Take a look around any shopping mall and you will see an assortment of lights, escalators, electronic signage, charging stations, and other devices that consume more energy than you can imagine. It should come to as surprise that malls consume a ton of energy – up to 650 kWh per square meter each year. In contrast, an energy-efficient office building may consume only 30-40 kWH per square meter.

 

If you help operate a shopping mall, improving your bottom line is as easy as cutting down on energy consumption. Here are five ways you can get started:

 

1. Upgrade lighting fixtures.

Does your shopping mall still use incandescent light bulbs? If so, your lighting costs could be up to eight times more expensive than they should be. Newer LED light bulbs are not only more energy-efficient, they can last ten times longer and produce less heat.

 

2. Optimize facility scheduling.

Most shopping malls are only open about for about 12 hours per day, yet they are consuming energy 24/7. While some operations (such as security and refrigeration) may be necessary around-the-clock, others are not. Should you really be paying to light an empty building?

 

3. Service the HVAC system.

Shopping malls cover massive amounts of space, and keeping that space at a comfortable temperature doesn’t come cheap. If you are neglecting to maintain your facility’s HVAC system, it becomes even more expensive. At the very least, your heating and cooling units should be professionally serviced once per year.

 

4. Install motion sensors wherever possible.

Thousands of dollars could be wasted on energy in empty rooms. Installing motion detectors on lights and bathroom fixtures can significantly decrease both electricity and water waste. These sensors are relatively small investments that can quickly pay for themselves.

 

5. Invest in an energy management system.

Energy management systems not only provide you with energy consumption data for your entire facility, they can provide segmented data as well. Knowing exactly where your energy is being used can help you easily identify inefficiencies, and work on correcting them.

 

Electro Industries is a worldwide manufacturer of energy management systems. For the past 40+ years, we have helped shopping malls all around the world reduce energy consumption, operating costs, and their carbon footprint. Check out our shopping mall case study to see how we can help you, or call 866-928-7908.