How facilities management companies in Australia can help improve energy efficiency

According to industry reports, 80% of the energy consumed is wasted, especially in commercial facilities—lights and electronics are left on unnecessarily and gaps in the building allow air to seep in and out, leading to high energy costs.

Although this may not have been a major issue in the past, with energy prices increasing drastically due to macro factors, many organisations have now become increasingly focused on improving energy efficiency to enhance corporate sustainability and cut down on energy expenditure.

While companies are leveraging many strategies to reach their energy efficiency goals, one of the easiest and most effective ways to conserve energy often gets overlooked—facilities management.

In fact, working with professional facilities management companies in Australia can help you optimise your commercial space and deliver significant improvements in energy efficiency gains.

Here are a few ways they can do this for you.

By helping reduce energy consumption after hours

Reputed facilities management companies in Australia streamline and centralise every aspect of your building from maintenance to operations.

If your goal is to reduce the energy consumption of your property, one of the ways that facilities management companies in Australia can help you is by tracking how people are using the building after hours.

For instance, something as simple as turning off a vending machine can seem minimal. But when you consider the energy savings over time, you start to see a significant increase.

Facilities management companies in Australia are experienced in identifying similar actions that can have long-term implications.

They can also recommend best practices such as eliminating phantom electric loads/standby loads, increasing motion-sensitive lighting (automatically turns off the lights when no activity is detected), or changing the cooling and heating strategy to meet the requirements of the building when in use to improve energy efficiency.

Integrated facilities management service providers may even recommend using a building automation system to maximise the energy efficiency of your building once they have completed a thorough inspection of your property.

By establishing energy-saving procedures

The average individual may have a fair knowledge of the basic methods to conserve energy and boost energy efficiency. There are, however, additional methods of energy saving that can be heightened, especially in commercial spaces.

While switching off electrical items that are not in use can help you make a dent in your energy bills, going the extra mile can give you significant benefits that are much more tangible in the long run. These methods include:

• Selecting the right ventilation system
• Using LED lights
• Adopting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) strategies
• Purchasing certified equipment

A facilities management company can help you establish these energy-saving procedures in addition to internal controls and regulations.

Once these internal controls have been implemented, your employees or other occupants will have a clear understanding of what they need to do to contribute to improving energy efficiency, and your facilities management company can monitor and ensure compliance.

By carrying out regular preventive maintenance activities

Regular planned preventive maintenance is an essential part of increasing energy efficiency.

Maintenance on HVAC units, air handlers, and windows can give you a good indication of any energy leakages in the building—if any.

If any repairs or maintenance activities are required to improve the efficiency of assets, facilities management companies can help you implement the necessary maintenance procedures and monitor their progress over a period of time.

They can also recommend alternative measures if maintenance cannot completely fix the issues and a more efficient intervention is required.

By assisting you with retrofitting building systems

If you’re operating in an older building, retrofitting can be more energy efficient than simply performing maintenance procedures.

Facilities management companies have a thorough understanding of sustainability requirements for commercial buildings and can help you make the right investment for your building.

By carrying out audits and evaluating the equipment standards and specifications, and the process of retrofitting itself, facilities management experts can guide you through the entire process.

For instance, a facilities management company can help you make decisions on the timing and scope of retrofitting your HVAC and lighting systems, helping you reduce your potential environmental impact and enhance operating efficiency.

Achieve energy efficiency goals with the right facilities management company in Australia

Today, increasing energy efficiency has become one of the top priorities for organisations across the world due to rising energy costs and increased emphasis on sustainability.

Despite the popularity of other energy-saving strategies, facilities management remains one of the most effective ways to improve efficiency—and facilities management companies in Australia can help you.