Do it with energy

Energy is one of the most underestimated areas of workplace waste.

You can save plenty of money by investing a little time to get energy-savvy practices going in your workplace. 

General

• Turn off equipment when not in use
• Timers are a great idea - especially on equipment like water boiling units and photocopiers
• Consider energy efficiency in all purchasing decisions
• Reduce your use of water and resources
• Include energy efficiency in contracts with cleaners and security staff

Lighting

• Make use of natural light where possible
• Only turn lights on when needed
• Replace lamps with energy efficient alternatives (egg compact fluorescent's use 1/5 the energy of standard globes and last around 8 times as long).
• Remove lamps from areas with excess levels of light

Heating and Cooling

• Insulation reduces the need for heating and cooling
• Minimise air-conditioning run times by matching operating times with occupancy hours.
• Turn your thermostat up and degree or two in summer and down a degree or two in winter. You won’t notice much difference and air conditioning will be much more efficient.
• High efficiency split or window/wall air conditioners use 20% less energy than similar low efficiency systems.
• Use fans.
• Keep windows closed when using refrigerative air-conditioning systems.

Refrigeration

• Always buy a system that best suits your need
  Ensure your system is adequately insulated
• Keep your system well maintained

Compressed Air

• Avoid using excessive pressures.
• Where possible use other alternatives to using compressed air.
• Remove bends and unused sections wherever you can.
• Check for leaks on a regular basis.

Hot Water and Steam Systems

• Locate the use of hot water close to the supply.
• Reduce your water use.
• Maintain your system well - leaks will increase energy consumption.
• Use high efficiency showerheads and fittings.
• Ensure your system is adequately insulated.
• Maximise condensate return.

Office Equipment

• Use ‘sleep’ and energy saver functions, not screen savers, on your computers.
• Turn equipment off at the socket when it's not being used and at the end of the day
• Look for energy efficiency (and recyclability of machines and consumables) when purchasing new equipment
• Try to group copying or printing tasks in batches
• Only print colour when essential

Motors and Drives

• Make sure your motors are correctly sized for the task. Oversize motors run at lower loads use more energy than a smaller motor at high load.
• Consider installing variable speed drives on motors with fluctuating loads.
• When purchasing motors always ask for a high efficiency model
• When considering having a motor rewound, remember that this will reduce the motor efficiency.

Recycle @ Work has based this information on material provided by the State Government’s Sustainable Energy Development Office which has lots of resources for businesses of all kinds and sizes – you can find out more here

www1.sedo.energy.wa.gov.au

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