Going Green Creates Savings for the Commercial Sector

By admin on Oct. 15, 2008.

According to TIME magazine, “Heating, cooling and powering office space are responsible for almost 40% of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. and gobble more than 70% of total electricity usage.”

START NOW
If that’s not reason enough to consider going green, consider this:  There are ways to improve your business’ green factor that can save you money as well.  You may have already heard all about these, but the time to implement them is now!

‘IDLE’ TIME
One huge factor is computers.  You can set yours to power down after 15 minutes of idle use.  According to TIME, this will cut the energy usage by 70%.

DOWN THE DRAIN
Another huge factor: water waste with flushing toilets. Newer toilets use half the water.  An easy fix:  You can use less water by putting a brick (or two, or anything that will take up space but not dissolve or rust) in your tank (at home too).

PLUG UP THE HOLES
Seal all gaps around doors and windows. Add a storm door or self-closing mechanism to reduce the loss of cold air. And, take a hard look at your insulation. Consider adding additional cellulose insulation to your existing installation to decrease your cooling bills.

XERISCAPE
We already know about water shortages here in South Florida, but if you have landscaping that needs regular mowing and maintenance, consider saving the cost of mowing and watering with plants that don’t require so much maintenance (but still look good in the process).  If you cannot change your landscaping, be careful with watering and waste. Invest in a timer for your sprinklers and keep watering to a minimum.  Make sure the sprinklers aren’t watering the sidewalk.

SEEING THE LIGHT
As your old incadescent lightbulbs burn out, replace them with CFLs (compact florescent lights, you’ve seen them: the spiral ones). While CFLs cost more, they last ten times as long for savings of about $50 comparatively over the life of the bulb (according to ABC News).

GETTING SERIOUS
Start at the top!  The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non profit organization that certifies sustainable businesses, homes, hospitals, schools, and neighborhoods through its LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™—a way of giving credits (points) in 4 levels:  Certified, Gold, Silver, and Platinum.  If you are considering new construction, check out the advantages of going green. Commonfire.org is a great, easy-to-read site offering all the answers.