They consume huge amounts of electricity, he says, and benefit from incentive payment plans. He also works for dairies, packinghouses, juicing plants and the Madera hospital. Alex Ho, an electrical engineer and owner of 2H Energy in Fresno, says closing gaps around windows and doors may be the most economical investment for saving energy. Evaporative coolers are a good alternative with a tremendous savings. A whole-house fan is a good idea.
Businesses offer more modest measures as well.
Stores throughout Fresno report steady sales of ceiling fans, table fans and, on the micro-level, plastic misting bottles to cool off faces and necks. An air-conditioning contractor contacted Belmont Nursery recently about shade trees for people to plant on the western side of their homes. The nursery recommends deciduous trees because leaves that ward off the summer heat drop off by winter, allowing the weaker sunshine to pour through. They use window coolers or air conditioners. He recalls a customer who relies on a well with an electric pump for his water.