The modern business places a substantial drain on energy leading to a major impact on the environment. Technology is currently attempting to reduce the usage and costs of usage as well as environmental impact in four different ways.
Smart Shut-Off
When an office is empty, power does not need to be used. When the lights and computers are left on, power is wasted. Any vampire power drain must also be addressed. Sun Run explains, “Vampire Load is an industry term that refers to cost of vampire energy usage. Every household is spending over $200 a year simply due to vampire energy. That number grows exponentially when compared to the usage of an office or work building.” The main causes are the electronics left plugged into a socket. This includes printers, desk lamps, computers, paper shredders, etc. These devices waste a significant amount of energy. The best option is to purchase power strip bars. When everything is connected to one of these devices, everything can be turned off at night by flipping a switch. This not only saves the business money, it is beneficial for the environment.
Smart Climate Control
If there’s any energy need that all businesses share in common, it’s climate control. Verdant explains, “whether it’s air conditioning or heating, every business has the need for some kind of climate control, and often a dedicated HVAC system. And IoT, or Internet of Things, and machine learning are helping businesses save significantly on their energy consumption and costs. From smart thermostats that allow users to program their energy consumption around daily occupancy needs to smart sensors that monitor fluctuations in real-time occupancy, there is no shortage of energy management tools available to help business save on their energy costs.” Climate control can waste tons of energy.
The New Technological Devices
Cost-effective and energy-efficient devices have become available due to new technology. This includes cooling, heating, lighting, refrigeration, computing and transport. These devices save energy through demonstrated, realistic and proven technology. Some of these devices are already on the market and are capable of saving businesses a lot of money in energy consumption. This type of product was designed specifically for energy conservation for businesses.
The Energy Audit
An energy audit is an excellent way for businesses to learn where they can reduce energy consumption without a negative impact on their output. This includes analyzing energy flows, reducing energy output and energy conservation. Correlate explains, “an energy audit is often the first step to identifying a wide variety of opportunities to reduce carbon footprints and reduce energy expenses. But an energy audit can’t be the last thing done. There needs to be extensive renovations on all systems for an energy audit to be worth it. Generally this is done by constant communication with an energy minded company.”
The steps a business takes are not as important as making an effort to decrease energy consumption. Ineffective energy and climate control can waste tons of energy. Lowering energy consumption for businesses has become critical for both the cost and the environment.