Effective ways to Save Energy
Energy experts recommend the following tips to quickly and most effectively help you conserve energy, trim costs and gain control over the energy usage in your business.
- Install occupancy sensors on lights in conference rooms and break rooms to save 45 to 60 percent on lighting costs in those rooms.
- Save $30 or more in electricity with each replacement of a traditional incandescent light bulb for a Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) over its lifetime. CFLs use 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer.
- Replace incandescent bulbs in exit signs with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and save about 90 percent on signage operating cost. If LEDs are not compatible with your current sign, a new sign is inexpensive and could pay for itself within a year.
- Save up to 30 percent by using smart power strips to regulate energy use on equipment, such as computers, copiers and printers.
- Enable the sleep mode on office computers to achieve savings up to $20 per year for each computer.
- Use up to 30 percent less energy when you switch to a fluorescent lighting system that operates with energy-efficient electronic ballasts rather than magnetic ones.
- Save about 20 percent in lighting energy use by installing bi-level switching[JR6] to control lighting.
- Cut lighting energy use by as much as 70 percent using timers or setting up a scheduling system to control lights on a predictable schedule.
- Replace printers, refrigerators and other office equipment with products that have the ENERGY STAR® label.
- Insulate your water heater tank to save up to 6 percent in water heating costs.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration www.sba.gov