Conservation Resource Solutions is helping businesses leave a smaller footprint along the way toward a greener future.
In about two weeks, the company — which tracks electricity and water use to help businesses cut costs — will relocate its headquarters and backup data center from Acworth to Samaritan Drive in Cumming.
“We had the ability to grow our data center and we needed some new staff to meet our growing needs,” said Todd Moran, one of four founder owners. “The marketplace is expanding pretty rapidly because of visibility in energy conservation and in a down economy.
“We’re kind of a conduit to provide information to illuminate things that may not have been there without looking at their data in the way that we can present it in our Web portal.”
Forsyth County is home to Moran and other company owners, but it was the location’s proximity to Alpharetta that made it ideal.
Moran said Alpharetta has been a hotbed for the technology industry and a Forsyth location would entice workers looking to travel against traffic.
With the Cumming site, the company will nearly double its work force, from six to nine full-time employees and two new contractors.
James McCoy, president and chief executive officer of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, said Conservation Resource Solutions is a small company only in the number of employees.
“When we sat down with them about what they were doing, we really quickly realized what an incredible, incredible and influential company this could be,” he said. “They are very entrepreneur-driven, they are idea-driven and they are focused on improving the environment in which we live.”
Since its start in 2004, the focus of Conservation Resource Solutions has been more in the Northeast, Moran said. But Georgia’s drought conditions, rising energy costs nationwide and the push for conservation has business looking South.
“The Georgia drought has brought new things to light,” Moran said. “I’ve started conversations with Georgia Power and Sawnee EMC and they’re going to be offering different rates to people and I think our technology will be nice for residential customers, as well as small commercial and industrial customers to monitor how much they use and what kind of rates they’re on.”
The company’s technology allows customers to track their electricity and water use in real time online. Unlike other programs, the information is available online, requiring no downloads or updates.
Customers don’t have to download or install any software, but there is equipment to monitor data, which the company sells and maintains. A monthly subscription fee covers the tracking services and any maintenance.
Moran said the company works with consulting firms who use the data to offer suggestions for ways businesses can avoid overuse, often resulting in a higher rate.
For example, instead of having all employees clock in at 8 a.m., a company can try staggered hours.
“People can come in at 7:15 a.m., 7:45 a.m., so you don’t get all these computers being turned on and all these lights being turned on all at the same time, which basically creates what they call a demand ratchet, which basically increases their electric bill,” he said.
“They come in and change how people work to basically offset electricity costs.”
For water customers, the program can prevent using too much water. With a tiered water payment structure, the technology could let the customer know they’re close to entering a costlier rate.
Water tracking can also help counties and municipalities that have a permit to withdraw water.
“As soon as they have that permit, the regulatory bodies make sure that they basically monitor and measure how much water they pull out each day,” Moran said. “We have the ability to dispatch or alert the customer that they’re getting near their permitted amount, and make sure people turn off their pumps before they go over their permit.”
Moran said the alerts could save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in fines for excessive use.
The next project for Conservation Resource Solutions is tracking use of natural gas.
“Everybody wonders what a green company is, and green means a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” McCoy said. “But if you look at their products and services, they’re keeping trucks off the roads and they’re helping companies better manage limited power services.
“Their products and services really have a large impact on the environment and they are a great example of a green company.”
E-mail Jennifer Sami at jennifersami@forsythnews.com.
In about two weeks, the company — which tracks electricity and water use to help businesses cut costs — will relocate its headquarters and backup data center from Acworth to Samaritan Drive in Cumming.
“We had the ability to grow our data center and we needed some new staff to meet our growing needs,” said Todd Moran, one of four founder owners. “The marketplace is expanding pretty rapidly because of visibility in energy conservation and in a down economy.
“We’re kind of a conduit to provide information to illuminate things that may not have been there without looking at their data in the way that we can present it in our Web portal.”
Forsyth County is home to Moran and other company owners, but it was the location’s proximity to Alpharetta that made it ideal.
Moran said Alpharetta has been a hotbed for the technology industry and a Forsyth location would entice workers looking to travel against traffic.
With the Cumming site, the company will nearly double its work force, from six to nine full-time employees and two new contractors.
James McCoy, president and chief executive officer of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, said Conservation Resource Solutions is a small company only in the number of employees.
“When we sat down with them about what they were doing, we really quickly realized what an incredible, incredible and influential company this could be,” he said. “They are very entrepreneur-driven, they are idea-driven and they are focused on improving the environment in which we live.”
Since its start in 2004, the focus of Conservation Resource Solutions has been more in the Northeast, Moran said. But Georgia’s drought conditions, rising energy costs nationwide and the push for conservation has business looking South.
“The Georgia drought has brought new things to light,” Moran said. “I’ve started conversations with Georgia Power and Sawnee EMC and they’re going to be offering different rates to people and I think our technology will be nice for residential customers, as well as small commercial and industrial customers to monitor how much they use and what kind of rates they’re on.”
The company’s technology allows customers to track their electricity and water use in real time online. Unlike other programs, the information is available online, requiring no downloads or updates.
Customers don’t have to download or install any software, but there is equipment to monitor data, which the company sells and maintains. A monthly subscription fee covers the tracking services and any maintenance.
Moran said the company works with consulting firms who use the data to offer suggestions for ways businesses can avoid overuse, often resulting in a higher rate.
For example, instead of having all employees clock in at 8 a.m., a company can try staggered hours.
“People can come in at 7:15 a.m., 7:45 a.m., so you don’t get all these computers being turned on and all these lights being turned on all at the same time, which basically creates what they call a demand ratchet, which basically increases their electric bill,” he said.
“They come in and change how people work to basically offset electricity costs.”
For water customers, the program can prevent using too much water. With a tiered water payment structure, the technology could let the customer know they’re close to entering a costlier rate.
Water tracking can also help counties and municipalities that have a permit to withdraw water.
“As soon as they have that permit, the regulatory bodies make sure that they basically monitor and measure how much water they pull out each day,” Moran said. “We have the ability to dispatch or alert the customer that they’re getting near their permitted amount, and make sure people turn off their pumps before they go over their permit.”
Moran said the alerts could save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in fines for excessive use.
The next project for Conservation Resource Solutions is tracking use of natural gas.
“Everybody wonders what a green company is, and green means a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” McCoy said. “But if you look at their products and services, they’re keeping trucks off the roads and they’re helping companies better manage limited power services.
“Their products and services really have a large impact on the environment and they are a great example of a green company.”
E-mail Jennifer Sami at jennifersami@forsythnews.com.