Introduction
Saving energy does not always necessitate the purchase of expensive new equipment; instead, it is often a matter of changing one’s behavior and making better use of existing equipment.
This article provides guidance on measuring your energy consumption, as well as simple steps you may take to begin saving money. This offers suggestions for fostering a more energy-efficient workplace culture. You’ll also get industry-specific advice, data on tax advantages, and information on where to obtain more support.
How to keep track of your energy consumption
What you don’t measure, you can’t manage. So, in order to determine how much energy your company wastes and how much money you may save, you must track your energy consumption.
Keep track of your meters
Take frequent meter readings and compare them to previous months’ use.
Remember:
Consider how cold it has been when comparing fuel utilized for heating your facility. The more energy you use, the colder the period.
Consider your output when comparing energy used in production. The best method to achieve this is to keep track of the amount of energy utilized per item created. Alternatively, in workplaces, by floor space or worker numbers.
Plotting these against each other will help you identify areas for improvement. Simple modifications can frequently result in significant savings. You could, for example, identify equipment that is rarely utilized on weekends and ensure that it is turned off on Friday evenings.
Advanced voltmeters
There are numerous types of advanced metering systems on the market. These can provide you with a thorough picture of your company’s energy consumption that goes well beyond what the basic meter provided by your energy supplier can provide. These are some examples:
Every 30 minutes, half-hourly meters record how much energy is consumed, which is valuable for analyzing energy-use patterns.
Submeters enable you to keep track of specific areas or operations.
A plug-in meter can be “sandwiched” between a power socket and the plug of the monitored equipment; these are inexpensive and useful for measuring minor loads.
Clamp-on meters provide a non-invasive method of measuring hot water flow and are frequently used to identify large energy consumers in large factories.
Intelligent meters
Smart electricity and gas meters are being introduced to assist businesses and households in lowering their rates. Smart meters provide real-time measurements and comparisons that show you how much energy you’re using. This means you can customize your consumption to take advantage of lower off-peak prices. Readings are also automatically reported to the supplier, ensuring that bills are always accurate.
Over the next ten years, it is planned that all companies and houses will have smart meters installed. With some providers now advertising these types of meters, there are opportunities to use this technology right away.
Conduct a walk-around survey
A walk-around survey is an excellent approach to check your company’s energy consumption. This will assist you in identifying inefficient equipment and procedures.
Make your workplace more energy efficient
Saving energy will necessitate some effort on the part of your personnel. Before modifying your procedures, you should communicate with them and acquire their approval.
Energy-saving measures that are difficult, inconvenient, or impractical to execute are likely to be overlooked or abandoned. This will impede any future efforts to minimize energy consumption.
Consider hiring an energy champion who will be in charge of developing new ways to reduce the amount of power you consume. Their tasks could include the following:
reporting any energy waste they discover – for example, equipment left on excessively;
ensuring that equipment and machines are well-maintained and functional;
sharing and collecting ideas to improve the way things are done;
experimenting with and implementing more efficient techniques;
sharing best practices and improvements.
Before making any alterations, keep any health and safety concerns in mind. Could, for example, decreasing lighting in a certain part of your facility make it harder for your staff to walk about safely?
Checklist for conserving energy
Energy efficiency will save your company money by lowering your energy bills. To assist in identifying possible savings, you should:
Conduct a walk-through survey of your firm to identify immediate cost-cutting and energy-saving options.
Assign responsibility for energy efficiency to someone within the company and provide them with the time and resources they need to complete the job thoroughly.
Take regular meter readings to get an accurate picture of how much energy your company is using and where the most savings might be found.
Make contact with organizations such as the Carbon Trust. They provide telephone consultation and on-site visits to energy-intensive industries.
Make sure you’re on the right energy plan. For example, if you have a ‘day/night’ tariff but do not use electricity overnight, your bills are likely to be higher than they should be.
Talk to alternative energy suppliers about the rates they may give you and whether they are better than the conditions supplied by your current supplier.