ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons’ Useful Tips For Chicago Businesses – Energy Management
ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons has some Useful Tips on Energy Management for Chicago Businesses. Read below to help you get started. If your property requires immediate Disaster Restoration Services, we are ready to help Minimize Business Interruption and get you back to normal fast.
Greening Energy Management
Are you thinking about “going green” with your commercial property? There are a myriad of ways to do so, many of which are easy to implement.
Energy, waste, water, and cost-savings are achievable goals for any commercial building, and several solutions can be implemented:
High-efficiency HVAC systems
- Green lighting (both energy-efficient bulbs and occupancy-sensing lighting)
- Solid waste reduction and recycling
- Improved roofing insulation (cold climates)
- Ultraviolet light window films (warm climates)
- Automatic low-flush restroom fixtures and low-flow faucets
- ENERGY STAR® office equipment (computers, monitors, printers, copiers)
Energy management changes don’t have to involve a large capital expenditure. Simply look for more energy-efficient options for the products and services you use today.
Day Cleaning to Reduce Energy Consumption
Day cleaning is a traditional custodial service with a whole new twist. Learn how it can help reduce your operating budget while providing the same level of cleanliness.
Traditionally, janitorial and custodial service is performed at night after tenants and employees go home for the evening. While this helps ensure employees are not disturbed during their workday, additional energy is consumed to keep the building lighted, heated, and/or cooled while the custodial staff is doing their work.
Consider day cleaning. Day cleaning brings the majority of custodial tasks inside traditional working hours. This allows janitorial staff to find spots and spills before they set in, develop relationships with building employees, and take greater pride in the facility they clean. Employees and tenants also find increased access to the cleaning crew a plus.
Day cleaning may also benefit your operating budget, as less security is needed after-hours since the janitorial staff is no longer in the building at night.
Energy-
Energy-saving window Film is not just for making cars look “cool.” The right Solar Control Film can make buildings more comfortable and save energy.
Does your building have windows facing the south or west? Are those areas an excessive heat problem for workers or tenants?
Solar heat gain can increase utility bills and stress AC systems, causing them to break down and wear out prematurely. Carpets, furnishings, and other office products can suffer from fading and heat damage.
“Solar Control Glass” can help eliminate this problem, but replacing all the glass on half of your building may not be a very attractive option. Far more palatable is the idea of adding Solar Control Film over your existing windows — a film that can block or reflect damaging light.
But no one wants to make it dark inside either, so getting the right sort of tint or reflectivity can be a careful balancing act. Consider “spectrally selective” film, which allows visible light in but blocks heat and infrared/ultraviolet energy. The almost colorless, transparent, spectrally selective film offers the best solution for many buildings.
Beyond potential energy savings, window film can increase productivity or customer comfort and make a substantial portion of your building usable again.
“Green” Lighting Programs
Changing traditional light bulbs to their “green” alternatives is a quick and easy way to reduce lighting costs in your operational budget.
Many green building practices can require significant capital expenditure to accomplish. Green lighting programs can often be a “quick win” in the steps to achieve LEED-EB certification. Here are just a few ways you can green your lighting:
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs – A few ways to reduce energy consumption through lighting include the use of compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), which use 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.*
Occupancy Sensing – Occupancy sensing lighting recognizes when individuals are in offices or other indoor spaces. When no motion is sensed for a period of time, the lighting automatically dims or shuts off completely.
Daylighting – Daylight integration lighting recognizes the level of natural light in a space. If enough natural light is present, the lighting automatically shuts off completely.
* Source: ENERGY STAR® – www.energystar.gov