With the warm weather here, it’s time to start brainstorming ways to save energy at your business this summer. No matter how energy-efficient a business is run, there’s almost always room for improvement. Following are some relatively simple energy conservation tips for businesses. Some are specifically for the summer, though most can be implemented year round.
Effective Energy-Saving Tips for Businesses
- Close blinds on the sunny side of the building during the day in the summer to avoid solar heating. In the winter, open up the blinds to allow the same solar heating to supplement internal heating, as long as it doesn’t create unwanted glare.
- Install ceiling fans to supplement air conditioning during the summer months. Ceiling fans can make individuals feel three or four degrees cooler than the actual temperature. This allows you to set back the A/C by the same amount.
- When possible, avoid using large machinery or equipment during peak energy-use hours between 3pm and 7pm.
- Turn off lights and equipment after hours, except what’s needed for security.
- When purchasing electronics, HVAC equipment, windows, insulation and other products, choose those with the Energy Star seal of energy efficiency excellence. This seal certifies that the product has met strict energy efficiency guidelines without sacrificing performance.
- Set office equipment to energy-saving sleep modes when possible.
- Consider commissioning a professional energy audit for your business. This methodical, comprehensive assessment will show exactly where your building is wasting energy and provide a road map for long-term energy savings.
- Make sure your business is equipped with one or more programmable thermostats. These “smart” devices allow you to program energy-saving temperature changes to accommodate your business’s daily and weekly schedules. If you have a larger or multi-level facility, introduce zoned temperature control with separate thermostats that have independent temperature controls.
- Switch out old-school fluorescent light bulbs with energy-saving light emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Done in sufficient quantity, this can glean substantial energy savings over a year’s time.
For more energy conservation tips for businesses, please contact us at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning. We proudly serve businesses and residents throughout the Twin Cities metro area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy conservation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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