1. LED Upgrade Do you still use fluorescent tubes and traditional bulbs? Then, you may be spending much more than […]
The goal of every business is to minimize operating costs and maximize profits. The costs involved may vary greatly depending on the kind of business you run but one cost that is guaranteed to be a significant expense for almost all businesses is the electricity bill.
Regardless of what goods and services you provide, electricity has become an integral part of life, and a major expense for your home and/or company. Even if your business does not use it actively, you will note that electricity still plays a vital role in the form of lighting, heating, and so on.
Given that electricity is inevitable, how can you manage consumption to reduce the cost? The direct answer is energy efficiency. Energy efficiency involves taking steps to reduce energy consumption by modifying lifestyle and behavioral choices and by using appliances that consume less energy.
As such, you reduce your energy consumption which ultimately cuts down your electricity bill and also reduces your carbon footprint which in turn benefits the environment. It’s a full positive cycle.
In this article, we will explore the two main methods to make your business energy efficient, using the right appliances and changing your lifestyle in the office.
Energy Saving Appliances
The electricity bill we receive is the accumulation of the operation of all the electrical appliances we use, including lights, fans, heaters, microwaves, coffee machines, among many others.
The good thing is that there are several companies manufacturing electrical appliances that consume very little energy. Below is a breakdown of a few of these appliances.
➜ LED Lights
Every business uses lights, and whether for indoor or outdoor use, operating lights is a necessity. In previous years, we used incandescent bulbs that consumed high amounts of energy, which was mostly wasted in the form of heat.
>> Related Reading: NSW Schemes For LED Upgrades – $33 LED Upgrade
For you to ensure an energy efficient business, you need to install LED lights. These types are versatile, meaning you can install them anywhere, indoors, outdoors or even embedded in signs. They last longer and are much brighter than traditional light bulbs.
➜ Fans and Air Conditioners
Older fans and air conditioners consume a lot of energy, particularly for cooling spaces in hot regions where these systems have to operate round the clock at high intensity. However, newer units have found ways to make these systems use less energy.
Modern air conditioners recycle the air by pulling cold air from outside and removing the hot air inside.
E-Green Electrical offers energy efficient fans that have inbuilt LED lights, offering two products for the price of one. They also supply the fans to your business and can provide the services of a professional installation team, all for a reasonable price.
➜ Heat Pump Water Heaters
Just like the other appliances, older water pumps and water heaters consume a lot of energy as they operate all the time. It would be wise to install units that consume less energy, thereby cutting down on your electricity bill.
E-Green Electrical is involved in the government rebate program to provide hot water systems to businesses and residents of Sydney under the NSW Energy Saving Scheme.
>> Related Reading: Hot Water Rebates In Sydney Australia – $33 Hot Water Installation 2023
They offer consulting and advisory services regarding your current water heating system and also have a professional installation team to install and set up the heaters procured through the government rebate.
➜ Solar panels
This is perhaps the most expensive improvement to your business, however it will likely have the highest payback. Solar energy is a renewable energy which converts solar energy to electrical energy that can be used to operate all your appliances.
If you want to go a step further, you can buy batteries for storing the electric energy in order to use this energy on less sunny days or at night. With solar panels, you can completely eliminate electricity bills because solar energy may be capable of handling all your consumption needs.
>> Related Reading: NSW Solar Rebate- Everything You Need To Know
E-Green Electrical offers fast installation services offered by qualified professionals. They also offer consultations to help you find the best fit for your business. They also handle all the paperwork involved for getting permits and applications for government rebates.
➜ Energy monitors
Energy monitors are devices that can connect to your appliances in order to monitor and study their energy use and patterns.
These devices help you understand where you need to make changes and where to improve. An energy monitor installed in your business to regulate the amount of energy you use.
E-Green Electrical offers an online energy monitor which gives you unlimited access to real time and historical data. This mobile app is compatible with both android and iOS devices and it analyzes data from both electrical and solar sources.
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E-Green Electrical helps with the installation and with setting up the app and can also provide training and orientation on how to use it.
Lifestyle Changes
Getting the right appliances is the first step in the path for energy reduction, the more important step is using these appliances properly and effectively.
The goal is to lower your electricity bill as much as possible, even to try to eliminate it all together, in case you can employ renewables.
Here are some tips on how to effectively make your business energy efficient and save money.
➜ Create awareness
Your business is most likely going to have people working in it, which means that energy consumption patterns and the resulting electricity bill is not determined by your use alone. Therefore, the journey towards cutting down on energy consumption should involve all those concerned.
Educate your employees on the tips shared and encourage them to make these energy saving habits to cut on their carbon footprints part of their personal lives.
➜ Switch off appliances not being used
Even if you install the most energy efficient appliances, you will not see any change in your bills if you leave them on when they are not needed.
For example, leaving the air conditioner on in an empty room or even something as small as a light bulb can accumulate significant losses. You have to ensure that all electrical appliances in your business are switched off and request everyone involved to pay attention to this.
For appliances that are on, enable the energy saving feature if there is one. This will reduce the energy they consume and doesn’t affect productivity.
➜ Ensure the building is properly insulated
Insulation effectively traps heat and cold within a space using materials which cannot conduct heat. It is important to ensure that the rooms in your building are properly insulated and that there are no cracks or openings that allow air to escape.
➜ Install intelligent lights
Intelligent lights are LED lights equipped with sensors that can detect motion. The light is dimmed down until it detects movement upon which it turns on to its brightest level. These kinds of lights are perfect for outdoors and hallways.
Dimmed lights consume less energy when compared to lights turned fully on, so having them installed ensures they only operate when needed.
➜ Get regular energy audits
There are electrical companies that monitor your energy consumption and operation and help you make the necessary adjustments in order to get an optimized performance.
Employ such companies on retainer contracts to ensure they conduct audits every three months.
Explore government incentives and rebates
In an effort to decrease the negative harm on the environment, several governments offer energy efficient appliances to business and home owners either for free or at subsidized rates. You can take advantage of these assistance programs to electrify your business.
Make enquiries about the different regional and governmental programs and subsidies and find out all the requirements you need to fulfill.
Conclusion
Electrifying your business and making it green is one of the best decisions you canmake. It allows you to achieve two goals at a time: , you get to cut down on electricity bills and you help protect the environment. And if you are lucky to receive a government incentive, you get to complete the process for free.
The journey towards electrifying your business and making it greener may be a long and complex task, depending on the status of your project, but as long as you are dedicated to it, and have trustworthy partners, things will roll out smoothly, and in very little time, your entire business will be electrified.
You can start small, by changing all your incandescent light bulbs to LED bulbs, and gradually tackle more complex systems and updates. Several of the tips provided in this article can be implemented at almost no cost and simply need discipline and dedication.
In a nutshell, once you go green you can never go back, and once you start enjoying the benefits of clean energy, you will find yourself accustomed to that way of life.
Your business is where you make a living, and it is important to maintain operations with as little problems to the environment as possible.
