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  • The New Jersey SmartStart Building Program

    The New Jersey Clean Energy Program (NJCEP) is an innovative new incentive program, the goal of which is to increase the energy efficiency in all types of buildings, including commercial, industrial, and large residential structures, so as to reduce energy consumption. The buildings must have yearly peak electricity usage that is more than one hundred kilowatts to qualify. The program is now available not only for existing buildings, but also for new building projects of fifty thousand square feet or more. These construction projects must be in the New Jersey Smart Growth area.

    This comprehensive, whole-building approach to energy efficiency starts with an Energy Reduction Plan developed by an energy expert that can be selected from a network.  The project has already helped to create more jobs, and has enabled businesses to expand while remaining environmentally conscious. It has been proved to preserve more open areas and farmland, an important part of the state. Furthermore, the plan's inclusion of residential structures has led to different types of housing with a variety of price ranges. Overall, it is meant to enhance and raise energy usage in New Jersey to a higher standard.

    Air compressors will be helpful in these projects because the can be used in many situations. They can now be used in anything from home shops, to basements and even garages, and have widespread industrial use. One of the benefits is that air power tools do not require a large, bulky motor. One motor on the compressor can change the electrical energy into kinetic energy. This makes it more eco-friendly, while providing users with access to compact, smaller tools that run silently and have fewer parts to wear out.

    The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities first started the New Jersey's Clean Energy Program in 2003. Many experts, not just from within government and industry but also those within academia, studied the problem and came up with the Clean Energy Council. The Council has 3 distinctive committees: Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Marketing and Communications. The program is also innovative in that its meetings are opened to the public, rather than limited to government officials and industry insiders.

    Green Job Training is also part of the New Jersey Clean Energy Program. It involves courses held at local colleges and state universities. Recently nine hundred thousand dollars were approved for three grants. Each grant will get three hundred thousand dollars to help support training programs towards green jobs.

  • Variable Speed Air Compressors

    To understand what a variable speed air compressor is and how it works, it is important to understand air compressor basics. An air compressor is a device that forces air into a chamber where the volume is then reduced in order to compress the air. Compressed air means a lot of potential energy, which can be used to power tools and equipment. A variable speed air compressor is an air compressor that has adjustable speed drive controls to save energy.

    A variable speed air compressor works in the same way as a rotary screw compressor. In fact, the variable speed air compressor can be a type of rotary screw compressor. These work by allowing air to enter the screw compressor intake, where it is forced into a smaller and smaller space by two rotating screws that mesh together. This cavity is also flooded with oil. As the screws turn, the job of the oil is to cool and close any gaps during compression. The screws rotate in opposite directions, moving the air from one end of the screws to the other. After being moved down the length of the screws the air – now mixed with oil – is discharged. The gas and the oil mixture are now sent into a separation chamber; the oil drains into a sump tank and then to a cooler while the air leaves, is cooled, and then flows into a storage tank. The oil is cooled before being reused and returned to the air compressor, while the air will leave the sump tank and air compressor in a constant flow.


    Compared to other kinds of air compressors, variable air compressors give you the air required while using less energy. Variable speed air compressors change the speed of compression in order to use no more electricity than is absolutely necessary. Therefore they are very energy efficient, which can be an enormous benefit to a business, as a significant portion of most factories’ electricity bills can be attributed to compressed air. Variable speed air compressors are especially useful in environments in which demands for air are greater at certain times than at others. Other benefits are the reduced power surges and increased lifespan of the compressor. This machine's downside is that it tends to be more expensive than other kinds of air compressors. If you’re not sure whether a variable speed compressor would be a good investment for your facility, an air audit can be performed to determine what compressed air system would be most cost and energy efficient for you.