Category: Energy Management

What defines a company’s culture is about much more than what it says in your mission statement. It’s about how your teams communicate, what they believe is important, and what guides your decision-making process at every level of the company’s operations. Company culture isn’t something you write down – it’s something you feel and something you cultivate in the minds of your ground workers all the way to the top. 

Creating a sustainable culture intentionally is hard work, and requires everyone to be on the same page as to what your duty is as a company. If sustainability is all about your bottom line, it likely won’t catch on with anyone but the C-suite. However, if you make employees feel good about the ways in which they’re creating an eco-friendly work environment, your sustainability culture will spread rapidly. 

Below are # different ways you can empower your staff to take initiative and feel connected to sustainability-centric company culture: 

Start on the ground floor

The best way to engage your staff in the sustainability effort is by making it relevant to their daily lives. If they can talk to customers about the eco-friendly packaging you use or tell friends how your company is creating more green space on the facility, you can help them see how their work impacts the environment for the better. 

Educate the right way

Education on environmental issues that impact your industry can go a long way toward helping your team understand the importance of creating a more sustainable work culture. However, facts and frightening statistics often fall on deaf ears and can make people actually less enthusiastic about your mission. Instead of lecturing, show how your actions as a company can help clean up a local habitat, reduce plastic pollution within your community, or help the next generation have better outdoor air quality. These tangible results can make people see the good in their actions instead of trying to avoid the bad. 

Lead by example

If you want a truly sustainable culture that does more than look good on paper, you need to start by educating your upper management on sustainability efforts in your industry. If they can use this information to make better decisions for your brand, you show your employees and customers that sustainability is a top priority. 

Sustainability is good for the planet, good for your community, and good for your bottom line. If you want to take the first step by installing energy-efficient upgrades into your facility, give MaintenX a call today!

As the eco-movement grows each year, many people are looking for ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle in their everyday lives. However, more and more of the environmental activism movement is focusing on the part businesses and commercial buildings play in carbon emissions. Research estimates that energy emissions from commercial buildings account for approximately 19% of total U.S. emissions each year. This shows just how important it is for businesses to step up and start thinking green in their everyday practices. 

In many cases, it is better to retrofit existing buildings with green technologies rather than building new ones. Below are some examples of ways you can use green technologies in your facility to create a healthier, more eco-friendly workplace:

Reduce, reuse, and recycle

This old adage is one of the most useful when it comes to reducing your overall energy emissions. Even with renewable energy technologies and energy-efficient appliances, typically buying a new product has a higher carbon footprint than repurposing an old one. That is why proper preventative care for your facility systems is important. By extending the service life of your HVAC and electrical systems, you can reduce the waste created by your facility. 

Invest in renewables

Many companies are looking at renewable energy sources to replace their existing energy sources. Whether you install solar panels or look for a supplier that uses wind, geothermal, or other renewable energy sources, this is a great way to dramatically impact your company’s carbon footprint. Even giants like Empire State Realty are making the switch, and so can you!

Use carbon-negative materials for new construction. 

While it’s best to retrofit existing structures to meet commercial building needs, carbon-negative building materials serve as an ideal alternative. Certain types of wood as well as hempwood and other green building materials can actually absorb small amounts of carbon in the atmosphere. This small act can make a big difference as more companies adopt carbon-negative building materials. 

Always choose energy-efficient.

Energy efficiency is an option for nearly every appliance and electrical system in your facility. From automatic lights to energy-efficient windows, roofing, and plumbing, you can find cleaner alternatives when the time comes. While we don’t recommend upgrading all at once (following the first tip in this list), when your current equipment reaches the end of its service life you should always look for energy-efficient models. 

Green technologies are available for almost every commercial application. Research local alternatives for energy and suppliers, or ask your MaintenX team for recommendations. We are always happy to help our clients make informed and greener choices for their HVAC roofing, plumbing, and more. 

Solar panels are becoming more and more popular for commercial facilities. Not only are they a great way to reduce your building’s environmental impact, but they can help reduce your energy bill as well. Florida and many other states offer incentive programs to switch to solar, making it more affordable than ever to install solar paneling. However, there are many factors to consider besides cost before installing them onto your roofing. 

Solar panels are a major installation that is not suitable for all buildings. The panels are heavy and require a significant amount of space to be effective for commercial applications. Plus, improper installation can lead to structural damage. This increases your building’s risk of water damage, fire, and can cause your warranty or insurance to be canceled. In order to enjoy the full benefits of solar roofing, you need to work with an experienced contractor and determine whether your building is a good candidate for solar installation. 

