Whether it’s summer or wintertime, energy costs are an expected, yet unfortunate expense that many building managers often overlook.
Energy costs can burn into your bottom line and eat away at your profits. If you manage a facility, you are aware that energy costs skyrocket during this time of the year, but you are often left wondering what you can do. To combat these high costs, here are a few ways that your facility can conserve energy.
Employee Controlled Lighting
In the past, offices relied on fluorescent lighting that is difficult to use, hard on the eyes, and expensive to run. During winter, it gets dark outside sooner, which makes the lights stay on for far longer than the other half of the year.
In more recent times, we have access to dimmable LED fixtures that allow employees to control the lighting from their computer. Allowing them to control their own lighting saves money and energy in the long run as production increases due to employee comfort. It also allows for only individual lights to be on versus all the lights on at once in the entire building.
See also: Make an Environmentally Sustainable Purchase for the Office
Smart Grid Participation
Facility managers need to be aware that utility companies usually offer demand management programs that provide incentives for participation in reducing energy consumption during peak times, such as extremely hot or cold weather or specific times in the work day. Building owners will most likely see significant energy cost savings by having to do very little on their end – like precooling or preheating the building overnight so that they aren’t running their air conditioning system during the day.
See also: Five Ways to Reduce Corporate Waste
Furnace, Boiler, and Water Heater Check Up
When was the last time you checked to make sure your furnace, boiler, or water heater was up-to-date? There is a trend right now for buildings to move more toward electric sources of energy rather than fossil fuel based ones. It is more than likely that your building is using older equipment and that could be costing you a great deal in energy.
High-Efficiency air-source heat pumps are one way to cut down on your energy bill. These pumps can require extra equipment, but will save your facility money in the long term, after your initial investment. To get started transitioning to energy efficient heat pumps, contact your local HVAC contractor to get estimates and a plan.
Energy Data Resources
It should be common practice for your facility to use energy data to understand your building performance. High quality, relevant data will help you determine the areas that you need to improve in order to be energy efficient. For example, an evaluation of all your heating and air conditioning equipment could reveal problems with your system that you were unaware of. To perform these evaluations, you should speak to your local HVAC service contractor and schedule a time for them to review your entire building.
Using these tips can help you save on your energy costs. You will be saving money, and at the same time, saving the environment.
For more energy cost resources, see also: Energy Costs vs. Natural Resources