As reported on the US Buidling Design and Construction site, BOMA (thats The Building Owners and Managers Association) to commemorate Earth Day and bring awareness to the importance of energy conservation in commercial buildings, published their top 10 ways for building owners and managers to reduce energy consumption. They are:
1. Check that Equipment Is Functioning as Designed
Regularly inspect all equipment and controls to ensure they are functioning as designed.
Double-check
Energy Management System (EMS) programming to make sure that operations
are optimized. One firm corrected an EMS software programming error
from “And” to “Or” and saved $3,700 annually.
2. Consider Your Cleaning Options
Team Cleaning-Janitors go through the building as a team floor by floor, and the lighting is turned
on/off as they progress through the building.
Occupancy Sensors-Install
motion sensors that will turn lights on when janitors are cleaning and
automatically turn them off when the floor is vacant.
Coordinate-Have
janitors coordinate with the security crew to walk through the building
and turn off equipment that was inadvertently left on by tenants.
Day Cleaning-Why not have the janitors clean during the day while the lights are already on?
3. Encourage Tenants to Turn Off Equipment
During off hours, make
sure to power down everything – such as copiers, kitchen equipment and
task lights. Use cleaning/security personnel to turn off miscellaneous
items such as coffee pots, kitchen equipment and individual office
lights.
4. Use High Efficiency LED Exit Signs
Replace inefficient exits
signs with high efficiency LED exit signs. LED exit signs operate 24/7
and have lower maintenance costs due to their extended life.
5. Institute an Energy Awareness Program
Create promotional
items, post posters, write news releases-tell everyone about your
commitment to energy savings. Use your company newsletter and
company/building announcements to keep tenants informed about your
energy savings goals and how they can both help and benefit.
6. Install Monitor Power Management Software
In U.S. companies
alone, more than $1 billion a year is wasted on electricity for
computer monitors that are left on when they shouldn’t be. Avoid those
wastes by installing power management software for computer monitors
and CPU/Hard Drives.
7. Change Incandescents to CFL and HID
CFL lights use less
energy, have a longer lamp life, and produce less heat, thereby
reducing heat load. Also, check the lighting in restrooms, closets,
server rooms and some common areas. Thanks to the 2005 Energy Bill,
lighting retrofits and upgrades that meet energy efficiency
requirements may be tax deductible, up to $.60 psf.
8. Harvest Daylight
Locate workstations requiring high illumination adjacent to windows.
9. Evaluate After Hours Usage
Talk to the tenants to learn if
they are actually using their space during the lease-required operating
hours. Adjust building operating hours to reflect actual tenant usage.
10. Adjust Ventilation
Reduce exhaust and outdoor-air ventilation
rates within codes. Take a look at the fans and adjust ventilation in
unoccupied and low-density areas to reduce the ventilation to a
practical, yet comfortable level.
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