Did you know that if all computers in the USA were energy star compliant, the economy as a whole would save $1.8 billion?
In today’s world conserving energy often means conserving money too. An energy-efficient company will also carry a reputation as a responsible company.
If you are looking to improve your company’s energy efficiency rating, what do you need to know? How can you learn how to conserve energy?
Why not take a few minutes to read our in-depth article below.
-
Install Energy-Efficient Lighting
Let’s start with one of the easiest ways to conserve energy: Lighting. The productivity of your staff will drop if they do not have sufficient lighting to do their work.
You can attempt to increase the level of natural, and free, lighting in the room by installing windows, or ensuring that existing windows are clean.
However, if increasing natural light is not an option, there are electrical lighting solutions that can conserve energy. Installing energy-saving light bulbs will not only reduce your monthly bills but save money in the long term. You do not have to replace these bulb types as often as regular types.
-
Do Your Devices Have Energy Saving Modes?
Next, you can check the devices in your office for energy saving settings or modes. Virtually every machine from your desktop computer to your kitchen microwave will have settings that you can adjust to reduce power consumption.
It is often just a case of reading an online manual to see how to access these settings.
Of course, if your equipment is older it may not have these settings. In this case, it may be time to…
-
Upgrade Your Hardware
Energy conservation standards have come a long way in the last few years. They provide a level of efficiency that was not possible 10 years ago. If it is not energy-efficient, it is probably time to replace it.
You may know that many devices have an energy efficiency rating known as the energy star rating. This is an international agency that provides guidelines regarding what can be considered energy efficient.
-
Think Long-Term
When replacing older devices for more efficient newer devices, you will likely have to pay a higher initial price. However, it is important to think of the long term benefits.
Well maintained high-quality energy-efficient devices will long outlast other devices. Over their years of use, their lower energy consumption will lead to lower electricity bills. Over time this will more than pay for the higher initial outlay of cash.
-
Call in a Specialist
If you are worried that your energy consumption is especially high, you can call in an expert to perform an energy audit on your premises.
They will assess what is considered normal energy consumption for your business and highlight areas where you can save energy, and thus money.
-
Turn off Unused Equipment
In a typical workplace, there may be scores of devices that are used only a few times each day. You may use AC more in some seasons than others. There may be a rush on coffee machines at break times. A number of devices may remain on standby over the weekend, but are still consuming a small amount of energy.
By turning these off, either manually or by installing timers, you can save a large amount of money each year.
-
Cut Down on Printing
So the paperless office has not exactly materialized. However, we are closer than ever before. Thanks to email and greatly improved communication and archiving tools, there is less reason than ever to print files.
Instead of handing a file to a colleague can you send a link? Instead of printing a document for safekeeping can you keep a pdf on a cloud storage location. There are many options.
Most importantly, the less you print, the less energy you consume. You may even be able to downgrade the size of the printer that your office uses to one that is significantly more energy-efficient.
-
Monitor Environmental Controls
Monitoring the office environment controls can help you make significant savings on your energy bill.
In many locations, summer temperatures are very high, and so many try to compensate with extra cool internal temperatures. However, this may be more than is needed.
Try to define a reasonable working temperature that is comfortable for all but not colder than needed. This will prevent the AC from being worked more than necessary.
Maintaining a reasonable office temperature will also create savings in other ways. An extremely high or low temperature will cause some individuals to regulate the temperature themselves by opening windows or doors. This allows heat to escape needlessly.
By maintaining a reasonable temperature and having policies on window and door opening you can maintain AC levels that save you money at the end of the month.
-
Could You Use Renewable Energy Sources?
If a business will remain in a location for some time, renewable energy resources could help them to reduce their energy bill each month. Installing solar panels is a good example. This is a cheap technology that requires little maintenance.
-
Education, Education, Education
Reducing energy consumption is not just a matter of adjusting your devices. It is about educating your workforce and customers as to the latest methods and the reasons why energy conservation is important.
You may consider having a seminar in which speakers talk to workers about the benefits to individuals of energy conservation.
You will also need to work to educate customers regarding conservation methods. You can read on here to learn more about why this is crucial.
How to Conserve Energy and Other Important Questions
Saving energy is not just a matter of lowering monthly overheads. It involves corporate responsibility to the environment and shows that you care about your reputation. Knowing how to conserve energy can help you do this and more.
If you are interested in learning more about business and lifestyle practices, then we are here to help. We gather the latest information on these subjects and bring it to you via our feed, why not take a look today.
