Kas Mohammed, VP Digital Energy at Schneider Electric, comments on PwC’s reported closure of offices at Christmas to save energy.
It has been reported PwC will close its offices over Christmas to save on energy, following an ongoing energy crisis that continues to affect businesses across the country.
Seeing businesses close their offices to save on energy bills this last month of the year shows the severity of the ‘cost of doing business’ crisis. However, the focus should be on increasing energy efficiency to keep businesses running.
Although effective as a short-term solution, shutting down offices isn’t a viable solution in the long-run. There is a clear business need for offices. The solution to the energy crisis is not to not use energy at all, but rather to use it in the most efficient and clean ways possible.
New builds are now constructed with smart technologies that provide invaluable insights for business owners to make informed decisions to optimise energy consumption without affecting occupant experience. Existing builds can also be easily retrofitted with digital tools to mitigate high energy costs.
Businesses must start devising strategies that deliver sustainable and efficient energy usage and invest in the solutions to achieve it. Microgrids, for example, not only help manage supply and demand but also improve power resilience.
Other solutions that can drive energy efficiency are intelligent building management and electrical management systems incorporating smart sensors, IoT technologies, and predictive software.
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