the assessment, the company replaced 6,000 square feet of roof and put in energy-saving foam insulation; installed double-pane windows; switched to less energy intensive lighting, replaced one heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit and added two additional units for zoned temperature control; and added exhaust fans and ceiling fans in the warehouse and production areas to keep cool air circulating in the warmer months and warm air down in the cooler months.

The company estimates annual energy usage to drop by 17,595 kilowatt hours, a 40 percent reduction, for a savings of about $12,800 per year. These savings alone will cover the cost of the energy efficiency project in less than five years. The reduced energy consumption also will help to cut harmful air emissions by 10.9 tons each year, an amount equal to cutting out 35,000 miles of driving.

The Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence honors Pennsylvania businesses and organizations that put projects in place that take on environmental problems in ways that build new businesses, enhance the bottom line and engage residents in a renewed commitment to investing in their communities.

Here’s a tip - Skyline Pittsburgh – Exhibit Place Inc. was assisted in their energy efficiency projects by the Small Business Development Center’s Environmental Management Assistance Program.

For more information on how you can apply, visit the 2007 Governor’s Award Program webpage.

9/29/2006