Friday, September 7, 2012

Saving Energy at Work Place - Designing An Eco-friendly Office

Out of all the energy produced by a country, almost a fifth is used up by industrial buildings and offices. An office which is designed according to the purpose of utilizing energy in a resourceful way would not only be able to decrease its impact on the environment, but would also be able to improve the bottom line of the business over the course of time. An eco-friendly office design happens to be a combination of a number of factors such as equipment, location, building features as well as usage. Energy-saving procedures may even be implemented in order to make the cleverest use of effective tools.

When designing an eco-friendly office, it is better to begin from the top. You need to weigh the pros and cons of setting up a green roof which conceals the top of a building with a living deposit of grass, plants or other kinds of foliage that functions similar to an insulator. These roofs adjust extreme outdoor temperature during the summer season and allow the warmth present inside the building to be retained during the cold winter. Installing green roofs can prove to be more expensive, but you need to keep in mind that by decreasing the use of energy throughout the building they are actually able to recover their price and turn out to be profitable in the long run, depending on the climate and the building.

You can achieve the same effect by installing modern shades and windows which are actually much more cost-effective than green roofs. In summer, they successfully prevent the outdoor heat from streaming into the building while they prevent heat from escaping in the winter. Choose the features of your window after considering your climate and requirements. South-facing windows are usually known for admitting the greatest amount of outside heat. Shades may be employed to regulate the access of light and heat during the workday. Different sorts of windows prove to be advantageous for various locations in an office building.

Better climate control features are always welcome in an office. You can install variable thermostats in order to allow executives and staff members to manage temperature settings according to the time of day and the room. The atmosphere in vacant areas like empty offices or conference rooms need to be switched off or lessened or monitored. You should also set the climate control system to shut itself down during the night and at other times when the office building remains bare. You should always make a note of the Energy Star certification when fixing new climate control gear.

Energy saving computers are a great way to ensure that your office is eco-friendly. Computers should come with the Energy Star label. You should also be careful to install them in such a manner, that they function capably. Make use of the power-management settings so that the monitors are ready to turn off after extended periods of idleness. All desktop systems should be placed in hibernate mode after the day is over. Smart power organization allows you to save a considerable amount of money every year.

You could also try and install smart lighting in your office. There are now automated systems available in the market which are able to initiate lighting according to necessity right through the workday, while switching the lights off when not required as well as when the rooms are clear. Fluorescent bulbs are preferable to regular incandescent. Natural daylight can also be used to your advantage. Offices which are outfitted with windows can diminish their dependence on man-made lighting during daylight hours.

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