Improving the energy efficiency at your office can save your company money and also reduce your business's carbon footprint. The following 15 tips will help you improve the energy efficiency in your commercial building.
1. Seal the Leaks in Your Air Ducts
Leaks in your air ducts will cause your HVAC system to run longer than necessary to heat and cool your office, resulting in wasted energy.
2. Install New Doors
Old doors can result in air leaks that make it difficult to regulate the temperature in your building.
3. Replace Light Bulbs
Replacing old incandescent light bulbs with new energy efficient light bulbs can save energy and lower utility bills.
4. Unplug Unused Technology
Unplug any technology that isn't in use currently. For example, after charging laptop batteries, unplug the computers until they're needed.
5. Install Motion Sensors on Lights
Your office bathrooms may go for hours without being used. Installing motion sensors on the lights in the bathroom will ensure that the lights are only turned on when they're needed.
6. Set Your Computers to Hibernate
The hibernate or "sleep" function on your office computers is useful for keeping computers turned off when they're not needed. Have your employees set their computers to go to sleep after 3 minutes.
7. Adjust Your Thermostat
In the winter when your office is heated, turn down the thermostat at your office. In the summer when your office is air conditioned, turn up your air conditioner. Keeping the climate control a few degrees cooler or warmer (depending on the season) will help you save energy and money on utilities.
8. Use Natural Lighting
The cheapest form of lighting is natural lighting. If your office is in a building in with inadequate lighting, have windows installed in areas where people work throughout the day. This will enable you to run your office with fewer lights on at any given time.
9. Install ENERGY STAR Appliances
Appliances (like air conditioners, refrigerators and stoves) that have been certified by the ENERGY STAR program are known to run more efficiently and use less energy than non-ENERGY STAR certified appliances.
10. Install New Windows
Old windows can leak hot and cold air. Replacing your business's old windows with energy efficient windows will save money and enable you to run your HVAC system less throughout the year.
11. Tune Up Building Systems
Building systems like the air conditioner and furnace can lose efficiency over time. Have an expert give your HVAC system and other building systems a tune up. Do this on an annual basis to keep your building running as efficiently as possible.
12. Change Air Filter
A clogged air filter in your HVAC system can make your HVAC system work harder than necessary to heat and cool your building. Replacing the filter on a regular basis will help ensure that the HVAC system runs efficiently.
13. Bring Insulation Up to Code
Insulation helps keep climate controlled air in your building. If your building was built many years ago, the insulation may be old and no longer up to code.
14. Use Power Strips
Plugging your appliances and computer equipment into power strips will enable you to turn off many electronic devices all at once, which can make it easier to save electricity.
15. Use Timers on Coffee Machines
Timers prevent your coffee machines from staying on longer than necessary, which will enable you to save money.
If you're thinking about making structural improvements that will improve your building's energy efficiency, contact Litchfield Builders. With over 20 years experience, we're proud to call ourselves New Haven's premiere general contractor.
