MAKING CHANGES AT THE WORKPLACE
Staff Writer
You probably spend more than half your waking hours at your workplace, implementing a few minor changes at the office will go a long way…
The easiest way to reduce energy consumption is to make the most out of natural light as much as possible. Not only does natural light help you reduce the electricity usage but it is also good for your health. Studies show that people that spend more time in natural light during the day enjoy better sleep and less winter blues. Above all, if you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to be exposed to sunlight you will also benefit from a boost in vitamin D.
We often take for granted the number of electronic devices we use during the day; mobile phone, tablet, laptops, monitors, televisions, interactive boards, speakers and more. Unfortunately, electronics’ lifespan is usually numbered however, this can be lengthened if devices are well taken care of. Most modern devices generally have an eco-mode and other eco-friendly features such as to go to sleep when not in use after a certain amount of idle time. Enabling such features will help reduce the device’s energy consumption and lengthen its lifespan. Better still, it would be ideal that if you know that you will not be using the device for a while, you can either opt to hibernate or switch off the device. Hibernate generally means that your device powers down but will retain the current state when it comes back on.
If you have a habit of forgetting to switch off your devices or electrical items before leaving the office perhaps setting a reminder to switch them off before you leave would be ideal or setting an actual electrical timer on gadgets that can be switched on from their plug such as lights.
Possibly your best attribution towards going green is to save as many trees as possible. Achieve this by moving your physical filing system onto your computer or server. Unless necessary, try to avoid printing documents as much as possible and recycle or reuse papers when possible. Digitise your notetaking or at least try to use used or recycled paper. Whenever possible promote sending and signing contracts and other documents digitally instead of using snail mail.
Another culprit towards which we can all easily contribute is room temperature control. How many times do you fight over the room temperature with your colleagues during the day? Way too many times to even count, right? This makes your temperature control system very inefficient having to readjust to new temperatures every time. Try to come to an agreement on one comfortable temperature and if possible, try not to change it during the day. This will maximise energy efficiency of your temperature control device.
Very little changes will probably go unnoticed at first, but when put together, they will make a big difference. Thank you for trying your best to help in improving our environment.
