6 eco-energy solutions for your small business

By Wendy Dessler

The world is changing in a number of different ways. One of the biggest changes we are seeing in the world over the last few years all about sustainability, renewability and reducing our carbon footprint. Many people do things in their everyday life to live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle, and many more want to learn.

People are aiming to be more environmentally friendly and green both at home and at the office. Businesses themselves are also buying in and looking to become more energy efficient. There are many benefits of using more eco-friendly, renewable and sustainable energy solutions. This article looks at six eco-energy solutions for your small business.

Use solar power and other types of renewable energy

Of course, the first and best way to make your business more energy-efficient is to actually use a type of renewable energy. One of the most common and popular is solar power. This will power your business using the sun, thus greatly reducing (or eliminating) how much traditional energy or power you will need to use.

In addition to solar power, other useful options include hydro or wind power. What you use will depend on where you are, and what you’re comfortable with using. Learning about business energy rates is also a good idea. Not only are you doing your part to help the environment, but many alternative forms of energy also can save you money in the long run.

Rethink your lighting

While there are many things at most businesses that use too much energy, one of the biggest culprits are lights. Most offices have dozens of lights that stay on for the entire work day. As you can imagine, this uses and wastes a lot of power. Instead of using the old, bright and power-hungry lights of yesteryear, it is time to come into the 21st century.

Nowadays, we have several types of efficient light bulbs that use much less power and are much more environmentally friendly. Also, consider simply reducing the amount of lights that are needed. Do your best to take advantage of natural light as best as possible, and there is no need for all lights at the office to always be on.

Watch your paper use

A lot of energy goes into making paper. Processing paper can be a long process that is very harmful to the environment. Not only does it kill trees, but the machines used to make paper can often be quite environmentally unfriendly.

The more paper you use, the less eco-friendly you and your company are being. As a result, try to eliminate how many times your business uses paper in a given day. Thankfully, this is easy as many processes have moved online or have the potential to move online. When using paper, or other common business materials, try to attain materials that are recycled. This will help to greatly reduce your environmental impact.

Use cloud-based computing

Not only can the cloud help your business be more efficient and cost-effective, but it can also help your company fight against climate change. IT equipment such as physical storage, servers and other types of hardware consume a ton of energy. By switching to cloud-based solutions, you will see a reduction in your energy consumption.

There are many different types of cloud-based computing from storage to database management systems (try this link to learn more). Take stock of what your business needs and doesn’t need, and see if the cloud can help you. Also, cloud technologies are always advancing, and new uses for the cloud are just around the corner.

Have some employees work remotely

Remote working is becoming more common as it can increase work-life balance and improve employee morale, without hurting performance. However, another benefit of having employees work remotely is a reduction of energy usage. It can reduce or eliminate your need for an office, which often takes a lot of energy to run successfully.

Keeping lights on, and powering machines, appliances and computers can be terrible for the environment. The less people in the office, the less things that need to be running or operating at all times. Also, working from home reduces a person’s need to commute, which also has a positive impact on the environment.

Use energy-efficient appliances and machines

While it would be great for the environment if everyone worked at home and there were no large and energy-hogging offices, that simply isn’t realistic. As a result, companies should look for ways to still use their office as normal, but still be environmentally friendly. A great way to do this is to use energy-efficient appliances or machines.

This can mean turning on power-saving mode on electronics and appliances when not in use, but can also mean purchasing equipment that is energy-efficient at all times. Many offices are outfitted with outdated equipment that consumes a ton of energy or electricity.

Hopefully, this article has been able to inspire you with some eco-energy solutions for your small business.

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Wendy Dessler is a super-connector who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in small business and digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.

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