Who hasn’t spent some time in an office that was too cold in the summer? And how much does it cost for all that air conditioning?
The cost can be thought of in two ways. One is with dollar signs, which most business owners can relate too. The other is in terms of carbon emissions, the concept of which most people understand, but don’t really quantify.
To make it simple, let’s say there’s an office that’s about 4000 square feet. Let’s say that office hovers around 70 degrees. If we figure in the average ambient daytime temperature (U.S.), you pay about $750/ summer for air conditioning. That also equates to about 8,100 pounds of CO2 created from the power plant supplying that electricity (assuming coal)!
OK, so it costs money to cool an office, and it’s harmful to the environment. What’s the solution? Like anything with energy conservation, it’s all about small changes. If you raise the temperature of that office by 3 degrees, the cost savings are $45/ summer. The reduction in carbon dioxide is about 488 pounds/ summer.
Here’s a chart that helps explain the cost/ emissions savings that go along with different settings on your office thermostat.
If you’re in charge of the office thermostat, or you can see how this can equate to your home, think about dialing it up a bit in the summer. You’d be a champion for sustainable energy, and save money at the same time.
