Office energy efficiency tips
The cost of energy for offices and workplaces has took a sharp increase recently. The ongoing global rise in power tariffs is leading to higher utility bills. Thus, it’s important that businesses invest in eco-friendly initiatives for productive energy consumption. Offices and workplaces should reduce their operational cost by implementing smart energy efficiency measures wherever possible.
In 2022 and beyond, companies must target low-cost power upgrades. In this blog, we’ll cover every aspect of how you can make your infrastructure energy efficient. So, let’s get down and explore more.
What is Energy Efficiency?
Energy efficiency is when a system takes in less energy to generate the same amount of output. Companies upgrade their technological equipment to achieve this reduction in energy loss. They improve their production strategy and processes to gain operational profitability.
Energy efficiency means using minimum input energy to produce a similar output service. However, its quality should not be affected. A system is efficient if the output energy production is slightly less than the input. The main goal of this concept is to reduce energy requirements and avoid wastage.
How to Calculate Energy Efficiency of An Office?
Energy efficiency is the ratio of useful energy (e.g., electricity) over input energy (e.g., sunlight). It is expressed in percentage. One can use this formula to find the efficiency of buildings and electrical systems.
Below is the equation you can use for calculation:
Energy efficiency: (Energy Output/Energy Input) x 100%
Note: Every machine undergoes losses like a frictional loss in the practical world. So, the output will always be less than the input. Hence, no equipment in the world can be 100% efficient.
How Energy Efficient are Office Buildings?
Corporate buildings remain functional for more than eight hours. The heating and cooling infrastructure inside it absorbs and releases tons of energy. Hence, construction owners should use sustainable and eco-friendly materials to build energy-efficient architecture.
The design engineers must install modern insulation techniques, smart lighting, and switching technologies. This will allow commercial structures to withstand extreme weather conditions (winters and summers). Thus, it saves offices from major energy losses.
Average Office Energy Consumption UK
Energy consumption depends on the following variables:
- The scale of your business
- Operational duration of appliances
- Size of electrical infrastructure
- External climatic conditions
- Office building material
Large-scale organizations run heavy machinery, lighting, heating, and cooling ventilation systems. Hence, they draw more energy than small scale companies. According to statistics on smarter business, a micro-business in the UK uses 5,000-15,000 kWh of power. A small-scale enterprise consumes 15,000-30,000kWh. On the other hand, a medium-scale enterprise consumes 30,000-50,000 kWh.
However, commercial energy consumption varies according to the working condition of your appliances. Office electrical equipment like air conditioners, servers, printers, and laptops need routine maintenance. Thus, they will absorb more power if left in bad condition.
How to Improve Energy Efficiency in the Office?
An organisation can go a long way by adopting modern energy efficiency techniques. Some of them are infrastructural changes, others are behavioural adjustments. Below is a list of some of such office energy efficiency tips for lighting:
- Motion Sensors: They should be installed in the hallway, corridors, and gateways. It will make the lighting system efficient. Only the lights will turn on when it detects any movement. Otherwise, it remains switched off.
- LEDs: Incandescent light bulbs waste 95% of their energy as heat. On the other hand, LEDs produce 80 to 90% useful output. Hence, one must use light-emitting diodes and compact fluorescent light.
- Occupancy sensors: Use occupancy sensors in restrooms, lunch areas, bathrooms, and meeting rooms. It will help switch off lights when rooms are vacant.
Where is Heat Lost in most Offices?
Heat is lost in commercial buildings through roofs, windows, floors, and walls. Hot air leaks from the office due to the following reasons:
- Low-quality window glasses. No presence of any coating or film to provide insulation.
- The absence of triple-glazed windows in the office causes low thermal performance
- Lack of roof insulation leads to heat loss and poor temperature maintenance
- Zero roof inspection. Damp and damaged roof tiles cause heat and energy loss
- Floor gaps and cracks result in temperature variations and poor structural strength
Where is Energy Lost in most Offices?
There are tons of new technologies in the market to increase power efficiency. Yet, offices are still losing energy. Below is a list of areas through which commercial structures leak energy:
- Not fixing uninsulated gaps in the pipes and wall cracks causes energy drain
- Poor bearing lubrication and bad airflow in the motors result in overheating
- Lack of inspection of boilers, radiator coils, and steam traps leads to heat loss
- Not updating lighting to a sensor-based system costs the company huge money
Small Office Energy Saving Tips
Energy cost is one of the major expenses an organisation has to pay. However, there are some small office energy efficiency tips that can save you a lot of money. Some of them are:
- Go paperless. If you want to print, you must use the double-sided printing option. Otherwise prefer mailing the message to avoid paper wastage.
- Power consumption rates in peak hours are high. Avoid running energy-intensive machinery during that time.
- Try to control Phantom energy wastage. It happens when employees keep their laptops and monitors plugged in, and unused.
Large Office Energy Saving Tips
Office structures like government agencies consume high amounts of energy. Hence, we have some large office energy efficiency tips that can provide savings. Some of them are:
- Go for energy audits every year. The inspection report will provide power efficiency details. It will let you know about energy-conscious actions that need to be taken to reduce losses.
- Buy energy-efficient appliances because most governments provide tax incentives on such products.
- Go for renewable energy sources like solar panels for energy production. This will make your system sustainable in the long run.
Get a Consultation to Improve your Energy Efficiency
All in all, the world should aim for an energy-efficient, digitised, and greener future. Industry owners must design and invest in energy-saving initiatives to improve business profitability. They should install the latest HVAC systems for efficient power usage. Hence, it will lead to overall lower energy bills for the company. Moreover, it is always helpful to consult experts on such matters.
So, wait no more and contact us today. Our team has the best office energy efficiency tips for your business.
