Energy Awareness Month

Three easy ideas to save energy and money, while helping the planet, too
October is Energy Awareness Month: an opportunity to discover new energy-saving ideas or put into practice what you may already know about saving energy, but haven't had the chance to implement. Here are three low-cost, high-impact solutions that will help you trim cooling and heating electricity costs and SAVE as much as 75 percent on the electricity your business uses for lighting.

Make the switch to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and save over $30 for each light you change

Consider changing incandescent lights with Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), where appropriate. An ENERGY STAR qualified CFL will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. Choose the lighting that's right for your business and learn where to buy them.
If each person in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes and help the planet by preventing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that of 800,000 cars.

If CFLs are not right for your business, you may also consider upgrading to T-8 (1" diameter) fluorescent lamp tubes with solid-state electronic ballasts that are more energy-efficient than older T-12 (1.5" diameter) tubes with magnetic ballasts.

Save 20 to 75 percent on the energy used for lighting by installing occupancy sensors. Lighting can account for 20 to 50 percent of your business electricity consumption. One way to reduce lighting costs is to install occupancy sensors in areas such as: break rooms, conference areas, private offices, corridors, storage areas and bathrooms. Occupancy sensors automatically turn off lighting when employees depart and back on when they return.

Occupancy sensors can save 20 to 75 percent on lighting energy usage depending on the space, cost approximately $50 to $150 and generally pay for themselves within two to three years. Saving energy by using occupancy sensors also helps to reduce carbon emissions, which is good for the planet.

When choosing an occupancy sensor for your business, there are three types to consider. Infrared sensors detect temperature changes in a room, and work well where the entire room is within the sensor's field of view. Ultrasonic sensors use high frequency sound to detect motion (even around corners). Dual-technology sensors use both methods, increasing accuracy and flexibility, but at a higher price. An Electrical contractor that specializes in business lighting can help you choose the option that's right for your business.

Give your heating and cooling system a tune-up and save up to $60 per year
Before the weather gets cooler, it's a good time to think about making an appointment for routine maintenance with a contractor that specializes in Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. An HVAC system, like a new car, will decline in performance without regular maintenance. Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve the energy efficiency of your equipment and comfort of your facilities – saving you money on your electric bills, while helping to reduce carbon emissions.

An easy thing you can do to keep your HVAC system running optimally is to change the filter monthly (or clean it if it's reusable), especially during heavy use (winter and summer). A dirty filter can slow down airflow and make the system work harder to keep your customers and employees warm or cool — wasting energy. Each dirty heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning filter can cost your business up to $5 per month in energy and may shorten the service life of your equipment, leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.

Consider implementing one or more of these ideas to help you save energy and money, while doing your part to help the planet. Remember to get your employees involved, too. Hold regular conversations with your employees about energy conservation. Ask for their energy-saving ideas, provide training to eliminate energy waste and give awards to your most-committed employees.

To learn more tips to help your business, take FPL's FREE Online Business Energy Evaluation