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From YouTube: Smart Business Challenge
Description
An overview of why Ames area businesses should participate in the Smart Business Challenge.
A
The
smart
business
challenge
is
designed
to
offer
any
size
business
offering
any
product
or
service
the
opportunities
to
celebrate
their
sustainability
and
achievements,
as
well
as
make
connections
to
relevant
information
and
resources
towards
effectively
serving
their
customers
and
fulfilling
their
and
the
city's
commitment
to
conservation.
I.
B
Had
been
doing
energy
conservation
at
mcfarland
clinic
for
a
long
time
and
it
was
in
little
steps
at
first
and
as
I
continued
to
do-
energy
rebates
through
the
city
of
ames,
I
was
introduced
to
the
smart
business
challenge
and
I
thought
you
know.
I
really
want
to
be
a
part
of
that.
I'm
doing
this
already,
I'm
sure
there's
information.
I
can
learn
from
others,
but
on
top
of
that
I
bet
you
there's
some
information.
I
could
share
so.
C
My
name
is
najav
mayer
and
our
organization
is
morning
bell
coffee,
roasters,
so
we're
a
specialty
coffee
roasting
shop.
Also,
we
sell
bags
of
coffee
both
in
a
wholesale
and
a
retail
level,
and
we're
really
part
of
the
specialty
coffee,
third
wave
coffee
movement
nationwide,
where
we
focus
on
buying
directly
from
farmers
and
working
on
the
showcasing,
the
quality
of
the
beans
that
we
buy
and
working
hard
to
select
coffees.
We
really
try
to
do
a
lot
of
sustainable
things
for
our
lives
and
that
always
bleeds
over
into
our
business.
C
B
Worked
with
city
of
ames
on
multiple
projects,
we
built
our
facility
in
ames
at
121,
12th
street,
it's
right
across
from
mcfarland
clinic
it's
a
business
support
office
and
we
utilized
city
of
ames
for
all
the
lighting
rebates.
All
the
electric
motors
we
even
went
as
far
as
with
the
geothermal
systems
and
all
the
geothermal
pumps
we
have
about
100
and
so
wells
at
that
location,
geothermal
wells
that
helped
us
really
achieve
a
significant
energy
rebate
out
in
west
ames.
B
We
installed
a
big
solar
array
panel,
one
of
the
largest
in
the
city
at
this
point,
and
it's
really
kind
of
a
silent
sleeper.
It's
990
panels
and
it's
on
our
west
ames
clinic
at
3600
west,
lincoln
way
that
system
there.
We
received
a
little
over
130,
some
thousand
dollar
rebate
from
the
city
of
ames
and
we're
offsetting
about
almost
45
percent
of
the
utility
load
for
that
whole
facility.
So
it's
been
a
tremendous
success.
I've
utilized
other
programs
through
the
city
of
ames
for
lighting
rebates
and
also
a
big
chiller.
B
We
had
to
replace
the
air
conditioners
at
the
main
facility
and
that
required
us
to
update
those
electric
chillers
and
the
city
of
ames
helped
out
with
that
process
as
well.
So
I've
been
they've
been
very
supportive
and
willing
to
work
with
us
on
our
projects.
So
I
just
say:
people
give
them
a
call
what
I
realized
once
I
joined
it's,
not
what
I
really
could
benefit,
but
what
I
could
share
and
then
learn
from
the
others.
There
are
so
many
different
things.
B
Different
industries
are
going
on
in
the
city
of
ames
that
you
can
really
go
hey,
that's
something
that
I
can
use
where
I'm
at
to
achieve
that
next
goal.
Energy
conservation
is
not
a
race,
it's
a
marathon.
You
just
keep
going
and
you
just
keep
going
and
there's
other
things
that
you'll
learn
from
all
the
other
participants.
So
it's
very
valuable
to
attend
the
smart
business
challenge
team
and
become
a
part
of
that.
