Solutions for our workplaces

Every week around 32 million⁷⁷ Britons go to work. The workplaces in which we operate have a key role to play in determining the quality of air that we breathe.

To improve the air we breathe it is vital that businesses as well as consumers follow some simple guidance that can be easily referred to as being lean, being clean, and being green.

1.   Appoint an internal energy champion

Appointing an ‘energy champion’ to take control of improving energy usage, ideally a senior manager or board member, can promote better behaviours in staff such as cycling to work or taking public transport. They can initiate investigations into leaner working practices and energy efficient control systems, and work with an energy partner to explore new avenues, such as electric vehicle charging points for staff, solar PV, heat pumps, and the availability of heat networks.

2.  Commission and energy audit

An audit can unite disparate parts of the energy equation into a single, unified, whole. For example, advocating solar PV in tandem with a battery storage solution. Or studying the feasibility of installing electric vehicle chargers.

An audit will also take into account the individual circumstances of each business. When done right, an energy audit can result in lower bills, improved efficiency, and help for companies to embrace better technologies. Empowered by these factors, businesses can also help in the fight for cleaner air.