How to Increase Your Company’s Energy Efficiency in 2023
Finding savings, no matter how little, is crucial for the bottom line of many small businesses. In 2023, the cost of energy will climb at an unprecedented rate, which will have a big effect. If you own commercial real estate, your expenses may skyrocket, especially if you live in a cold climate where heating and lights use up a lot of energy for at least six months of the year. Saving money can be achieved via lowering energy costs. Businesses might cut their energy expenditures by up to 20% by adopting a few easy adjustments. Additionally, the government’s website advises that you can qualify for tax exemptions or reliefs depending on certain circumstances, such as: you use a lot of energy due to the nature of your firm;
Since your company is small and doesn’t consume a lot of energy, you invest in energy-saving equipment.
Here are some strategies for lowering energy expenditures for your company:
At night, turn off your computers and monitors.
In a workplace, running computers and displays consumes 50% of the electricity. While running, the average computer consumes 40W, while a monitor consumes 80W while in standby, utilising 10W to 15W. Like many other electrical appliances, computers use energy even when they are in standby mode. When a computer is off but hooked into a wall outlet, it typically consumes between 1.5W and 3W of power. It might be cost-effective to turn off monitors and computers at night.
Use LED lighting
About 58,000 terawatt hours (TWh) or 18% of all energy used. 70% of this is accounted for by commercial lighting. Less than 80% of the energy used by conventional incandescent bulbs is used by LED lights. They are more expensive to purchase than conventional light bulbs, but they last longer and are less expensive to operate. Therefore, switching to LED would allow businesses to save money on their electricity costs.
Use laptops instead of desktops
Compared to desktop computers, laptops are up to 80% more energy-efficient. Model per model, energy usage varies, but overall, they are more energy-efficient.
Your windows should be draught-proofed or double-glazed.
Not usually doable if you rent rather than own the property. However, there are inexpensive techniques to reduce draughts in your space, which will reduce your need for heating.
Put in a solar panel
This can be an option if you have the appropriate kind of roof and own real estate.
Invest in a new heating system.
Less energy-efficient options include outdated electrical heating systems and old gas boilers. Even after accounting for the upgrade expenses, new boilers are far more energy-efficient and can result in long-term financial savings.
Improve your lighting infrastructure
Install sensors that go off when someone walks into the room. These work very well for outdoor lighting.
