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There are plenty of things you can do in the workplace that will save energy and pay for themselves, there's no need to sacrifice profits or productivity. Reducing your businesses energy consumption and converting to green power is the most positive thing you can do.
Green Power
You can have a wind or solar powered workplace without the significant investment in generating your own power.
Energy savings in the workplace can go towards paying for accredited green power and have it pay for itself. Business generally can source a varying percentage of their power (10%, 20%, 50% and 100%) as accredited green power from most suppliers, check your options with your electricity provider or Green Electricity Watch.
Aircon
Turn it off or turn it down. Refrigerated air-conditioning is hugely energy intensive and swapping it for an evaporative system and/or ceiling fans would save money and create a healthier working environment.
You make your workplace cooler by employing some simple and cheap passive cooling techniques such as insulating the ceiling, shading the windows, growing a creeper up sunny walls, planting deciduous trees on the east, north or west of your building, sealing up gaps around doors and windows, double glazing, a second door on the entry to create an airlock, venting the roof cavity with whirlygigs, erecting a shade trellis on the northern side.
Lighting
Can you remove some of the lamps and still have enough light to work by? Many workplaces are overlit, especially in corridors.
Ask an electrician about installing occupancy sensors on your lesser used rooms, especially meeting rooms and toilets.
Daylight harvesting could be employed where there is natural light, again an electrician should be able to help.
The Powersaver can save 25% to 30% of your fluorescent or HID lighting if you have a lot of them.
Do you need outdoor lighting and signage on all the time? Installing a timer or movement sensor may be appropriate.
Of course swap all the incandescent bulbs you can with compact fluorescent lamps.
Computer
Visit the computer page under 'Take Action'
Recycle
The Great Srap Roundup http://www.cleanup.org.au/PDF/au/smorgon-fact-sheet.pdf Phone 1300 669 102.
For domestic recycling contacts refer to the main "Take Action" page
Australian Government environmental publications website www.environment.gov.au
Freecycle, a way of picking up and getting rid of second hand things free www.freecycle.org
Printing
Look for ISO 14001 Environment Management System accreditiation
Ask for 'waterless printing on FSC certified paper' such as Energi Print
Paper
A large impact is made by the electricity used to manufacture paper because it is such a highly energy intensive process. Most guides give only the source of the fibre and not the percentage of green power used to make it.
The content of paper makes a difference, post consumer is better than recycled.
Comprenensive guide to Recycled content of paper is at http://green.net.au/srd/reap.htm
Free Green Power
By using the competitive nature of power pricing you can put the savings towards buying some accredited green power. Try http://www.energybrokers.com.au/ or a similar service and ask them to source a percentage of green power for the same rate you are paying now.
Parking
Plan your car park to encourage efficient transport. Bike racks at the door with a shower and lockers inside. Motorcycle / moped spaces should be in prime position closest to the building, then handicapped 'Small car only' places and 'Hybrid / Electric Vehicles only' parking. The parking for large cars and 4WD's should be the furthest from the workplace to make a point that those vehicles are not encouraged by management.
Fridges / Aircon Maintenance
If your condensors and evaporators are clogged the compressor needs to work harder and consumes more energy. Clean the grill of dust etc. so they can do their job well. Install a plastic curtain on walk-in freezers and fridges to keep the cool air inside, ensure the cold pipes are well insulated, repair any leeks and have the gas topped up to reduce the loak on the compressor. Refrigerant gas is an especially dangerous greenhouse gas so plug those leaks.
Lighten up your roof
You can reduce the warming caused by your roof and save a bundle of money doing it. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/09/10/global-cooling-with-white-roofs/
Green your supply chain
Ask your suppliers about their efforts to reduce the envirionmental impact of their products and services. Leveraging your purchasing clout is an effective driver of change. Even if all you do is to ask the question of your existing suppliers you will begin the process and new suppliers can be asked to include their environmental credentials with any tender for business. Westpac has gone a step further with it's 10,000 suppliers.
More Ideas
True Green @ Work 100 Ways You Can Make the Environment Your Business (ABC Books, $22.95)
Have a look at the 'At home' tab for some ideas that may apply to your business.
Links
Green Electricity Watch for ratings on green power
Energy efficiency tips from Green Electricity Watch
Energy efficiency tips from SEEA in the USA
Energy saving products on the Product Directory
Toolkits
Grants
In some limited circumstances you may be eligable for a grant to cover part of the cost of implementing energy saving measures.
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