Lighting and equipment upgrades are some of the most effective ways for a business to reduce energy costs and maintenance fees. If your business is prepared to tackle an energy overhaul, we have top-tier ideas for lighting and equipment changes that will make the most difference.

LED Lighting

LED (light-emitting diode) lighting has quickly risen to become a very popular commercial lighting option for companies that want to save money with an energy efficient lighting upgrade. With the right LED installation replacing traditional lighting options, you can reduce lighting energy by 50% or more. When a business stays open all day, that can lead to some significant savings!

LED lights come in many different colors, and many LED light solutions can fit inside older sockets designed for incandescent or fluorescent lights. If it has been a while since your company looked into its lighting or considered a lighting upgrade, RK Energy can help you with the project.

More Effective Lighting

When you think of LED lights, you might think of a brightly lit area – but LED lights can also be used in areas with low lighting, such as fine dining establishments. While LED lights are very efficient, it’s also important to consider how lighting affects your business operations and marketing. Low lighting, ambiance lighting, colored accent lighting…all have their applications for a variety of different businesses. With LED lights in particular, you have options for string lights, light panels, and many other types of energy saving lighting equipment that can be customized to an area. If you haven’t looked into ways to augment your lighting for the best visibility and mood lighting, consider a lighting audit to help your business find new ways to employ efficient light for the best results.

Renovating for Daylight

Renovating for daylight is an increasingly popular lighting upgrade that installs and adjusts windows in the right locations to make maximum use of available daylight. High wall windows and skylights are particularly common for this type of renovation. When done correctly, these windows produce long-lasting light and greatly reduce the need for artificial light during working hours. If you are planning a renovation or don’t mind adding new windows, this can be excellent for long-term savings!

HVAC Improvements

HVAC (heating and cooling systems) are one of the greatest energy users in any commercial business. There are many different HVAC systems and even more ways to upgrade them to save energy and work more effectively, but let’s talk about three specific ways that are especially good at reducing business energy bills.

• Refrigeration: A business that uses lots of refrigeration should look into regular maintenance and plenty of insulation. Insulated systems will do a much better job of keeping the cold air where it belongs. However, it’s important to remember that a refrigeration system and the cold area also need space for air to move around – otherwise the system loses efficiency. Taking a close look at the refrigeration space with these points in mind can yield valuable upgrade ideas.
• Heat pumps: If you live in a temperate climate, heat pumps are particularly effective at saving energy. They switch between pulling hot or cold air from outside, and waste very little energy doing it. Switching to a heat pump – if you do not already use one – is a common HVAC upgrade to save money. Talk to a professional to find out if a heat pump is right for your business.
• New heating options: How long has it been since you replaced your furnace? If it’s been 10 to 15 years, your business should take a look at the efficiency rating of the current furnace and compare that rating to the latest furnace options. A significantly higher efficiency rating can lead to meaningful long-term savings if a business wants to replace the current unit.

More Efficient Office Equipment

Offices in particular have ways to upgrade their equipment to create more efficiencies, especially when combined with new green initiatives. For example, companies can consider getting rid of individual scanners and buying a single, high-powered scanning machine for the whole office – especially if scanning needs have decreased in recent years. Other companies may be able to reduce individual data storage needs by moving data into the cloud or investing in their own server.

Contact the Experts at RK Energy Group Today!

When looking to save money on your energy bills and upgrade your lighting and equipment, remember:

• LED lighting is an efficient and very popular upgrade
• Lighting upgrades can also include changes to color and placement for better atmosphere
• Renovating to include more daylight can be an excellent savings on lighting costs
• HVAC renovation is a great way to save money, from refrigeration practices to new units
• Offices can embrace paperless habits and consolidate data to save on daily electricity use

Interested in learning more? Contact RK Energy today and review our broad variety of services to help businesses improve operations and save energy!