What is the energy and water impact of your office? Can current waste management be improved? How can good results be maintained in the long term? How can staff be involved? Find answers to these questions and improve the environmental efficiency of your operations while also reducing the management costs of your buildings.
Public administration bodies usually own and manage office buildings of various sizes, both as a workplace for employees and to offer services to citizens. Managing these properties can be expensive and associated with a high environmental footprint, but there are many simple ways to use facilities more efficiently by improving energy efficiency and minimising water consumption. As well as significant cost reductions, this also sets an example for citizens and local businesses.
Saving energy and water in buildings is best achieved by adopting an integrated strategy and a systematic approach to obtain results that are maintained over time. Front-runner administration bodies adopt a ‘plan-do-check-act’ (PDCA) approach, the baseline of environmental and energy management systems, which sets the framework for implementing and monitoring results of energy efficiency actions, such as automated temperature settings, installation of submeters and so on.
A robust monitoring system allows analysis to be carried out over time. Regression analysis, for example, allows you to correlate the data from the energy used by the building against degree days. This analysis enables you to understand how good and effective the control of the heating and/or cooling system is and to detect anomalies as they happen, so you can react early and avoid wastage.
Learn how Frankfurt-am-Main has been exemplary in long-standing energy management activities thanks to automatic metering and monitoring of energy use throughout its building portfolio.
Within the same or a similar framework, offices can also reduce water consumption through low flow rate taps, showers and WCs, waterless urinals, pressure-reducing valves, rainwater harvesting systems, an active programme for the detection of leaks and by encouraging behaviour change in occupants. Authorities like Landeshauptstadt Hannover (Germany) and Bristol City Council (UK) have achieved sustained improvements through comprehensive programmes and a good monitoring process.
You have implemented water savings measures and are unsure if you still have scope to improve? Whether you manage a small, medium or large office building, compare your current water consumption with others and get ready to set new targets. How does your office score against a benchmark of excellence of 1.5 m3/employee/year?
Another key aspect that needs to be controlled in an office building is waste generation and management. Efficient organisations apply the waste hierarchy principles (i.e. prioritising waste prevention over reuse, recycling, energy recovery, and lastly disposal to landfill) and innovative solutions to ensure effective segregation and prevention of waste. For instance, Sunderland City Council (UK) launched a furniture reuse scheme in 2011 run by the Waste Action Reuse Portal (WARPit). Through the scheme, the council reduced costs related to the procurement of new goods and to waste management by over £400,000 in 2.5 years.
Likewise, Barcelona City Council (Spain) has implemented an effective Green Office Programme for the minimization of paper and consumables.
With similar actions, the total waste generation in your office buildings could be lower than the current benchmark (200 kg/full-time equivalent employee/year). How far off are you? Get inspired by other organisations and start acting now.
Last, but not least, tools to promote sustainable commuting for employees, carbon budgeting for business travel and the promotion of videoconferencing facilities are examples of measures that can reduce the impact and costs of commuting and business travel, while also setting a good example for citizens and other businesses in the city.
Do not forget to combine your future sustainable office programme with an appropriate engagement and behaviour change campaign. It is the key element to having a multiplying effect and maintaining results in the long term.