| Remodeling a commercial building during a recession | | | | new construction, natural lighting is often used to |
| sounds like a silly idea. But what if it resulted in a five | | | | decrease the need for interior lighting. But for |
| or six-figure cost reduction to your company's annual | | | | companies that need windowless buildings or that |
| energy bill? Sound impossible? It's not; at least, not | | | | reside in small windowed buildings, retrofitting their |
| when your remodeling project focuses on making | | | | current incandescent lighting system for fluorescent |
| your building more energy efficient. Energy efficient | | | | lighting offers significant cost savings. Fluorescent |
| construction is a growing trend among companies | | | | lighting is five times as energy efficient as |
| that want to cut their operating costs and support | | | | incandescent lighting and can last for up to twenty |
| the environment in the process. Often referred to as | | | | times as long. Considering that a commercial building's |
| "green construction", energy efficient construction | | | | interior lighting usually accounts for 30 percent of its |
| can be implemented through new construction or | | | | total power usage, adding energy efficiency through |
| retrofitting, with most companies opting for the | | | | fluorescent lighting can yield big savings. |
| latter. | | | | Even after companies remodel their HVAC and |
| When companies retrofit for energy efficiency, they | | | | lighting systems, they are still left with HVAC and |
| avoid the cost of new construction and remove the | | | | lighting systems that depend on electrical power. |
| inefficient, costly operating systems put in place by | | | | Consequently, implementing photovoltaic solar panels |
| old construction. There are a variety of options for | | | | to reduce electrical load becomes another significant |
| retrofitting a building to achieve energy efficiency. But | | | | cost cutting measure. Some companies are able to |
| three areas that most companies focus on are | | | | run their systems on solar power alone. But even |
| HVAC, interior lighting and electrical power usage. | | | | where industrial systems require electricity, lightening |
| In most cases, the costliness of traditional HVAC | | | | the electrical load with solar panels is a |
| systems isn't the result of arcane technology. Rather, | | | | recommendable cost-cutting measure. |
| many HVAC systems aren't optimized for the size of | | | | During the current recession, many companies are |
| the building that they inhabit. For example, air | | | | cutting costs through layoffs. But some companies |
| distribution fans and chillers are often "oversized", | | | | are taking a more positive approach to cost cutting, |
| using more energy than they need to without | | | | retrofitting their old operating systems with energy |
| producing a better result. With air distribution fans | | | | efficient designs. Whether your company consists of |
| accounting for 7 percent of a commercial buildings | | | | mostly industrial space or mainly office space, energy |
| electrical usage, downsizing the fans to cut their | | | | efficient construction will reduce your operating costs |
| power usage by 50 percent can offer you the same | | | | right now and long after the current recession has |
| climate control at a fraction of the old price. | | | | ended. |
| For companies that use green building practices in | | | | |