By Amy Ramos, Managing Director, Communications
Summer in Texas means high temperatures and days best spent lounging by the pool. Those high-temperatures can also lead to stress on our electric grid and ozone days. For tips on summer energy conservation, and how you can be air aware and help reduce ozone-causing pollution, read on!
ERCOT unveils mobile phone app to help consumers conserve electricity when needed most
Want real-time updates on the ERCOT grid—and tips on how to effectively conserve electricity during peak times? Now there is a free smartphone app that will make energy conservation a little bit easier for iPhone and Android users.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the grid operator for most of Texas, recently unveiled a mobile app, and the initial version includes current system operating conditions, conservation tips and an overview of ERCOT.
Most notably, the app will provide “push” notifications straight to Apple and Android devices. When ERCOT is experiencing high demand and conservation is critical, users who enable the feature will receive alerts notifying them of the situation. That’s also when the conservation tips page will be especially useful.
iPhone and Android users can find the free ERCOT Energy Saver app by searching for ERCOT in the Apple and Google app stores.
Air North Texas’ Be Air Aware commitment campaign
To energize efforts to improve air quality, Air North Texas partners are challenging North Texans, businesses and local governments to Be Air Aware and commit to focused strategies on air pollution watch and warning days.
At www.airnorthtexas.org individuals, business and local governments can learn about and commit to implementing focused strategies to reduce ozone-causing pollution on days with air pollution watches. The website also includes information about the air quality index and limiting outdoor activity to protect health when an air pollution warning is issued.
From big to small efforts, the common goal is awareness: awareness of the current air quality to protect health and awareness of strategies which reduce ozone-causing pollution. And awareness leads to action. The following are a few strategies you can use both at work and at home to be air aware and help reduce pollution:
Strategies for individuals
Carpooling, riding mass transit, bicycling, walking, working from home when possible, using technology such as teleconferencing or video conferencing to minimize travel to meetings, packing a lunch instead of going out, conserving water to conserve electricity, postponing mowing to a day without an air pollution watch or warning and more.
Strategies for businesses
Allowing employees to work from home, limiting testing of emergency generators, conserving electricity, communicating air pollution watches and warnings and clean air choices to employees, coordinating on-site employee lunches, offering incentives to encourage employees to carpool or ride transit, reducing travel during rush hour, driving the most fuel-efficient vehicle when a trip is necessary, avoiding idling of on-road vehicles and non-road equipment (including construction equipment) and more.
