Smarter Energy Use: Optimising Consumption in the Modern Workplace

Any business is likely to be aware of how much energy they are consuming. This is not only because of the impact on the environment, but also the substantial costs that can be racked up as a result.

That is why it is now becoming important to look at smarter energy use, so here to explain further, the team here at Pressac examine the ways in which the modern workplace can optimise their energy consumption.

Why reducing energy use is important

It seems as though almost every cost is rising at the moment and energy is no exception, which is why many businesses are looking at areas in which they can make savings.

It is estimated that the average small or medium sized business could reduce their energy bills by as much as 25% if they install energy efficiency measures and implement particular behavioural changes. This is a substantial saving that can make a huge difference to the bottom line of a small business.

Of course, energy consumption is not just about the bills, but also corporate social responsibility. Businesses can have a massive impact on the environment through their energy consumption, so it is important to reduce this wherever possible in order to be sustainable and responsible.

Thinking about your lighting

Lighting is something that is applicable to every business and so there are some small changes that can be made in order to reduce how much energy you are using every time you put your lights on. LED bulbs can be a massive saver as they are more energy efficient, and taking your brightness down slightly will also help to use less electricity.

Smart technology can also be very important in helping to reduce your lighting energy use. Sensors will be able to detect how much daylight is entering a space and alter the lights, accordingly, dimming them when there is full sunshine.

They can also help to ensure that lights are turned off on in unoccupied rooms. Occupancy monitoring sensors will automate lighting controls depending on whether the room is in use and can therefore save huge amounts by ensuring that lights are not left on any longer than necessary.

Heating and ventilation

One of the biggest energy costs that a business can experience is associated with heating, air conditioning and ventilation. Studies have shown that reducing heating temperatures by just a single degree can cut your fuel consumption by as much as 8%. In large spaces, this can represent a significant saving.

Smart heating can be very effective in optimising how you use your heating and air conditioning. Not only does it give you the ability to schedule when these systems will be turned on or off, but they can also be linked with occupancy sensors to ensure that it is not being wasted on an empty room.

It is also possible to make use of zonal heating. This means that if you know all your staff members are going to be concentrated in one area for the morning, you can turn off the heating or air conditioning in other spaces, ensuring it is only being used where it is needed.

Most heating and ventilation systems are also thermostat controlled, which means they are only triggered when certain temperatures are detected.

Energy saving appliances

It can be very tempting to leave all kinds of appliances on standby, and some staff don't always manage to do this. However, standby systems can still use as much as 50% of the energy required to power the appliance in the first place.

It is therefore important to check whether any of your appliances have energy saving settings, that ensures they will be turned off when not in use. Many of these appliances will have higher initial investment costs, but savings can very quickly be realised when they start working.

There are also some simple equipment switches that you could make to save on energy. For example, laptops can use 85% less electricity over the course of a year than a desktop PC and yet still offer all the same facilities. You can also optimise the brightness of any monitors that are in use to reduce their energy consumption.

Stay on top of maintenance

Maintaining any systems that require energy can be an effective way to be more energy efficient. Whether it is computer equipment, heating systems or even the fridge in the kitchen, if a piece of equipment has a fault or is not operating correctly, it can be using more energy than it should. It is therefore important that you have a maintenance schedule for all equipment in your business to stop it becoming an unnecessary drain.

There are many smart devices that are now able to inform you of the need for a service or maintenance to help you stay on top of this schedule.

Energy monitoring

If you want to take your energy consumption seriously, then it is important to understand where waste occurs the most. There are a number of environment sensors that can now be used to help monitor and manage your energy consumption so that you can become more energy efficient.

These will track energy consumption and help to highlight any areas of inefficiency through a network of sensors that are distributed throughout the business.

These will collect data on occupancy, temperature, humidity and even air quality and provide real time-data so that building systems can be adjusted. This will help to maximise energy efficiency as well as the comfort of anyone in the building at the same time.

Once you have a good understanding of how your energy is being used, then you can take steps to reduce your consumption and optimise your energy usage more effectively.

Energy use is one of the biggest costs associated with any business, so it is important that you stay on top of it wherever you can. This can involve training and re-educating staff members, but you can also put a number of smart tools to use to help optimise your energy consumption, bringing your bills down and making your business greener at the same time.