Maximize Efficiency, Save Money

Heating and Air-Conditioning

• Schedule an annual maintenance inspection of your building's heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) system.
• Regularly change or clean (if reusable) HVAC filters.
• Control direct sunlight through windows, depending on the local climate, using draperies, solar screens or films, awnings or vegetation.
• Use fans to maintain comfortable temperatures, humidity and air movement.
• Plug leaks with weather stripping and caulking.

Lighting

• Turn off lights when not in use; do not over light.
• Replace incandescent and older fluorescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures, such as LEDs.
• Install occupancy sensors in appropriate locations to automatically turn off lighting when no one is present.
• Adjust lighting to actual needs; utilize daylight when possible.
• Install ENERGY STAR qualified EXIT signs.

Office Equipment

• Always buy ENERGY STAR qualified products when possible.
• Turn off computers, copiers and other electronics and office machines when not in use. Consider utilizing a power strip to easily turn off multiple machines at once.
• Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or when the charger is not in use.
• Set computers to automatically switch to sleep mode or manually turn monitors off, rather than using screen savers.

Food Service Equipment

• Purchase ENERGY STAR qualified commercial food service equipment, such as qualified refrigerators and freezers.
• Clean refrigerator coils twice a year and replace door gaskets if the seal is no longer air tight.
• Service large and walk-in refrigeration systems annually.
• Consider retrofitting existing refrigerators and display cases with anti-sweat door heater controls and variable speed evaporator fan motors and controls.