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Energy saving ideas for business

Saving energy in your business can significantly reduce your operating costs and your impact on the environment.

Understanding your energy use and taking steps to become more energy efficient can benefit your business in a range of ways. Saving energy will help your business cut carbon emissions, reduce costs and enhance your image.

Energy efficiency and conservation should be a part of your business planning. There are many low-cost steps that businesses can take to start saving energy now, as well as more detailed actions that can happen over time.

This guide provides energy saving tips and Queensland Government programs to help your business save energy and adopt energy-efficient practices.

Tips for saving energy in your business

Whenever you save energy within your business you are also saving money. Electricity costs contribute to your business's financial bottom line so the more energy you save in your business the more profitable you can be.

Some energy saving actions, such as using more energy-efficient appliances, may involve an initial investment. However, this investment can often result in significant energy savings that will reduce your energy costs. Energy rating labels can help you to choose energy-efficient appliances, which can also save you money.

It is important that you take a close look at your energy costs and start to discover what areas of your business are using the most energy. Typically, equipment that involves heating and cooling will use the most energy.

Your business may benefit from an energy efficiency assessment. An assessment measures your current energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to provide priority recommendations for energy efficiency action.

Here are some energy saving tips and suggestions to help your business to reduce energy use and save on power bills. Read through this checklist and click 'Yes' or 'No' to create a list of actions to complete for your business.

Video: Manufacturing business saves energy

Gold Coast business Technical Fabric Services reduced its energy costs and greenhouse emissions by switching to solar and reducing its waste.

Learn how Queensland businesses take climate action.

  • [Lauren Agius - Product Development Manager, Technical Fabric Services]

    Climate action to me is a way of thinking. It's about changing the way that we see things.

    [John Agius - Managing Director, Technical Fabric Services]

    Pulling together with other businesses as a community to reach our climate goals, as a country and as a planet.

    [Lauren Agius]

    Every business is very different, and the way that we approached climate action and sustainability was taking ourselves out of the box and thinking, okay, this is the way something has traditionally been done.

    How can we look at this in a different light so that we can get a different result?

    [John Agius]

    Energy is a major input into the business, and whatever we can save also saves energy off the grid.

    Our solar system was installed about 4 years ago, so 30% of our power comes from solar power.

    Water coming in as town water, as a by-product of the process is actually heated and reused as hot water which saves us using new town water. So there's a huge element of energy saving there.

    [Evangeline Agius - Owner, Technical Fabric Services]

    With the greenhouse emissions, we've looked at all our waste. We've watched our processes so we minimise any rejections down, I think we're below 1%.

    We have a company down the road who takes our cardboard and reuses them, and with customers, we actually now go pick up the cores, boxes and plastic and reuse that again.

    [Lauren Agius]

    It's really important for consumers these days to know that the products that they're buying, stands for something good. People want to feel connected to the things that they're purchasing.

    [John Agius]

    Don't just get caught into that mindset, that this is the way we've always done it.

    [Lauren Agius]

    Look at your business as a whole. Look at your supply chain. Look at your everyday processes.

    What can you do in amongst everything that is really going to make an impact?

Watch video
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Office equipment

  • Can you:

    Turn off computers, monitors, printers, copiers and lights at the end of each working day? (If you can't turn off the whole computer, turn off the monitor and the printer.)
    Reduce paper use by printing double-sided or re-using paper?
    Use email instead of sending memos and faxing documents?

  • Can you:

    Buy ENERGY STAR MODEL computers, monitors, printers, fax machines and copiers that power down after a user-specified period of inactivity?
    If appropriate, use laptop computers? (They consume 90% less energy than standard desktop computers.)
    If appropriate, use inkjet printers? (They consume 90% less energy than laser printers.)
    Buy the right sized copier for your business? (Don't buy one that's bigger than you need.)

Lighting

  • Can you:

    Clean dusty diffusers and lamps every 6-12 months?
    Turn off lights when not needed?
    Turn off signs and other lights not needed for security and safety?

  • Can you:

    Substitute incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)? (They use less electricity for the same lighting output.)
    Remove excess fluorescent lights and install reflectors?
    Substitute incandescent or fluorescent exit signs with long-lasting, low-energy LED exit signs?
    Buy lighting fixtures that have a dimmer that allows you to manually adjust the intensity of the light in a room?

  • Can you:

    Install motion detectors to control lighting in frequently unoccupied areas such as restrooms and copy rooms?
    Rewire restroom fans to operate with the lights?
    Install energy management system (EMS) technology to control lighting systems automatically?

