Energy

48. Programmable thermostats are installed and set back when a space is unoccupied.

Unless you have a facilities person overseeing your thermostats, make sure a few staff know how to use them and check the settings periodically to make sure they are still set to what they should be. Try to limit the number of people who can alter the settings.

If you have a few office rebels who often override the settings, minimize this behavior by setting the timer so that the heat/air comes on 20-30 minutes before the first employee arrives. That way it will be at a good temperature at the start of the day. Then program the thermostat to revert to your off-peak temperature 20–30 minutes before the last person leaves. Most workplaces will stay perfectly comfortable for that half hour, and you will offset the earlier start time.

49. Computer monitors are set to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity, and all non-essential computers and peripheral devices are shut down at the end of each day.

Use the sleep and/or hibernate commands on your equipment to make this a standard practice. If initiating this for the first time, see if your IT staff can set this up for everyone at the same time.

Of course, it’s okay not to put this in place for specific workstations that need to be accessed after hours by accounting IT, or other staff. If company-wide software upgrades are made after hours on a regular basis, establish certain days of each month that these happen. That way, computers can be left on when necessary but still turned off for most evenings.

50. Appliances and vending machines are ENERGY STAR®-certified.

Replacement appliances for your kitchen, break room or laundry room should be ENERGY STAR-certified to improve your business’s energy efficiency. More and more models of appliances today qualify for ENERGY STAR, making it easier than ever to reduce both your carbon footprint and your energy costs. ENERGY STAR-certified models oftentimes qualify for rebates as well.

New and rebuilt refrigerated beverage vending machines that have earned ENERGY STAR certification are 50% more energy-efficient than standard machine models. One single ENERGY STAR ® -certified vending machine can save a building or business owner more than 1,000 kWh/year and is 40% more efficient than typical models.

51. “Smart” power strips are used at workstations that have three or more peripherals (monitor, printer, speakers, etc.).

When electronics are in standby mode, they can still draw some power even though they appear to be off (sometimes called “phantom energy”). At workspaces, consider plugging your devices (computer monitors, computer peripherals, etc.) into “smart” power strips, which can reduce your energy usage by shutting down power to items that have gone into standby mode. Not only will you be reducing energy usage, you’ll also be saving money.

52. Interior lighting is energy-efficient, e.g., equipped with T8, T5 or LED bulbs.

Lighting can account for as much as 15% of your energy bill at work. Switching to LED lighting can reduce costs by as much as 75%, plus LED fixtures last up to 50 times longer than traditional incandescent lighting and 3–4 times longer than T8 fluorescent lamps. If you’re upgrading, replace any older magnetic ballasts with electronic ones to save energy, reduce flickering and, depending on your fixtures and the number of bulbs, possibly lower operating costs.

The T8 and T5 designations indicate which size of linear bulb you have. (Look at a current or spent bulb for the letter “T” followed by a number.) The smaller the number, the more efficient the bulb. For more information, see Energy Trust's guide to energy-efficient lighting technologies for businesses.

53. Exterior lighting is LED and/or dark sky friendly.

Exterior lighting is often overlooked, but can be a significant source of your energy use. Switching to energy efficient outdoor lighting can not only save costs, but also reduce glare and improve safety when done well. Our advisors can help point you to resources and guidance from energy experts.

In addition to choosing efficient outdoor lighting, you can also choose outdoor lighting that is dark sky friendly, meaning that it minimizes light pollution. When artificial light is used in excess, it can disrupt the natural balance between day and night and have serious environmental consequences on humans, wildlife and even our climate. The light can also trespass onto others’ property where lighting may not be desired. You can reduce your negative impact by only turning on lights when and where they’re needed, ensuring that lights are not brighter than necessary, choosing lighting that is fully shielded and pointed downward, and minimizing blue light emissions.

54. Occupancy sensors or timers are used for lighting in storage rooms, offices, restrooms and other common rooms.

Occupancy sensors are inexpensive and very effective, especially in storage rooms, small offices, workrooms and restrooms. Savings vary depending on the area size, the type of lighting, and the use of the space, but estimates range from 35–75% by installing sensors.

55. Lighting is dimmed or turned off when adequate sunlight is available.

If you can’t install automatic or manual dimmers, try to establish workplace habits for turning off lights when they aren’t needed. Most of us are working in front of computer screens all day, which means that daylight is sometimes the only light that we really need at our desks.

56. Non-emergency lights are turned off each night.

For all lights that are not used for security or display, have a system in place to turn them off at the end of the workday. Don’t forget to check with overnight janitorial staff to make sure they’re also turning off lights when they leave.

