Now that electricity has become so expensive, shouldn't we be more careful about how we use it?

How do you strike a balance between cost, the environment, and comfort? It’s almost impossible, but you can find the best compromise, and we’ve got some suggestions for you here.

At Brade Consulting, we are constantly working to reduce the environmental footprint of our industry.
As an industry, we need to find alternative ways to reduce energy consumption in our buildings, production processes, and the transportation of our equipment.

We find ourselves in a paradoxical situation where the need for the green transition has never been greater, yet our supply chains are facing serious challenges. This has driven prices up, and the fact that many materials are unavailable isn’t helping matters. And when they are available—they’re expensive 😕.

This challenges the good intentions behind sustainable projects. But at the same time, it forces us to think outside the box—for example, by reusing materials and combining them with the latest technology.

🔹 For example, we often find that the best business cases involve minor optimizations of technical installations and systems. There is no need to scrap the entire installation; with the right strategic considerations, the installation can be significantly optimized without creating a large carbon footprint.

🔹 Furthermore, we are currently seeing that significant financial savings can be achieved by using energy at specific times of the day and week.

🔹 You can save a significant amount of money by taking systematic steps, such as heating your home and water, using kitchen appliances, and charging your car during times when electricity rates are lowest.

🔹 When connected to the internet, most new geothermal heating systems can automatically calculate when heating the home and domestic hot water is cost-effective, without causing frost damage to the property.

🔹 Most charging stations can also be programmed to charge during off-peak hours, which can also result in significant savings.

However, one of the biggest savings can also come from lowering the room temperature in individual rooms and throughout the building. A rule of thumb is that lowering the room temperature by 1 degree results in a 5% savings. Therefore, significant savings can be achieved by lowering the temperature from 23 degrees to 21 degrees, or—as is common in public buildings—to 19 degrees; this results in savings of between 10 and 20%, respectively, if the original temperature was 23 degrees.

It’s a delicate balance, as we almost always have to prioritize comfort or safety based on the user behavior patterns observed in the buildings; however, with the right approach and user cooperation, we can work together to maximize energy savings and, perhaps most importantly, reduce our carbon footprint.

Would you like to learn more about how we help our clients optimize their energy use? Contact Nickolai Brade here >>