Steps to Improve Your Facility’s Energy Efficiency

According to recent studies, it has been found out that businesses waste around 30 percent of their energy behind commercial buildings all across the world. As organizations are becoming increasingly focused on reducing energy waste, they are looking forward to facility managers getting suggestions regarding new ways of improving the energy efficiency of their buildings. 

We all know that the profession of facility management is associated with the comfort, functionality, and safety of facilities. This is why facility managers are positioned uniquely to leverage the operational efficiency initiatives and enhance the energy efficiency across the facilities. As they are closely associated with every facility that they manage, facility managers have a more comprehensive understanding of specific challenges and opportunities unique to every facility and they can best advise on how to integrate processes, people, and technology to achieve maximum efficiency. Whether you want to achieve energy efficiency as a part of your organization’s corporate sustainability program or view it as an operational investment program or simply want to cut down on the expenses, there are various ways in which facility managers can improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. 

• Manage the energy-using equipment proactively: the secret to maintaining comfort, safety, and functionality of building systems is to make sure that equipment is properly maintained during the routine checks and when preventive maintenance is carried out. Equipment checks often go overlooked since facility managers often pay more attention to pressing issues. When maintenance requirements are not attended to for a prolonged period of time, they result in equipment damage and asset inefficiencies. When planned preventive maintenance takes place on a regular basis on energy-using equipment, facility managers can identify leaks and repairs more easily. The use of CMMS software can be used to track the need for equipment maintenance and repair. It can also help identify errors and failures and locate contracts and maintenance work related to compliance. The data that is collected with the help of these systems often give a deep insight into asset performance and it can be used to enhance energy efficiency.

• Use lighting and HVAC controls: by effectively using control solutions, facility managers can greatly improve the HVAC and lighting systems. No matter what technology you use, when the lighting is turned on in an unoccupied room for a prolonged period of time, energy obviously gets wasted. One of the most popular type of lighting controls that is used today are the occupancy sensors. They go on and off automatically as and when they detect any motion. These sensors can be installed in different ways like wall mountings,  ceiling mount and in the fixture. In areas where there is enough lighting already present, automated daylight harvesting systems can be used to adjust the levels of artificial lighting. Timers are another popular way that make sure that lights are turned off when they are not needed, especially in open and large areas. This can be done by time clock or computer controls. The lighting control sensors are also be applied on external lightings. A lot of pole lights in parking areas are equipped with photo cells or even motion sensors. The best way to take full advantage of lighting controls is to properly check if the programming is correct during routine checks. It is also very important to consider the factors of occupant safety and comfort when you are installing the lighting control systems. The occupancy based HVAC control systems can be used in a similar way like the lighting controls are used. Existing mechanical thermostats can be replaced with programmable thermostats that can regulate the space temperature. Once the programmable thermostats are installed, you need to ensure that they complement the safety and comfort of the occupants.

• Refurbish the existing buildings: there is a great way to modify and refurbish existing and old buildings with the help of technology to make them more energy efficient. A recent study shows that more than 80 percent of the energy is wasted when lights and electrical appliances are left on unnecessarily and gaps in the environment of the buildings allow the air to seep through. When organizations take the approach of refurbishing buildings, they are able to plan for and install new equipment and technologies. When an existing building is rebuilt, a lot of old and outdated equipment and electrical systems are replaced with new ones that are more energy efficient. Now, when you refurbish old buildings, you will need a lot of data and information for details related to the facility. The use of a facility management app makes it easier to locate crucial building and equipment information like floor plans, shut offs, As-Builts, emergency procedures and the like, in seconds, on mobile devices and tablets. 

Using energy efficiently is one of the best ways to save costs, eliminate green house emissions and manage facilities better. When organizations invest in enhancing the energy efficiency of their facilities, they are able to create a more sustainable environment for society at large.