9 Energy-Saving Tips for Your Home Office
Home offices are convenient, but they can also consume a lot of energy. The cost of power adds up quickly, especially if you use bright lights, multiple computers, or specialized equipment. Unfortunately, most offices also waste energy. You can save money and reduce your carbon footprint by eliminating that waste. A few small changes can have a massive impact on your electricity bill.
1. Choose ENERGY STAR Products
If you need to buy new devices, you should always select the most efficient options. ENERGY STAR makes it easy to identify those products. All items with the ENERGY STAR label meet stringent energy efficiency standards. The program certifies a variety of products, including computers, lights, and most other household appliances.
ENERGY STAR maintains a database of certified items, and it is the best place to start the hunt for new appliances. It provides a diverse list of options for each product category. Professional electricians usually offer ENERGY STAR products. We can even help you compare them and find the right lighting installations, appliances, or other additions that suit your office.
2. Use Smart Technology
Recent advancements in smart technology can also help you save energy. Smart devices contain an autonomous control system that reduces their power usage. For example, smart lights can turn themselves off when they are not in use. Smart thermostats offer advanced scheduling systems that adapt to your routine. They all save energy by eliminating the waste that comes from human error.
You can replace most of your plugs, power strips, and other electrical fixtures with smart equivalents. Many of them can connect to hubs, which allow you to control all of your devices with a single program. They even provide usage data that can help you identify wasteful products. While a single smart device will not have a huge impact, you can combine several to save plenty of energy.
3. Install LED Lighting
You can quickly reduce your energy usage by switching to LED light bulbs. They consume roughly 75% less electricity than traditional incandescent lights. Most existing light fixtures will accept LED bulbs, but they are incompatible with many old dimmer switches. They can also struggle with heat dissipation in some enclosed light fixtures. You can consult an electrician to determine if your current lights will accept LED bulbs.
Modern light fixtures rarely have those problems. Most designers optimize their new products to use LED lights. Some of them even include smart technologies that can adjust their brightness and change their color. Those systems are some of the most efficient lighting solutions on the market.
4. Prioritize Task Lighting
It is also vital to carefully arrange your lights to maximize their performance. Most home offices should include a single ambient light that illuminates the whole room. That light should be relatively dim, which minimizes its energy consumption. In most cases, a ceiling light or an overhead lamp will suffice.
You should supplement that ambient light with a collection of task lights. They provide direct lighting for specific spaces. Small desk lamps and table lights are the best options for most offices. Those little lights use less power than big ones, but their precise lighting is sufficient for most tasks. This layout reduces glare and conserves energy at the same time, which makes it perfect for home offices.
5. Install a Ceiling Fan
It is wasteful to use an air conditioner to cool most home offices. They usually have poor insulation, and that forces the air conditioner to do extra work. Ceiling fans are more efficient in small spaces. Many models have ENERGY STAR certifications, and they can usually keep your office comfortable on their own.
You can also use small desk fans, but they are less effective than ceiling fans. They also make more noise, which can be distracting in an office. On the other hand, they excel at supplementing ceiling fans during heat waves. They are useful tools, but it is usually worthwhile to invest in a large ceiling fan.
6. Try a Space Heater
Heating your office requires just as much energy as cooling it. You can use a small space heater to warm your office without heating the rest of your house. Most systems are rated to warm a specific area. Try to choose one that can heat your entire office without any excess coverage. That will minimize the heater’s energy consumption without sacrificing comfort.
Space heaters require a few safety precautions. For example, you should never plug them into a power strip or extension cord. Space heaters can overload those systems and start fires. You should also keep them away from curtains and other flammable items. If you bear those rules in mind, your space heater will safely and efficiently heat your home office.
7. Use a Power Strip
Most of your other devices should plug into a power strip because they prevent phantom energy loss. Many of your devices consume power whenever they are plugged in, even if you turn them off. You can avoid that energy loss by unplugging your devices when they are not in use. Unfortunately, most people forget to do that, especially after a long day in the office.
It is much easier to remember to disable a single power strip. They are also much more convenient than managing separate power cords. You can even use smart power strips to automate the whole process. They are the most convenient option for people who expect to forget about their cords. Just keep in mind that post power strips don’t provide surge protection. Some do, but to protect your entire home office and the rest of your house reliably and all at once, you need whole-home surge protectors installed.
8. Use Sleep Mode
Computers are some of the most significant energy consumers in the average office. Their energy usage is highly variable, and you can reduce it by adjusting their settings. For example, you can set your computer to enter sleep mode after a few minutes of inactivity. You can also disable the screensaver, which uses more power than a blank screen. Those changes save energy without interfering with your work.
Many computers also offer a power saver mode, which you can find in the computer’s settings. It automatically optimizes your computer’s performance to conserve energy. That mode can interfere with some programs, but it conserves even more power. It is not always appropriate, but you should experiment with it.
9. Dim Your Devices
Your devices produce a lot of light, and that requires a surprising amount of energy. Fortunately, most modern screens have adjustable brightness settings. You can reduce their energy consumption by lowering those settings. Some applications offer a dark mode, which provides similar benefits. Those adjustments can also reduce eye strain, so they are one of the healthiest ways to conserve energy.
Start Saving Energy Today
At Brennan Electric, we love to help our neighbors in Seattle reduce their power bills, and we install a variety of efficient office fixtures. Our local electricians also handle panel and wiring upgrades, general maintenance, and electrical repairs. We can even install a home generator to ensure that your office is always functional. All of those projects provide opportunities to save energy, and our team will help you find those opportunities. Call us at Brennan Electric today to schedule your consultation.
