Electricity and your office – reducing usage means reducing your footprint
One of the biggest areas of carbon creation is electricity. For many businesses it is the single largest factor contributing to their carbon footprint. But most importantly there are a multitude of ways to reduce this usage and lower your environmental impact.
Making changes can make a real difference in your office (or workplace). And if you complete energy reduction actions as a united team, it can bring more than just a lower carbon footprint to your work environment.
So, first up, to make the biggest dent in your energy usage, try to do the following:
involve your team and co-workers to generate ideas
research the ideas put forward, and look online for more
take time to develop a plan
measure what you are doing
share your results with all in the office
The more people that have buy in to these initiatives you create, the better the outcome will be for all in the business.
Now to the practical stuff – here are some simple ideas to start the ball rolling on your electricity reduction program:
Use the off switch – so much equipment still uses power, even when you are not using it
Use light switches, or better still, see if you can have automated lighting installed so the lights are only on when someone is using the room
You can save 100% off your lighting bill by switching them off totally if there is enough light from outside
Is your lighting the most energy efficient. LED lighting is leading the way with efficiency and life span
Computer efficiencies – switch off your computer screen when leaving for the day, and see if it is possible to switch the computer off totally
Think before you print – pdf if possible
Use your HVAC system carefully. Try not to set temperatures that are too extreme – around 20 degrees is comfortable for an office space
Check the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) website for possible funding
Is Solar PV possible?
Purchase an amount of green energy to offset the carbon producing energy your office presently using
I hope you find these actions helpful in some way to reduce your offices electricity usage and carbon footprint. Also worth noting is that your bosses will be thrilled with these actions as the expenditure on electricity will drop as well.
For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email hello@ourfootprint.com.au or call 0414 662 445.
You can also find loads of FREE information on our website Resources page at www.ourfootprint.com.au/resources