How Do You Design An Eco-Friendly Office ?

With number of new offices getting constructed each day, the office buildings are increasing year-on-year, and the activities involved in the sector have generated several unfavourable impacts on the environment. Saving the environment is an important thing that the large and small companies must address. Have you ever thought of making your office eco-friendly? It’s definitely one of the best ways to reduce the negative impacts on the environment, while promoting the wellbeing of employees in the workplace.

According to a research, the commercial and office buildings are using about 1/5th of the nationwide energy production in America. So, designing an eco-friendly office definitely reduces the negative impacts on environment and also improves the business’s bottom line over a period of time. Eco-friendly office space design includes the combination of equipment, location and building features. You can also adopt energy saving practices by making the smartest use of equipment.

Here are a few ways through which you can make your office eco-friendly.

1. Green Roof:

If you are starting a new building design, consider installing a green roof. Green roofs cover the building top with a living layer of plants, grass or any other vegetation that acts as an insulator. They lessen excessive outdoor heat in the summer and also help in retaining the heat within the building during winter. Though it costs more to install the green roof, it reduces the energy consumption in the building and recovers its cost and even becomes profitable over a period of time.

2.Smart climate control:

Make use of the programmable thermostats which allow the managers and employees to control the room temperature by time of the day. Turn off the climate control system in unused places like vacant discussion rooms and conference rooms. Also, program the climate control system in such a way that it turns itself down in the night time and when the office is empty. When you are installing a new climate control system like furnaces or air conditioners, make sure that you purchase the certified systems.

3. Use energy-saving computers:

Employ the computers bearing Energy Star label and set them to operate as efficiently as possible. Also, use power management options in operating systems and set the monitors to turn off automatically after a period of inactivity, and set the desktop computers to go to sleep at the end of the day or when the workers are out.

4. Efficient windows and shades:

Do a thorough research or consult an expert to determine the smartest mix of window features that suits your needs and climate. The modern efficient windows restrict the outdoor heat from entering your building in summer, and also retain the temperature inside the building during winter. Generally, the south facing windows admit more heat from outside. So, use appropriate shades to adjust the heat and light entry throughout the day. Also remember that different locations at office may benefit from different window types.

5.Smart lighting:

Make use of automated systems like motion detectors, timers, photo sensors, so that it activate lighting as and when it’s needed; it turns the lights off when they aren’t necessary and when the rooms are empty. Use fluorescent bulbs instead of standard incandescent bulbs as they use less energy. Use natural light in the daytime; window-equipped offices can reduce the employees’ dependency on artificial lights.

These are just a few ways, and there are several other ways to make your office eco-friendly. Regardless the size of your business, it definitely makes a huge difference when you start conserving energy, maximizing natural light in the workspace and using recycled materials. It creates a healthy working environment and also enhances the productivity of the employees.

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