Lighting is perhaps one of the biggest causes of energy consumption for many businesses, so making sure your business lighting is eco-friendly will reduce your carbon footprint and save you money. We have taken a look at a few ways you can ensure your business lighting is eco-friendly.

Get LEDs

We wrote an article last year hailing LED lighting as one of the saviors of the sustainability movement. It has proven to be very useful for companies trying to lower their carbon footprints.

The easiest way to ensure your business lighting is eco-friendly is through installing LED lights. These lights are perhaps the most eco-friendly on the market and provide long-lasting, energy efficient alternatives to regular lighting.

Although they may cost a little more up-front (while still remaining affordable), they can reduce your business energy consumption for lighting by an amazing 80%, meaning smaller bills and better lighting for your money. If you need your business lighting changed to LED alternatives, find a company that has experience and the right skillset in installing interior lighting.

Get Motion Sensors

Having the lights on in every room of your business isn’t ideal or good for the environment. Sometimes employees can forget to turn switches off, especially if they’re busy or their hands are full upon leaving the room. While adding notes around the office asking employees to turn off the lights may help, motion sensors are a much better idea. You may even want to install lights that can dim, so you only need to use as much energy as needed to light the room. Motion sensors can prevent unused electricity bills and keep bulbs in use for longer.

Use Recycled Materials

When looking for lamps or shades for your business, choose materials that are recycled and eco-friendly. Lamps that are made with reused or natural materials are better for the environment, can be cheaper, and look just as good. Many offices and businesses use the recycled and upcycled movement to create interesting interior designs within their business.

Use Daylight to Your Advantage

The most eco-friendly way to light your business is with natural sunlight. This may mean installing some extra windows or a skylight, but by doing so, you are creating a more natural environment for your workers. This can save money on electricity bills and make for a brighter, more welcoming business space.

Invest in Green Power

If you have already made your lighting as energy-efficient as possible, it may be time to look at where you get your energy supplied from. Choosing a utility company that supplies green energy is a great way to ensure your business lighting and whole power source are more eco-friendly. Many leading electrical suppliers are now offering cleaner, greener energy, which comes from renewable sources such as solar energy and wind farms. For more information on green energy in the US, check out the 10 biggest renewable energy companies for your business.

Eco-Friendly Lighting is a Great Way to Lower Your Carbon Footprint

These tips can help ensure your business lighting is eco-friendly. Now more than ever, it is important to keep your business’s carbon footprint down and to do your bit to help the environment. Not only is this beneficial for our world, you can also save money when your business lighting is eco-friendly.

The post Amazing Lighting Tips Eco-Friendly Businesses Can’t Overlook appeared first on Green Building Insider.

For a lot of people, this concept is closely tied to ideas such as switching to solar-powered energy or installing a gray-water system. But contrary to popular belief, going green does not have to entail taking up major, costly projects. There are small things each and every one of us can do around the house that can significantly improve our quality of life while saving us a lot of money along the way.

Here are some simple ideas to get you started:

Become Water-Wise

Water is one of the resources that is wasted on a regular basis through different habits. Whether it is washing the dishes, clothes, or showering and bathing, we tend to be unaware of how much water we use. At the same time, we forget that not everyone has access to clean, safe water soures.

One of the first steps we can take towards living a more sustainable lifestyle – and saving money on utility bills – is to try to raise awareness about water consumption, both our own and our family’s. Once we’re mindful of what we’re doing, it becomes easier to remember not to let the water run unnecessarily during any kind of washing up.

The next thing you can do is get practical and check all your faucets and shower heads. They can be leaky, broken, or simply older models use more water than modern, more efficient designs. In either case, it’s a great idea to replace them.

This is a pretty simple DIY project that will not cost you a lot. Many types of low water-usage or energy-efficient shower heads and faucets are available on the market at very affordable prices. They will decrease your water usage, and if you have many of them around the house, the difference on your monthly bill will be significant.

Switch to Green Lighting

Changing your lighting is another simple change you can introduce into your household. Replacing your old light bulbs with new, energy-efficient ones will save you both energy and money.

CFL and LED incandescent lamps last much longer than the regular, old ones – up to 5 years. They are more expensive, but when you take into consideration that one can last for years and will waste significantly less energy, it really comes out cheaper in the end. Of course, you still need to remember not to leave the lights on when you leave the house!

Seal All the Air Leaks

Air leaks around the house present another source of energy waste and increased utility bills. Luckily, it is a problem that can be easily solved by caulking and weather stripping.

Try to locate the leaks by checking all of your doors and windows – there will usually be a small draft there. Then, add weather stripping to your doors, or replace the old ones, and caulk or put foam on all of the other leaks.

Unplug Your Appliances When Not In Use

Many of the appliances around the house consume energy, even when they are turned off. They don’t use a lot, but it adds up when you consider how many of them you have. It’s a good idea to unplug your televisions, computers, stereos, and even your phone chargers when they are not in use.

If you don’t have the time to always unplug everything, then another solution is to get a power strip. It is a small, affordable control device that cuts power to all of those devices.

One appliance you could consider unplugging for longer periods of time is your tumble dryer. Dryers use a lot of energy. And there are free, natural alternatives for drying your clothes. Simply put a clothesline outside in your backyard or on the balcony, and use it whenever you can – especially during spring and summer when the temperatures are higher.

Program Your Thermostat for Energy Efficiency

Setting your thermostat to optimal temperature is a great way to save energy on heating and cooling. If you want to maximize your energy savings, the ideal temperature during the winter would be 68 degrees, and during summer 78 degrees. Even if you’re not used to those temperatures, don’t worry, your body will adapt quickly and your indoors will be nice and comfortable!

Another thing you could do is get a programmable thermostat. You can set it to automatically adjust the optimal temperature according to the season and the time of the day, as well as to turn the heating off when there’s no one home and turn it back on just before you arrive.

Water heating requires a lot of energy as well. We usually leave it on all the time, but that is not really necessary. Even if you turn it down a bit, you can save energy and money on your utility bills. 10 degrees lower than your usual setting, or somewhere between the ‘low’ and ‘medium’ mark is usually more than sufficient.

Save Money and the Environment

Living green does not have to be complicated or expensive. Just the opposite. With only a little effort you can make a big step towards reducing your living costs and taking care of the environment at the same time.

Do some research, get informed on the benefits of green, sustainable homes and don’t be afraid to make that first step. You definitely won’t regret it.

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