The installation team will first inspect your roofing to determine whether it is in proper condition for solar panel installation. Roofing that is old, damaged, or structurally compromised is immediately eliminated from solar panel installation. Your roofing contractor will also look at: 

• Height of the building
• Frame load capacity
• The seismic and wind loads
• The slope 
• The roofing material

After inspection, your contractor can talk about installation requirements and solar panel brands. However, before this conversation takes place you will want to talk to your roofing installation team to determine whether your warranty is still valid after the addition. You may also want to check with your insurance company to determine whether this changes your rates. By choosing a reputable contractor, your odds of keeping insurance and warranties are much higher. 

You should also ask your roofing contractor if your roof flashing is in good condition. The installation crew will have to drill through both the roofing material itself and the flashing to secure the panels. If the flashing is not in good condition, this can lead to water damage. The structural integrity of your building comes first. If your roofing contractor has concerns, you should replace flashing or roofing panels first. 

With these tips in mind, you can successfully implement a solar panel system to your commercial roofing. By understanding the risks, you can prepare your roofing and ensure a safe installation from start to finish. And, MaintenX is always here to help with your roofing and solar panel installation needs. 

To learn more about our maintenance and installation services, contact us!

Renewable energy is possibly the greatest and most formidable frontier of environmental conservation today. While many companies are changing the way they process, package, and ship their products to reduce environmental impact, many are still hesitant to rely on renewable energy for their power. And there’s a good reason. Much of the renewable energy sector is still new, which brings the potential for great returns, but even greater risk. 

Below we want to explore to different pros and cons of switching to renewable energy, and how commercial facilities can do so while minimizing risks:

Alternative energy is (in some cases) more affordable

Many facility managers are hesitant to switch to alternative energy partners because they believe the cost is much higher. However, some renewable sources such as wind energy can be more cost-effective than non-renewable forms of energy, especially as the methods for extracting fossil fuels become more and more expensive. If your facility invests in an energy alternative along with energy efficiency measures, you can significantly reduce your operating costs long-term. 

Not all buildings are suited for alternative energy

While renewables produced by power plants can be effectively used for most commercial applications, some pieces of equipment will still require fossil fuels to operate. Solar panels, which are a popular choice for commercial facilities, are also not suitable for all facility types. Some buildings require more energy than a solar panel system can handle, while others do not have the roofing structure to support them. There are many more limitations to alternative energy in the built environment than traditional energy sources. 

Alternative energy reduces your building’s environmental impact

Energy consumption is typically a business’ greatest contributor to environmental damage. Even large factories that consume raw materials have the highest emissions from their energy consumption. Alternative energy sources can help reduce the environmental impact of your business, which positively affects your bottom line as well as your community. 

Alternative energy not available nationwide

Not all geographic locations have large-scale alternative options available. In larger cities where the land for wind or geothermal energy production is not possible, you may be limited to alternative options for your business. However, some companies offer the option to buy credits to ensure that an equivalent amount of green energy to what your business uses will be produced elsewhere. The Empire State Building recently switched to 100% wind energy using this option. 

Renewables are inevitable

Despite the drawbacks, renewable and alternative energy is inevitable in the commercial space. Fossil fuels are unsustainable at the current rate of consumption around the world, and every change a company makes helps to complete the global puzzle of living in a world without them. In 50 years, your company won’t have a choice but to switch to an alternative energy source. The sooner you are able to make incremental switches, the easier the transition will be. 

MaintenX has embraced the switch to alternative energy by training our maintenance staff in both traditional and green technologies for commercial facilities. We work closely with our clients to choose sustainable options that meet their bigger business goals.

Traditionally, Earth Day is when many people celebrate the planet by raising awareness of the environment and the importance of taking steps now to preserve it. With April 22 right around the corner, you may be asking yourself how you and your facility will be celebrating Earth Day this year. While there is no right way to observe the holiday, it can be a good time to prepare your facility now and use it to springboard into being more environmentally friendly moving forward.

Raise environmental awareness in the company.

The easiest way to celebrate Earth Day at your facility is to raise awareness of environmental issues. This can be done through e-mails, posters, activities – some companies even opt to host small seminars or workshops that address what industry leaders are doing to reduce energy consumption, recycle materials, and cut back on the amount of waste product generated. If you want to really drive points home and generate a buzz in the community, staging group activities among employees and departments and providing media coverage for them is worth considering as well.

Initiate new “green” policies.

Earth Day is also a good time to announce new policies to help your facility be more environmentally friendly. For example, you may have been considering switching to recycled paper products, installing low-flow toilets, or setting up recycling bins across your facility. If you can, it is also a good time to roll out any new equipment that will help your facility be more green. Energy-efficient equipment is always good to have, and Earth Day presents an excellent opportunity to announce the installation of such equipment.

If you need assistance installing any new equipment and setting up maintenance plans to ensure that they work well for your facility in the long term, we at MaintenX are here to help. We believe in both efficiency and environmental benefits and would be happy to help your facility achieve both. To learn more about our installation and maintenance services, please call us any time at (855) 751-0075.