Energy efficiency in companies: how to reach it

A company's energy efficiency reflects its good performance in terms of energy consumption, which has a positive impact on the environment. This step forward has taken by most companies around the world and is needed to build a more sustainable world for all in the future.

To become more energy efficient, companies have been implementing a series of measures that have helped them to direct this excessive energy expenditure better. Among them, the following are of note:

• Consumption of renewable energies, which are more environmentally friendly.
• Use of more sustainable transport, replacing traditional vehicles with hybrid or electric models.
• Making changes to infrastructure by installing LED lighting and new heating and cooling equipment, among other actions.

However, these are not the only measures. This article will discuss all the measures available and take a more detailed look at all their benefits. Would you like to know more about the value of energy efficiency for your business? Read on!

Companies are increasingly aware of the importance of both reducing energy consumption and using renewable energy. They know that being more energy efficient means taking better care of the environment (as fewer greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere). Being energy efficient also helps companies make significant savings, such as reducing electricity, water and gas costs, among other advantages.

Specifically, companies need to use renewable energy to become energy efficient. Due to its climate, Portugal is well-placed use of some of these energies. Solar energy for example, which is emitted by the sun and is used in two ways: photovoltaic and thermal.

Companies have more and more advanced technology at their disposal to obtain this type of energy (solar, wind, and even geothermal energy). The best known and most frequently used of these technologies are solar panels, which use the light emitted by the sun to generate the energy needed by businesses for their day-to-day operations. Solar panels have low maintenance costs; therefore, by installing them, companies can generate significant savings and help to protect the planet.

Another of the main actions that companies can take to become more energy efficient is to analyze the cooling/heating equipment used in production processes and systems used to heat or cool the facilities where their employees work.

It is important to take into account factors such as the age of the equipment, as it generally requires a lot of energy to produce heat or cold. Thus, with the current price situation, it is worth analyzing how well the equipment performs.

New equipment available on the market allows for a reduction in consumption and better control over functionality, which increases energy savings. Below is a list of some the systems companies can use, depending on their requirements: geothermal systems (use of the soil in heating and cooling exchange systems), aerothermal systems (systems used for heating or cooling by exchanging internal and external air), heat pumps with inverter systems, which enable companies to be highly efficient in their energy objectives and refrigerator and boiler equipment for main cold and hot water systems. 

As we have seen above, it is now essential that companies become more energy efficient. To achieve this, and in addition to the measures discussed above, it is vitally important to review the infrastructure of the facilities in which your company operates. If they are not adequate, changes must be made to adapt them to more sustainable standards.

The following are some of the most important changes that highly energy intensive companies can make:

• Monitoring energy consumption.
• Intelligent management of facilities, whether in terms of lighting (with the installation of movement sensors), heating or security.
• Renovation of air conditioning systems, including, for example, replacing radiators with heat pumps, installing underfloor heating and implementing oxygen sensors.
• Adequate insulation of buildings, as experts estimate that 65% of heat is lost through inadequately insulated floors, walls, windows and roofs.

Other small changes can also be implemented, such as encouraging the use of natural light and, when this is not possible, installing low energy consumption LED lighting, as well as adding dimmers to switches or, if available, installing energy efficient appliances.