Why Should You Use Energy Calculations When Building?

Why Should You Use Energy Calculations When Building?

Buildings are one of the world’s largest consumers of energy, yet measures to reduce energy consumption are often ignored during the building design process.

A comprehensive energy efficiency strategy for a commercial building involves striking a delicate balance between cutting energy costs and maintaining tenant or client satisfaction. Just like any other form of strategy, an energy efficiency strategy for commercial properties has its advantages.

Energy consumption contributes largely to the operational cost of commercial buildings. This makes it critical to the sustainability of these commercial structures. In coming up with an effective energy efficiency strategy, the sustainability of commercial structures has to be considered. Sustainability with respect to commercial properties can be looked at in two principal ways – financial and environmental, both of which are critical.

Financial sustainability is gauged with respect to a commercial building’s ability to continuously make revenue, which surpasses expenses, hence profit. Without profits, a building as a commercial venture is simply not sustainable. Profits are an indication that a commercial property can cater for the financial needs of its operational activities. These needs include paying bills and salaries of employees. Without staff, heating, lighting and air conditioning, a commercial property will lose all its occupants, precipitating a wind down.

Given that an energy efficiency strategy is aimed to cut energy costs without hurting occupant experience, it could lead to higher profits and financial sustainability of commercial buildings.

With respect to environmental sustainability, commercial buildings have an obligation, which is mandatory in some countries to not breach a certain pollution limit over a given period of time. In coming up with an effective energy efficiency strategy, commercial buildings play a role in providing a healthy environment for the next generation of occupants. Environmental degradation will have a hugely negative effect on everyone and everything, commercial properties inclusive.

An energy efficiency strategy drives innovation. In the quest to be even more energy efficient, commercial buildings often locate those areas of high-energy consumption. With the aim to cut down both consumption and cost, energy efficient commercial properties serve as a constant motivation for manufacturers of energy consuming devices. This motivation coupled with the need of the manufacturers to acquire more market share, pushes them to come up with innovative solutions.

It is important to consider all of these factors when building out a commercial property and the long term effects it may have on its occupants and any budget.

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