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If you aren’t looking for ways to reduce the impact that your business has on the environment, you’re already way behind the curve. Everybody has a responsibility to be better to the planet but businesses have a much bigger impact than individuals, so the spotlight is always on them. Your customers will be looking to see what changes you have made and if you aren’t making an effort, that can seriously affect your sales. But is changing a few light bulbs and cutting out plastic really enough, or should you be doing more?
Businesses that are serious about their impact on the environment should be thinking big and coming up with ways to create a completely self-sufficient office. Not only is this a great way to reduce your environmental impact but it’s also an amazing opportunity to separate yourself from the competition. Here’s how you can work towards creating a self-sufficient office building.
Consider Downsizing
Firstly, you should think about moving into a smaller office space at some point. The smaller the office is, the lower the energy demand, which makes it so much easier to be self-sufficient. There are so many new tech tools that make it possible for people to work remotely, so think about how many people you really need in the office and consider downsizing. Reducing the number of staff you have in at any one time is important when rethinking your office space after COVID-19, so this is a great move to make right now.
Source Your Own Water Supply
Every office needs a water supply, and you may be able to source your own, depending on the area. If you look into water bore drilling, you can draw from the local water table instead of the national supply. Water systems are under a lot of pressure as the population increases and more the average temperature of the planet also rises. By drilling your own bore, you can reduce the demand created by your business and help to conserve water.
Generate Your Own Power
Next, you need to start generating your own power. The easiest way to do this is to install solar panels and small wind turbines around the building. Depending on where you live and the size of the building, you may be able to make your office self sufficient right away. However, you may find that you still rely on the national grid for some of your power.
If this is the case, you’ve still made a good start but you now need to make some changes around the office. By finding ways to reduce your energy usage, you should be able to reduce your energy burden enough so that the power you generate is adequate. Conducting an energy audit of your business will help you find good places to cut back. Eventually, you will get to a position where you generate more electricity than you need and you can then sell some of it back to the national grid to make a profit.
At some point, all businesses will start thinking about making themselves self-sufficient but if you do it now, you’ll get ahead of the curve.
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