Greening Your Electricity at the Office - Spring Cleaning Week
Nothing says dirty more than coal-fired electricity and most of us are running our offices from this big source of pollution. Buildings suck up a whopping seventy-six percent of all electricity generated by US power plants. There are plenty of ways to take action, saving your business money and reducing electricity consumption at the office.
Stop feeding the Phantom: Electrical devices can drain energy even when they are on standby. Power down completely whenever possible by using strategically placed power strips. Set it up so all you need do is press one off switch to cut the phantom’s food source. Try the Smart Strip Power Strip or the WattStopper to gain control over idle currents.
Go Natural: One of the strategies of today’s green buildings is to maximize natural daylight for both energy savings and health benefits. Inviting natural light into work and creative spaces reduces the need for artificial lighting. Energy efficient windows let light in without solar gain which means more natural light, lower electric bills and less heat load (which also translates into less AC and less electricity and so on and so on). One simple step, like taking advantage of natural daylight, can increase energy savings and worker productivity to boot!
Choose Renewable: You don’t need to install a wind turbine in the parking lot to take advantage of renewable energy (although there are lots of great innovative possibilities). And choosing renewable may be as easy as checking a box on your electric bill. Check with your utility company for renewable options, they may already offer this in your area. If not, consider purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) as an offset for your electricity use and an investment in the future of renewables. It’s not as costly as you may think.
Got more ideas to green your office electricity? Let us know, leave a comment.
More ways to green your lighting and electricity at Green Building 101: Environmentally Friendly Lighting