Removing Non-Useful Energy Consumption
The following tips may increase awareness of the non-useful energy consumption associated with office equipment and appliances:
- Computer equipment can be shut off when not in use during the evening and over the weekend.
- Check refrigerator temperature set points to see if it can be raised so that refrigerators cycle on much less often, therefore, using less electricity.
- Standby power, also known as phantom load or vampire power, refers to electricity consumed by electrical appliances when they are switched off or in standby mode. Some examples of applications that use standby power are televisions, computers, chargers, etc. Natural Resources Canada has some tips on how to reduce standby power loss. Click here to learn more.
Vending Machines
Specialty control products designed to reduce the energy consumption of vending machines may be a means in which to reduce non-useful energy consumption. The controller can achieve energy savings by powering down the machine when the space is unoccupied.
Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Laundry Machines
If you are using residential-style washers and dryers it is possible that these units are undersized for their application. In these situations, replacing the existing units with larger commercial units may result in more effective operation, reduced wash and dry times and reduced energy consumption associated with extended dry times due to overloading of dryers. Commercial laundry appliances can process larger loads more efficiently.
Commercial Refrigerator
Sometimes businesses have appliances that are too big for their application. If you have a commercial refrigerator in your business, these can be replaced with an energy efficient domestic refrigerator to better suit the application and use less energy. Commercial refrigerators are designed with a larger compressor to handle frequent door opening and fast cooling of items, thus using excess energy for certain applications.
