As we get back to the office, it gives us a chance to evaluate electrical usage in leased spaces and suites. Reviewing monthly usage can be a first step in identifying high demand devices or behaviors. After comparing notes and maybe even talking to other building owners or suite occupants, if your electrical usage seems unusually high, here are a few ideas to investigate to reduce energy consumption in your office building.
Smart Thermostats
The highest power demands in most offices are air conditioners, furnaces and heaters. Because temperature control is a 24 hour a day requirement, controlling usage in “off” hours is really important. A smart thermostat can usually be operated remotely and potentially be linked together with other smart thermostats allowing you to control multiple at one time. Save energy by programming a daily schedule to set back the temperature during unoccupied time and control when the system fan runs.
Smart Lighting Sensors
Indoor motion light sensors are becoming standard in many office settings. They automatically control lights to turn on when motion is sensed in a space and remain on until motion is stopped for a certain amount of time. Sensors are convenient and effective because once installed, they don’t require maintenance and can reduce overall load requirements by 3-5%. Sometimes referred to as occupancy sensors, motion activated sensors are perfect for bathroom, hallways, and offices.
Window Shading
control in buildings immense power gets consumed by AC loads to maintain the temperatures of the buildings. Windows are a necessary architectural part of any building, but they result in unnecessary or negative temperature changes than a human needs. So, it is essential to shade the windows, which will resist the fast temperature change, which becomes the reason for a lot of power consumption to maintain indoor temperatures.
Energy Management System
An energy management system is a sophisticated method of monitoring and automating your building’s energy needs. It can address heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems (HVACR), lighting, fire suppression equipment, and security measures. It’s possible to install energy management systems in both residential and commercial applications.
Conclusion
Energy cost savings is a top-of-mind for every commercial building owner, operator or facility manager. There are many solutions available that can help you with energy cost savings. These range from implementing sophisticated technologies like IoT to low cost energy efficiency strategies like using natural light and finally using Energy Star rated equipment for long-term energy savings.
Whatever is the solution, ensuring that you implement at least one or two frequently would ensure that your energy costs are considerably reduced and your energy savings are increased.
