In today’s competitive market, businesses are all looking for ways to cut their costs without affecting their productivity. Cutting energy use can help you achieve this goal, as well as improve your company’s green credentials. Here are five tips you can use to make your office more energy efficient.
1. Reduce Heating and Cooling Needs
Insulating your office can help to reduce your need for heating and cooling. Even if you can’t afford (or have permission from the building owner) to carry out a major office remodel, you can still reduce your need for air conditioning on hot days by blocking out the sun’s heat before it enters your building. Install sunshade blinds and remember to close them on hot days to reduce glare and overheating.
2. Use Your Air Conditioning Efficiently
Turning the air conditioner on when someone feels too hot and turning it off when all your employees are shivering is not an efficient way to keep your office cool. Instead, install a thermostat and use it to keep your office at a comfortable temperature around the clock.
3. Clean Your Air Conditioner Regularly
Air conditioning systems run much more efficiently when they are clean. Dust and dirt in the filters can block air circulation, forcing your air conditioner to work harder to pump cool air into the office. Cleaning or replacing the filters regularly can help the system run more efficiently, reducing your cooling bills. So make sure that your cleaning crew is taking care of this on a regular basis, but also keeping a couple of office plants can help filter out toxins in the air as well.
4. Enable Automatic Standby Modes
The LCD screens that fill most modern workplaces use a huge amount of energy. Set your computer screens to automatically switch off when the computer is not in use. Also, encourage your employees to fully turn off all devices when they leave in the evening to reduce the electricy drain.
5. Relax the Dress Code
When employees are required to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts in the height of summer, it’s no surprise that they demand to have the air conditioning blasting cool air into the office. Consider relaxing your dress code to let employees dress more appropriately for the season. This could allow you to set your thermostat to a temperature that requires less energy to maintain.
