Everything you do that produces carbon dioxide makes up your carbon footprint. Being “carbon neutral” means that you, or the operations of your business, emit the same amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that you offset by some other means. Adding renewable energy such as solar panels to your home or business, or switching to an electric vehicle are examples of things you can do to reduce your carbon dioxide output.
Achieving carbon neutrality means that that your carbon dioxide output has a net neutral impact on the environment, and it can help stem the effects of climate change. Greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide increase average temperatures worldwide, which in turn contribute to rising sea levels, warmer oceans, and changing weather patterns.
One of the faster ways to lower your carbon footprint is by reducing the use of electricity. Energy efficiency not only reduces the amount of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere it will saves you money. In most cases, business owners can leverage these energy savings to finance the solutions making this a budget-neutral program towards becoming carbon neutral.
By first reducing the amount of electricity you use/need, future investment in renewable energy production will then be less expensive and ultimately more efficient.
Reducing your carbon footprint using a combination of conservation and efficiency upgrades could lower your energy usage by 30%. Simple devices such as motion sensors prevent unnecessary lighting in areas where no one is present. changing to high-efficiency LED lighting can reduce lighting energy loads between 50 – 80%.
For commercial buildings energy can be somewhat of a mystery, therefore real-time energy monitoring is essential. These devices provide insight into all energy usage 24/7 making it easy to identify energy waste and out-of-hours operations driving up electricity costs.
If you operate a commercial building it may be advantageous to have a full energy audit conducted of your facility. Audits bring the necessary awareness of the full potential that exists to lower energy use and costs, ultimately providing a road map to carbon neutral.
Renewable energy production such as solar photovoltaic systems has fallen in price by 35% in the past 5 years. Taking advantage of the Federal tax credit of 26% now makes this technology an attractive investment with returns on Investment between 6 – 8 years for those who follow the Control-Reduce-Eliminate process.
Vootu Inc. specializes in electricity cost reduction taking a holistic approach to understanding the complete amount of energy waste in buildings. Greater value is always gained from a complete energy reduction program than a piecemeal approach that always leaves money on the table.
Vootu can be contacted at 727 314 8656 for further information regarding their services and energy-saving programs that help you achieve a carbon neutral home or business environment.
