Are you interested in making your office more energy efficient, but aren’t entirely sure where to start? Or perhaps you’ve heard of a few amazing ways to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint, but you’re hesitant to implement any changes because they sound like a pretty large investment? Trust me, you’re not alone!

As buildings become smarter, more connected, and greener, it’s now easier than ever to minimize your company’s carbon footprint without completely remodeling your building –— or breaking the bank to do so. After all, living a greener lifestyle is important to everyone, whether you’re at home or at work. And, taking steps to make your office more energy efficient doesn’t always require massive changes.

Whether you know where to begin or you’re just getting started in the world of sustainability, we put together a list of the top 10 things that you can do to make your office more energy efficient.

Eight Ways to Make Your Office More Energy Efficient

These office energy savings tips are a great way to conserve energy at the office and encourage your employees to be more energy conscious at home too.

1. Get an energy audit

An energy audit is a great way to find out exactly how much energy your office is expending, at what times of day, and how the energy is being used. After the inspection is performed, you’ll receive a full report that allows you to better inform your energy decisions going forward.

2. Update your office lighting

Most offices have hundreds of lights that run all day long – and sometimes even stay on overnight! Make sure that all of the lighting in your office are CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) which use about 75% less energy than traditional fluorescent lights do. You can also look at installing motion sensors in areas like bathrooms, break rooms, and the kitchen so that lights automatically turn off when no one is in the room.

3. Replace outdated appliances

Look into replacing all of your office appliances with ENERGY-STAR-rated options. Replacing appliances can add up, so start with the older ones first or the ones that are used the most frequently.

4. Reduce travel footprint

Offer your employees passes for public transportation, bike stations, and EV charging ports at the office. Incorporate a monthly ‘bike to work day’ and provide breakfast and coffee for everyone that day. Reward your employees when they choose a more carbon-friendly way to get to work and lead by example.

5. Turn off lights and unplug appliances when not in use

Remind all of your employees to turn off the lights and power down everything in their workstations at the end of the day. It might seem like a small step but turning off lights and appliances can have huge energy savings at the end of the day.

6. Recycle everything

Don’t just stop at paper products, recycle everything. Get bins that are clearly marked for all recyclable goods, consider a composting program, and you can even recycle old electronics too. Make sure you have plenty of recycling bins around the office to encourage more use.

7. Invest in renewable energy sources

Renewable energy will also help your office to become more energy efficient. If possible, look into installing solar panels and other renewable energy sources to pull power from.

8. Get a solar battery

A solar battery is the crux of the solar panel system. When solar panels convert energy from the sun, they send that energy to a battery until it’s full. That battery is what you use when it’s not sunny outside, or when you need more power.

Making your office more energy efficient is far easier than it may initially seem. By following these eight simple steps, your office will have a smaller carbon footprint in no time!