June 2, 2006—The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published tools and advice for businesses to save energy and money this summer. EPA’s Energy Star Challenge encourages businesses and other organizations to improve their energy efficiency by 10 percent or more by following simple, proven methods such as low-cost building tune-ups, lighting upgrades, and replacement of old equipment.
For example, EPA says that programming the thermostat to turn off the HVAC system at night and restart one hour prior to employee arrival, can reduce HVAC costs by as much as 30 percent and still make a comfortable work environment. The publication notes that cooling and ventilating use almost 20 percent of the energy in commercial buildings.
For more tips on lowering energy bills, visit Energy Star.
