Enigin Update - Survey Reveals US Offices Need to do more in Energy Efficiency
ACCORDING to a survey by IBM, US offices could do more to improve their energy efficiency and create a ‘greener’ work environment.
“As automobiles, transportation systems, electrical grids and other modern systems are achieving greater efficiency, many office buildings remain rooted in the past,” says Rich Lechner, vice president for energy and environment at IBM.
The companies survey of nearly 6500 office workers in 16 US cities, discovered only 33% rate the office buildings where they work as “somewhat”, “very” or “extremely” high in terms of environmental responsibility.
Los Angeles came out top, with the highest proportion of offices using automatic control systems to adjust light and temperature levels when rooms are occupied.
The city recently also came top of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s ranking of US cities with the most Energy Star labelled buildings, with a total of 293 in 2009.
San Francisco, Boston and Atlanta are following on LA’s heels, but cities like Washington DC, Philadelphia and Phoenix appear to be lagging behind.
IBM’s survey indicates that a majority of office workers (79%) already take some conservation action with water and electricity, and would do more if they were rewarded for the effort.
Making office buildings more energy efficient can result in huge cost savings, says Lechner, improving a company’s bottom line and creating a healthier, more productive workforce.
“Urban environments are experiencing growth at a rate where better efficiency at the system level is key,” he says.
Many offices are already making substantial energy and financial savings by turning to local Enigin Distributors and Enigin’s energy saving solutions.
