Do you know how much energy you use as a business?

It is one of the main business overheads. Yet, business energy is totally essential and unavoidable. A business which uses around 30,000 – 50,000 k a year faces an average annual electricity bill of £5,200. A big slice of this is on lighting – whether it’s for ambiance, to support productivity or for safety reasons.

But, even though the lighting is a necessity, there are a few ways to cut your business energy use which will reduce your bills and slash your carbon footprint. But, you can’t reduce what you don’t monitor – so keep tabs on what you’re using and take simple steps to keep your business energy use as low as possible.

SWITCH TO LED FOR BUSINESS ENERGY

If your commercial premises still has traditional fluorescent lighting in use, you are throwing money away. LED lighting provides the most cost efficient way to light up your business. It is also the most environmentally friendly option, which will help to support your company’s green credentials by slashing your carbon footprint.

LED lights are 300% more efficient than traditional light sources such as compact fluorescents. So, investing in a LED upgrade will slash your business energy use, boost your company’s bottom line and result in strong ROI for the installation and implementation too.

INSTALL SENSORS AND AUTOMATIC DIMMERS

Get smart with your lighting and install sensors in areas which are not in constant use, such as corridors, meeting rooms or entrances. Research has shown that using lighting controls cuts business energy by up to 30%. Commercial venues such as bars or restaurants could also use automatic dimmers to reduce business energy use. This will also contribute to the ambiance of the venue, such as by creating a cosy spot during the dark winter nights.

We worked with our long-term clients Selfridges in London’s Oxford Street to install motion sensor lighting in their seven-story car park. This slashed their energy use, as well as delighting their discerning customers.

MAKE THE MOST OF NATURAL LIGHT

Most commercial venues will benefit from such natural light, whether its a skylight tucked away in a warehouse or a floor to ceiling window in a bar or restaurant. Although obviously any level of natural light cannot be guaranteed around the clock or on every day of the year, make the most of it when you can. Daylight sensors are a great option for this. They will adjust the amount of artificial light needed to take into account what natural light is also available. This can reduce electric business energy use by up to 40%.

If you don’t have the time or budget to invest in that type of technology, you can still maximise the natural light available in your commercial venue or office. As long as you can take into account any issues such as glare or how poor lighting can impact on productivity, throw open those window blinds and let the natural light in when you can. Also, keep any windows or skylights free from obstructions so you make the most of the natural light available.

For some commercial premises, such as factories and warehouses, natural light may be a luxury. But, if possible, try to incorporate some into areas of your facility, even if it’s just the staffroom. Just like the winter months can negatively impact on our mood, energy levels and appetites, so can poor lighting. So, brighten things up to keep your workforce motivated throughout the day.

TURN IT OFF

OK, this is a pretty obvious one. But, you would be surprised how much energy is wasted by leaving lights on when they are not in use. This could be anything from making sure all the lights are turned off at the end of the working day, or flicking the off switch when you leave a meeting room. Also, if you have well-lit areas in your office, turn off any lights which are a bit overkill. There’s nothing wrong with a few strategically placed stickers asking people to turn lights off when they aren’t being used either.

So, you have done all this – do you still really know how much business energy you are using? This is where monitoring comes in. PLM can record a snapshot of your current business energy use to highlight the potential energy saving opportunities. We will then make these savings happen by monitoring your energy use using our intelligent systems and sensors from recommended suppliers. Monitoring can come as standard with any of our lighting projects to make your inefficient lighting a thing of the past.

PLM can install a number of energy saving lighting solutions, including LED and motion detectors, and then we will keep an eye on performance to illustrate just how your savings are adding up. You will see your ROI rolling in as well as resting assured that you’re doing your bit for corporate responsibility too.