Cutting back on your startup’s energy usage has a lot of positive environmental benefits. At the same time, it also can save you a lot of money. Simple changes involving heating and cooling, lighting, and recycling can make a big difference in your company’s impact on the environment. No matter how big or small your business is, making some minor changes in your day-to-day operations can dramatically reduce the amount of energy that your company uses on an annual basis. Try putting these tips into action to start saving power today:
HVAC Maintenance
Maintaining a comfortable temperature inside your office space uses a tremendous amount of energy. According to Josco Energy NJ, scheduling regular HVAC maintenance is the best way to ensure that your heating and cooling systems run as efficiently as possible, minimizing the amount of power that they require to operate. When it starts to get hot outside, try turning on fans instead of relying on air conditioning. This can result in dramatic energy savings. You can also make changes with an eye toward the future. For instance, you could plant a grove of trees on the sunny side of your building to create shade, helping to keep your office cooler overall. This, in turn, can reduce your reliance on air conditioning.
You may also want to take a closer look at greenhouse windows. They may be a good option for startups, even in a loft building. Not only are they attractive but they also can pay for themselves over time.
Take A Look At Your Lighting
Lighting is another area where you may be able to save. Switching out incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient light bulbs can significantly reduce your power bill. This simple change doesn’t cost much to implement. However, it can make a major change in the amount of power that you use. Lighting accounts for an estimated 50% of the energy usage in a typical commercial building. When you consider how much energy you can save, it is easy to see why this is such a great upgrade to make. If you are only going to make two changes, upgrading your lighting and maintaining your HVAC system will give you the biggest return on your investment.
Learn About The Three Rs
Chances are, you have heard of the three Rs at one point or another – they are “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle“. Implementing these concepts at your place of business can help you significantly cut down on waste. The “reduce” part of the phrase means finding ways to use less. For instance, maybe you could print on both sides of the sheet of paper or order supplies in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging that gets thrown away. You could also find ways to reuse products that would otherwise be discarded. For products that do need to be thrown away, explore whether or not they could be recycled instead of tossed in the trash.
Turn Off Your Devices
Try not to leave any electrical devices running when you leave for the day. Reduce energy usage is easy with better daily habits. Don’t just allow computers to go into hibernation mode. Instead, shut them down fully, making sure to turn off computer monitors and printers, as well. Consider plugging all of your devices into power strips so that you can easily shut them off completely with the flick of a button. Don’t forget about small appliances like microwaves and coffee makers as well as peripheral devices like scanners, printers, and copy machines.
Keep Energy Efficiency In Mind When Shopping For New Devices
When deciding which devices to purchase for your business, always consider how energy-efficient they are. Even though you may have to pay a little bit more money up front for energy-efficient computers, printers, or other devices, the extra money can usually be quickly recouped through energy savings. Best of all, you also get the peace of mind of knowing that your business is doing everything it can to protect the environment.
An important part of being a responsible startup owner is minimizing energy usage and the impact of your company on the environment. By taking steps to improve energy efficiency in the workplace, you can reduce your carbon footprint while at the same time cutting back on your monthly expenses. That is good news no matter how you look at it.
