There’s an easy way to find out
Want to do something good for your business that’s good for everybody? We’ve got two words for you: energy audit. Sure, you may not think an energy audit is very sexy or exciting (on this point, we’ll respectively disagree). And maybe you’d rather bring in a Ping-Pong table or one of those cappuccino machines or perhaps give your employees money for getting tattooed. (Yup, that’s actually a thing.) But before you add something new to the office or do something weird, hear us out about the energy audit.
First, what’s an energy audit?
Intrigued, aren’t you? An energy audit involves analyzing a building to see how much energy is consumed and then finding ways it can cut usage.
An audit also gives you great insight into the factors affecting the performance of your energy systems and how they can be shaped or changed for maximum energy efficiency. As mentioned, an energy audit offers wide-ranging benefits.
It’s good for the bottom line
While you may diligently turn off lights or hit those little buttons on power strips, there are many more things you could be doing to reduce your energy costs. This is perhaps the biggest reason to have an energy audit, as the average commercial building wastes about 30% of the energy it consumes.
An audit will examine all energy systems, as well as how they interact with each other, to identify things like unwanted heat transfer and air leaks. This will help you figure out where to spend money to save money.
Good for your employees
While they’d get a more immediate benefit from that Ping-Pong table – until Betty from HR gets a stinger in the face on her way to the copy machine. Now everybody has to sign off on a Ping-Pong policy, and it’s suddenly not so fun anymore.
Unlike the Ping-Pong table, an energy audit will have long-lasting effects for your employees. When your heating and cooling system is running at peak performance, employees get to work in a much more comfortable environment, which can boost both morale and productivity. Plus, an energy audit can discover dangers like radon or carbon monoxide leaks.
Good for the planet
Do you have a recycling program in your building? That’s great, but if your environmental commitment ends there, you’re only scratching the surface.
Did you know that buildings account for about 40% of carbon dioxide emissions every year? And if you go back to that 30% of wasted energy we mentioned earlier, you can see how an energy audit can help dramatically cut your building’s carbon footprint.
When you use less energy, fewer resources have to be mined or fracked, which further lessens the negative impact on the Earth.
Good for your brand image
You may have heard of dollar voting, but what about green dollar buying? If you haven’t, it could be because we just made it up.
These days, the environment is on many people’s minds, and many of them want to buy from companies who are like-minded. If you make improved energy efficiency a priority with your company, and then perhaps subtly let the world know, this could result in some pretty great PR.
Once your company is labeled as a “green brand,” this could have a ripple effect for years to come, garnering you fiercely loyal customers. And it’s all thanks to an energy audit.
Want to learn more about energy audits?
If you have questions about getting an energy audit for your business, the pros at Universal Electrical are ready to answer them. We can also go over the process and what you can expect. Call us at 954-792-5444 or just fill out our online contact form.
