3 Ways to Boost Your Office Building’s EnergyEfficiency

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The Increased Need for Energy-Efficient Office Buildings

Commercial buildings account for almost 20% of the energy consumed nationwide, according tothe American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. 17% of all those commercial buildings arecomprised of the office buildings we use every day. By making our office buildings are as energyefficient as possible, we can save more energy and money!

There are many opportunities for optimizing energy efficiency within these energy-suckingbuildings. We’ve put together the top 6 ways to boost your office building’s energy efficiency.

Make Your Office Space More Energy Efficient in 3 Steps

1. Incorporate Smart Lighting Solutions

This is a vital step to designing energy efficient buildings. Energy efficient buildings make the mostof sunlight. For example, if a structure has a narrow width, it allows the sunlight to reach its interiorspaces more efficiently.

This process is called daylighting. It is the process of using sunlight to illuminate your building.Daylighting reduces energy demands and will make your employees happier.

And, when employees are happy, we know that they are more productive – so much so thathappiness can boost employee productivity by 10 percent.

Nearly half of a commercial building’s electrical energy consumption comes from its electriclighting. Strategic use of daylight can reduce thisenergy demand. When you can’t use daylight,incorporate smart lighting design.

Use Light Emitting Diode (LED) desk lamps inyour office. These energy efficient light bulbsprovide three advantages. LED bulbs last up to 10times as long as compact fluorescents and much longer than your typical incandescent. LED lightsare also more durable since they don’t have a filament. They are solid bulbs, so they will hold upagainst bumping.

So, if your office is hip and equipped with a Ping-Pong table – go ahead and embrace theroughhousing!

Thirdly, LED bulbs prevent heat-build up. They don’t get hot like common incandescent bulbs andcontribute to heat build-up in the office. While the initial cost of purchasing LEDs may beexpensive, there’s a powerful return on investment. You’ll save money (and energy) over time

since LED bulbs last longer.

1. Upgrade HVAC Equipment

Over half the energy used by commercial buildings goes toward heating and lighting. Commercialbuilding owners are forking out a lot of funds – $80 billion, in fact – per year on their heating,cooling, lighting and, other energy services

Upgrade your HVAC equipment – your heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems – withmore efficient models to reduce energy consumption, costs, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).CFCs contain carbon, chlorine and fluorine vapors derived from methane, ethane, and propane.CFCs contribute to ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere.

Before you replace your HVAC equipment though, make sure to evaluate your current heating andcooling needs. This ensures that maximum performance, energy reductions, and cost savings canbe achieved.

Keep in mind that there are tax deductions for incorporating energy efficient solutions incommercial buildings. They can save you a pretty penny or two!

Federal tax deductions reduce the amount of your income subject to tax. It’s available to ataxpayer who owns, or is a lessee of, a commercial building. The taxpayer is eligible if he/sheinstalled energy efficient property as part of the building’s interior lighting systems, heating, cooling,ventilation, and hot water systems, or building envelope. You’ll need to verify that the propertyinstalled satisfies energy efficiency requirements.

Click here to view IRS notices that provide guidance on this deduction.

1. Computer Power Management

Equip your employees with energy-efficient toolslike laptops. Power management is important tosaving energy since your employees use theirlaptops 8+ hours daily. Laptops use 90 percentless energy than their desktop counterparts.

For instance, Apple’s MacBook Air has anincredibly thin design. Apple received a Gold rating from the Electronic Product EnvironmentalAssessment Tool (EPEAT) and an ENERGY STAR 5.0 certification. ENERGY STAR is a U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary program that focuses on energy efficiencysolutions.

Energy efficient laptops use less energy and decrease your company’s electricity costs and carbondioxide (CO2) emissions. The EPA estimates that over the next five years, ENERGY STAR labeledcomputers will save U.S. companies and consumers $1.8 billion in energy costs. The EPAestimates the computers will also decrease greenhouse gas emissions equal to the emissions from2.7 million cars per year.

Energy efficient buildings and their plug loads, such as office computers, need operated andmanaged appropriately to follow through on their energy saving functions.

Boss Controls is where energy management meets micro-management. Our Atmospheres™software technology allows you to remotely monitor your plug loads. These also include your waterfountains, appliances, and window AC units. Have the power to turn your plug loads off at night andpower them back up in the morning – all with the touch of a finger from your mobile device!

We can help you plan and implement a customized cost and energy saving solution for your officebuilding – get in touch with us!