Investing a lot of money in energy-saving devices and technology may save energy, but are there any other fast wins? Could the tenants’ behaviours jeopardise the technical investment? People are the most valuable and important resource in energy management, yet they may also be the most difficult to manage. Technology is only an enabler and for energy management to really work the management and staff need to be on board.
Modifying tenant behaviour with respect to energy usage and possible waste is widely recognised as the quickest approach to minimise energy use in any area, environment, or structure. It makes no difference if your estate’s technology is ancient and outdated or brand new and cutting-edge.
When employees have a culture of disobeying restrictions and leaving lights on when they aren’t needed, energy is squandered. It must be understood that this is not the fault of the employees; all they want is a pleasant working environment, which has been proved to increase employee productivity. The goal is to create such an environment rather than just switch off systems to save energy.
Induction, education, training, feedback, and updates on the job site will all help. Energy management and related initiatives should be championed by directors; managers should own the procedures, and users should be rewarded. The difficulty in reducing energy demand is keeping people motivated to continue reducing energy consumption while maintaining an environment that allows the business to operate.