Energy efficiency is taking center stage by the day because nobody wants to overspend on bills. When you go to company offices, businesses, and industries today, people are concerned about energy consumption. Usually, the property design, electrical appliances, and energy sources play a central role in determining a building’s energy-efficiency. Here are various creative techniques you can adopt to make your building more energy-efficient.
Embrace Smart Building Technology
It is essential to watch how you plan, construct, and manage your company building in this era of technology and innovation. You might consider integrating smart building techniques like sensor networks. Most modern sensor networks can watch water and power consumption, track sustainability performance in real-time, and control temperatures. Smart buildings have intelligent construction management systems that generate a lot of data, which serves as a base for greater efficiency.
Buy the Right Building Fabric
The construction fabric plays a critical role in controlling the indoor atmosphere. Ideally, these are the structural materials used in developing the walls, doors, windows, floor, and roof. You can identify good fabric because it minimizes heat transfer between the property’s interiors and exteriors. The fabric should be properly insulated to avert heat transfer through conduction.
As a property owner, you should ensure you seal all the openings to prevent outside air from flowing inside the building.
Select the Right Ventilation System
Your building will be airtight after sealing all the openings. As such, you will need adequate ventilation to prevent moisture buildup. Your contractor should also pay attention to temperature variations, especially on the slab. If you choose to raise the building floors, installations should match the industry standards for effectiveness. You may want to integrate your building with underfloor air distribution (UFAD), a ventilation strategy that seems to be gaining prevalence among modern builders. UFAD is particularly valuable in open offices with raised floors and highly reconfigurable company buildings.
Choose the Right Energy Source
Choosing the right energy source for a commercial building is no mean feat. The good news is that if you build an energy-efficient structure, you will not need centralized heating. Therefore, you can rely on electricity alone for energy, which will be advantageous because it discharges less carbon than burning gas. It would also help if you used alternative energy sources like solar panels to heat water for office use. If you can generate some of the energy you use onsite, you will reduce utility bills. You will also avoid coming into contact with greenhouse gasses emitted to the environment.
Optimize Wall and Roof Insulation
Optimizing your wall and roof insulation ensures you do not lose much energy through the spaces. Most company buildings are said to lose about 30 percent of heat through the roof. Apart from losing energy and money, in such a case, you also risk encountering humidity-related problems. Should moisture get trapped between the insulation and the walls, it will undoubtedly compromise the entire structure’s integrity. If you feel the need to improve your office’s thermal performance, liaise with an experienced contractor for professional assistance.
Simple Ways to Improve Thermal Performance in a Building
If your company building is old and not very energy efficient, you can implement constructive yet straightforward ideas to enhance its energy efficiency without demolishing it. With the help of an expert, you should invest in the following practices:
- Draught proofing- Many old structures are full of draughts. Seal them all, but remember to leave adequate ventilation to ensure good air quality.
- Upgrade glazing. Double or triple glazing could reduce heat loss by about 70 percent. If you find it necessary to do secondary glazing, seek professional help in installing double glazing Bristol windows to maintain the appeal.
- Loft insulation. Probably your building already has loft insulation, even if it is old. However, it would be best to countercheck its thickness. With time, insulation compacts, thus losing its efficiency.
There is more to a company building than its aesthetic appeal. Having a good design is crucial in ensuring you work comfortably without spending unnecessarily. Your surrounding landscape also affects the environment in your office in a big way. If you can, plant some trees adjacent to your building, but ensure their roots do not tamper with the building’s foundation.
