How to cut energy usage in commercial buildings? Cutting energy usage in commercial buildings is a challenge for many businesses. There are numerous reasons for this, including the fact that the buildings are typically large and often contain multiple tenants. Each tenant will have their own needs and requirements, making it difficult to manage the building.
The good news is that there are many ways to reduce this consumption, with little or no investment from building owners.
Here are some reliable tips to guide you:
Track Your Energy Usage
Tracking your current energy consumption should be the first step you take to reduce the roaring consumption. The easiest way to do this is by installing smart meters in each building room and monitoring it with an app or software. You’ll get precise information on your electricity usage and where it is used by tracking your consumption. It will also enable you to set up alerts when certain areas start consuming too much power, such as a room full of computers or air conditioning units that could have malfunctioned or need maintenance. In addition, by knowing how much electricity your business consumes and how much it costs, you can begin to identify areas where you can save money on your electric bill.
Focus on insulation
Insulation is one of the most important things you can do to reduce energy usage in commercial buildings. The more insulation you have in place, the more comfortable people will feel at work while lowering their utility bills. It also helps keep buildings cooler during summer months and warmer during winter months — which means less AC use and fewer space heaters needed!
Choose the right ventilation system
The ventilation system in your building can make a big difference in saving on energy consumption. That’s because this is one of the biggest things that affect indoor air quality and how comfortable people feel in their space. If you’re not careful about choosing the right kind of ventilation for your building, you could face problems like mold growth or moisture buildup on the walls and windows. This leads to higher costs for maintenance and repair — not to mention higher utility bills from having to run an HVAC unit longer than necessary just so that people feel comfortable in their space!
Use smart lighting systems
Smart lighting systems are another way to reduce your energy usage. These systems allow you to control the lights in specific building areas. So, if you’re leaving an area but don’t want the lights on, they’ll turn off automatically when they detect no movement for a certain amount of time. This saves both money and energy from being wasted on unnecessary light usage.
Incorporate Natural Light Wherever Possible
You can have a lot of natural light available during the day depending on where your business is located. However, not every firm has the luxury of utilizing enormous skylights or windows for their operations.If this is the case for you, consider installing track lighting above your workstations and desks to give employees some extra light during the day. Also, make sure that any desks that do not have windows are equipped with task lighting so employees can still see what they are doing when working in low-light areas.
Replace Old Electronics
The average lifespan of an appliance or electronic device is six years. If you have equipment that has been around longer than that, it should be replaced immediately. These older devices use more energy than newer models, and they are often less efficient.
Educate your employees on turning off electronics
You may not realize how much energy your employees use when they leave their computers turned on overnight or their phones plugged in all day. Educate them on the importance of turning off electronics when they are not being used so that they can reduce their overall energy usage.
Update your HVAC System
The most efficient HVAC units use a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system, which allows them to respond differently to different zones of your building. For example, if you have an empty office space during the day but are very busy at night, it makes sense to have the system run on low power during the day and ramp up its output at night when people are working. This means that you’re only using as much energy as necessary at any given time.
Invest in a Smart Building Technology
One of the most affordable methods to reduce energy expenses is through the use of smart building technology, which is also simple to retrofit into existing structures. You can find plenty of options on the market today that allow you to remotely monitor and control your building’s temperature, lighting levels, and more from anywhere in the world. These devices can also be programmed to automatically adjust their settings based on how many people are in each room at any given time of the day — which means more efficient energy use.
Consider switching your energy supplier
If you’re not happy with your current energy provider, it might be worth switching, especially if you’re paying more than $100 per month. Depending on where you live, multiple suppliers may offer competitive rates. So, you can compare prices online or by calling local suppliers directly.
Conclusion
How to cut energy usage in commercial buildings? Although commercial buildings come in a variety of sizes and designs, there are techniques to lower your building’s energy usage. If you’re thinking about purchasing new technology or equipment, ensure you consider the expense. You might also want to research how the renewable energy sector could help your business offset the cost of your new investments.
