"Work smarter, not harder" is a valuable adage when it comes to business – and energy efficiency. Finding new ways to maximize productivity and maintain focus has proven to have a positive and long-term impact on success and engagement at work. The same goes for energy consumption.
A steadfast commitment to energy conservation can help your business reduce costs, enhance productivity, and save energy. If your business doesn’t have an energy conservation plan in place, there is no better time to start fostering a culture of sustainability, decreasing utility expenditures, and minimizing environmental impact.
Here’s how:
- Start with an energy audit. Analyze your current energy usage to determine how, when, and where energy can be optimized or reduced throughout the building from equipment upgrades to insulation to lighting systems.
- Upgrade HVAC system. Regular maintenance is key to optimal HVAC efficiency all year round. Changing air filters, scheduling seasonal checkups, and sealing gaps and ducts can go a long way in maximizing the performance of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in the workplace.
- Switch to energy-efficient lighting. Replace traditional incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs and use motion sensor lighting to automatically turn off lights when rooms are unoccupied. Remember to take advantage of natural light vs. overhead lighting whenever possible, too.
- Invest in energy-efficient appliances. When replacing older equipment, choose certified Energy Star appliances that help businesses save money and reduce their environmental impact. The Energy Star voluntary program certifies products that meet today’s strict energy efficiency requirements.
- Insulate the building. Ensure your building is adequately insulated to minimize heat loss during the winter and prevent the demand for excessive cooling in the summer.
- Educate employees. From posting information on energy conservation to finding fun ways to engage employees, there are many ways to encourage each individual to do their part. Consider a company-wide energy-conservation campaign to launch an initiative and recognize your team’s ongoing commitment to the effort.
- Keep employees in the loop. Update employees with consistent communications and feedback on these efforts by sharing energy conservation wins at work.
- Go green. Many companies are going green by promoting a paperless workplace. Reduce paper usage by switching to digital documents, emails, and cloud storage, to conserve the energy used in printing, copying, and distributing physical documents.
Elizabethtown Gas delivers several energy-efficient solutions and incentives that enable commercial and small business customers to improve energy performance in several ways.
- Direct Install: The Direct Install program includes an energy assessment with recommendations and may pay up to 80% of high-efficiency upgrade costs for small businesses.
- Prescriptive and Custom: Designed to help customers reduce operating costs by installing high-efficiency natural gas equipment at your business.
- Engineered Solutions: Provides consultative services to large commercial or industrial customers interested in comprehensive energy efficiency solutions.
- Energy Management: A holistic approach to improving building energy performance through maintenance, tune-up, and retro-commissioning services.
Learn more about these energy-efficient programs for your business today.
