News & Upcoming Events

Practically any business office can improve its energy efficiency easily and cost-effectively. With 37 percent of our region’s energy being used to heat, light, and power our buildings, we must dramatically reduce the building sector’s energy use.

Here are some strategies to jump-start energy savings in your business office:


10 Energy Conservation Tips

1.    Install more efficient lighting.

• Replace Incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs)
  Download CEC's fact sheet, Get Started with CFLs

•  Replace T-12 fluorescent tubes with T-8 flourescent tubes in your office ceiling lights. T-8s use electronic ballasts instead of magnetic ballasts, increasing energy efficiency at least 17%.
  More info on T-8s

2.  Install lighting motion sensors in common rooms (bathroom, copy rooms)

• Motion sensors are available at the local  Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center, Home Depot and Osh.

3.  Use day lighting from windows or skylights, instead of electrical lighting.

• Contact a local contractor or consider Solatube Daylighting.
  www.solatube.com
  www.tubulargeorge.com

4.    Choose Energy Star Certified office equipment. www.energystar.gov

• Replace old inefficient computers, copy machines, and freezers/refrigerators with energy star models.   

5.    Set your computer monitor to go into power-save mode instead of screensaver mode. A monitor in screen save mode uses almost as much energy as when you are using it. Power-save will make your screen go dark if you have not touched it for a while, but your computer is still ready to use with just a click of the mouse.

• On a Windows computer:

• Go to the Control Panel, select Performance and Maintenance > Power Options
• Set the Turn Off Monitor to how long you would like your monitor to idle before going into power-save mode.

•   On a Mac computer:

• Click on the Apple icon at the top of your screen and select System Preferences,
• Click the Energy Saver icon.
• Using the slider, select how long you would like your monitor to remain idle before going into power-save mode.

6.    Purchase Smart Power Strips. These sense when your computer shuts off and automatically cut power to your peripheral devices (speakers, printer, etc.) to eliminate their phantom load. The Smart Power Strip also knows when to automatically turn on your devices. Find out more HERE
 

7.    Keep thermostats between 68˚F (warming) and 74˚F (cooling). For every degree you lower your heat in the 60-degree to 70-degree range, you'll save up to 5 percent on heating costs.
Read tips from the California Energy Commission HERE


8.    Launch a campaign to encourage using alternate modes of transportation at least two days a week. Get your office to participate in the Traffic Solutions Commuter Challenge.
Vist Traffic Solutions' webpage HERE
Download CEC's Transportation Brochure HERE


9.    Install low flow toilets and waterless urinals. Older model toilets use between 3.5 to 7 gallons of water. Newer energy efficient models flush at 1.3 gallons or less. By saving water you are automatically saving all the energy it takes to process and move the water to and from your office.
More business water efficiency information from the County of Santa Barbara HERE


10. Take CEC's Get Energized pledge. Find out more ways to save energy at home, work, or school, and join more than 1,400 other Santa Barbara residents who have already pledged at:
www.GetEnergized.org

Bonus links that may be useful:

Southern California Edison Business Energy Efficiency Programs

For small businesses
For large businesses

South Coast Energy Efficiency Partnership
www.SCEEP.org