POWERWISE : Office Tips

Cost saving is always one of the major operating principles in managing a business. The following energy saving tips, most of which are low-cost or even cost-free, enable businesses in saving energy costs. They are also essential practices for an energy efficient office.

Lighting
Heating, Ventilating & Air-conditioning (HVAC) System
Office Equipment
Building Envelope (external walls, roofs and floors in direct contact with ground)
Other Machinery and Equipment

Lighting

	Replace T12 or T10 fluorescent tubes with T8 or T5 energy efficient fluorescent tubes that are 10% to 30% more energy efficient.
	Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) which are 70% to 80% more energy efficient.
	Replace electromagnetic ballasts with electronic ballasts which are 20% to 30% more energy efficient.
	Install lighting zone control wherever applicable to switch off unnecessary lighting in unoccupied areas.
	Install occupancy sensors to automatically control lighting in areas infrequently used, e.g. conference rooms.
	Install parabolic-type lighting reflectors to reflect sufficient light and use fewer fluorescent tubes.
	Install appropriate dimmers to adjust lighting.
	Remove excess lighting in areas that are unnecessarily bright and maintain only those lights needed for safety, security or other specific purposes in the areas that are frequently unoccupied.
	Make use of daylight whenever possible.
	Clean lighting luminaries regularly and avoid switching on unnecessary lights.

Heating, Ventilating & Air-conditioning (HVAC) System

	Replace aging HVAC equipment with new energy-efficient equipment.
	Install variable-speed drives wherever applicable to control chilled water flow and fan speed based on actual demand.
	Use heat-recovery chillers or heat pumps to recover waste heat that can be used for heating up the hot water supply while providing cooling at the same time.
	Install occupancy sensors to automatically switch on and off the air-conditioning in those areas infrequently used, e.g. in conference rooms.
	Increase the chiller evaporator temperature and decrease the chiller condensing temperature according to the chiller manufacturer's recommendations so as to achieve higher chiller cooling efficiency.
	During cool seasons, raise the chilled water supply temperature according to the cooling demand. This improves the efficiency of the chillers running at part load.
	When outside conditions are suitable and the outdoor air is cool and dry enough, increase the intake of outdoor air as much as possible.
	Regularly clean condenser tubes, cooling coils and air filters in order to maintain cooling efficiency.

Office Equipment

	Purchase energy-efficient office machines, e.g. photocopiers and laser printers bearing the energy label.
	Adopt paper-reducing strategies such as double-sided printing, reusing paper and using e-mail instead of sending memos or faxing documents.
	Always switch off office equipment such as personal computers, printers and photocopiers when they are no longer needed, e.g. during night time and at weekends.
	Discourage the use of personal electrical appliances such as electric fans.

Building Envelope (external walls, roofs and floors in direct contact with ground)

	Install auto doors at openings to non-air-conditioned spaces to reduce excessive infiltration and exfiltration.
	Install caulking or replace worn out caulking around windows, doors and other areas of infiltration or exfiltration.
	Realign or re-hang windows or doors that do not close properly.
	Replace broken or cracked windows.
	Install outdoor shading devices, add reflective films to windows, and close interior shading devices, e.g. curtains or venetian blinds (preferably light coloured), to reduce solar heat gain in summer.

Other Machinery and Equipment

	Install energy-efficient motors and avoid using oversized motors because motors are inefficient when running at part load.
	Operate machines at maximum efficiency. Always run fewer machines at full load rather than more machines at part load.
	In applications in which loads fluctuate, install variable-speed drives to control motor speed to meet demand.
	Lubricate motors and drive bearings frequently to avoid overheating and power loss.
	Adhere to proper maintenance schedules recommended by manufacturers.
	Regularly clean the heating coils in the electric boilers.
	Use heat pumps to heat up water wherever applicable, e.g. for swimming pools and hotels.
	Consider localised hot water supply. This eliminates heat losses in long pipe runs and the need to operate large units for small, intermittent heating demands.
	Reduce the number of lifts and escalators in service after normal working hours and on holidays.