7 ways to make your business more energy efficient.
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As a business or property owner, you’re constantly looking for ways to improve your services and products, please your customers and tenants, and keep an eye on the bottom line. Implementing energy-efficient practices at your business or multi-family building is an effective and easy way to do all the above.
Using less energy reduces wear and tear on your equipment, cuts maintenance costs, and boosts overall property values on your building(s) and properties. It enhances your public image as an environmentally conscientious corporate citizen and improves the atmosphere for your customers, employees, and tenants. And sustainable methods of conserving energy are better for the big picture, easing strain on our infrastructure, providing new jobs to the economy, and aiding the environment — it’s a win-win.
So here, from your friends at National Grid, are seven ways your business can save energy:
Reducing energy is not just the trendy and responsible thing to do — it’s also good business.
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1. Watch the thermostat
Your HVAC can represent up to 40% of your overall utility costs. Fortunately, there are small things that can reduce energy while not making your customers, employees, or tenants sweat or shiver. Experts suggest keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer. Keep doors and windows closed while the HVAC is running, clear areas in front of vents (blocked vents require up to 25% more energy), and adjust your thermostat (or better yet, install a programable thermostat) when the building is unoccupied.
2. Close the gaps
That’s not just air escaping through the cracks of your facility — it’s money. Make sure all exterior walls, ceilings, roofs, doors and windows are adequately sealed and insulated.
3. Eliminate leaks
Plugging even the smallest water leaks can add up to gallons of water (not to mention stacks of dollars) saved. Install more efficient faucets, showerheads, spray valves, and urinals. And when it comes to heating your H2O, set a maximum temperature, install insulation blankets on older water heaters, and insulate the first three feet of out-pipe.
4. Lighten up
Upgraded workplace and property lighting can do more than reduce energy — it can also improve employee morale, productivity, and tenant satisfaction. Where possible, replace overhead lights with task lights, and equip both with LEDs that use 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs and 50% less than fluorescent lighting. Outside, consider metal halide lamps and LEDs for parking lot lights and signage.
5. Pull the plug
Educate your office employees, tenants, and maintenance staff about ways to save energy, such as turning machines off, putting them in sleep mode, or even unplugging them when not in use. When it comes to computers, consider laptops, which use less energy than desktops.
6. Think about IT
Data centers use 2% of the electricity in the U.S. You can lessen that burden with power-management software that will put your servers in standby mode when not in use. Consider going virtual by using a host server that can run multiple operating systems and applications. And use an outside air or waterside economizer, air-to-air heat exchanger, or dry cooler to keep your data center cool.
7. Maintain your equipment
No matter your business or property type, regularly check all equipment to make sure it’s running effectively and efficiently (and check HVAC systems monthly). Stay on top of scheduled maintenance and formalize a plan to have all major equipment serviced on a regular basis. A little preventative tune-up can go a long way in saving energy and money in the long run.
To learn more about how to implement these and other energy-saving measures, schedule a no-cost energy assessment from National Grid. An energy expert will visit your property and provide customized recommendations on energy efficiency improvements, let you know about any available incentives, and lay out a plan for upgrades, small and large. To schedule an assessment or learn more, go to www.ngrid.com/heretohelp.
1. Watch the thermostat
Your HVAC can represent up to 40% of your overall utility costs. Fortunately, there are small things that can reduce energy while not making your customers, employees, or tenants sweat or shiver. Experts suggest keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer. Keep doors and windows closed while the HVAC is running, clear areas in front of vents (blocked vents require up to 25% more energy), and adjust your thermostat (or better yet, install a programable thermostat) when the building is unoccupied.
2. Close the gaps
That’s not just air escaping through the cracks of your facility — it’s money. Make sure all exterior walls, ceilings, roofs, doors and windows are adequately sealed and insulated.