57. Janitorial services are scheduled during business hours.

If your cleaning service works after hours, see if they can switch to office hours. Your lights and HVAC won’t need to remain on after hours, employees will be more aware of the impacts of their recycling habits, you can ensure that green cleaning products are being used and it gives staff an opportunity to get to know the people providing this service.

59. Equipment like HVAC, coolers/freezers, pumps and cooking equipment are regularly maintained.

This is an obvious one that is often overlooked. Be sure someone is scheduled to check your heating and cooling equipment each season. Filters should be set on a change-out schedule to allow proper airflow and to reduce stress on the motor that pulls in air to be filtered. Don’t forget to dust off coils and other intake locations found on equipment.

 59. Water heaters are set to 120°.

Most water heaters work by holding water (in a tank) at a specific temperature 24 hours a day. Reducing the temperature setting to 120° will save you energy 24 hours a day. If it’s not clear what your water heater is set to, you can run hot tap water over a candy thermometer to get a fairly accurate reading.

60. Window film, blinds and/or fans are used in the summer to reduce A/C load.

Help your air conditioner help you. By implementing simple best practices that reduce the size of the job your AC has to do, you can significantly reduce your electric bill. You can lower window blinds to prevent the sun from heating up your space, for example, and set ceiling fans to rotate counterclockwise in the summer to help keep temperatures down. Using passive methods to cool indoor spaces doesn’t take much effort or investment, and they are practices with which we are all familiar.

61. Renewable energy is purchased, and/or investments have been made in on-site renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar panels.

Renewable electric power can be purchased through both Portland General Electric and Pacific Power, and Northwest Natural Gas has an offset program called Smart Energy. If your utilities are included in your lease payment, encourage your property manager to purchase renewable power.

More and more commercial buildings are looking at renewable energy as a means to reduce long-term operating costs.

62. Windows and doors are properly weather-stripped and gaskets on refrigerators and freezers are in good working order.

Weatherstripping, caulking, and door seals/sweeps can reduce drafts when outright replacement isn’t an option, and can oftentimes be just as effective at a fraction of the price. Making modest investments in ensuring that seals work well can reduce operating costs and make working areas more comfortable while reducing the workload of your heating and cooling equipment.

63. A baseline energy audit has been completed within the last five years to assess efficiency upgrade opportunities.

Want to save energy, but not sure where to start? Let PGE help. Their Energy Experts offer free, no-obligation energy-efficiency consultations to help you start saving energy. They can review your systems and give you strategies to save energy and to better manage your energy costs. Suggestions usually range from quick tips that help you trim energy use right away to smart investments that qualify for cash-back incentives from Energy Trust of Oregon while cutting energy use month after month. Your Sustainability Advisor can connect you, or you can sign up yourself and learn how to start saving today.

64. Energy use is monitored annually, and we evaluate for conservation opportunities.

Tracking your energy use gives your organization the ability to raise awareness about the financial and environmental impacts of your actions and equipment. Collect this information to set a baseline, and then track progress toward your goals. Graphing is a useful technique that helps people visualize your data and identify trends, abnormal consumption, and opportunities for improvement.

If your business is billed directly by utilities, use the details from your electric and gas bills to maintain a spreadsheet. You can access past account data at each utility’s website. For larger organizations that occupy whole buildings or most of a building, use ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager . If you share a utility meter or bill with others, or if it’s bundled within your lease payment, tracking energy is still possible but requires several estimations. Contact us for a calculating tool that can help guide you.

PGE’s Energy Tracker for small businesses.

Want to find ways to save on your business’s energy bills? First you need to understand how and when you’re using energy. PGE’s Energy Tracker makes it easy to monitor and manage your energy use. You can get alerts to see how much energy you use each week, or even to help prevent energy surprises. If you have a small business on basic service (schedule 32), Energy Tracker is already included with your online account.

Energy Tracker’s simple-to-understand charts make it easy to spot opportunities to save, including options to:

• See how much electricity you’ve used so far this month.
• Examine energy usage by the day, the hour, or even by 15-minute intervals to spot when you use the most energy. Might it be when you first turn on equipment? By identifying triggers that drive up your bill, you can strategize on how to save.
• Compare your energy use to the average daily temperature.
• Compare your current bill to last month, or to last year, to see how your energy use today compares.

What if you have larger needs?

If you have a larger business, multiple facilities or simply want more detailed energy management tools, PGE offers Energy Expert, a powerful, all-in-one energy monitoring service.