We’re back with another list of to-dos to help your business increase operational efficiency and decrease costs. You’ll be astonished at how practical these pro-tips are, and just as alarmed that numerous enterprises fail to follow through with them.
These energy saving tips may bring you miles closer to your actual budget for utilities, instead of away from them.
Lowering Business Energy Consumption
1. Have Your HVACs Regularly Checked And Maintained
More often than not, old and/or irregularly maintained heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems become detrimental to energy utilization. Similar to how refrigerants’ components wear themselves out to keep up with an ageing fridge, the same is true with HVACs.
You may want to consider purchasing newer models instead. According to research, present-day heating/cooling machines will save businesses (and households) at least 30% of their annual energy consumption!
Replacing your old HVACs may seem like a huge splurge. But think long-term. The returns will be sweeter in the coming protracted period, and when you begin to calculate costs in total.
2. Cooling And/Or Heating Loss
Did you know that leaving doors, windows, and refrigerators ajar (even in the slightest) will negatively impact your energy consumption? This is due to what’s known as cooling and heat loss.
Leaving said building fixtures unsealed may push the major components of HVACs, from the heat exchanger, condenser, combustion chamber, evaporator, to the blower motor (among a myriad of other parts) to catch up with said temperature loss. They’ll double up their work, and thus, double up the electricity they consume.
Going back to chillers and freezers, when cool air escapes refrigerators, the compressor will have to raise the refrigerant pressure above average. As a result, it uses up tons of energy. Even worse, it may overheat. This is referred to as “intermittent running”.
A simple act of always keeping tabs on whether you and your staff have closed building fixtures and cooling machines properly is all there is to it.
3. Oversizing Equipment May Not Be Necessary
When businesses begin to climb above their break-even point, the tendency is for the management to heavily invest in replacing equipment with larger ones. After all, a larger workforce and larger production requirements necessitate larger machines, right?
Not always. Sit down with your purchasing team and be specific with the exact equipment needs of your new and broader business operations framework. Extensive machines run on a near-extensive (and expensive) amount of energy spent. So, be smart about your appliance purchasing decisions.
4. Defrost Freezers And Clean HVACs
Freezers that accumulate too-thick layers of ice may affect their capacity to function regularly. Thicker layers of ice will lead to the evaporator needing to compensate to maintain a high temperature.
Secondly, having your HVACs maintained is only one part of the pie. The other is for you to clean them consistently. Your HVACs may be working fine, but if they get clogged with dust and debris, they will be as inefficient as older AC models.
