energy efficiency on your business

Energy efficiency is a goal no business should be impartial to, for a number of reasons, the most obvious being the saved costs, of course. Beyond that, however, there’s environmental consciousness which is tightly entwined with conserving energy. Last but not least, being a greener company is good for public image, and respectively for business, even if the motifs behind it are purely selfish.

For all those reasons, Texas Electricity Ratings has compiled a thoughtful, yet very achievable guide to making your business more energy efficient.

Employee Education


  • If your employees aren’t aware of the reasons why their employer is so adamant about energy efficiency, they will consider such demands as yet another whim from high up they have to deal with.
  • Anybody knows that energy costs money, but not many people realize just how much money it can amount to over time. Give them perspective by providing examples, specific to your business.
  • But if the environment is your real concern, and even if it isn’t, making it the main point of interest will likely evoke more engagement with the cause. Again, you need specific examples to state your case, otherwise, the whole matter seems very abstract and distant to the average employee.
  • For example, one figure that’s quite eye-opening is that the electricity, used by switched-off devices left plugged-in can amount to as much as 10% of global electricity consumption. Chances are your employees are shocked by the first part, which is a curious phenomenon, coined “phantom energy.” And 10% will surely exceed most people’s assumptions by leaps and bounds.


Energy-Saving Power Strips and/or Manual Unplugging

There are power strips that automatically turn off when the plugged-in devices aren’t being used, thus eliminating phantom energy. Furthermore, there are timers which can be set to your specific schedule. 

  • Doing it manually is the simplest option, but how reliable it depends on the people charged with it.
  • For businesses that employ a squad of electronic devices on a daily basis, phantom energy can be like a bloodthirsty leech if employees aren’t careful or are simply unaware.
  • At the very least, you have to make a point of turning devices off at the end of the workday instead of simply leaving them on or on standby overnight, especially over the weekend, as such wasteful negligence is equal to literally throwing money out the window.


Energy Efficient Devices and Light Bulbs

Energy efficient devices may seem expensive, but they more than pay off over time.

Same goes for light bulbs, which can go under the radar for costly energysuckers. A lot of companies are still stuck with incandescent light bulbs which not only use up more energy, but also generate a lot of heat in the process, which respectively might increase your AC costs in the summer. You should definitely consider replacing them with CFLs and/or LEDs.

Solar Energy

The idea here is the same as with replacing old devices and light bulbs with more progressive and environmentally conscious alternatives. It will cost you at the beginning, but it’s a great investment in the long run.

Natural Light

Blocking natural light is like denying free money. Depending on your office location, you could cut a significant amount of your electricity usage by simply opening the blinds. Not to mention natural light is, well, natural, which generally makes it more pleasant and healthier.

Insulation

This can go overlooked as well, perhaps because it doesn’t seem very modern and technological, but the reality is, it can really make a difference to your energy consumption, and what kind of difference depends entirely on you.

  • At the very least, make sure there are no leas and drafts.
  • High-quality window film is something that works really well year-round.


Thermostat

Thermostats, especially programmable ones which can be dynamically adjusted according to your business hours and activity, days of the week, and seasons, are a great way to lower energy consumption. All you need to do is set them properly.

Also, if you have certain areas which remain largely unoccupied over large periods of time, heating or cooling them constantly is a wasteful practice.

Maintain your HVAC System

Don’t underestimate the importance of maintenance of and preventative care for your equipment. Things like dirty and/or old filters can really make your systems inefficient and more energy consuming, not to mention broken.

Maintenance should be particularly diligent before peak heating and cooling seasons.

ENERGY STAR

Being the result of the collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, ENERGY STAR looks out for both yours and the environment’s best interests. The ENERGY STAR label is a guarantee energy efficiency.

Those are some relatively straightforward, but very efficient and even fundamental ways to make your business more energy efficient and environmentally friendly in the process. The definition of killing two birds with one stone.