Sustainability involves everyone, especially those in the commercial sector. Each company’s carbon footprint can hurt or help the planet survive climate change. Reimagining energy consumption and usage is essential in crafting a greener future. These are a few ways to optimize your commercial structure to reduce each property’s environmental impact.
New Technologies Create Paths Forward
Numerous new technologies are available to commercial teams recalibrating their building’s energy usage. More companies are investing in smart lights connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices. When people can adjust their lighting to a specific schedule and operate them from anywhere in the structure, it saves around 50 percent of the property’s electricity bill.
Brands are also reimagining energy consumption by preparing for outages. The U.S. experienced 28 billion-dollar weather events in 2023, leading to numerous blackouts. Commercial structures won’t have to worry about power outages as climate change intensifies if they have the latest tech ready to back them up.
Effective generators are powerful tools when fighting global warming. Although fossil fuels are still the primary fuel source for generators, they’ll keep a commercial space open in times of crisis. If the brand balances that fossil fuel usage out by using energy from its solar panels during fair weather, its carbon footprint will still shrink. As more people rely on generators, the industry’s fuel sources will develop alongside consumer demands for sustainable alternatives.
Lighting applications are another area of growth for commercial spaces. High-performance T8 systems control their electrical currents with low-power ballasts to reduce noise and electricity usage. They make any commercial space more environmentally friendly without sacrificing the light necessary to conduct business.
Management Systems Should Adapt, Too
Robust energy management systems are the best way to use sustainable improvements in the long term. Leaders in commercial structures should understand what green technologies their building uses and how to optimize them through such systems.
Operational software that monitors daily energy consumption and compares it over time will track what adjustments make the structure more sustainable and which aren’t going as planned. Investing in management software also provides more control over future energy spending. The software can send alerts when electricity prices and usage spikes, helping teams save money by reducing consumption during those periods.
Energy Reuse May Be Key
Efficient electricity standards don’t just rely on technologies that pull energy into a commercial building. They can also focus on electricity reuse. The Bullitt Center in Washington has a regenerative elevator that captures power while braking to reduce its overall carbon footprint.
Similar regenerative power technologies will be vital as more commercial teams build sustainable futures for their workplaces. Solar-desiccant-assisted ventilation systems are already saving buildings between 9.5–23.9 percent of their electricity usage in global regions. Regenerating power through sunlight while cooling the building makes air conditioning greener for any structure. The breakthrough is vital considering how essential cool indoor air is as global warming peaks.
Reimagine Energy Consumption in Commercial Buildings
Professional teams have a promising future when making their commercial structures more sustainable. Any property can be more eco-friendly if you work together to embrace new technologies, strategize management systems and think beyond traditional green efforts like turning off light sources.
