Energy Star reported that businesses are spending an average of 30 cents per dollar in commercial buildings on inefficient energy usage. Starting the process to save on energy costs is a low-risk investment. Management needs to have an actionable plan and a commitment to stick to it. Take that initial step and implement these simple energy saving tips for your office today.
Incentivize Your Operation
Check with the Federal Energy Management Program to see what your state is offering in energy incentive programs that can aid your business in offsetting energy costs. Your electric provider may offer its business customers advantageous discounts simply for signing up for various energy savings programs. Your business may have the opportunity to participate in programs that include energy audits and rebates for retiring office equipment that wastes energy. You also may have the opportunity to save on energy costs by switching energy providers.
Value Your Lighting Situation
Have a lunch and learn meeting in the office where you discuss the changes that management is implementing regarding basic energy saving tips. Employees need to be made aware of these tips so they are on board and can participate in the process. Everyone must pay more careful attention to turning off lights when no one is in the room. You can install motion detector lighting in bathrooms to ensure that the lights won’t always be left on. Review the US Dept. of Energy’s energy saver information to find out which type of lighting, such as incandescent, halogen, or CFL, is more cost-effective for your daily operations at the office.
Don’t Forget the Windows
Having windows in your office is great for allowing natural light to make the space more inviting and occupant comfortable. However, during the summer months, direct sunlight shining in can heat up your space, forcing your cooling system to work overtime to keep up. Install cellular shades that have many cell pockets that force the air to stay near the windows and keep from circulating into the room. This will make the space cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Make sure that the windows and doors in your building don’t have any leaks that are letting hot or cool air flow in and out of the facility. Those leaks can be easily plugged with caulking.
Embrace Cloud Technology
Computer servers are necessary for storing and processing data requests over your local network. You may want to consider utilizing a cloud-based system to save on energy costs, so that you won’t have to keep the server room cool to function correctly. Many businesses have opted to embrace cloud technology to be more energy efficient. Some major cloud-based system providers include Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Rackspace.
Maximize Your Equipment
If you have equipment in the office that is old and energy-inefficient, make plans to replace it with more efficient products that have an Energy Star rating. Visit the Energy Star product rating page to find additional information on more efficient office equipment, appliances, lighting, and other products. You can maximize your equipment by ensuring that the ideal power management settings are used. For example, make sure your employees are no longer using energy-wasting screen savers on their computers.
Begin saving money for your office today and start implementing these simple energy-efficient tips. Every step your company takes in the right direction toward sustainability, will help your business to save money.
