Climate change is real. It has been real for the longest time. A lot of organizations still refuse to acknowledge its presence and effects in the present-day situation. But, no one can deny that its manifestations are creating a bigger impact on our lives, lifestyles, and the way we do business.

According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, 35% of the electricity consumed in the US is contributed by commercial buildings. The use of computers and office equipment comprises the largest portion of electricity consumed by the commercial sector. Refrigeration, ventilation, and lighting also contribute to this percentage.

Because of this statistic, the government is proposing and pushing for various ways to reduce energy consumption in the commercial sector and turn to environmental means. There is huge potential to make this happen. But, before we see nationwide improvements, companies that belong to the commercial sector must fully understand first and adapt to these innovative ideas. 

Here are some valuable ideas and tips on how you can adhere to eco-friendly terms with building energy conservation.

Inspect if your equipment is functioning properly.

Regularly conduct equipment checkups to see if these are in good working order. A piece of faulty or malfunctioning equipment utilizes extra energy. Similarly, equipment or appliances that are past their working-age may suffer overuse and take up too much energy to continue to function. Replacing old equipment with a new one may be a better option not just only in terms of energy consumption, but also in the cost-control aspect.

Review your cleaning schedule and methods carefully. 

Maintenance of a building or space may sustain unnecessary costs if not done efficiently. Cleaning a room with a whole team may seem to take up more time rather than assigning a different staff for every room, but the former option is more energy-efficient as there is no need to turn the lights all at the same time. 

Day cleaning can also be considered at this point. Doing so considerably cuts down energy use, as the best time for cleaning and maintenance is established– when the lights are all already being used.

Start with your elevators.

Ensure that you are giving enough importance to clean elevators. Elevator use in a three-story building amounts to 3800 kWh per year. That is equivalent to the average consumption of an American home in 4 months. That is a lot.

Upgrading to newer elevator systems or approaches may be out of the picture and out of your budget, but that doesn’t mean there is no workaround. A good and thorough cleaning, including realignment, at least once a year can contribute a substantial effect on energy conservation. 

Pay good attention to your walls.

Walls play a crucial role when it comes to energy conservation in the office. While open floor plan concepts have gained popularity due to their efficiency in terms of the use of space, this may not be advantageous when it comes to preserving energy.

While very traditional, cubicle walls have proved to be very useful when saving up energy as air conditioning use is contained in a space. 

Consider using partition walls if you want to prioritize energy conservation instead of space options.

Have an energy audit.

If you want to get an idea about how to manage your energy use, you can hire an energy audit company to offer important insights on how to streamline your building’s energy consumption.

Utilize LED for exit signs.

The use of light-emitting diodes (LED) for exit signs is a high-efficient option. Because these are designed to have a longer life span, LEDs offer energy-smart ways as well as reduced maintenance costs for non-stop daily use.

Remind people to switch off equipment. 

Advise people to turn off equipment, lights, and appliances when not in use. These include the photocopy machine, printers, scanners, microwaves, coffee pots, and individual work lights. 

This advocacy must be imposed as much as possible, as small acts of turning off electric-powered devices can significantly reduce energy use in a collective effort. A small reminder goes a long way, indeed.

Raise energy awareness through seminars and programs. 

A company’s commitment to energy efficiency will not be possible without the participation of its people, and there is no way to make them engage in the act without making them aware of it. Conduct meetings and programs that aim to inform them of this advocacy. Spread the word, and provide simple ways on how to save energy in existing buildings so that they know how they can contribute to it. It is also important to let them know how this can be beneficial to all parties.

Make the switch from incandescent lights to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).

Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) provide efficient energy use in a lot of ways. These lights require less energy and emit less heat. They also have longer lives. 

Adopt daylight use. 

If you are just starting to build your office space plan, it is a good idea to incorporate sunlight into the big picture. Huge windows provide an avenue for use of sunlight in the workplace to reduce the need for electricity use. Building your office blueprint around this plan, if possible, already eliminates a huge percentage of electrical costs and promotes natural light use.

Regulate electricity usage after working hours. 

It can be a little bit harder to track electricity use past the usual operating hours. But, you can advise personnel, security, maintenance to minimize their usage to help ease energy consumption.

Regularly maintain and modify ventilation.

One often overlooked energy savings tip for commercial buildings involves the maintenance of the building’s HVAC system. Make sure that the ventilation system is being cleaned on a regular basis. Doing so ensures that the system does not suffer damages due to neglect, and keeps its life longer. Plus, an HVAC system that is not regularly maintained may lead to dirty filters. A dirty filter can cause overwork on the equipment and furthermore lead to poor indoor air quality.

Working on building energy conservation can be too much if you look at it. But, you do this not only because you want to cut costs on electricity. You do this because this is your social responsibility as a tenant of Earth. If more and more companies continue to follow through on environmental ways, then climate change may just become a thing of the past.