Commercial Properties That Save The Earth

When you’re building a commercial property, you obviously need to ensure it will serve its function for the kind of businesses that would buy it. However, there’s another important factor to think about too. Being green is now more important than ever for modern business owners. A lot of the most sought-after commercial properties come ready to function in an energy-efficient way. Here are some possible improvements for an eco-friendly commercial property.

Image: Wikimedia

Like with any new property, you need to think about the lighting that’s going to be used. Luckily, there’s an easy way to make a green decision here. Energy efficient light bulbs linked up to daylight controllers are a great start for a green building. These work by automatically turning on the lights, only when the natural daylight becomes insufficient for work. Infrared sensors and motion detectors can be used to keep the lights off in areas which aren’t used too frequently. You can save on overall energy expenditure by using energy efficient bulbs, rather than tube lighting.

Image: Wikimedia

Perhaps the most effective way of creating a greener building is making the building able to create its own energy. Old boilers can be replaced by more energy-efficient models, and green girt may be installed to make the building retain more of its heat. If it’s practical, you may want to consider bringing in a combined heat and power engine. Often referred to as “CHP units”, these use natural gasses to produce electricity for the building. The excess energy from this process is then used to heat the building. Renewable energy is also a very popular feature for modern offices. Enough solar panelling will provide electricity for almost any building.

Water use in commercial buildings is widely overlooked, even among the greenest of business owners. However, if you make a point to think about water in your new building, it will create a feature which is very attractive for potential buyers. Cost effective tap inserts are probably the simplest way to go about it. Aside from that, flow restrictors and waterless urinals will look good on the property’s listing. Recycled water systems are another increasingly popular feature for commercial buildings. These collect and filter rainwater or recycle grey water for use in the office’s plumbing.

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Finally, make sure you take your time selecting the windows for the property. There are a lot of different glazing types, many of them designed to create more energy-efficient buildings. Choose windows with better insulation, and the entire building will be heated more efficiently. You may also want to have blinds installed which keep the heat out. This will keep workers from turning on desk fans and air conditioning. You could also help the building retain more heat by adding more mass to the walls. This is an unpopular move for structural reasons, but is easy enough to spin into a green feature.

These tips will lay a great foundation for your green commercial property. You’ll not only be making the building irresistible for buyers, but make a real, positive difference to the world we live in.