17 Ways to Save on Your Commercial Building's Energy Bill

If you're feeling the heat with escalating energy bills every month, we've compiled a bunch of useful tips to help you save on your commercial building's energy costs.

With Toronto's winter approaching, you'll want to exercise the majority of these ASAP before you kick your heating systems into high gear meaning more energy, and more costs.

Heating and cooling

• Locate and seal any air leaks. For your building's doors, windows, and electrical outlets, be sure to install weather stripping, caulking, and gaskets where necessary to prevent further air leakage or the use of extra energy.
• Take advantage of the sun's energy, even in the winter. Opening window shades on the side of the building the sun hits, and closing them late in the day, is a good way to generate and prevent heat loss. In the summer, close your windows and shades during the day for the opposite effect.
• Clean or replace air filters often. Dirty air filters hampers HVAC equipment performance, making them work harder and longer than required (and therefore eating up additional energy).
• Schedule both preventative and regular commercial HVAC maintenance for your heating and cooling equipment. This ensures they'll last longer, and run at peak efficiency.
• Keep furniture away from radiators, and keep windows closed when your heating and cooling systems are running.
• During non-business hours or in unoccupied areas, turn the thermostat down by two- or three-degrees Celsius.

Water heating

• Low-flow control devices on faucets and toilets not only lowers water heating costs, but helps your business limit water waste.
• Install automatic sensor-controlled faucets for better water management and lower consumption.
• For all water-using devices, consider regular leak detection services. Left to drip, the smallest leak can waste almost 50,000 litres of water every year.
• Setback your hot water tank thermostat. Water heating can eat up over 20% of your commercial building's energy allotment. We recommend setting it to 54 degrees Celsius.

Lighting

• Use natural light as much as possible.
• Swap incandescent lights with LED alternatives. LED bulbs and fixtures use up 80% less energy than their counterparts.
• Keep the lights off in rooms that are empty for extended periods of time.
• Adjust timed outdoor lights in the summertime so you aren't needlessly expending energy.

Office equipment & data centres

• Unplug unused appliances and devices in empty rooms or when not in use.
• Swap smart power bars for standard ones. Smart power bars shut down devices that go into standby mode, saving power usage.
• Turn on energy-saving features throughout all office devices and electronics. Energy-saving mode clocks in 70% less energy than standard modes.

If you feel like you're spending too much on energy on your commercial property, get in touch with Ambient Mechanical, Toronto's trusted HVAC company, for a complete building energy audit.