You have the floor stickers and the social distancing plan, but have you considered ways to conserve energy as your employees return after the virus pandemic?
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, office spaces generally use the most electricity for lighting, followed by cooling and computers. Facilities that are not active 24 hours a day can benefit from managing lighting, heating and cooling, and equipment use. Energy Star has no-cost and low-cost changes and resources to help you profile your energy use, give you office-specific tips to conserve and save, and information on where to find online resources.
Here are some office lighting tips:
- Install occupancy sensors to detect the motion of room occupants and turn off lights when not in use.
- Take advantage of technology. Dimmers are available that automatically dim room lights based on the amount of free and natural daylight available. Daylight sensors can also be used to turn lights on and off based on natural light available.
- Employ bi-level switching. This allows your office to control lighting and turn off lights in a room when full illumination is not needed.
Heating and cooling tips:
- Change air filters regularly. A dirty filter can slow down air flow and make your HVAC system work harder and costing you money.
- Tune up your HVAC system annually.
- Install a programmable thermostat. This is ideal for office spaces that may be unoccupied during set periods during the week.
- Seal your duct work. This can save you as much as 20 percent or more.
Efficiency tips for computers and office equipment:
- Print double-sided pages when possible.
- Activate the unit's power-saving or sleep mode after periods of inactivity.
- Purchase Energy Star-certified products and appliances to ensure the most efficiency.
Singing River Electric is your trusted energy partner and source of information. Visit our Business Resource on our website and check out the many resources and links at Energy Star's office resource.
Contact a Singing River Electric energy expert by visiting the My Business section of our website. They can partner with you to find the right resources and information.