1.5 min reading
Originally published in Better Business, this insightful article by our CEO, Tracy O’Rourke, delves into how solving energy waste can save costs while making a meaningful impact on the planet.
And another thing...
Solve your energy waste and save on costs, all while helping the planet
writes Tracy O’Rourke
One of our client, a large multinational had state-of-the-art offices in Dublin. Nobody expected us to discover 60% energy waste! There were several reasons including staff treating the office like a hotel with lighting and heating on all the time, no sensors or controls, equipment grossly oversized for their needs and a gas boiler for heating. The reality is that energy waste is widespread across organisations, large and small.
1. Efficiency – the smartest first step
Efficiency is the hidden quick win that can transform your energy use and costs in under 12 months. It can be completely self- funding with models such as lighting, solar and energy as a service that spread the costs over time, with the supplier taking performance risk.
LED Lighting can save 50%-80%+ of energy and if your LEDS are more than 6 years old it could be worth revisiting. Watch out for significant variation in quality, an energy expert can help you compare technical data sheets. With grants now available, solar panels have become more popular and affordable. Funding options include no upfront cost, instead you can pay a fixed rental or price per kilowatt-hour of electricity used. It may not make sense to cover an entire roof that is partly shaded. Check the yield per square metre and per euro cost to compare design offerings.
Heat Pumps are a terrific carbon saving measure, but electricity costs more than gas. Installing solar panels can help the business case and SEAI grants also help. A Deep Retrofit addresses the entire building at the same time and is the optimum approach from a cost and energy efficiency perspective, and the high energy saving measures such as lighting and solar can help fund the overall project.
2. Green Team
The most energy efficient light is the one that is switched off! Appoint a Green Team to drive awareness and good behaviour. An excellent resource is sustainablelifeschool.ie
3. Significant business benefits
Solving your energy waste can save you money, improve the working environment and operational resilience while helping the Planet. It’s also a compelling customer story. What’s not to like!
