There are many ways in which your business can do its bit for planet Earth and reduce its carbon footprint. Recycling, having a lift-share scheme, reducing the amount of business fuel usage and adopting sustainable procurement principles are all great examples of common ways to help Mother Nature keep us on an even keel. But by far the most effective thing a business can do is reduce its energy usage. How? Read on, concerned Earthling!
Turning off office appliances can have a huge impact on your carbon emissions.
- Office Equipment
The things we use on an everyday basis, such as computers, printers and scanners, all have a significant impact on our carbon emissions. Discuss this with your employees and agree to adopt a “switch it off” mentality. Take a look around your workplace and make a list of all the systems and devices that can be safely switched off at the end of the working day, and then make it one person’s responsibility to take care of a particular item. Be sure to take advantage of any automated shutdown features devices may have too; the vast majority of computers will have a setting that will auto-shutdown the system after a period of inactivity.
- Web Hosting
Linked to the above (but not always the most obvious way to be a bit greener), your web hosting service could be leaving a large carbon footprint behind! It is estimated that emissions from powering data servers alone will exceed those of the airline industry by next year. There’s no denying that’s a gigantic impact on the environment. Ensuring your business uses an environmentally conscious web hosting service means they will “offset” your energy consumption by supporting the development of the renewable energy sector and helping to create viable alternatives to fossil fuels.
Green-conscious web hosting companies will offset the energy consumption their services use.
- HVAC
That’s right, our old favourite… heating, ventilation and air conditioning should be a major consideration for any organisation looking to go green. Have your old HVAC systems serviced on a regular basis, or even consider upgrading to a more modern & efficient system. Check the thermostat every season and make sure you have it set to a conservative level and with logical timing; there’s no point in your workplace being a toasty 23 degrees over the weekend if there’s no one working until Monday morning! You could also consider investing in greater insulation for the premises, which will again reduce your energy consumption and could help you to save money on your bills.
- Lighting
Making the switch to LED lighting is a brilliant way to help both the environment and your bank balance. LED’s operate at a far lower temperature and require much less energy, and they also provide far greater light for a working environment. The old fluorescent tube-lights require 6 times more electricity than modern LED lighting, and they contain mercury which is a hazardous substance. Combined with the fact that old lighting systems are a major cause of eye strains in offices all over the world, you can see why changing to LED’s is becoming a no-brainer for many organisations.
Don’t forget what we wrote about in our recent article on rainwater harvesting, too. This is another great way for your business to do its bit for the world! If you’d like to discuss modernising your workplace, give us a call on 01462 484022 or send us an email and you’ll be chatting to one of our friendly experts in no time.
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