Energy use is a sensitive matter in most offices. The amount of energy an office uses can range from one to three kilowatts, which means that the entire staff could use up to nine thousand watts at any given time. With nine thousand watts, your office uses up to nineteen hundred kilowatt hours per month (KWH/mo).
1. Use Your Air Conditioning Cooler
The main reason why offices use such a lot of energy is because of air conditioning usage. You should invest in a room thermostat that can be used by staff and visitors simultaneously to control the temperature using a remote control. It will allow your team to focus on their work rather than worry about the room temperature. It will also have less impact on your environment than having individual room thermostats because room thermostat settings are not changed as often as those in separate office thermostats.
2. Improve Lighting Storage
Office lighting can be a significant energy drain on your office since the lights are often left on at night, even when no one is there. It is a common practice that most offices use because it is less expensive than using individual light bulbs. However, these night-mode lights waste energy and can also hurt your environment. It may be time to invest in more efficient lamps or fluorescent bulbs instead of those incandescent lights burning overnight. The only way to know if your lighting needs to be more efficient is by checking how much electricity your office's coolers and other devices need to run.
3. Beware of Excessive Staff Travel
Many offices have offices in numerous locations, and they end up with many employees who only need to travel a little within the office area. One way to reduce the number of staff in your office constantly traveling is by hiring part-time employees or additional workers. It will allow them to work at home or at another location where they can save on transportation expenses and still be able to perform their duties. It will also help you reduce energy consumption. For example, if your business is a sales office with staff traveling to clients, you can hire part-timers to do the same amount of work without traveling as much.
4. Look Into Alternative Energy Sources
Energy sources are all different when it comes to their potential environmental impact. The best alternative sources are those that use renewable resources such as solar panels and windmills so that your office is not contributing to pollution in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In addition, these alternative energy sources are more cost-efficient than conventional energy sources like coal or oil. They will allow you to save up on your electric bill over time. Energy efficient solutions for your office may include solar water pumps, windows with solar insulating glass and energy-efficient lighting systems.
5. Get an Energy Meter or Meter Box
An energy meter can help you see how much energy you use every time you turn on a device connected to the power grid. This information can help you know what devices are running continuously and which ones are starting only when used, thus allowing you to reduce power consumption by turning off appliances that are not in use. A meter box is another alternative to a meter, which can be installed inside your office as a device that monitors how much electricity your office consumes at any given instance.
6. Install Energy Saving Devices
Most offices use computers for many things, but it is essential to know that computer screens or monitors can take a lot of energy to power up. Switching from LCD screens and televisions with cathode ray tubes to higher-end models with LED screens can save your office's energy bill. In addition, curtains and blinds are great ways to reduce the amount of sunlight entering the office, thus reducing the need for additional lighting.
Conclusion
There are many ways to reduce the energy you use in your office. However, it is essential to know that not all offices are the same, and some will be able to save more money on their energy bills than others. It is necessary to check out your office's energy consumption rate and see where to improve it if you want to reduce your overall bill.