Saving energy in the company: Tips for practice

The hot summer of 2022 and supply bottlenecks for fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas as a result of the Ukraine conflict make it obvious: our energy resources are becoming scarce. Energy experts believe it is likely that there will be supply disruptions in winter. Saving energy is therefore the order of the day, to avoid rationing of energy sources in the worst case scenario. With the campaign "Energy is scarce. Let's not waste it" campaign, the Swiss government is now calling on companies and private households to cut back on energy consumption.

Savings potential everywhere

Every company has the potential to save energy, and the amount varies depending on the industry. However, many companies are not sufficiently aware of this. Despite energy-efficient construction methods, the planned values are often not achieved because user behavior is not adjusted or is adjusted too little, regret the authors of the guide "Energetic Optimization of Operations" published by energieschweiz. Often, this is also due to the fact that technical building systems are not operated optimally. A lot can be achieved here with professional optimization of operations (OO). With simple measures, companies - whether in the service sector or in industry - can save 10 to 15 percent in energy costs.

Five tips for saving energy quickly

In addition to optimizing operations in terms of energy, the following energy-saving measures can already make a difference:

1. Optimize heating (savings potential: 10 - 15 percent)
   Check the thermostatic valves: are they working and set to the right temperature? In older and new buildings, heating costs increase for each additional degree in room temperature. So, if necessary, set the thermostats 1 degree lower. In workrooms (i.e., at the workplace itself), ensure at least +20 °C for light work while sitting and +17 °C for medium work while standing or walking.
   Vent the radiators: Do the radiators make bubbling noises and only get partially warm? Then bleeding them will help. This will make the heating work more efficiently again and consume less energy.
   Setting the heating curve correctly: The heating curve, also called heating characteristic, describes the relationship between the outside temperature and the flow temperature of the heating system. First define the temperatures (especially in critical rooms), determine the room temperatures, correct the heating curve if necessary, adjust the heating limit, observe the course and then set the temperature correctly. It is important to have the appropriate documentation.
   Reduce the flow temperature of the heating system or individual heating circuits outside the times of use, e.g. at night.
2. Optimize ventilation (savings potential: 10 - 25 percent)
   Adjust the operating times to the effective room usage and reduce the power at unused times or switch off the ventilation altogether. For example, if you turn off the ventilation from 8 pm to 6 am every day, its energy consumption will decrease by up to 40 %.
   Adjust the air volume of the ventilation system to the effective demand in the rooms, because especially in large rooms (restaurants, halls of all kinds) the occupancy fluctuates greatly. If you halve the air volume, you save up to 80 % of energy.
3. Lighting (savings potential: 10 - 25 percent)
   Adjust motion sensors and daylight sensors: Readjust the daylight setpoint and overrun time so that the lights turn off with enough incoming daylight, or when no one is in the room.
   In rooms with long periods of use, check whether replacing fluorescent lamps with LED tubes is worthwhile in the short term. In the long term, plan best with a new, energy-saving lighting system.
   Adjust the light output to individual use by selectively removing luminaires in overlit zones or setting the basic illumination to a lower level. Install presence and motion detectors as needed. For healthy and younger workers, an illuminance of 500 lux is considered optimal; older people need 750 to 1500 lux in the office.
4. Refrigeration equipment (savings potential: 10 - 15 percent)
   Outside opening hours, refrigerated cabinets should be consistently closed. Night blinds, covers or glass doors are suitable for this purpose. This way, the cold stays inside the furniture and you avoid unwanted temperature fluctuations. Make sure that all refrigerated and frozen furniture such as display cases, shelves, trip or action chests are closed outside opening hours (at night, on weekends). If ice accumulates on the ceiling or on the evaporator of freezer rooms, there is too much moisture in the room. In both cases, remove the deposits, reduce the moisture input and check the room regularly for ice formation.
5. Fix leakage
   Check piping systems for leaks. For example, even in a regularly maintained compressed air network, 25 to 60 % of air can often be lost through leaks. Check the compressed air piping system annually for leaks, mark the spots and seal all of them. One indication of leaks is, for example, compressors starting too frequently.
   

Further and more detailed tips as well as information brochures on saving energy can be found here: https://www.energieschweiz.ch/programme/nicht-verschwenden/spartipps-unternehmen/