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The Greening of America
Who Said It's Not Easy Being Green?
Has your business adopted environmentally friendly practices yet? If not, it may be that you're concerned about possible costs or don't know where to begin. But going green does not need to be cost-prohibitive, and in fact, will probably end up saving you money. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses spend about $60 billion on energy each year, but with strategic planning they could save 10% to 30%.
Go Green and Save Green
Start small and work into it gradually. Here are 11 EPA recommendations for environmentally friendly business practices that don't take a lot of time, effort or money.
- Turn off lights and equipment when they are not in use. Consider installing sensors that automatically turn off lights when no one is present, and turn them on when someone returns.
- Buy ENERGY STAR office equipment, and activate the stand-by mode.
- Adjust lighting to use free daylight. This means turn off or dim your lights when daylight is adequate, or use automatic daylight dimming controls to do it.
- Tune up your HVAC system with an annual maintenance contract.
- Regularly change (or clean if reusable) the HVAC filters.
- Install a programmable thermostat to automate your HVAC system.
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), wherever appropriate. CFLs cost about 75% less to operate and last about 10 times longer.
- Install LED exit signs that are cheaper to run, last decades and give brighter light.
- Control direct sun through windows. During cooling season, block the sun shining through glass. During heating season, expose southern windows to the sun during the day, but cover them at night.
- Use fans. Moving air can make a somewhat higher temperature and/or humidity feel comfortable.
- Plug the leaks with weather stripping and caulking.
Get the Word Out
In many instances, consumers have begun to make purchases based on whether a company is green. Let people know what you are doing; contact the media and crow about it, advertise your green status and you will probably be rewarded with customer loyalty.
You can find a plethora of simple and more complex tips at www.business.gov. At the home page, type Green Business Guide or Small Business Guide to Energy Efficiency in the search box. You'll find information about which projects offer the biggest payback, financial incentives, energy-efficiency tips and much more.
Chaco can help you make your business more environmentally friendly. Talk to a representative about paying bills online, phone banking and much more. Contact us today to find out how we can help you go green.
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