In a world that is constantly striving to “go green”, new buildings are designed from the ground up to be as energy-efficient as possible. Older facilities, however, were likely built with little-to-no consideration for energy usage.

Fortunately, in these buildings there is nowhere to go but up in terms of efficiency. If you operate an older facility, here are some easy changes you can start making today to cut back on energy costs:

Upgrade the insulation.

If your building is poorly insulated, your money could be going out the window – or the roof. A professional energy audit is the best way to determine if your current insulation levels are sufficient.

Install LED light bulbs and motion sensors.

If you are still using incandescent bulbs to light your office, you are missing out on a huge energy-saving opportunity. LED lights consume about 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs, and equipping them with motion detectors will make them even more efficient.

Cut back on phantom energy.

Most electronic devices constantly draw power from the outlet, even when they are turned off. Encourage your employees to unplug electronics when they are not being used in order to cut back on this “phantom energy” consumption.

Invest in a programmable thermostat.

Programmable thermostats allow you to preset your desired temperature based on different times of the day and days of the week. You can set these devices to automatically use less energy when the building is vacant; such as overnight or on the weekends.

Service your HVAC system.

A little bit of maintenance can go a long way for your heating and cooling system. One tune-up per year is all it takes to lower energy consumption and prevent future breakdowns.

Consider an energy management system.

An energy management system (or EMS) can help you monitor, control, and optimize the energy consumption of your facility. With real time power measuring capabilities, an EMS provides valuable insights as to what operations are responsible for the bulk of your energy consumption. This makes it easy to identify areas of weakness and work on improving them.

Electro Industries has been helping businesses around the world save money and energy for the past 40+ years. To learn how our power monitoring equipment can benefit your business, visit our website or give us a call at (866) 928-7908.