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Tips and tricks to save energy (and money) while your office is closed for the holidays

Closing your office during the last few weeks of the year? Here are a few Mesa-approved tips for energy savings while your team enjoys the holiday season.

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Many companies take a break from work in the last few weeks of the year, leaving offices unoccupied. Businesses that are closed or operating on reduced schedules can reduce energy usage and save money on energy bills when teams are away and recharging, helping them start the incoming year with a reduced carbon footprint.

The gift of savings

Closing your office during the last few weeks of the year? Here are a few Mesa-approved tips for energy savings while your team enjoys the holiday season. Bonus: We’re also giving you some tricks to use throughout the cold winter months.

Setbacks: Change thermostat temperatures

If you plan to close your office or operate at a reduced schedule, consider implementing holiday temperature setbacks. A ‘setback’ means that you expand your thermostat’s setpoint range to reduce how often your HVAC system runs. For example, when you’re away you can set your thermostat to 63 °F, instead of keeping it to 72 °F. This small change can have a big impact on your energy savings. By adjusting the setbacks over the winter holiday period (e.g Dec. 24 - Jan. 2), a 15,000-square-foot space in the United States is estimated to save around $200, which approximates to an average of 1,100 kWh in a city like New York.

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Unplug: Unplug devices and turn off lights

Unplug any small devices or appliances that won’t be used, like phone and laptop chargers, monitors, desk lamps, toasters, and more. For example, a building in New York City that manages its plug load with Mesa saved 37% in energy use, which translated into savings for its bottom line. And, while turning off interior lighting is one of the simplest ways to conserve energy, don’t forget about exterior lights if you have the ability to control them.

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Tape it: Seal those windows

You should also ensure that your windows are tightly sealed; taping the frames of drafty windows can have a big impact. The chart below shows annual cost savings of improving the airtightness of a typical office building. Having a secure seal can yield potential savings of more than 40% on gas and more than 25% on electricity.

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These are just a few strategies you can use to conserve energy in your office space while it's closed for the holiday season. After you’ve successfully reduced energy use during the break, consider installing an automated building control system, like Mesa, to make sure you stay on track with your energy savings.

Contact our team to learn more about how Mesa can help manage energy use in your office space all year long.

Happy holidays and happy savings!