Small businesses should start to adopt various renewable energy solutions. The return on investment for various energy-efficient solutions is often considered as viable. In this case, we should look for feasible solutions that can really improve the overall value of our company. The biggest hurdle in adopting green technology is whether it is reliable enough compared to the conventional one. In general, when companies are able to reduce their carbon footprint, consumers will see this as a positive thing. Adopting a green technology doesn’t have to be expensive, in fact we could reduce overall energy costs.
Many companies have learned about the benefits of using green technology. There are multiple renewable solutions that we can use, such as wind energy, photovoltaics and solar heating. In general, the wind and sun are free source of energy and they can be used by companies in areas with stronger wind and more intense sunlight. Although these energy sources may still not be enough to allow us to be self sufficient, we could be able to reduce a significant portion of energy costs. The Internet provides a wealth of information on the proper usages of these free energy sources.
Right now, there are already large solar farms and wind farms that can produce megawatts of power and this will have a real impact on our energy needs. However, small businesses could use multiple small wind turbines for specific urban environment. As an example, multi-story offices could install a few wind turbines on the roof to supplement conventional power supply. This will reduce the overall dependence on conventional power grid. Business owners should be passionate about this idea, because the return on investment can be met in less than two years. One of our philosophies is to make sure that consumers are comfortable with our green solutions.
Going green is more than just about using green energy sources, but also about making offices more energy efficient. As an example, offices could invest on sealing doors and caulking windows. Eventually, this could have a significant effect on the overall utility costs. We may also use radiant barriers to reduce heat gain loss. Many of the energy-saving solutions in the office settings are quite straightforward and simple. They don’t require significant technology implementations. There should be some type of barrier between the interior and exterior, so heat from inside can’t escape or hear from outside can’t penetrate the interior, depending on the weather and climate.
Much of the energy utilization is related on how making ourselves more comfortable in office settings. In general, heat loss should be replaced during cold weather or high interior temperature needs to be lowered to a more tolerable level. We should make sure that our interior has proper heat transfer characteristics, related to radiation, conduction and convection. Conventional insulation method is often good enough to ensure conduction and convection. We should address any issue related to heat loss and heat gain in the interior office settings.