Renovate your office with green technologies
Source: Green Technology / Eco-News
Renewal fees for offices throughout Europe are soaring as more and more Companies build and remodel using eco-friendly means. A new study reports that the application of green technologies can save millions of € and compensate for the progressive energy demand on the continent.
A new investigation by Philips Lighting, recently presented in London, highlighted the fact that the renovation of offices to create more space and be more energy efficient can generate millions of € in savings for the Company. Philips Lighting specifically recommends that the annual renewal fee for offices in developed countries should reach 3%, with the goal to reduce emissions and progressively compensate the global energy demand due to population growth and urbanization development.
“Renovating buildings to make them more energy efficient can offer enormous beneficial impact to the environment. When the renovations are adequately completed and embrace both green and intelligent technology, the additional financial impact to Companies will be significant”, said Harry Verhaar, spokesman for Philips Lighting.
He added, “This can significantly reduce the energy, water, and air conditioning bills and thereby generate greater financial benefits, increasing employee productivity, streamlining tasks, and providing more comfortable and functional working conditions.”
Globally, studies confirm that Companies can obtain significant savings if renovated offices follow a green technology trend. Asia is currently applying these principles more effectively and the results are both positive and encouraging.
Specific examples cited in the analysis includes The Edge, Deloitte, which improved the use of office space and the welfare of employees by applying intelligent technologies. This was a clear demonstration that for any Company, employee productivity can be more valuable than reducing the cost of rent.
The use of furniture also influenced Philips Lighting’s conclusions and provided the basis for a new (EEB European Environmental Bureau) study. This is the largest European network of environmental organizations that examined the impact of discarded office furnishings in EU member countries, related to carbon emissions.
The study found that by renovating and redesigning furniture instead of discarding them, approximately 6 million tons of CO2 could be saved, and at the same time 157.000 jobs in the EU could be created.
According to the EEB, the European furniture sector faces many challenges: the rising cost of raw materials, increased competition because of imports, low-cost systems that come from China, and low employee turnover.
Each year, markets in the EU moves over 10 million tons of furniture, but the problem is that approximately the same amount is discarded by incineration or end up in landfills. The EEB wants to implement better business models to reduce this type of waste.
There are a few more strict designs oriented toward the application of green technologies with restrictions on the use of chemicals, incentive and mandatory systems detailing the responsibility of producers, and real information on the impact of the life cycle of each furniture, which could be a good solution.
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