Hot, humid summer weather can put a strain on your energy budget and impact employee comfort. Extreme summer weather can result in outages, as well as power quality and safety issues. By taking steps now, you can reduce summer air-conditioning costs while ensuring a more comfortable, productive and safe workplace for your staff.
Getting ready for summer heat
No matter what type of cooling system your facility uses, these measures will help optimize performance and comfort.
- Hire a qualified professional to inspect and clean your cooling system. A tune-up will help spot any problems and ensure your system is operating efficiently.
- Increase building temperatures after hours to avoid wasting energy keeping your empty building comfortable. Optimize savings and convenience by installing smart thermostats, which automatically adjust temperatures based on your operating schedule.
- Keep vents unobstructed by furniture or equipment. This improves air flow and increases cooling system efficiency.
- Check windows and doors for leaks and seal them with caulk and weatherstripping. Seal and insulate ductwork. Air leaking through ducts reduces cooling system efficiency.
- Consult with a qualified insulation contractor to make sure your walls and ceiling are insulated to levels recommended for your climate zone by building energy codes.
If your air conditioning system is older, or in need of repair, consider upgrading to a new energy-efficient system. ENERGY STAR®-certified commercial HVAC products are independently tested to ensure that they provide energy-efficient performance.
Getting ready for summer storms
Storms and lightning can damage your facility and endanger staff. Take these steps to make sure your business is prepared.
- Review and update your emergency response plan. The plan should include procedures for building evacuation and crisis communications, as well as business closing and reopening.
- Install power quality protection, such as surge protectors or UPS devices, to safeguard sensitive electronic equipment during summer storms or other power quality events.
- Make sure that you have a reliable source of backup power, such as a generator, available and in working condition. Perform all recommended testing and maintenance procedures.
- Sign up for outage notifications. Get the latest power outage information delivered to you by push, text, phone or email by signing up for outage alerts in the app or online.
- Report a power outage in the app, online or by calling 800-662-4797 to help us quickly identify the outage and coordinate restoration.
Request to be contacted by an energy adviser who can provide an assessment and a targeted set of energy-efficiency recommendations for your business with a 10-15 minute phone call.