Energy saving tips

ENERGY SAVING TIPS

- Set thermostats as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as possible in the summer. Businesses save 3 percent on daily heating or cooling costs by setting their thermostat back one degree (higher for cooling, lower for heating) during a 24-hour period.

- Clean or replace heating and cooling filters once a month or as needed.

- Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season.

- Adjustable speed drives can be used to match the speed of an AC motor to the requirements of a fluctuating load, such as a pump that must move volumes of fluid that change in the course of a production shift. Energy savings from adjustable speed drives can exceed 50 percent.

- Insulate long runs of hot water supply pipe, especially sections that pass through unheated spaces.

- Repair or replace leaky faucets. A hot water faucet that leaks one drop per second wastes more than 2,300 gallons of hot water per year.

- Lower the water heater thermostat to 120°F, or raise the temperature and install a cold water-mixing valve to the line. Water reaching your tap will be 120°F, will be safe enough to avoid scalds, and will save you money.

- Use task lighting to target work activities, allowing you to reduce overall room lighting levels.

- Use energy-efficient high-output T8 fluorescent lamps or ceramic metal halide lamps.

- Keep light fixtures clean to gain maximum illumination.