Reducing the amount of electricity your office consumes is a very practical idea. Not only does cutting costs make great sense for your business, but it’s also beneficial for the environment and showcases your company’s sustainable ethos in a very positive light.
Reducing electrical consumption isn’t always easy, especially when a vital part of your business requires electrical power in order to function. Nevertheless, there are many effective solutions which can help you cut back a little in many different places, thereby enabling you to make significant overall cutbacks.
Office Energy Consumption
The most common areas in which energy is consumed in an office environment are in air conditioning, heating, equipment (i.e. computers), lighting and hot water. This is also the order in which your electricity is most wasted. Air conditioning, for example, can increase a building’s energy consumption by up to 100%.
Efficient Reductions
Managing an office is all about overseeing efficiency, so when cutting back on electricity it’s important to bear in mind that any solutions should be as effective for your employees as they are for costs.
Perhaps one of the best examples of efficient energy reduction is replacing your existing lightbulbs with energy efficient bulbs of the sort offered by Brightlightz, and combining this with a ‘switch off’ policy for when lights don’t have to be in use. This combination solution is a great way to tackle just one aspect of wasted electricity in the office, without interfering with anyone’s work habits.
Tackling the Big Problems
The two biggest wasters of electrical energy in the office are the two systems designed to regulate temperature – air conditioning and heating. It is here that you have the potential to make the most savings, but it’s also here that you must take the most care to not interfere with the comfort of your employees. The first step you should take is to read up on legal guidelines and get feedback from your staff. If there is a general consensus that the office is sometimes too hot or too cold, this will be a great jumping-off point for your energy saving measures.
Perhaps the easiest way to save money through air temperature is by installing a Building Energy Management System, which will monitor the performance of your temperature systems, regulate the temperature of the building and alert you to any system faults. It’s been shown the BEMS can reduce energy costs by more than 10%, so this sort of system is definitely worth your while.