EnTouch Controls, a leader in providing energy management services for small businesses, has installed an EnTouch Energy Management System at Promise House, a Dallas non-profit organization. Promise House is a shelter for at- risk, runaway and homeless youth. The system was installed to help the non-profit manage and reduce its energy costs, and free up more funds for programs.
The new system was donated to Promise House by Executives in Action, a Dallas-based non-profit group that places experienced business executives as pro-bono consultants to charitable agencies. EIA volunteer David Matthews, a Managing Partner of Trailblazer Capital and an EnTouch board member, came up with the idea of installing the EnTouch EMS, which has already demonstrated energy savings of more than 30%.
“Promise House has proven, impactful programs that bring much needed support to Dallas’ teens in need of help,” Matthews says. “I’m pleased that we are able to redirect upwards of $15,000 per year going forward from their electricity bills to their programs and support.”
Promise House operates a 30,000 sq.ft. facility in Dallas, to provide emergency shelter, transitional living, counseling, and support to homeless, runaway, and at-risk teenagers throughout North Texas. Energy costs have been among its top operating expenses and among the hardest to manage. The EnTouch Controls system helped to identify where energy was being used and provide security features to limit excessive heating and cooling expenses. Electricity expenses exceeded $50,000 in 2011 and the EnTouch Controls solution should save over $15,000 in the first year alone.
“Since we opened in 1984, Promise House has helped more than 60,000 teens, and any resources we get go into expanding our programs to meet a growing need,” says Judy Marshall, vice president of internal affairs at Promise House. “Working with Executives in Action and the EnTouch team has been a real blessing and has helped us to find resources we can use to change lives. As a non-profit, we manage every dollar of expenses tightly to maximize our contribution to the community. The EnTouch Controls system provides an understanding of energy usage and saved us more than $1,000 in our first month using the system. We now better understand where our energy is used and expect significant impact in the coming months.”
The EnTouch Controls provides services to evaluate, deploy, and monitor energy management for national chains, franchise owners, schools and offices. The system replaces thermostat controls with an advanced, multiple-zone and wireless HVAC control system and peripherals that monitor energy. Sources report the wireless design simplifies installation and reduces upfront costs. The EnTouchGo.com customer portal provides remote access, data reporting, and maintenance alerting, allowing users to fully manage their facilities remotely. Advanced features enable group scheduling, one-time events, and the ability to add additional users with adjustable permissions.
EnTouch provides site assessment, installation, and lifecycle monitoring services that ensure energy optimization and prompt resolution of system maintenance issues.
“Promise House’s situation is representative of many of our customers in that they lacked an understanding of their energy usage and didn’t have tools to attack HVAC consumption, which is nearly 65% of their total energy bill. We were able to provide them with tools and services that will dramatically reduce their costs,” saysGreg Fasullo, CEO of EnTouch Controls. “It’s always encouraging for us to help folks save money, but in this case its especially heart warming to be a part of the great work that is done at Promise House.”