Energy Saving Office Tips

Office Equipment

• Turn off PCs, monitors, printers, and copiers nightly and on weekends. If unable to switch off the entire computer, turn off the monitor and printer. Don’t use screen savers.
• When buying PCs, monitors, printers, fax machines, and copiers, consider buying Energy Star^® models that can switch to a power-saving mode when not in use.
• Use a laptop computer instead of a desktop computer. The laptop will consume 90% less energy.
• An ink-jet printer consumes 90% less energy than a laser printer.

Weather-Strip, Caulk, and Shade

• Install weather-stripping around exterior doors and operable windows, and around doors between cooled and uncooled spaces.
• Install door bottoms and thresholds to seal gaps beneath exterior doors and doors to uncooled spaces.
• Install window treatments: shade screens, shades, awnings, or overhangs.
• If exterior treatments are not feasible, consider interior window film, insulated drapes, valances, blinds, or removable insulation material.
• Caulk cracks and gaps around windows and doors, in the building foundation, and between different building materials.
• Repair roof leaks. Insulation loses effectiveness when wet.
• Repair and maintain weather stripping.
• Keep doors between cooled and uncooled spaces closed. Install automatic door closers if needed.

Lighting

• Turn off non-essential and decorative lighting, especially in unoccupied areas.
• Replace flickering, dim, and burned-out lamps.
• Clean fixtures and diffusers as often as necessary.
• Color-code or mark light switches and circuit breakers that can be turned off when not needed.
• Use task lighting to directly illuminate work areas.
• Lower the height of light fixtures if possible to increase usable light.
• Replace burned-out lamps with lower-wattage lamps or energy-saving lamps.
• Replace T12 lighting systems with T8 energy-efficient fixtures.
• Install high-pressure sodium fixtures in parking lots.
• Install time clocks or photoelectric cells to control exterior lighting, advertising sign lighting, and some interior lighting.
• Paint dark walls and ceilings with lighter colors to maximize the effect of existing light sources.
• Use natural lighting when possible.
• Install dimmer or occupancy switches where appropriate to lower energy use in stairwells, copy rooms, and restrooms.
• Schedule janitorial services during the day, or use a minimum number of lights when cleaning.
• Color-code switches that should remain off when crews are cleaning.
• Trim bushes and trees away from outdoor lighting to maximize illumination and prevent shadows.
• Implement a group re-lamping schedule, and re-lamp at 70% of rated lamp life. Lamps that run longer than 70% of their rated life actually cost more in terms of energy use.