While most businesses know energy costs are rising, they are too busy with day-to-day demands to consider ways to reduce and better control those costs.  Rather than continuing to find ways to pass them on to customers while remaining competitive, consider taking a few hours on March 21 to learn ways to reduce these costs.

The first and easiest step is to improve your lighting, switching incandescent bulbs to CFLs or LEDs and changing T12 fluorescents lamps to T8 or T5 high efficiency lamps.  The cost of the later upgrade may be eligible for rebates from ComEd. Install occupancy sensors to keep lights that are used infrequently from being left on, wasting energy and money. (Think supply areas, restrooms, interior hallways, etc.)

Take the time to do routine maintenance. Just as keeping your auto tires properly inflated improves your gas mileage, keeping your refrigerator coils clean, saves energy.  Check the refrigerant charge and fix leaks immediately. Clean and replace air filters on heating and air conditioning equipment. Likewise, clean grease traps on ventilation equipment.

Replace equipment with energy efficient ENERGY STAR models. Make sure they have performance guarantees along with the energy usage information.

If one million businesses in the United States replaced only one incandescent light bulb with a CFL, more than 645 million pounds of CO₂ emissions could be avoided each year (the annual greenhouse gas emissions from nearly 57,400 passenger vehicles), and the businesses could save over $40 million annually. 

For more information on the upcoming half-day business seminar, visit www.willcountygreen.com