Commercial buildings use about 20 percent of America’s total energy use. Cutting energy costs in commercial buildings can be a bit challenging, but not impossible. These buildings have people in and out of them all day and often at night too. So, how do you cut down on the energy being used? Here are a few tips to reduce your buildings energy consumption to help you save money.
Control the lighting
Lighting is one of the main factors that use up a lot of energy causing the electricity bill to rise. Energy consumption from lighting varies between 40 to 70 percent of a buildings total use. If your building is using traditional light bulbs it is a good idea to replace them with LED lights. LED lights use much less energy and last longer than traditional bulbs.
Another approach is to install lighting dimmers in each room. Lighting dimmers combined with timers or occupancy sensors are very effective energy reducers. Light bulbs can last 20 times longer when they are used in dim mode throughout the day.
Control the power factor
Heating, cooling, and ventilating are responsible for a great amount of buildings’ energy use. Depending on how old your system is, it may be in your best interest to install a new system. Newer units can greatly improve air quality.
Implementing a building energy management system can help program your air systems to adjust to their most efficient levels when no one is in a certain room or area of the building. Implementing a building energy management system can allow you to control the cooling and heating in individual rooms. This is extremely energy efficient because if only a few people are in the building you do not have to heat or cool the whole building you can just turn the air on in certain rooms.
Shut off equipment during off-hours
Encourage everyone in the building to turn off all equipment during off-hours. This includes computers, copiers, individual lights, fax machines, kitchen appliances, etc.
Insulate your building
Adding insulation is important because it’s an easy way to save energy. Insulation is not expensive, so it is very much recommended in all commercial buildings. Studies show you can save up to 10% of your energy bill by installing insulation to seal your buildings. Don’t install insulation for just the windows and walls, make sure you also install it for pipes, HVAC ducts, and electrical outlets.
