The green arrow is upon us, and that means recycling and converting everything to be more energy efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But even if you haven\u2019t jumped on the recycling bandwagon yet, working to make your office as energy efficient as possible will do great things for your electric bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep reading to learn how you can start implementing energy conservation techniques and start saving money now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t long ago that everyone used CFL lightbulbs as their go-to source for indoor lighting. These bulbs are relatively cheap but don\u2019t always last for a long time, nor do they do anything good for your utility bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These days, LED light bulbs are readily available and steadily decreasing in price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
LED light bulbs will bring in a fast ROI, as they use anywhere from 25 to 80%<\/a> less energy than traditional bulbs. But if that wasn\u2019t enough to sell you on energy-efficient light bulbs, these babies can last up to 25 times longer traditional incandescents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the green movement, companies everywhere are switching to paperless, but switching over can do more than help the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you know that office equipment consumes about 7% of commercial electricity<\/a>, adding up to about $1.8 billion in costs to businesses?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can switch your records to paperless, as well as pay stubs and advertisements. These days, social media is one of the best platforms for advertisement anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you haven\u2019t already started throwing away your printers, consider selling old office equipment after you\u2019ve upgraded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have any equipment that\u2019s outdated or borderline prehistoric, you might want to spend some extra cash on upgrading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the years, we\u2019ve learned how to create energy-efficient computers, printers, phones, coffee makers, refrigerators, and pretty much everything else electronic in your office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your employees will think that they are getting a brand new break room, but in reality you\u2019re planning on saving a bundle. Who doesn\u2019t like a twofer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you own your office building you might want to consider installing some solar panels on the roof and around the landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, solar panels capture electricity from the sun, which then gets sold to the electric company, giving you a big break on your utility bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are also several tax incentives for commercial solar panels. The ITC, or investment tax credit, allows you to deduct 30%<\/a> of the installation cost for your solar panel set up, and there is no cap on its value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re in an area with a relatively warm or chilly climate, it would be beneficial for you to invest in some blackout curtains or commercial window tinting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is window tint? In a nutshell, window tint is a nearly clear, plastic film that is installed on the windows. The tint works to reduce heat, glare, and UV Rays from the sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, commercial window tinting is the way to go, but if you\u2019re a small office and on a budget, you can get away with some blackout curtains for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some benefits commercial window tinting include:<\/p>\n\n\n\nGo Paperless<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Update Old Equipment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Solar Panels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Blackout Curtains or Window Tinting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n