hvac
Charting a Green ENERGY Path for Your Business
Making smart energy choices now is more critical than ever, both from a budget perspective and an environmental one. As awareness of green solutions spreads, more consumers are looking for environmentally sound practices for personal use, and expect the same level of awareness in the businesses they support.
Increasingly, businesses are recognizing that using green energy is not only an effective long-term strategy that’s good for the environment, but it also resonates well with consumers who are increasingly looking for companies with environmentally-sound business practices. Here are top tips on smart energy consumption for your business:
- Participate in demand response programs available through your energy provider.
- Use localized power. Construction of on-site renewable generation for businesses can be a viable and potentially profitable means of limiting dependence on fossil fuels and ensuring reliability of power supplies.
- Maintain HVAC systems. Proper maintenance of heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment can maximize efficiency for the long term.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). One CFL saves about 330kWh over its lifetime—a reduction of about 400 pounds of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. CFLs also generate 70% less heat than standard bulbs, reducing the need for air conditioning. (Source: Previously published in New England Hotel Magazine, March/April 2008)
- Use Energy Star equipment. Energy Star offers several office equipment solutions that may be eligible for tax breaks in addition to saving on electricity costs. An Energy Star labeled computer, for example, uses 70% less electricity than a standard model, and in sleep mode, the same computer will use only 4 watts or less. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewal Energy website: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/home_office.html)
