Green Energy Defined
What equipment potentially wastes energy in the office?
Equipment in the office that potentially wastes energy are all the everyday items that you would expect to see in an office, such as the PCs and the monitors, the photocopiers and the printers but also the lights and lifts and air conditioning and heaters and fans. There's quite a few electrical items in any office. For example, most people do not realize that the monitor consumes up to seven times as much energy as their PC. It is so easy just to switch off the monitor when you are away from your desk.
How can my office save energy on lighting in the office?
Offices can save energy on lighting by replacing the bulbs with low-energy filaments, first of all. They can also ensure that lights are switched off when they're not being used, and progressive companies now are zoning lights so that not all of them are coming on all of the time. They're introducing sensors and other ways in which lights only come on as they're needed rather than just being on permanently.
How can I reduce the amount of energy used by my computer?
The amount of energy used by computers can be reduced in various ways. First of all, when equipment is coming up to be upgraded then you can choose to buy more environmentally friendly products. There are computers, PCs and monitors that are more energy efficient. They can be preferred over other products. Secondly, it is about how you use those PCs and monitors, and switching off policies are very important, taking into account that some equipment will need to be left on for downloading, and uploading. But most equipment is left on unnecessarily, at lunchtimes, when there are meetings in progress, at the end of the day, and over the weekend. This consumes a great amount of unnecessary energy.
What electrical equipment needs to be left on overnight and at weekends?
Electrical equipment that needs to be left on at night and the weekends is alarm systems and security systems. There are occasions when some PCs are required in order for processing of various information appears outside normal office hours. However, most equipment, PCs and monitors, does not need to be left on overnight or at weekends and this is consuming an awful lot of energy that is wasted.
Is it okay to leave phone or laptop chargers plugged in when they are not charging?
Phone and laptop chargers should not be left on unnecessarily. As soon as your item of equipment, your mobile phone or your laptop, is finished charging, you need to unplug the charger because otherwise it's still consuming electricity.
How can office staff be encouraged to switch off electrical equipment before they go home?
Before staff go home they can be encouraged to switch off electrical equipment. For example, they can be sent an electronic memo that reminds you to switch off, or there can be competitions to see at the end of the week, who's left their monitor, or their PC on. And, anonymously, that can be fed back to people at staff meetings.
Can old office electrical equipment be recycled?
Old office equipment can be recycled, in fact under the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive, it's important that all old items are disposed of properly. You can certainly recycle computers, photocopiers and printers, they can be donated to schools and charities. Recycled computers are now available with the same warranties and guarantees as new equipment.
How can my company recycle old office equipment?
Old office equipment can now be recycled quite easily. There are a number of organizations offering collection services, charities or otherwise, who will collect the equipment, recycle it, reuse it and send it on to other companies, to schools, or to charities. In fact, under the WEEE legislation, Waste, Electrical and Electronic Equipment, producers do have the responsibility to take back old equipment, so it is important the offices ensure that it is collected and disposed of properly.
Can I upgrade existing office electrical equipment, rather than replacing it?
Existing office equipment can often be upgraded rather than automatically replaced. Nowadays, even recycled computers can be purchased with the same warranties and guarantees as new equipment. In so doing, a whole life-cycle assessment demonstrates that up to 40% of CO2 emissions can be reduced.
Can one buy energy efficient equipment for the office?
Energy efficient equipment can now be purchased for the office. Companies such as Brother are well known for providing environmentally friendly printers and copiers, and also Rico are well known now for providing computers that have been recycled but with the same warranties and guarantees as new equipment.
How can you reduce the energy consumption of air conditioning?
In an office, energy consumption can be reduced in many ways. For example, in summertime when air conditioners are used, often you'll find in offices that windows are open. This means that the air conditioners are having to work harder in order to keep the temperature cooler. So it's important to have the right balance between the use of the air conditioners and windows for ventilation.
Can you sign your company up to an energy provider from a renewable source?
It is now easy for companies to switch to an energy supplier using renewable energy. It is often just a telehone call away. Companies might need to wait until their current contract expires. If you plan ahead and you know when it is coming up for renewal, you can cancel your existing supplier and switch to an alternative energy provider very easily and the benefits of doing that, of course, are significant reductions in CO2. Possibly the most significant decision that your company could make would be to switch to a supplier using renewable energy.
What is a green transport plan?
A green transport plan would include looking at your existing modes of transport getting to and from the office. For example, encouraging the use of public transport, even cycling to the office and reducing the number of car miles that staff are taking. That could include car sharing. It could mean car pooling. Anything that cuts down the CO2 emissions from transport. In addition, your company's likely to have fleets of trucks or company cars. You could switch to more environmentally friendly vehicles over a period of time and that would make significant reductions to CO2 as part of your transport policy.
How can you save water at work?
Water at work can be saved in a number of ways. In kitchens, you can have water saving taps fitted which reduce the flow of water and hence the amount that is used for cleaning dishes and drinking. Dishwashers are also more effective at saving water than handwashing. In washrooms, again there can be water saving taps and other water saving features. For example, on urinals there are now waterless urinals available or even ecocubes. In your office, provide ecocubes, which means you do not need to have water flushing the urinals on a regular basis and drinking water can be also reduced by using tap water in the workplace rather than bottled water.
Will working from home reduce my daily energy consumption?
Working from home could reduce one's daily energy consumption, but working from home is not a panacea to solve environmental problems. It has it's place, but it needs to be properly supported. For example, you could save the daily grind of a commute and the energy consumption of transport by working from home as appropriate. And also, meetings face to face are not necessarily always needed when you can teleconference, you can speak over the telephone, or otherwise use electronic communications. There is energy that can be saved but, it needs to be balanced by a policy that encourages and supports flexible working but taking into account the environmental benefits that could be achieved.
