Tech To Make Your Office Greener

By Fay Capstick

With the hottest June on record this year in the United Kingdom, global warming is back on the agenda. Everything we do and consume can and will have a long-term impact on the environment. This week we shall be looking at how you can make your office greener through the tech that you use (any excuse to discuss gadgets!).

Sunny means savings!

Smart thermostats can help ensure that you do not use excess energy, which is particularly relevant with the current energy prices. With smart thermostats, heating and cooling will be adjusted based on many factors, such as how many people are in the room, the outside temperature, and how sunny it is. You might have something similar at home in the form of a Nest thermostat.

The UK government is also rolling out smart meters so that we can all keep a check on our energy usage. This is great, and it is fascinating to see the figures going up and down, but whether it really makes a difference to overall usage can be questioned. And of course, there is the environmental impact of the manufacturing of smart meters in the first place, which I am not sure has been fully considered.

Can you see me?

All your lighting, including any desk lamps, should be LED as this is more efficient. The bulbs also last longer which will reduce the amount of waste generated. Smart lighting systems can help make further savings as they will adjust light levels based on the amount of natural light present (which as we know in the UK, can change by the minute).

Stats in the US show that LEDs use up to 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than traditional bulbs (https://www.energy.gov/)

Hello, is anyone there?

Occupancy sensors are a tech that can massively improve the eco credentials of your office space. These sensors will detect if there is anyone in the room, similar to the ones that your burglar alarm might use. They will use this information to constantly update and manage the lighting, heating, and cooling in the room. By only having things on when they are actually needed energy will be saved.

Power Up!

Power management software is a big help. This will manage the computers and equipment that you have plugged in and running. If you aren’t using something for a while (I’m thinking of you, printer), then it will be put into a low power mode or turned off until it is needed. This simple step will save on your energy bills and boost your green credentials.

It’s Cloudy

Cloud computing can be a bonus in helping manage your energy usage. Physical servers are a big drain on energy, take up space, and are a pain to keep maintained and updated.

Putting your data in the Cloud makes everyone’s lives easier, gives you more office space, and reduces the heat that servers generate and the noise associated with the servers.

Hopefully, your data will be coming from a data centre that is more energy efficient than your office. As we have seen in previous weeks, there are many ways that data centres are becoming more efficient and sustainable, so check out our previous blogs (https://parkershaw.co.uk/blog)

Do you even need an office?

Covid showed us what can be possible in terms of bringing people together remotely, and for many, this included working from home (or elsewhere). Fast wifi and remote conferencing software, coupled with documents and software on the Cloud, meant that many realised that they didn’t need to go into an office. As a result of this many offices have been sold or repurposed. Further, working from home means a reduction in your carbon footprint caused by commuting. At Parker Shaw the majority of our staff work from home, which reduces carbon and helps our paw-parents look after fluffy friends.

Go Solar!

Can your office building or complex be fitted with solar panels? These would be particularly good in an office, as the sun is around during office hours when your space is occupied. They are also great for home workers. I have solar panels fitted, and in the summer and they cover most of my electric use during the day, so are well worth the investment and effort.

A nifty gadget showing how much electricity you are generating by the second can help you to plan when to energy-intensive things like a print run or boiling the kettle. Putting in an electric car charging point or two would also be a great perk at the office, or even a charging point for electric bikes.

Use less and last longer

If you are buying new equipment for your office, make sure it is items that will use less energy. You can look for products that have an Energy Star marking, which means they should be more efficient to run. Also, think about how long a product will last. For example, Apple products tend to last longer than PCs. Buy computers that can be upgraded rather than replaced. Thinking of your wider office, kettles from Dualit will last decades compared to a couple of years from other brands, thus minimising waste. It all comes down to thinking about the longer-term impact of our actions and choices.

Save trees!

Do you really need to print documents? Probably not is the answer, especially with electronic signing. Keeping all documents and data in the Cloud can make it easier for everyone to access, and therefore reduce the need for printing.

Less printing means lower energy use and fewer trees and water and chemicals used in the production of the paper itself. Plus you then have to use more energy by running a shredder to deal with the documents when you are finished, and then the environmental impact of it being taken away for recycling. Better if it never existed to start with.

Does it really make a difference and why should I care?

Yes, taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint and having a greener office will make a difference. Obviously, the biggest difference will come if everyone takes such measures and feels a personal responsibility to help reduce their impact at work and at home.

This has become especially apparent as I have been writing this, with the heatwaves in Europe and the US reaching new high temperatures. We should all remember that tech can only do so much, and ultimately we will all have to make changes to the way we live to help the planet.

Final thoughts

At Parker Shaw we have been at the forefront of the sector we serve, IT & Digital Recruitment and Consulting, for over 30 years. We can advise you on all your hiring needs.

If you are looking for your next job in the IT sector please check our Jobs Board for our current live vacancies at https://parkershaw.co.uk/jobs-board