Commercial property owners, especially those who manage a large number of properties, are constantly dealing with issues that arise. Maintenance requests, repairs, construction projects, tenants – all of these aspects of property ownership can cause headaches and be extremely costly. Energy costs, however, should not be included in this group. Improving the energy efficiency of your commercial properties can be a simple process that continues to reduce energy bills far into the future, allowing continued growth and success for you and your business.
We have provided many tips to homeowners on the best methods for reducing their monthly energy usage and associated bill. Business owners as well can benefit from many of these same tips and find huge savings. If you own a Sarasota area apartment complex, office building, or shopping mall – here are some ideas to lower your costs.
Lighting Concerns: Lighting is the area that has the highest potential for huge returns with minimal investment. A large office space with almost constant lighting usage is a massive drain of energy, but upgrading your lighting system will immediately reduce costs. An older system, especially one not utilizing newer LED bulbs, is a prime upgrade target. The US Department of Energy recommends LED bulbs because of their 90% reduction in energy usage compared to incandescent bulbs. Further improvements, such as motion sensors automatically turning lights on or off, all work together to reduce your monthly energy bills and pay for themselves before long.
Air Conditioning Service: Air conditioning is another aspect of commercial property management that is especially important here in Florida. Cooling a large property year-round is a massive drain of energy, so ensuring your HVAC system runs efficiently and smoothly should be a top concern. New models of ACs are capable of running at reduced speeds, conserving energy by not starting and stopping the system on repeat. If you plan to manage your property far into the future, an early investment in a new system will pay for itself and provide its benefits until a replacement is needed in the far future. Routine maintenance is able to address any minor issues that arise, such as dirty filters or leaks, while also determining if any significant problems have occurred since their last inspection. Allowing a cooling system to continue working in a large space while not at 100% efficiency will increase energy usage and balloon energy costs to absurd heights.
Energy Saving Devices and Technologies: A single computer does not use up much power, but an office space full of computers, printers, and other devices will obviously draw a lot of electricity. All of the devices on your property should use any built-in technologies that save energy, such as the powering down of computers and printers when not in use. These small savings per device lead to massive savings when employed by every piece of technology in the building. Many devices can also be set to either “power” or “efficiency” mode within their settings. If the technologies being used are not critical infrastructure, changing their settings to prioritize energy savings is another way to lower energy costs across the board.
If your bills still seem abnormally high, there may be areas where your appliances and systems are not performing at their full efficiency. Promise Electric is the Sarasota area’s premier electrical services company for both commercial property owners and residential clientele. If you are a homeowner, business owner, or property owner – call today for a consultation and inspection.
