Energy efficiency means delivering the same service with less energy. With energy costs on the rise, this is good for the environment and the financial success of your business. Many businesses are taking steps to conserve energy, with some taking even greater steps to reduce their environmental impact by producing or purchasing renewable energy and buying carbon offsets.

There are many opportunities to conserve energy in your place of business, and the list below represents just a few of them. Be sure to explore the resources provided for technical assistance and funding that may be available to your business.

Get Started          

• Replace light bulbs with more efficient ones, and if possible consider replacing lighting fixtures.
• Place your lights on motion detectors or install timers on lights and electric equipment to keep them on only when needed.
• Turn off office equipment and lights at night and on weekends and take advantage of natural daylight when possible. Avoid "overlighting".
• Disconnect unnecessary equipment completely. Unplug cell phone chargers when not in use.
• Buy a programmable thermostat or turn up or turn back the thermostat during unoccupied times.
• Use Energy Star appliances.
• Install blinds or shades – or tint windows - to keep out the sun and lower air-conditioning costs in the summer.
• Insulate hot water holding tanks and hot and cold pipes and add insulation to your facility if needed.
• Maintain your HVAC system properly.
• Caulk and weather-strip windows and doors.
• If you lease your building and cannot directly make facilities improvements, check out the EPA guide to "Green Opportunities for Leased Buildings."
• Track electricity, fuel and natural gas usage and share with your employees.
• Purchase or produce renewable power.
• Consider purchasing "green tags" or Carbon Credits to offset the carbon dioxide emissions associated with all or part of your business' energy or fuel use.

Local Resources and Organizations

Central Indiana Clean Air Partnership (CICAP) Energy Savings Tips

Energy savings tips from CICAP. Website also includes a sample summer energy conservation policy, and information on the urban heat island effect.

Purdue Technical Assistance Program

The Purdue Technical Assistance Program is available to provide technical support to Indiana manufacturers on energy efficiency issues

Indiana Clean Manufacturing Technology & Safe Materials Institute

CMTI is the state of Indiana's central point of coordination for deploying technical assistance, outreach, education, planning services and research to facilitate the adoption of pollution prevention/clean manufacturing strategies by Indiana manufacturing facilities. CMTI performs free energy audits for qualified Indiana manufacturers.

Citizen's Gas

• Energy Savers Program
  Citizens Gas offers valuable energy saving tips for its residential and business customers.

• Citizen's Gas Appliance rebates
  Citizen's Gas provides cash rebates toward the purchase of high efficiency natural gas appliances for qualified customers. Both residential and business customers are eligible. Qualified appliances include programmable thermostats, natural gas boilers, boiler tune-ups, tankless water heaters, and others. Citizens Gas also offers a custom incentive program to support businesses in energy efficiency projects not covered under the rebate program.

Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL)

Energy savings tips, instant rebates on CFL bulbs through 2008, and offers a Green Power Option to its customers

• IPL Green Power Options
  IPL offers its customers the option to purchase electricity generated from clean, renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, geothermal or biomass generation (including landfill gas). The Green Power Option allows you to specify an amount equal to 100%, 50%, 25% or 10% of your monthly electricity to be generated by these environmentally friendly, renewable resources.
  

Other Resources and Organizations

Earth911.com for Business – Guide for Energy Conservation at Work

This guide for business provides clear and easy-to-follow tips for energy conservation at work and understanding the issues and options surrounding renewable energy – including purchase, production, and purchasing offsets or "green tags".

National Association of Energy Service Companies

The National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO) promotes efficiency as the first priority in a portfolio of economic and environmentally sustainable energy resources.  It has a searchable data base of energy service providers.

US Green Building Council (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council is a national non-profit organization which developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standard and is dedicated to making green buildings available to everyone within a generation. Its website is an excellent resource for businesses interested in better understanding and exploring green building.

EPA

• EPA Clean Energy Website
  EPA's gateway website into Clean Energy issues, this site includes information and resources on energy efficiency, clean energy supply options, and renewable energy sources. Links are provided toEPA Clean Energy programs, resources, and tools such as Power Profiler and a Clean Energy Resources database.

• Energy Star for businesses
  Energy Star provides free, unbiased information and resources for business to reduce energy use. Includes Energy Star tips for employees, executives and building managers, an Energy Star at Work tool, and advice on how to start a workplace Green Team.

• EnergyStar Guide for small businesses: Putting Energy into Profits
  A comprehensive energy-conservation guide for small business.

• EPA info on Compact Florescent (CFL) bulbs
  Includes general information on CFL Bulbs, as well as tools to choose the right light, search products, and product specifications.

US Department of Energy (DOE)

• DOE Energy Efficient Building Practices for Commercial Buildings
  This site offers Commercial buildings best practice guidelines developed by the Department of Energy on the planning and financingof new construction or renovation projects, the design and constructionphase, and operations and maintenance. Information is also provided on opportunities for on-site energy productionsuch as photovoltaic systems, geothermal, and other forms of renewable energy.

• DOE Green Opportunities for Leased Buildings
  This important guide details greening actions that can be taken by business that lease, rather than own, their space.

Practical Tips to Make Your Computer Environmentally Friendly

A GreenBiz article posted by Dell Computer Corporation on how to make your computer friendlier to the environment

Renewable Energy: Purchasing Green Power

US Department of Energy Green Power Network

The Green Power Network (GPN) provides news and information on green power markets and related activities. The site provides up-to-date information on green power providers, product offerings, consumer protection issues, and policies affecting green power markets. It also includes a reference library of relevant papers, articles and reports.

Offset your Carbon Emissions: Purchasing Carbon Offsets

Some popular sites to purchase Carbon Offsets:

• Native Energy
• TerraPass
• Carbonfund.org

You can also browse and choose from more options at:

Ecobusiness carbon catalogue

Or keep it local with:

The Indiana Chapter of The Nature Conservancy's Carbon Offsets program

Chicago Climate Exchange

Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), launched in 2003, is the world's first and North America's only active voluntary, legally binding integrated trading system to reduce emissions of all six major greenhouse gases (GHGs), with offset projects worldwide.