5 tips that will help your company to become more energy efficient
Companies around the world often use more electricity than they need, but changing this is not only important, but also easy. Here are a few tips to help your company save energy and reduce its environmental footprint. Suggest these tips to your colleagues/employees and your company will immediately move up a step on the energy efficiency ladder.
Disconnect electrical devices that are not in use
On working days, we recommend that each employee makes sure that all electrical appliances that are not in use at the time are disconnected or switched off. A lot of equipment consumes energy without us noticing, for example, when you turn off the TV set, a small light bulb continues to light up. To facilitate this process, you can use sockets with an on/off button and connect them to devices that, when switched off, continue to passively consume electricity. Most often, they are phone or laptop chargers that stay on in standby mode. At the end of the working day, all that remains is to press the off button on the relevant extension cord and you will not have to think about passive power consumption.
Lower power consumption starts with light bulbs
Make sure your company only uses LED bulbs. Compared to halogen bulbs, LED bulbs consume much less electricity, and they also last longer, even several years. To ensure that the bulbs are not operated unnecessarily, we recommend installing motion sensors that will automate the light switching on and off, thus optimizing your power consumption. However, when possible, it is best to use sunlight by opening all the blinds or curtains in your workplace. This way, you will not only save money, reducing your electricity bill, but also see a smile on your employees’ faces, because sunlight evokes emotions in people that light bulbs, simply, cannot. Although light bulbs are small, they tend to be very numerous in the workplace, and as you change the way they are used, you will see a real change in your electricity bill.
Nowadays, smart solutions for electricity consumption have become very important. Install a special control application on your smartphone, with which you will be able to control motion sensors, various switches – all this can be adjusted to weather conditions, time intervals and, for example, employee schedules. In this way, for example, outdoor lighting can be automated, making it very easy to save energy.
Perform an audit of electricity consumption
In Latvia, energy audits are mandatory for large electricity consumers using at least 500 MWh per year, as well as for large companies, in order to identify energy-saving opportunities. However, if you are a small or medium-sized company – we recommend conducting an electricity consumption audit for you as well. There are several professionals in Latvia who have been doing this for years. With the help of this audit, you will receive detailed information on how to make your company more energy efficient. The energy efficiency expert will inspect the facility, analyse electricity data, evaluate the lighting system and determine the distribution of electricity consumption. In addition, it is also possible to perform tariff analysis and load schedule analysis. At the end of the visit, the expert will give you a list of recommendations for improving energy efficiency based on everything he/she observed during the audit.
Work car – electric or CNG car
If your company provides employees with a work car, you can choose an electric or CNG (compressed natural gas) car. In Latvia, electric car charging stations are growing rapidly, and it is not difficult to install an electric car charging station, for example, in your company’s yard or garage. CNG usage and stations are yet to take off in Latvia but once they do it is also an alternative worthwhile considering.
By using an electric or CNG car for work, your company will save money, as well as leave a much smaller environmental footprint compared to cars that use petrol or diesel. Electric and CNG cars emit 25-30% less CO2 than cars that use liquid fuels.
Save by using natural gas
The use of natural gas in office heating or in industrial processes is a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative. Natural gas is the cleanest fuel; no harmful combustion residues, dust and soot are generated; the burning process leaves only carbon dioxide and water vapour behind. Compared to electricity and oil, gas heating costs can be as much as three times lower. Using natural gas saves space because no storage room is needed. While district heating inevitably brings about heat losses on the way, the local gas heating solution does not waste energy.
You can find more information about natural gas here.
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