3 Sustainable Summer Improvements For The Office

As summer heats up, your office is probably seeing a little grief in its energy bill. But the warm summer sun does not have to zap energy from your employees or energy savings from your office. Here are 3 summer projects for energy savings and sustainability at the office.

1. Bring in new lights. Summer is all about the sun and the heat, so while the natural lighting can help brighten up offices all day, it can also heat rooms, making your cooling system inefficient. Adding new shades or blinds can be a great way for your employees to have more autonomy over how much light gets into their offices, but you can also pair this fix with new smart lightbulbs. Though more costly than LED lightbulbs, smart bulbs can be a cost-effective lighting option as they self-adjust their brightness and are easy to control and schedule from an app on a computer or smartphone. If smart bulbs are currently out of your price range, installing LEDs on a dimmer can be more affordable.

2. Avoid overcooling with smart thermostats. Having a smart thermostat really pays for itself year-round, due to flexible programming and scheduling, easy-to-use interface, and easy control from anywhere, whether you’re in the office or away on vacation. Models like the Ecobee EMS SI or Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat are perfect for businesses and commercial properties, and each one offers varied features depending on your tech and micro-management desires. 

3. Consider xeriscaping or green rooftops. Xeriscaping your grounds is a great way to cut facilities management costs and water waste. Planting local, drought-resistant plants, or shrubs and trees that do not need intensive watering, you can help the environment and improve your bottom line. If you don’t have grounds but do have a rooftop, consider a green roof summer project. After a structural audit, it can easy to install a small green roof, or add a few beds for flowers and plants.

You could even grow produce or fresh herbs for your cafeteria, or for your employees to take home for themselves (maybe you’ll even grow enough for a summer office cookout next year!). Not only is a green roof a great way to cool down employees and give them some fresh air and shade during the day; it can actually save your building’s cooling bill over time.

All three of these improvements are not only green for the summer, but can also help maintain green practices through the seasons. For more green energy-saving and recycling ideas, check out the rest of our blog.