Electricity Consumption: How to Better Manage It?
In this article, Smart Impulse reveals best practices and key actions to implement to better manage your electricity consumption in a commercial building.
How to Better Understand Electricity Consumption by End-Use
Before implementing any actions, it is essential to identify and understand the origin of your electricity consumption. Observing and considering how your equipment operates will allow you to target the right levers for energy savings.
To learn more, check out our dedicated article, “How to Save Energy in Commercial Buildings in the UK.”
Prioritising Actions to Reduce Electricity Consumption, Starting with the Most Energy-Consuming Equipment
Examples of Optimisation Actions for High Electricity Consumption Areas Such as Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation
Here are some strategic optimisation actions to reduce electricity consumption in three typically high-consuming areas of a building: heating, cooling, and ventilation.
On average, heating and cooling account for 37% of total consumption, while ventilation accounts for 21%, constituting significant portions of electricity demand. Below are some actions you can implement in your energy efficiency strategy to achieve a quick return on investment.
- Implementation or Adjustment of Automatic Equipment Management Based on Actual Needs
Start with simple strategies such as reducing or shutting down equipment in unoccupied areas. Adjusting equipment operating hours can also lead to significant savings. Aligning activity periods with actual occupancy times, like at night, on weekends, or holidays, can reduce electricity consumption during low-use periods while maintaining optimal comfort for occupants.
- Regulation of Equipment to Optimise Electricity Consumption
Adapting control measures to actual needs, such as adjusting ventilation flow based on the season, can enhance energy efficiency. In winter, lowering the temperature by 1 to 2 degrees at the end of the day leverages the building’s thermal inertia to maintain comfort while reducing energy use. In summer, increasing temperature setpoints by about 1 degree can save around 7% on electricity consumption related to air conditioning.
Optimising the operation of Domestic Hot Water (DHW) can also result in significant energy savings.
- Verification of Equipment Control Systems’ Schedule
Before holidays or exceptional closure days, ensure that equipment operation is adapted compared to a regular working day, reducing unnecessary electricity consumption.
- Supervision and Monitoring of Performance
Continuous consumption monitoring helps detect deviations, such as deregulation, allowing quick corrective actions to maintain optimal electricity consumption levels over time.
Examples of Optimisation in Other Electricity Consumption Areas, Such as Lighting
Lighting represents a significant component of electricity demand, with an average share of 19% of total consumption.
- Implementation of Automatic Lighting Control
Optimising lighting usage by installing presence detectors in shared spaces can significantly reduce electricity consumption.
- Turning Off Lights in Unoccupied Work Areas
Turning off lights in unused areas reduces energy consumption and associated costs.
- Verification and Adjustment of Lighting Programming
Monitoring and adjusting lighting programming improves responsiveness to deviations, avoiding overconsumption due to setting issues.
- Reducing or Turning Off Lighting During Inactivity Periods
Adapting lighting use based on inactivity periods (night, weekend, holidays) reduces the energy bill and improves your building’s energy efficiency.
Raising Awareness and Involving Building Occupants
Occupants, as regular users of the equipment, play a crucial role in improving the building’s energy performance. Here are actions to raise awareness and involve them in a collective approach.
- Communication on Energy Saving
Informing occupants about energy efficiency challenges and best practices encourages eco-responsible behaviors in daily equipment usage.
- Implementation of Reporting
Setting up reporting around sustainable development and energy efficiency helps quantify and highlight the impact of actions taken, allowing you to track progress and identify improvement areas.
- Active Employee Involvement
Creating an “eco-friendly” group or committee encourages idea sharing and concrete actions to reduce electricity consumption and promote sustainable practices within the company.
- Visibility of the Approach, Especially with Management
Integrating energy efficiency into strategic decisions and involving management strengthens commitment to responsible energy management across the organization.
By implementing these actions, which often require minimal investment, energy savings averaging 15% and up to 30% can be achieved in less than a year.
And Now, It’s Your Turn to Take Action!
Do you want to consume better and explore all avenues for reducing and saving your electricity consumption? Ask for a full electricity consumption diagnosis with Smart Impulse and review your practices!
Have you already implemented actions and want to ensure their effectiveness? Do you want to detect equipment malfunctions and be alerted in case of consumption deviations?
Choose Smart Impulse’s consumption monitoring offer and sustain your energy performance over time! Request a demo.
For any questions or information on how measurement technologies can contribute to your energy success, do not hesitate to contact a Smart Impulse expert via our contact form or by email at contact@smart-impulse.com.