Thanks to cutting-edge technology, our office market is greener than ever before. As employers start reviewing their “return to work” procedures and necessary health-related upgrades, a clean-air environment ranks at the top of the list. The eco-friendly module is being adopted by CRE developers and property owners all over the country. Here’s a closer look at how today’s offices are embracing energy-efficient technologies:
Reducing Waste with Data and Analytics
The office sector is using data and analytics to lessen its negative carbon footprints. By collecting immense stores of information, office properties are able to review the data and develop eco-efficient strategies.
Conserving resources is a major need for all CRE. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, commercial buildings are generating significant amounts of waste in the form of materials, water, and power.
This widespread issue has sparked action from CRE’s office sector which is employing technology to help cut back on operational waste. Monitoring and addressing waste patterns is imperative for any commercial office that is striving to cultivate greater efficiency in 2020 and beyond.
Harnessing the Powers of IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) is combining the very best of Smart Building technology and advanced connectivity to create a seamless web of information. Commercial properties that employ the IoT’s complex networks are elevating their waste management efforts beyond simple data and analysis.
If monthly data collection is a practice based on hindsight, then the IoT’s waste-management happens in the now. The IoT uses a real-time system to monitor any issues that may be causing a mass waste of resources and immediately adjusts, alerts, and addresses it.
For example, if there is a leaking pipe somewhere on the property that’s wasting water, the IoT would immediately pick up on the problem and alert property owners to the situation. This avoids two big problems—the leak exacerbating into a prominent issue, and the resources that would be wasted if it wasn’t addressed.
IoT and augmented reality (AR) are also playing major roles in bringing office tenants back to their desks. These next-gen technologies can provide necessary tools for safe re-entry, such as fever-detecting software, social distance indicators, and “contact tracing” to determine employee interaction.
Going Paperless Through the Cloud
The paperless module has been dominating the contemporary office industry even before COVID-19 turned the globe upside-down. Keeping a digital document library not only helps team members stay organized and streamline basic tasks, but it has the major side benefits of reducing paper waste and spending less.
Each printed page costs about 10 cents. While it may not seem like much, multiply that to account for every single page printed in a typical office. According to data reports, the average office worker uses 10,000 pages per year. When you account for the entire team, the numbers skyrocket. Going paperless can save an office thousands of dollars annually.
What’s worse, 45% of printed papers are thrown away before the work day’s over. Thankfully, the Cloud is providing offices with an alternative (and green) solution. Digitizing documents is becoming the new norm within workspace culture. Choosing to store files on a digital cloud is saving offices money and helping them become more eco-friendly.
The office sector is adopting an eco-friendly approach to business with these three green technology innovations. Keep an eye on the sustainability trend as it continues to grow within the world of business and see how it can lend to a healthier post-virus office space.
