Top 7 tips to help your business become more energy efficient
Conserving energy is not just good for the environment; it’s also good for business. Every company — whether it has two employees or 50 — can benefit from being more energy-efficient. There are lots of ways to reduce monthly expenditures and help your business gain an edge in the marketplace.
As Quebec’s leading natural gas distributor, Énergir has helped thousands of clients find ways to optimize their energy use and save on monthly bills. Here are seven simple ways your business can conserve energy and reduce its carbon footprint.
LIGHTEN YOUR ENERGY BILLS WITH BETTER BULBS
Does the lighting in your workplace need a makeover? It may be time to replace those old incandescent bulbs with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). They both use less power and last up to 15 times longer, leading to significant energy savings.
CONSIDER A “SMARTER” FURNACE
With Quebec’s bone-chilling winters, heating bills are a top concern for business owners. You may want to think about investing in new high-efficiency furnaces. These furnaces have Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings of 90-97 per cent. This represents the percentage of fuel a furnace converts to usable energy. High-efficiency furnaces will help optimize your energy use and lower monthly bills. These furnaces are also better for the environment. Rebates and subsidies are often available to help cushion the initial capital costs.
INVEST IN A FACTORY ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (FEMS)
For larger businesses with more financial and human resources, it may be worthwhile to investigate Factory Energy Management Systems (FEMS). They can play a key role in helping your business save on energy costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions. These high-tech systems are programmed to manage energy supply and consumption in an industrial setting. The systems collect and analyze data on power usage so customers can identify where energy is being wasted, and where it is being saved. For example, they can zero in on phantom power sources (devices that are switched off, but plugged in and continuing to draw energy), and other factors that deplete energy and lead to higher overhead costs. All of this can translate into significant savings.
LOOK INTO MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT VENTILATION
Proper ventilation is essential in factories and other industrial operations. It helps to moderate temperatures, remove pollutants and reduce humidity. New ventilation systems are available that use less energy. They help manage a building’s ventilation needs based on the changing levels of occupancy and hours of operation. Businesses may also want to consider new heat recovery ventilation (HRV) systems. They make better use of the warmth in stale air moved out of the building to heat up the fresh air coming in.
MAKE THE ENVELOPE OF YOUR BUILDING MORE EFFICIENT
For property owners; there are a number of measures you can take to make your workspace more energy efficient. Simple changes like weather stripping to keep out drafts help reduce costs. Consider upgrading your windows with low emissivity glass to help to repel ultraviolet rays in the summer and keep warm air inside during the cold winter months. Skylights help maximize the use of daylight and reduce your dependence on artificial light. Trees around the property provide shade in the summer, and act to buffer winds. Not only will these changes reduce energy consumption, but it will also raise the value of your property.
HARNESS THE POWER OF THE SUN
Have you considered installing solar panels to conserve energy? Solar power is a renewable source of energy that is also good for the environment. While there are initial costs for installation, the panels require minimal maintenance and can save businesses money in the long term.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels can be installed on rooftops or ground-mounted to generate a supplemental source of electricity for your facility. Solar thermal panels are typically used to heat liquids, like water. The solar energy that is generated by thermal panels can be used in various manufacturing processes, and within HVAC systems.
GET YOUR STAFF INVOLVED
It is important to understand that being energyefficient is a team effort. Launch information campaigns in your workplace to raise awareness of the benefits of conserving energy. Your staff are your greatest resource and can bring new ideas to the table. They may have suggestions on how to better optimize heat recovery for ventilations systems, or new initiatives to make production equipment more energy efficient.
Small changes can make a big difference. They can propel your company forward in a world that increasingly values an ecofriendly approach to business.