As a commercial business, you want to reduce your overheads and improve energy efficiency as much as possible.
Thankfully, there are a number of actions that you can take when it comes to energy saving to help condense some of those nasty costs – some are small actions and some are bigger – but well worth it – investments.
You may also have a corporate responsibility to follow best practice when it comes to sustainability, not only to demonstrate to your clients and customers that you are leading the way in this area and going above and beyond where your competitors are not.
Importantly, as of July this year, any commercial building that is 1000 square metres or larger, is required to disclose their energy efficiency rating.
How to improve energy efficiency
Take a look at some of the most effective ways that you can minimise your energy output, improve energy efficiency and boost your rating.
Temperature control
Heating and cooling systems (and mass refrigeration, such as cool rooms and freezers) can account for nearly half of a building’s energy consumption, so this is a vital area to review.
Plug load controls
Plug loads are generally comprised of computers, coffee machines or kettles and other equipment.
Plug load controls are a device used to manage heavy duty power loads, particularly for off peak or other scheduled times and help to eliminate phantom loads.
Often they are controlled remotely and are wireless and can automatically turn off plug loads when the premises are vacated, via a schedule or when it has hit a threshold.
Greensense suggests that up to 25 per cent of usage could be attributed to plug loads, perhaps even so much as 45 per cent.
Sensors
“… most commercial buildings are empty for over 6000 hours a year (72% of the time)”
Like most corporate or commercial spaces, it is a safe assumption that not all of it will be used all the time.
Installing occupancy activated sensors for lights and temperature control, helps to cut out unnecessary expenditure in unused areas and with idle power outlets, including power strips that have often expend power at all hours of the day, as opposed to just when the building is occupied.
Learn more about how sensors can greatly impact your business.
Lighting
Given that lighting can account for up to 40 per cent of a building’s energy costs, it’s conservative to use natural light where possible and incorporate larger or more windows and skylights where structurally available. Skylights are a great way to triple the amount of light that enters your office or commercial building, without the bill.
Double glazing and energy efficient window frames all contribute significantly to your energy efficiency.
It’s reported that
“…gaps and cracks around doors, windows and skylights can add up to 25 per cent to your heating and cooling bills.”
Maintenance
Ensure that you perform regular maintenance on big items including air conditioning and wiring systems to ensure they are performing at their peak.
Ongoing preventative maintenance will be able to identify and eliminate any power draining faults or problems early on.
It may pay to upgrade any outdated equipment or electrical structures, particularly as many systems are so advanced in 2017 that it is well worth the upgrade cost.
Monitor regularly
It’s a great idea to monitor your energy efficiency and usage regularly.
Check your improvements quarterly and against the preceding year to ensure the changes you have made are yielding results and keep refining and tweaking until they do.
Do you need help to improve energy efficiency in your building? Contact us today.
