With a massive increase in the number of people looking to reduce their carbon footprint, the demand for green buildings is high. Sustainability is not just a buzzword these days – it’s a business necessity. How do you build a truly sustainable energy centre? It may not be glamorous or immediately obvious, but this question can be answered by taking into account key factors. Read on to find out more about how to create a green energy centre that will meet your company’s sustainability needs for years to come.
ASSESSING COMPANY CULTURE
The first step toward creating a green energy centre is to determine if your company culture is sustainable. Because your employees are the ones who will be living, working and playing in this space, it is crucial that you take a look at how they’re feeling. If you’re not sure where to start, try asking your employees what their biggest challenges are and why. You may discover that these are the same challenges your company is facing. From there, you can focus your energy on addressing these challenges head-on.
IDENTIFY KEY FACTORS
Many of the factors that make up a sustainable energy centre can be determined by applying a company’s culture to the design process. Here are a few key factors to consider when determining how to build a sustainable energy centre.
ROOFTOP SOLAR PANELS – While it might not seem like a smart idea to place solar panels on the roof of a building, it is one of the most efficient ways to generate electricity. Furthermore, since the panels are temporary, they won’t use up much space on the roof and won’t block out light from other rooms in the building.
SMART LIGHTING – Since every light in your energy centre will be powered by energy from the sun or the energy from your power supply, it’s vital that you choose the right fixtures and switches to match. While most light fixtures are designed to operate on low or no-power modes, there are light fixtures available that are designed to run on energy from the sun or the wind.
A HYBRID ENVIRONMENT – Hybrid heating and cooling systems can be a great option for companies who want to save on energy costs, but don’t want to sacrifice quality of life. By using both solar panels and a hybrid heating/cooling system, you save on energy costs and get better quality air flow and less acoustic nuisances such as heat from the panels creating sound.
CREATE AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Once you’ve matched technologies to processes and created an energy management system, the next step is to put it into practice. To make the most of your energy management system, it’s essential to understand your energy needs and budget. Doing so will help you identify areas of inefficient operation and make changes that may save you money in the long run. To save energy, measure equipment operation and turn off the lights when you’re not using them. If you’re not sure where to start, examine your current lighting fixtures to see if you can remap them so that they consume less energy.
Creating a green energy centre can be an exciting and fulfilling experience, but it’s also a challenging task. There will always be areas of the building that are more efficient or have more solar panels than others, but in order to reach your company’s goals of becoming more sustainable, it’s essential to understand where the challenges lie. By matching technologies to your business processes, adopting an energy management system and taking into account your company culture, you can create a truly sustainable energy centre that will meet your company’s sustainability needs for years to come.