While winter is the time when businesses usually think about saving energy, there’s ample opportunity in the summer months, too. We have several energy conservation tips that not only reduce energy consumption in a commercial setting, but also save money this summer and throughout the year.
Energy Conservation Tips
- Use ceiling fans in the office throughout the day. The moving air will cause employees to feel cooler thanks to the wind chill effect. This allows you to bump up the thermostat a few degrees without anyone feeling discomfort.
- Turn off lights and other equipment in unused rooms, and do the same after hours. If someone’s working late, make sure they don’t keep the whole business lit up.
- Replace energy-wasting fluorescent light bulbs with energy-efficient CFLs or LEDs.
- Don’t use large office equipment between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. In most areas, these are peak energy-use times with higher electric rates.
- Don’t let solar heating compromise your air conditioning. Close blinds and curtains when sunshine is streaming through the windows, or consider applying solar-control window film to banks of windows that get sunshine all afternoon. In the winter, take advantage of solar heating by opening up the blinds and curtains, but first make sure glare from the sun isn’t a problem for your employees.
- Upgrade manual thermostats to programmable models. They allow you to set energy-saving temperature adjustments to match your business’s schedule. There’s no need to fully cool or heat an empty business at night. If your business occupies a large or multi-level building space, a zoning system will provide independent temperature control in separate areas.
- Make sure the building owner schedules annual HVAC system maintenance. This will save on energy bills while ensuring a comfortable workplace.
For more energy conservation tips, or to discuss how to make your business more energy efficient, please contact the heating and cooling pros at Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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