Winter months in Canada are marked by lower temperatures, fewer daylight hours, and higher energy use for heating and lighting. As a result, these colder months of the year can lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs for businesses. However, there are ways to reduce energy consumption and save on energy costs while keeping the environment in mind.
Looking for some simple, yet effective actions you can take in the short term? Here are our top tips for businesses to save energy during these winter months.
Optimize Heating and Cooling Systems:
An organization’s energy consumption can be significantly impacted by its heating and cooling. Install a programmable thermostat to set the temperature to the appropriate level when the building is occupied and lower it when the building is empty to reduce emissions and save on energy costs. Natural Resources Canada recommends setting your thermostat to 17℃ when the office is not in use. This can save up to between 5 to 10% in energy costs!
Regular maintenance is also recommended to keep heating and cooling systems functioning effectively. Annual service to your HVAC system can save 25% of electricity and natural gas costs and extend the life of the unit.
Power Down and Unplug:
When electronics are turned off but still plugged in they use ‘standby’ or ‘phantom power’. Eliminate the phantom power from inactive equipment and appliances by installing power bars. Remember to turn off the power bars at the end of the work day and on weekends to reduce electricity use.
Insulating, Sealing and Weather Stripping:
Electrical outlets allow air to pass through which can result in drafts. Checking for leaks around outlets, windows and doors can help to reduce air loss in your building. Especially if you are feeling drafts, make sure to seal all the leaks. This can save up to 25% of energy usage. The great part is that you can easily do this yourself! Check out these resources on insulating electrical outlets and weather stripping.
Lighting Optimization:
Switching to LED lights from fluorescent lights for indoor and outdoor lighting systems is another way to reduce emissions. LED’s use less than 75% energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent lighting.
To optimize lighting efficiency, install occupancy/activity sensors in rooms throughout your building. These sensors can detect when a room is unoccupied and turn off the lights. This helps to reduce overall electricity consumption and can result in 40% savings on electricity costs. Adding signage to spaces to remind people to turn off lights can help too!
Wrap Up:
Reducing emissions as a business can be both beneficial for saving costs and improving your environmental impact. By implementing these easy, but impactful actions above, your business can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable world while reaping the economic benefits of a more efficiently operating building.
How can we help?
Green Economy will support your business to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by collecting and analyzing consumption data, finding funding sources for projects, and setting reduction targets. We want your businesses to be successful and so we encourage, celebrate and recognize measurable progress. Join the network of businesses that are driving a low-carbon economy and reach out to kaitlin@londonenvironmnet.net to learn more about how we can help your business reduce emissions.
Written by content creator volunteer Ghannush Nithiyanantham
