Throughout the past few years, companies all around the country have made it a goal to ensure that they are running as sustainably as possible. In many cases, both the public and a company’s stakeholders have demanded changes be made to the way a company conducts itself. However, it can be difficult to understand what areas you can change. Here are some steps your business can take to ensure that it’s using clean energy.
Installing Solar Panels
Installing solar panels was out of reach for a long time for many companies because they were simply too expensive. However, innovations in technology and the introduction of various companies into the market have made solar panels affordable. Using solar energy to power your office building is one of the best ways to reduce the carbon footprint emitted by your daily operations. Installing solar panels at your location will also help reduce monthly electrical costs. Though over time solar panels will save you money, the fact is that the up-front investment is quite expensive. Another issue is that your power is going to be determined by the weather. Therefore, if you have a month of nothing but cloudy skies and rain, it will affect the amount of solar energy you receive.
Renewable Energy Certificates
When the term “purchasable energy” is presented, many people are understandably confused. How can you buy energy? Essentially, when you produce green energy, you then receive a certificate indicating that it is the byproduct of renewable energy. One REC essentially equates to 1 Megawatt-hour of green energy generation on the electricity grid. When you have purchased certificates, renewable energy is then generated on your behalf and sent to the electrical grid.
Energy Audit
One of the problems with many companies is that they truly don’t know where their energy is being used. Energy bills are automatically paid each month, with hardly anyone looking into problem areas. This is why it is so important to conduct an energy audit at least once a year. An independent party may conduct an energy audit, or you could request a free audit from your city. This audit will show you problem areas and how to fix them. Often times these are minor, such as conference room lights being left on for days on end.
As more and more companies begin implementing clean energy into their day-to-day operations, this practice will soon become standard. Therefore, it is incredibly important to adhere to the tips listed above to begin implementing these strategies into your business.
