As your business seeks means of reducing overhead costs while increasing performance in the New Year, one noteworthy consideration is the lighting in your offices. Lighting can account for anywhere from 20%-50% of a company’s electricity consumption. With one of the highest return-on-investments for office upgrades, lighting with effective design and new technology can yield serious energy savings.
Here are two basic lighting improvements to consider making in order to start significantly contributing to your business’s energy efficiency and savings:
Lightbulbs
Switch to fluorescent lighting systems in place of incandescent lighting systems. Though incandescent bulbs have been around since Thomas Edison first commercialized electric lighting and are a reliable source of light, they are not energy efficient. 32-watt Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), have proven to save about $35 in energy costs over the life of a bulb, in comparison with a 100-watt incandescent. Not only that, but they last longer, meaning they have to be replaced less often, which is particularly convenient for fixtures located in hard-to-reach places.
HID Lamps
Another way to save energy: upgrading mercury vapor lamps, which are the oldest High-intensity discharge lamps on the market that produce a bluish light, to metal halide or high-pressure sodium vapor lamps, both of which offer higher efficacy and better energy efficiency . Because of their high intensity, HID lighting systems light large areas with high ceilings very well, making them ideal for most office spaces.
So how else can you reduce your business’s overall operating expenses? Simple. By joining a Commercial Energy Co-op. Come back next week to learn more about how CQI can improve your company’s energy choices.
CQI Associates provides energy and environmental management services in Maryland, Washington, DC, and nationwide. Our goal is to increase profitability for our clients while minimizing their operating costs. To learn more about our services, please contact CQI Associates by calling 410-740-0667 or visit CQIAssociates.com today!
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