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning

  • Can you:

    Close shades during early morning and late evening to reduce heat gain from the sun?
    Close doors to the outside to contain air conditioning?
    When possible, turn the air conditioning off for the last hour of each work day?
    Keep room area temperatures at 18°C during winter and 25°C during summer?

  • Can you:

    Install timers or programmable thermostats to maximise efficiency of your air conditioning?
    Install locking covers on your thermostats to prevent people from tampering with the temperature settings?
    Perform regular maintenance on units including checking ducts and pipe insulation for damage?
    Clean condenser coils and replace filters regularly?

  • Can you:

    Replace old heating, ventilation or air conditioning systems with new, energy-efficient systems?
    Install blinds or solar screen shades to cool your workplace?
    Install reflective window film or awnings on all south-west facing windows?
    Install ceiling and wall insulation?
    Insulate water heaters and supply pipes?
    Pressurise and test all ducts for leakage?
    Consider installing adjustable speed drives? (Your air conditioning system has fans that move air throughout the building. You can reduce the cost of operating these fans by installing adjustable speed drives that can change the speed of the fan motors to match the amount of air that is needed.)

Refrigeration

  • Can you:

    Keep fridges reasonably full and make sure there's enough room for cold air to circulate?
    Position fridges in a location that is well-ventilated and not exposed to direct sunlight or heat from other equipment?

  • Can you:

    Perform scheduled maintenance on fridges?
    Keep evaporator coils clean and free of ice build-up?
    Adjust door latches and replace worn door seals?
    Observe any unusual noises your fridge makes, as they could indicate a problem that will need to be fixed?

  • Can you:

    Install automatic door-closers and strip curtains on walk-in freezers or coolers?

Compressed air

  • Can you:

    Make sure your compressed air system runs only when the plant is in use? (Use smaller air compressors dedicated to serve minimal after-hours needs.)
    Reduce the discharge pressure to the minimum required by the system?
    Use blowers or hand sweeping for cleaning purposes?

  • Can you:

    Install air storage strategically to minimise system horsepower requirements and improve air delivery?
    Install variable speed drives on compressors?
    Make sure multiple compressors are sequenced using automatic sequencing controls? (Shut-off timers should be used on all air compressors and installing microprocessor controls on compressor systems can yield savings.)

Process cooling and refrigeration systems

  • Can you:

    Eliminate heat losses from leaks and improper defrosting?
    Freeze products in batches rather than continuously?

  • Can you:

    Install high-efficiency evaporator and condenser fan motors?
    Install variable speed drives in place of constant speed drives? (This can reduce cooling system energy use.)
    Install additional condensing capacity to reduce discharge pressure?
    Insulate cooler/freezer area?

Solar power system

  • Can you:

    Invest in a solar power system at your business to help save on your electricity bills and help the environment? (Find out more about investing in solar power.)

Also consider...

  • Discover more tips for saving energy in your business on the Ergon Energy or Energex websites.
  • Learn more about business sustainability.
  • Read more about the benefits of an environmentally friendly business.
  • Read about energy savings ideas for agricultural businesses.

Energy saving programs

The Queensland Government has programs designed to help businesses save energy and adopt energy-efficient practices.

ecoBiz

The Business Chamber Queensland's ecoBiz program is a free service that helps Queensland businesses cut costs across not only their energy, but also water and waste bills.

The ecoBiz program also provides free benchmarking assistance to help track resource use, as well as one-on-one on-site coaching sessions with a sustainability expert to help identify opportunities to implement initiatives to cut energy costs, reduce carbon emissions and be more sustainable in energy, water, and waste.

Business Chamber Queensland's Energy Efficient Action Toolkit is a valuable resource to help you get started to become more energy-efficient and sustainable.

Agriculture industry funding support

The Queensland Ag Energy Hub provides energy-specific information for farmers and landholders in Queensland, including information on funding support.

Ergon Energy and Energex support programs

A range of other programs, run together with Ergon Energy and Energex, are also available to help your business improve energy efficiency. To find out more visit:

  • Ergon Energy
    • Retail for business
    • Manage your energy
  • Energex
    • Business energy resources
    • Control your energy

Also consider...

  • Learn more about energy supply and pricing in Queensland.
  • Read more about the environment and your business.
  • Find out about the benefits of making your business environmentally friendly.
  • Learn about innovation funding and support for businesses to become more sustainable.
  • Visit energy.gov.au for best practice information on energy efficiency.

Contact: General enquiries 13 QGOV (13 74 68)

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