In this page you will find tips to help an organization improve it’s energy consumption. They come from our book 144 ways to reduce your organization’s ecological footprint.
Sell Your Own Electricity
If a small river flows on your property or you have significant winds blowing in your area, you can invest in renewable energy sources and sell your surplus electricity to a local provider. This not only saves money but can make your organization money, too. If your energy source is intermittent, this method can offset the costs of using network energy when your own system is not enough.
Use Alternative Sources of Energy Without Investing
More and more, electricity companies are starting to offer consumers a choice between a main source (which is often coal, unfortunately) and an alternative source like wind, hydro or solar power. In some regions you can choose that the electricity company buy the equivalent of your consumption from a renewable source with the click of a mouse. This will also entitle you to advertise your commitment to the environment and thereby encourage others to adopt the same practices.
Solar Power
Solar power takes the energy provided from the sun and converts it into electricity. Solar power is considered by most to be the greenest of the renewable energies. This industry is growing and new ways of using it are being developed, such as using solar shingles made out of solar cells combined with slate, metal or asphalt roofing. This is done by placing solar panels on the roof, on a post, or away a little, preferably facing south for optimum performance and dependent on municipal regulations. Various web sites describe their installations, the different products offered, and the savings associated with each. Solar panels are also easier to find and more cost efficient these days. Most city organizations operate in buildings with flat roofs which are ideal for solar panel placement since they’re not visible from the street. Another way to use solar energy is through passive heating. In a nutshell, passive heating works by absorbing as much of the sun’s heat as possible, typically by placing more windows on the south side of a building.
Use Electricity at the Right Time
Commercial and industrial electrical consumption accounts for 45% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Try to avoid consuming unnecessary electricity during peak hours, which are usually from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM, and 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. These are times when most people get ready for the day or return home from school or work. Check your utility bill for surcharges or add-ons so you can see when your business consumes more power. Electricity providers need to plan to support demand at peak times, so try to put measures in place to reduce your electricity requirements during these periods. One way you can do this is to offer your employees the opportunity to come in at staggered times. This can be based on operational needs and personal needs. You may want to go bi-energy and heat with gas at those times and normal electricity the rest of the day.
Wind Power
Wind power is effective in areas where sustained winds are present. Wind is the world’s fastest growing renewable energy source. It converts kinetic energy into electricity with a turbine. Take time to pick the right location for a wind turbine and the effort will serve you later by being more effective. Also, wind power disrupts wildlife, so make sure that this impact is limited as much as possible.
Right Heating and Right Cooling
Right heating is the concept of heating just enough at the right time. Using programmable thermostats or programming you central heating system is how you achieve this. The main advantage is that you can reduce the temperature when not required. For example, when you sleep, you can easily reduce the heat by a few degrees and also when you go away for a vacation, weekend get-away, or even to work. This can easily help you save 5 % to 10% of your energy consumption on a yearly basis, and these devices are better at keeping the desired temperature. Because a programmable thermostat’s precision level is higher than that of older models, you’re certain that the room stays exactly at the temperature you’ve set.
Formal dress codes with long sleeve shirts are less suited to summers or warmer climates. Requiring your employees to dress formally also requires cranking up the air conditioning to maintain comfortable conditions. Start by having casual Fridays, where people can wear short-sleeve, open-necked shirts so your organization’s temperature can stay a little higher. After that, you can adopt a summer clothing policy that is in effect between specific dates you choose. If you feel this may not be well received by customers, provide closet space so your staff can keep more formal attire for certain occasions.
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)
CFLs are four times more efficient than traditional bulbs and last longer. Although they are contain gas, if disposed of properly at an approved recycling center, the benefits of a CFL’s 50% to 80% energy savings more than compensate for the gas used in production. Make sure you put these bulbs in rooms where the lights stay on for a good period of time, since turning these lights on and off reduces their life span. If you turn on CFL-based lights and need to leave the room but will return in just a few minutes, leave the lights on instead of turning them off.
Lighting Tips
To make sure you use lighting energy more efficiently, start by having your bulbs and neon lights cleaned frequently so the light generated is crystal clear. Second, luminosity is better if most of the wall colors are pale. Third, when a task requires focused task lighting, turn off surrounding lights when not required.
Replace your Light Bulbs
Did you know that traditional bulbs use 5% of the energy needed to light and 95% is emitted as heat? With CFLs, this ratio is 80% light and 20% heat. Don’t throw your traditional light bulbs away, but as your bulbs burn out, start replacing them with CFLs to gradually use less energy.
Assess Your Energy Opportunities
Do a complete tour of the work area you want to renovate and perform an energy audit. An expert can do this more efficiently, but common sense is enough to start with to take advantage of the most obvious opportunities. Questions to ask yourself are: Is natural sunlight used to its full potential? Is the temperature set correctly and does it go down after work hours? Can CFLs be put in some areas? Is the Energy Star logo on all equipment? Can green power be purchased? Are my electronic devices setup for sleep or hibernate mode?
Motion Activated Lighting
Don’t just rely on yourself or your employees to remember to turn off lights when leaving a room. Use motion sensors to activate some lights. This type of lighting can be used outside, like at the emergency exit door which can also discourage burglars. Inside, low traffic areas or rooms that are busy at given times such as the break room are also good places to install motion activated lighting. If you want to install these lights but are faced with the fact that sometimes there’s no movement and the lights turns off, find a light with a timer attached to the sensor so that if there is no movement for some time, it doesn’t turn off.
Smart Strips
Smart strips are a great way to reduce energy not in use. Most appliances use energy even when turned off. This can be to maintain an internal clock or simply to power that little light that tell you the device is turned off. In any case, we can all agree that this energy is wasted. Smart power strips are designed so that you plug in a main appliance and peripherals. Once the main appliance is off, all the power going to the peripherals is also shut down. Consider smart strips for your PC, stereo or TV system.
