Saving energy at work: You have these options

In recent years, energy prices in Germany have risen rapidly. Oil and gas, in particular, now often cost twice what they did three years ago – an enormous burden, especially for small businesses and medium-sized companies. To alleviate this burden somewhat, saving electricity at the workplace has become a major topic – in this Deskspace blog article, we’ll look at how best to implement it!

These are the options for saving energy at work

In a company with many employees, there are many undiscovered "power guzzlers" that burden the company's budget. Even if it's just a small, constantly burning lamp, over time, a lot of money disappears into thin air. The digitization makes it even more difficult, as more and more devices are also found in the company. Computers, screens, and the like can quickly become small power guzzlers.

Specifically, in this article, we will look at the following potentials for saving energy at work:

• Workplace lighting
• Correct heating settings
• Smart home for energy saving
• Air conditioning & cleaning of the air conditioning system

All these points are also always related to conscious behavior by employees. For example, computers should always go into standby mode after a short time, as this consumes significantly less power. Even if you dress a little warmer instead of turning up the heating, you contribute a lot to lower energy and heating costs.

What needs to be considered in the specific categories, we will look at in more detail in the following paragraphs!

Workplace lighting: Here's where you can save energy

Lighting at the workplace accounts for a large portion of energy consumption in many companies. In recent years, the price per kWh of electricity has more than doubled, which is noticeable even for small businesses. Especially during the cold & dark season, a few more lamps are often switched on, which is often exaggerated. Everyone probably knows the overly bright fluorescent tubes that almost blind you when you arrive at work in the morning.

The first big, important step is to switch to LED lighting throughout the office building. This alone can save high energy costs, as LED lamps are worlds more efficient than normal, old incandescent bulbs. If a company replaces all conventional lights with LEDs, up to 80 percent of electricity costs can be saved. In addition, the small bulbs produce a significantly brighter & more pleasant light than the old fluorescent tubes that were often used in offices.

Important: With all energy-saving measures at the workplace, the actual work must not suffer, of course. If the office is too dark, it strains your eyes and also affects your concentration. Therefore, ensure that occupational safety requirements are always met despite energy-saving measures.

These tips also help save energy at the workplace regarding lighting:

• Motion detectors: Lamps in rooms that are rarely used can be controlled by motion detectors. This way, they do not remain activated longer than necessary. This is useful, for example, in restrooms or hallways.
• Smart Home control: If you can control all the lamps in your office with your phone, it will no longer happen that a light remains activated unintentionally. In addition, you can usually set when the lamp should automatically switch on or off.
• Windows: If possible, you can suggest to your employer that they could install additional windows in their premises. Ceiling windows save a lot of energy, as they let a lot of light into the workstations even in cloudy weather.
• Solar systems: Large offices, in particular, are usually long, flat halls with a huge roof area. Perhaps you can suggest to your employer that these areas could be used for solar panels. This way, a lot of energy is produced in-house, and the company usually also benefits from tax advantages.

In addition to the right lighting at the workplace, it is also important that you work ergonomically & sustainably for your body. Sitting for long periods on uncomfortable, old chairs damages your back and also affects your concentration & performance. At Deskspace, we have made it our goal to make ergonomic office furniture available to everyone. The Deskspace Pro, for example, is a height-adjustable desk with all the important functions at a fair price.

For more information, feel free to visit the clear Deskspace website!!

Heating & Air Conditioning

Next, we'll look at another point that contributes significantly to saving energy at the workplace – heating & air conditioning. Both are major energy consumers, with heating, in terms of electricity, especially electric heaters like an infrared heater.

Finding the right temperature at the workplace is one of the most important steps toward saving energy. According to experts, the perfect working temperature in the office is between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius; for more active tasks, it is lower. We have written a separate guide on the perfect workplace temperature, which you can find in the Deskspace blogs.

To protect the environment and the company's finances, the heating should not be turned up too high even when the outside temperature is cold. So, dress a little warmer or bridge particularly cold days with a small fan heater or an electric heater. This closes heat gaps, and the entire office does not have to be heated because of one person.

For the air conditioning system to function efficiently in summer, it must be serviced in winter or spring. Cleaning is the most important aspect when it comes to energy efficiency. If the fins and gaps of the air conditioning system are dirty, it cannot work efficiently in summer and requires more electricity than usual – therefore, precautions should be taken in winter. A smart control can also be easily installed in the air conditioning system, which automatically adjusts the device's performance to the outside temperature. This way, it cannot happen that too much cooling capacity is called for.

Conclusion: Saving energy at the workplace

Every employee can do their small part to ensure that not so much electricity is consumed at the workplace. Whether it's adjusting one's own heating needs or correctly setting up the PC, if all employees work together, everyone benefits equally. The switch to LED and the installation of solar panels are primarily a matter for the boss, but you can also point this out to your supervisor to speed things up!