Almost every structure built in the modern world is designed to consume energy for functioning, including corporate or residential buildings. However, many buildings show a higher than standard consumption. This pattern might go unnoticed but eventually contributes to energy wastage & high bills regardless of controlled usage.
However, conscious homeowners have now been looking for ways to control energy consumption for both monetary & environmental concerns. As a responsible home improvement business, you need to understand the need of the hour & provide solutions to trim down energy wastage of the buildings you work on. Let’s talk about the various ways in which buildings tend to waste energy so that you can help put a stop to it.
Idle Appliances
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated an annual energy wastage worth $1 billion from idle computer screens. That is an astronomical number for a situation that can be easily avoided!
Energy wastage is a very common problem. Overuse of appliances directly relates to energy waste. The computer is a basic necessity today, used in households & corporate building, and left switched on for long hours. A simple solution is switching off the monitor when going on a break; that is if switching off the computer is not an option. These small steps can help you save a lot.
Dirty Air Filters
Air filters are responsible for maintaining the internal air quality of a building. With the COVID-19 pandemic, air quality has become more important. In a closed area, continuous airflow is suggested, which is why air filters should be clean.
Dirty air filters will use more energy to provide good quality air indoors. These are also used in air conditioning. There should be occasional maintenance of filters throughout the building.
Air Leaks
In the case of winters, thermostats help in maintaining a constant temperature inside the building. Air leaks make this a tough task by constantly letting cold air into the building.
The heating systems have to work more to keep the place at optimum temperature. Most air leaks are easy to find if you locate a draft but some can be quite challenging. A widely used method to find such leaks is thermal imaging. It uses a thermal camera to differentiate hot and cold areas. These can be used to find leaks and fix them.
Poor Maintenance Of Heating & Cooling Systems
Every building is equipped with heating and cooling systems. These often work continuously throughout the day. They need a timely maintenance schedule, failing to which the system will use significantly more energy than expected. Regular changing of filters and cleaning of components ensures efficient working.
You can suggest energy-saving systems or pitch them a switch to green energy like solar power. There are many benefits of green energy projects. A well-placed thermostat can also help keep control of energy consumption. The latest thermostats can also connect to a smartphone and other smart devices to provide ease of control.
These small changes can save your clients money & also are beneficial for the environment. Keeping these in mind during a remodeling project can add value to your building design.
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