Heating, lighting and air conditioning account for approximately 70 percent of energy usage in most commercial buildings.  Businesses can save on expenses by doing simple things such as turning off lights, computers and other appliances when they are not needed.  Commercial office buildings and office workplaces have a great opportunity to increase the energy efficiency of office equipment, lighting, heating, water heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Here are a few of those opportunities:  

When buying computers, printers, monitors, copiers, scanners, fax machines, refrigerators and the like, make sure they are labeled Energy Star, which signals the most efficient appliances.  This can trim annual energy expenses by 30 percent, according to the Alliance to Save Energy in Washington, D.C.

Use more efficient  lighting.  Many office now use T-8 fluorescent lighting systems, but the newer systems with T-5 finger-thin fluorescent tubes are even more efficient.  Light-emitting diodes is the next generation energy-efficient lighting now coming on the commercial scene which can reduce energy use significantly.  

Also, save on energy by installing light sensors, which regulate office lighting in relation to how much daylight is streaming into the office.  Also, replace incandescent and halogen light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, which burn cooler and consume as much as 75 percent less energy.  

When you leave the office, turn off the lights, shut down the computers, unplug the monitors, copy machines and other office equipment when they are not needed. Local utility companies can also serve as a good source of ideas for conserving energy.