When it comes to energy conservation in the workplace, most people know about the standard tips and tricks. Whether it’s turning off computers or installing LED lights, many companies are doing everything they can to save money and conserve energy – at least they think so. What you may not realize is there are some atypical methods of conservation that can help you further reduce your energy footprint.
Thinking Outside the Box
Reducing your energy output to extremely low levels requires you to get creative. You must get your entire workforce on board and everyone should have similar goals. Additionally, there should be analytical measurements and tangible goals established for tracking progress and maintaining order.
For larger businesses with more than 100 employees, it’s beneficial to develop a small team to handle the task of improving energy conservation in the workplace. The team should work on creating a plan and disseminating guidelines and protocol to other employees. While the power of brainstorming can produce some pretty good ideas, get your team started by suggesting some of the following tips:
Carpooling initiative. Have you encouraged carpooling in the past, but few have participated? Maybe a carpooling initiative could get your employees excited about conserving energy and reducing waste. Challenge everyone to try carpooling with a nearby co-worker and promise to reward the pair that keeps their commitment the longest with some sort of bonus.
In-house fitness. Do a lot of your employees lead healthy lifestyles and enjoy working out on a regular basis? If so, most of them probably head to a gym before work, during their lunch break, or after work. Once again you can conserve energy by limiting the amount of travel taking place around your business. Companies like SICFIT Scottsdale in Arizona actually work with mid-sized businesses and their employees to bring personal training to you.
Introduce a company work-day. What if you could make your office building more energy efficient and encourage team building at the same time? Try taking one Friday of the year and making it a company work-day. Divide your employees into teams and assign specific tasks to each group. One team could be responsible for caulking windows, another for installing a new energy efficient appliance, and another for planting trees outside. Provide everyone with a list of energy conservation tips and ask them to take care of things that stand out.
Invest in solar. While the idea of investing in solar panels is nothing new, many companies overlook the small things you can do with solar. Everyone gets caught up in the need to install solar panels on the roof, when there are a variety of other energy-saving applications. For example, you can replace existing exterior lighting with small solar powered alternatives. Over the course of a year, you could save hundreds of dollars on your energy bill.
Be Smart with What You Have
Saving energy is more of a mindset than a strategy. If you want your business and employees to conserve more energy on a daily basis, the value of energy conservation needs to be ingrained in their minds. Invest in education and harp on the value of promoting sustainability before implementing any of these tips.