By A few years ago, buildings were seen as energy-consuming giants that do nothing but deplete the world’s non-renewable resources and harm the environment. On the side of building owners, they also scratched their heads because of how much they pay for electricity bills.
Thankfully, with the recent rise of eco-friendly ideas and innovations combined with government involvement, buildings can now promote green living. This doesn’t just benefit business and company owners because of the significant reduction of their buildings’ energy consumption. Still, the environment as well because of how it promotes energy efficiency and environment-friendliness.
Ways to Promote Energy Efficiency
If you’re still uncertain how buildings can do both of these at once, don’t worry. We’ve gathered some of the best ways how commercial buildings are being converted into green buildings. Check out our list below to find out more.
LED Lights
Perhaps the most popular method for a building to be energy-efficient is to replace old light fixtures with LED lights. They only consume about 25% of the total energy used by traditional lighting. Furthermore, LED lights have a lifespan of about 10 to 17 years, 25 to 50 times longer than their traditional counterparts. LED lights also produce less heat than incandescent or halogen lights, giving the room a fresher and cooler environment.
Glass Windows
If you want to reduce your building’s energy consumption further while still having adequate light getting into the room, you should look for services that install glass windows in commercial buildings. This installation lets in natural light during the day, diminishing the need to turn on your artificial lighting system. In addition to this, natural light has mood-boosting qualities and can significantly increase employees’ productivity rate. With just this installation, you can lessen light pollution, reduce energy consumption, and boost workers’ performance.
Smart HVAC
Every building needs heat, ventilation, and air-conditioning system. Luckily, HVAC systems nowadays are installed with smart technology. These whole-building systems can now gather data and use it to function independently. By monitoring the weather outside, smart HVAC can control and adjust the temperature to guarantee that the building is just at the right heating or air-conditioning level. This allows buildings to save energy because they’ll only use the right amount of energy for temperature control.
Air Duct Inspection and Cleaning
Poorly-maintained ventilation ducts can significantly reduce the efficiency of HVAC systems. That’s because they would require more power to accommodate the right temperature setting, leading to higher energy consumption. If you’re looking to promote energy efficiency in your building, make sure that you know how to clean air ducts, or call a professional to do it for you. Additionally, you also have to ensure that no equipment or debris blocks the air ducts, making it harder for the HVAC system to function properly.
Insulation
If your building is constructed in a location that experiences varying weather conditions, proper insulation should be on your priority list regarding energy efficiency. Gaps or leaks in doors, windows, roofs, or walls can cause heat or cold to escape or enter the building, lessening HVAC systems’ efficiency. Make sure that these parts of the building are properly sealed. Learning about the different types of sealants used in buildings will help you with this process. On the other hand, you can also look for contractors to have your building properly insulated.
Solar Panels
One of the best methods to promote energy efficiency in buildings is installing solar panels on the roof or windows. While this may not gather enough solar energy to power the entire building, solar panels can help reduce your building’s energy consumption by powering installations or fixtures that require smaller amounts of energy. Be sure to look for the leading companies that install and manufacture solar panels to get the best quality.
Green Design
Lastly, modern buildings are promoting energy efficiency by using green architecture. This design combines the latest technology and nature by providing buildings with green spaces. Green buildings are environment-friendly because they have trees or plants in various parts of the structure. This means that buildings can now turn carbon emissions from vehicles into clean oxygen. These so-called “breathing buildings” are the future of modern city landscapes.
Converting a building into an energy-efficient and environment-friendly one is not an easy task, but it’s important. It’s not just because you should follow the government’s rules and regulations for a more sustainable environment, but also to help lessen your building’s energy consumption and pollution. This is one of the best methods for us to help save the planet.
