Inefficient energy use spells trouble for your carbon footprint - along with your utility bills. If you’re trying to conserve energy, consider the small changes you can make throughout your facility to save money on your electric bill. When used in tandem, these tricks can have a noticeable impact on your expenses and your CO2 output.
Ways to Increase Your Facility’s Energy Efficiency
Your facility’s electricity usage is more than just a monthly expense. It’s also a reflection of your environmental impact. When you work to reduce your energy output, you lessen your carbon footprint while also sparing your pocketbook.
Some of the best ways to cut your commercial electricity usage include:
Filling Cracks in Your Windows and Doors
Doors and windows are the most common source of leaks throughout your building. Gaps between a window’s seal and glass can let cold air into your office, and the open space beneath an ill-fitting door and its frame can do much the same.
When it comes to these cracks, one of the best ways to limit your losses is to experiment with gap fillers. You can work with professionals to recaulk your windows and maintain their seals. Rubber and fabric door seals can also stop your heated or cooled air from escaping outside or into other rooms.
You can also consider swapping traditional doors out for revolving doors. Revolving doors prevent heat loss at a greater rate than conventional entryways while more effectively controlling traffic in and out of your building.
Setting Your Thermostat
If you don’t set your thermostat yourself, it may automatically over- or under-cool your facility. And while cooler temperatures can be a boon in the summer, and warmer temperatures seem better in the winter, they tend to cost you a lot of money. If you’re interested in cutting your energy use and sparing your budget, set your thermostat somewhere between 69°F and 72°F. This range tends to play to the average person’s comfort, meaning that you can keep your staff happy while making your facility more cost-effective to maintain.
Lowering Your Water Pressure
The water pressure in your bathrooms, kitchen, and public areas also contributes to your monthly utility costs. Reducing the water pressure throughout your facility also lessens the amount of water waste your business has to contend with from month to month.
Note that you’re free to experiment with this reduction. You can look over your next month’s bill and usage data to determine what kind of effect your conservation efforts have on your business and adjust according to your energy goals. If, for example, there’s a machine in your plant that benefits from a higher degree of water pressure, maintain that machine while making the streams in your bathrooms a little less powerful.
Consider the Benefits of Solar
The use of solar power has grown over the past two decades. Its application in commercial environments can take on many forms. Come winter, you can use solar-powered water heaters to keep water in your bathrooms and common areas warm. Solar-powered lights can keep your office lit all year round.
You don’t even need solar panels to take full advantage of the sun’s environmental benefits. If you have windows that run from east to west in your building, make sure they’re unobscured. Instead of relying on artificial lights, your team can work by daylight.
Find the Balance Between Energy Efficiency and Comfort This Year
Controlling your commercial electric bill doesn’t have to be a monthly hassle. With a few systematic changes, you can balance your building’s energy efficiency and environmental impact. Behavioral changes, like thermostat control, paired with office-wide modifications to windows, doorways, and HVAC ducts, can make your commercial electricity usage a little more manageable.
Are you looking for new ways to lower your energy bill? Call on Tate today for more information on energy-efficient HVAC systems, boilers, air compressors, filtration systems, and more.
