Glass and solar energy specialists at Romag explain why more companies should consider energy efficient architectural design…
One of the defining factors of the 21st century and beyond will be how well humanity deals with the threat of climate change. If the agreements made at the recent Paris conference can be taken at face value, then the governments of the world are seriously committed to curbing the effects of global warming, with 195 of them pledging to keep the increase in average global temperature to below 2°C more than pre-industrial levels.
Sooner rather than later, the repercussions of this agreement will be felt in the private sector, which is sure to be on the receiving end of stricter and stricter green regulations. Businesses are going to have to take steps to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible to keep up with these regulations, and many will have to significantly change the way they run to stay within the limits of the new laws.
The energy efficiency of your business premises is one major factor in how environmentally friendly your company is — improve this and you may not need to make wholesale changes to any other aspect of your business for years to come.
You’ll see the biggest return on investment if you move into a brand-new, completely eco-friendly business premises. This will not only future-proof your company from increasingly strict regulations, but also significantly reduce your overheads compared to remaining in an inefficiently designed building.
However, moving into a new building isn’t an option for a lot of companies. If this is the case for you, there are several ways that you can improve the green credentials of your business premises and reap many of the benefits that you would from a newly designed space.
The first thing you should consider when looking at how much energy you’re using on a daily basis is how much space in your building is being put to good use. A large excess of unutilised space will lead to a significant amount of wasted energy through air conditioning and heating. If you have several unused areas across your premises, consider relocating to a smaller location if it’s possible, as you’ll save a substantial amounts of money on energy bills over the years. If this isn’t a practical solution for your business, consider installing partition walls to separate unused areas to save on energy costs.
You can also improve on the efficiency of your office space by installing motion sensor lights to make it impossible for them to be left on overnight. This is a deceptively large contributor to wasted energy, and this simple solution can make a big difference to your carbon footprint.
The placement of windows and skylights in your office premises is another thing to consider, especially if your business requires a large space such as a factory floor. These provide natural light all-year round, as well as capture the sun’s heat, lowering heating costs.
For maximum energy efficiency, make sure that your walls and ceilings are all thoroughly insulated. For a further layer of insulation, consider installing a ‘green roof’. This will act as an extra layer of insulation, regulating your facility’s temperature year round. In the summer, it will absorb the sun’s heat and help keep your building cool, and it will also capture airborne pollutants and serve as a habitat for wildlife.
Another great way of reducing your carbon footprint is to install solar PV modules on the roof of your building. The energy they generate will reduce your fuel bills, and the government also offers a number of subsidies that make solar PV modules a great investment going in to the future.
To future-proof your business, not to mention save significant amounts of money on your overheads, consider relocating your business to a more energy efficient premises. If this is not an option, then keep these tips in mind to make sure that your office space is as energy efficient as possible. This will go a long way in helping you keep up with government demands and initiatives for years to come.
Romag