Energy Savings for Your Business
It's important to keep your small - or not so small - business running as efficiently as possible. This includes financially sound decisions, of course, but have you thought about the impact that a bit of attention to your energy use can have on your bottom line? There are a myriad of simple, cost-effective ways to conserve power and money starting today.
Illuminating Methods of Savings
First begin by raising thermostat settings a few degrees during occupied hours, and turning down or completely turning off the air conditioning during unoccupied hours. A programmable thermostat can be set to take care of this for you of your employees.
Turn off office machines and equipment overnight, or when they're not needed. "Phantom loads" can quickly build up from the variety of professional or industrial machinery and computers typically found in any business. This energy waste comes from devices sucking up power even while they are in the off position, and can add up to 75 percent of the electricity used by such appliances!
Get your employees involved in the effort to save energy. They will be excited to be included, especially if you make it official by forming a committee or providing a small reward or compensation for those who directly contribute to saving the company money through energy efficiency.
Simply turning off all the office and building lights at the end of each work day can lead to instant savings on your next power bill. Taking it one step further, you can install automatic room-lighting controls that will turn lights on or off at the appropriate times of day. This can include motion sensors that respond to people entering the room for added convenience, and to prevent waste in lesser-used areas like bathrooms or storage closets. Be diligent about cleaning bulbs, fixtures, lenses, lamps and reflective surfaces on a regular basis. Upgrade the bulbs throughout the office. Replace the incandescent floodlight bulbs in your recessed can-lights with the 50 watt halogen floodlight variety to reduce power use by half or more! Also, use compact fluorescent lamps - the same ones you may be using at home - in as many places as you can think of.
If you are serious about getting your company in the best shape possible in regards to energy, a professional energy auditor can provide you with a detailed analysis and a comprehensive plan to get you going. She or he might suggest areas that are actually over-lit, allowing you to remove fixtures and maintain productivity for your employees. Switching to task lighting can reduce energy from powerful general room fixtures.
As an easy way to keep your building cooler in the summer and reduce air conditioning costs, consider using a tinted window film on all exterior windows. These products reject solar heat, reducing cooling costs in much the same way as insulated windows or shades would. Please note that window film should be installed by a professional - she or he will know how to best apply the product in order to offer the longest life for the product and the maximum energy savings for you!
C. Robinson is the owner of The Tint Guy, an Atlanta tinting company, specializing in automotive, residential, and commercial Atlanta window tinting. Founded in 1986, the company now has three brick and mortar locations in the metro Atlanta area. The Tint Guy is the only full-service 3M window film dealer in Georgia, providing expert sales and installations of the complete line of 3M window films. Learn more about Atlanta tinting at http://www.TheTintGuy.com/.
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