Some Tips to Help Businesses Save Energy

Energy costs are rising. One thing that we all know is that using technology also uses energy. If it doesn’t run directly off of electricity it runs off of a battery that needs to be charged.

Here are some things you can do to help save energy. Some of these are saving while using technology; others are using technology to save.

1) Charge battery operated devices such as cellphone while in your automobile. If you spend a lot of time in your car, you can use it to charge batteries. Cellphone many times will charge in less time using a vehicle charger than one used in the office powered by electric.

2) Use Audio or Video conferencing instead of traveling.

3) Turn off or set office equipment to power down when not in use. Turning off one computer and monitor nightly and on weekends could save up to $80 a year. It’s a good idea to set PCs, monitors and copiers to use sleep mode when not in use.

4) Choose ENERGY STAR® products when upgrading or adding new equipment. These products meet federal standard for energy efficiency, and are often available at the same low cost as less efficient models.

5) Reduce lighting where possible and take advantage of natural daylight. Turning lights off or dimming them during the day allows for lower energy costs and a more comfortable environment.

6) Install occupancy sensors, timers, or photocells to ensure that interior and exterior lights are turned off at the appropriate time. These inexpensive devices can reduce lighting costs by up to 40 percent by turning off lights in unoccupied areas.

7) Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which can last up to ten times longer. CFLs provide the same amount of light as standard incandescent bulbs, but use up to 75 percent less energy.

8) Replace incandescent lights in exit signs with LED fixtures, which can reduce costs of these signs by up to 95 percent.

9) By having equipment turned off or in low energy modes during periods of inactivity those items are generating less heat. Fluorescent bulbs and lamps as well as LED also generate less heat than incandescent lights. This saves on air conditioning costs.

10) Install programmable thermostats or time clocks to automatically control temperature settings on heating and air conditioning equipment. Adjust the thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer and shut off when not in use. Even a few degrees can significantly reduce heating and air conditioning costs.

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