Reduce the Impact of Rising Energy Costs
by Tom McBride, Partners for Creative Solutions, Inc.
Rapidly rising energy costs are placing heavy pressure on many
business budgets. To help reduce the
impact we have assembled a list of tips for businesses, many of which can be
implemented quickly at little or no cost.
Getting started - Begin by
encouraging employees to be energy conscious.
Call your local utility to arrange an energy audit of your facility and
learn about their energy rebate programs.
Lighting costs are substantial for
most businesses.
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Turn lights off in areas when not being used.
Contrary to popular belief, turning lights on and off uses less
energy than leaving them on. |
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Install occupancy sensors in warehouses, conference
rooms, store rooms, restrooms, etc. |
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Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent
bulbs that use 75% less energy and last much longer. |
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Replace older light fixtures (example: replace T12 fluorescent
fixtures and magnetic ballasts with T8 fixtures and electronic ballasts). |
Heating &
cooling often represents half of a businesses’ total energy cost.
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Install programmable thermostats to reduce
heating/cooling costs at night and on weekends. |
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Reduce air leaks by caulking and weather stripping
around doors and windows and installing foam gaskets behind receptacle and
switch plates. |
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Ceiling fans in air conditioned spaces allow you to
raise the thermostat setting. |
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Allowing employees to wear cooler, more comfortable
clothing during the cooling season will help reduce cooling costs. |
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Arrange for annual check-ups on HVAC equipment to
ensure optimum performance. |
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Consider high-efficiency units when adding or replacing
HVAC equipment. |
Equipment
| Turn computers (at least monitors) and other office equipment off at night
and on weekends. Utilize power management settings to save energy during
work hours. Smart power strips can sense the presence of people and can turn
off certain equipment when not in use. Photocopiers use as much energy as
5-7 desktop computers. |
| Laptops, inkjet printers and flat panel (LCD) displays use 90% less energy
than their desktop, laser, and CRT counterparts. |
| Reevaluate any practice of leaving industrial equipment on at night or on
weekends. |
| Shift use of heavy electrical equipment to "off peak" hours to
avoid peak use charges. Learn about peak hours from your local utility. |
| Replace leaking seals and gaskets on freezers, ovens, and similar
equipment. |
| Replace large, highly used, electrical motors with high efficiency units. |
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