Office Equipment Tips
• Turn off all office equipment and lights every night and weekend. If you can't turn off the whole computer, turn off the monitor and the printer.
• When purchasing PCs, monitors, printers, fax machines and copiers, consider ENERGY STAR® models that "power down" after a user-specified period of inactivity.
• Install free software from the Environmental Protection Agency that puts monitors in sleep mode when not in use. This can save $0.085/kWh of power used by networks.
• If appropriate, use laptop computers and inkjet printers — they consume 90 percent less energy than standard desktop computers.
• Use e-mail instead of sending memos and faxing documents.
• If you need to print, consider double-sided printing and reusing paper.
Lighting Tips
• Retrofit T12 lights with magnetic ballasts to T8 lights with electronic ballasts.
• Replace incandescent light lamps with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), wherever appropriate. CFLs use at least 66% less energy and last an average of 10 times longer.
• Consider removing excess fluorescent lights and installing reflectors. Lighter colored walls need less light.
• Install motion detectors to control lighting in frequently unoccupied areas, such as restrooms.
• Retrofit incandescent or fluorescent exit signs with long-lasting, low-energy LED exit signs.
• Clean dusty diffusers and lamps every 6-12 months for improved lumen output.
• Turn off the lights when not needed. It is a myth that leaving them on uses less energy than turning them off. Turn off signage and other lights not necessary for security and safety.
• Open blinds and shades. Turn off lights in unoccupied areas or in spaces with sufficient natural lighting.
• Use teamwork to reduce lighting loads. Cleaning staff can work in teams (instead of different areas simultaneously) to reduce lighting usage. This can save up to 20% in lighting energy.
HVAC Tips
• Set thermostats at 78 degrees F for cooling in the summer when the workplace is occupied, and 85 F or off after business hours. During the winter, set the thermostat to 68°F when the work place is occupied and 63°F after business hours. The energy savings can be as much as 2% of your air conditioning costs for each one degree that you raise the thermostat.
• Install electronic time clocks or setback-programmable thermostats to maximize efficiency.
• Install locking covers on your thermostats to prevent employee tampering with temperature settings.
• Regularly clean condenser coils, replace air filters, and check ducts and pipe insulation for damage.
• Consider installing an air conditioning economizer to bring in outside air when cool outside.
• Consider replacing old HVAC systems with new energy-efficient systems.
• Install ceiling fans.
• Install blinds or solar screen shades. Use reflective window film or awnings on all south-facing windows. Consider solar control window films applied to existing glass in windows and doors to reduce peak demand during hot months and conserve energy anytime air conditioning might be required. These films can also reduce exposure to ultraviolet radiation and reduce glare. Save 5 to 10%.
• Perform regular maintenance to keep heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems running more efficiently. Maintenance activities can save up to 30% of fan energy and up to 10% of space conditioning energy use.
• Install ceiling and wall insulation.
• Insulate water heaters and supply pipes.
Refrigeration Tips
• Perform scheduled maintenance on units, especially keeping evaporator coils clean and free of ice build-up.
• Adjust door latches, replace worn door gaskets, install autoclosers, and add strip curtains to walkin doors.
• Use night covers on both vertical and horizontal display cases.
• Disconnect anti-condensate heaters.
• Keep refrigerators full (water jugs make good fillers).
• Turn off and recycle your second refrigerator. Many of these secondary units (usually older and less energy efficient) use as much as 40% more energy than a new model.
Food Service Equipment Tips
• Consider replacing some or all electric cooking equipment with comparably sized gas-fired equipment.
• Purchase insulated cooking equipment whenever possible (e.g., fryers, ovens, coffee machines).
• Preheat cooking equipment no longer and at no higher setting than the manufacturer's recommendation.
• Use cooking equipment to capacity. Fully loaded equipment utilizes energy more efficiently. Turn off unused and backup equipment during low production periods.
• Filter fryer oil at least once a day to extend the oil life.
• Don't overload fryer baskets beyond the recommended capacity. Overloading increases cook time.
• Where applicable, replace broilers with grooved or smooth griddles to significantly reduce the associated energy consumption.
• Make sure oven doors fit tightly and gaskets are in good condition.
Other Energy Savings Tips for Commercial Sector:
• Implement a dress code for warm weather. Allow employees to wear comfortable clothing during warm or hot weather. It makes little sense to keep a room cold enough that workers must wear suits and coats.
• Adjust workplace schedules to reduce energy use during the "peak" hours when there is most demand for electricity, typically noon to 7 p.m.
Sources:
http://www.pge.com/biz/energy_tools_resources/small_biz/
http://www.fypower.org/inst/tools/energy_tips.html
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