UPGRADE FOR YOUR REPUTATION—INVEST IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Industry has its part to play in mitigating the effects of climate change. Lowering your energy draw on the power grid means contributing to the stability of your community.

As we invest in lowering emissions and our energy use, we lighten our impact on the planet. We’ve seen how interconnected we are, and COVID taught us how critical each of the links in our supply chain are. Lowering your carbon footprint generally means more stability for the supply chain as a whole. When an area is affected by climate-change related flooding, drought, or other turbulent weather, that can affect our customers all the way across the world.

Making efforts to upgrade old or inefficient equipment also communicates to your customers that you are a forward-thinking business, that you take pride in your work, and are thoughtful about your impact on the community. A business that cares is one that has customer loyalty for the long haul.

ONE ROAD, MANY BRANCHES

The path to increasing energy efficiency has many branches, ranging from simple switches to more complex overhauls. An energy audit is a great place to start and will give you options for both short- and long-term implementation.

Consider the building envelope. Insulation is the obvious place to start— both exterior walls and the roof. High performance windows are another key area for heat and energy loss. A well-insulated building is your first defence against extreme temperatures.

Then, of course there are big ticket items like heating and cooling systems—a critical consideration on the prairies. Efficient systems like ground source heat pumps are economical and environmentally friendly. According to Efficiency Manitoba2, upgrading to a ground source heat pump can reduce your current electric heating costs by up to 60% and protect you from future impacts of rising heating costs.

Moving to the interior of your building, something as small as light sources can add up to big impact. Installing timers and sensors on lights, switching to LEDs, cleaning out ductwork and changing filters frequently, can make your building comfortable for employees and more efficient.

Smart technology in general is a great place to invest for energy savings. Smart building management systems monitor and adjust building temperature and energy use and give you data points for future improvements and upgrades.

Storing data is a key area that is often overlooked for energy efficiency. Cooling a server room and storing data appropriately is a large energy sink. Cloud-based servers store data offsite and outsource those energy needs. And, cloud servers are in buildings designed for that purpose, with efficiency around cooling needs top of mind.

Outside the building itself, you can make improvements to your fleet. Investing in electric vehicles at all levels will significantly reduce your fuel consumption and fuel budget line. And, if you have a source of renewable energy at hand, like a wind farm, hydroelectricity, or solar, your transport costs will reduce significantly.

High efficiency motors are another critical area to consider. In industry, we rely on the powertrain for many applications: pumps, fans, compressors, etc. Installing high efficiency motors is a major capital investment, but the results are immediate. In as little as a year, a high efficiency motor can pay for itself.3

WHERE TO START?

Whether you start small or swing for the fences, any investment in energy efficiency is one that will pay dividends. Start with an energy audit and build your implementation strategy from there, but start! The best time to start may have been years back, but the second-best time is right now. Your customers and stakeholders will be pleased with the results.

Sources

1Government incentives: https://bit.ly/AcceleratedInvestmentIncentive

2Efficiency Manitoba: https://bit.ly/EfficiencyManitobaPresentation

3From the Industrial Energy Efficiency Playbook: https://bit.ly/EnergyEfficiencyPlaybook