C
I
think
the
most
surprising
thing
to
us
actually
at
the
end
was
how
many
of
our
processes
here
already
had
sustainability
in
mind
and
how
that
was
really
part
of
some
of
our
core
competencies
as
an
organization,
it's
kind
of
built
into
our
dna
thinking
about
keeping
our
energy
footprint
as
low
as
possible.
I
think
the
low-hanging
fruit
to
join
the
business
challenge
is
to
get
that
free
energy
on
it
and
to
have
that
much
thought
and
love
to
have
folks
come
into
your
business.
C
B
Think
it's
been
beneficial
because
it's
brought
awareness
to
energy
conservation
and
energy
conservation.
Isn't
just
electricity,
it's
natural
gas!
It's
it's
recycling
that
we
do
it's
the
products
that
we
use
in
our
business.
It's
the
vehicles
that
we
drive.
We
have
courier
service
that
runs
every
night,
so
we're
looking
for
the
highest
economy,
vehicles
that
we
can
for
moving
the
medical
stuff
around
in
the
evenings.
B
But
it's
it's
a
constant
evolution
when
you,
when
you
look
at
energy
with
led
lighting,
compact,
fluorescence
conversion
up
to
leds
and
how
you
use
those
in
the
facilities,
the.
C
Process
that
was
really
very
beneficial
was
going
through
the
process
of
getting
our
place
inspected
by
the
energy
consultants
and
really
looking
at
our
past
energy
usage
and
looking
at
any
places
in
our
physical
infrastructure
that
we're
lacking
that
could
make
our
business
more
energy
efficient.
So
that
was
an
extreme
benefit
to
us.
You
know
something
that
we
would
have
had
to
pay
for
out
of
pocket
to
do
that.
C
The
city
and
this
program
was
willing
to
do
the
other
thing
that
was
very
helpful,
was
to
go
through
the
checklist
with
them
of
kind
of
all
the
business
processes
that
we
do
in
terms
of
you
know
composting
our
organic
material
using
all
compostable
packaging.
C
You
know
kind
of
delving
into
what
we
do
already
and
what
maybe
we
could
do
better
in
the
future
like
we
are
a
consumer
of
paper
cups.
We
do
a
lot
of
takeaway
to
go
coffee
here,
and
I
know
that's
for
the
future,
something
that
I
really
want
to
work
on,
but
it's
not
clear
right
now
what
the
replacement
is,
but
even
though
I
feel
like
we
have
this
platinum
level,
designation
with
the
city,
we
still
have
some
room
to
to
do
better.
C
It
was
really
good
to
go
through
that
process
with
the
group
and
look
at
all
our
different
business
practices
and
to
think
through
with
this
group.
What
do
we
do?
Well,
what
do
we
do?
Okay,
and
what
can
we
really
do
better?
Where
are
the
lagging
points,
and
there
were
things
that
for
us
that
came
out
of
it
that
we
didn't
know
about?
We
didn't
know
that
our
roof
is
insulated
to
like
our
40
value
or
something
crazy.
We
didn't
know
that
at
all.
C
You
know
we
thought
we
just
didn't
know
that
we
were
that
well
insulated,
so
stuff
like
that,
that'll
come
out
which
is
nice
to
for
you
to
know
and
to
also
learn
about
the
best
practices
of
other
businesses
that
are
in
ames.
I
think
that
was
a
tremendous
value
to
to
see
how
we
lined
up.
B
Them
it
is
really
amazing
how
how
different
industries
it
doesn't
have
to
be
just
mcfarland
clinic,
there's
lots
of
other
participants
in
the
smart
business
challenge,
but
any
business
can
actually
benefit
from
energy
conservation
and
you
don't
have
to
break
the
bank
to
do
that.
It's
small
steps,
it's
like
it's
small
lighting,
updates
to
your
entrances
that
burn
all
night
long
reduces
energy,
it's
the
lavatory
faucets,
or
maybe
it's
that
old
toilet
that
takes
five
gallons
of
flush.
Its
small
steps
will
get
you
in
the
right
direction
for
energy
conservation.
Thank.