5 Tips on How Your Business Can Save Money on Your Energy Bills
One of the most common sense business rules is that cash flow “out” should never exceed cash flow “in”. Unfortunately, in these economically dire times, that can get reversed.
A significant but neglected and overlooked area of company savings is energy efficiency. An energy audit can let you see how much your business spends on energy bills and see how it is effecting on your overall profit. Here are 5 tips to help businesses save money and become more energy efficient:
1) Air Sealing
Here are some areas that can benefit from air sealing:
• Holes in walls and ceilings for plumbing and wiring passage.
• Gaps around recessed lighting or fans in ceilings.
• Spaces around windows and exterior doors.
• Holes in walls.
• Electrical outlets and light switches.
• Baseboard moldings.
• Drop ceilings.
If there are gaps or spaces, conditioned air (heated or cooled) is leaking out.
There are many things you can do to prevent air from leaking out. Properly applied weather-stripping, bead lines of caulking, insulated ceiling tiles, and spray foam are inexpensive and easily placed means to prevent energy loss and will give a business noticeable savings on utility bills.
2) Lighting
Your parents had it right when they kept telling you to “turn off the lights”. Keeping your business well-lit can account for up to and more than 15% of your total electric bill.
Start out by switching to energy efficient bulbs.
If there are outside flood lights on your business, a change-over to lights with dusk sensitive switches will cut down on energy expenditure.
Inside, an inexpensive up-grade to motion sensor switches and dimmers can further the savings even more.
3) Insulation
Both heated and chilled conditioned air can easily pass through non-insulated, exterior walls. Wall panels with an insulating foam core can greatly reduce heat or cool from escaping.
Gaps between interior and exterior walls can be filled with rigid foam insulation or the more expensive spray foam. Some rigid wall panels are sided with a foil backing for even greater temperature refraction and energy savings.
4) Windows
Windows account for a considerable amount of energy loss. Metal-framed windows are not good insulators and single-paned windows aren’t either. The addition of storm windows to your already existing windows will increase energy efficiency.
Today’s modern replacement windows are constructed of plastics, vinyls, and energy-saving composites and often come ready to install with their own frames. Many have glass that has been treated with an insulating coating.
5) Air Conditioning/Heating and Cooling
In winter months, a drop in temperature due to heat escaping through drafty windows, leaky vents, and gaps around improperly installed insulation will cause the furnace to fire up constantly, raising your heating bill.
And the same applies for the cooling system. Outside, summertime heat will seep into the cooler space, raising the inside temperature, causing the cooling system to go on all the time. And that means more money spent.
Upgrade these systems as a last resort. Not only is replacement pricey, but enough savings may be seen from the other, more budget-accessible changes, that you might be able to skip this procedure.
Consulting a professional energy auditor such as Dr. Energy Saver can help your business get on the right track for higher savings and less spending. For an up-to-date list of incentives in Delaware, visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. Also, the Center of American Progress has many great tips on how to become more energy efficient and green.
- The Delaware Business Weekly Round Up – June 29, 2012
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