“Go Green” is an initiative that gets a lot of buzz around the office but what do measurable sustainability efforts look like? Research from the Department of Energy has found that buildings account for 40% of US energy consumption with commercial properties accumulating as much as 60% of the heating load. Therefore, commercial green initiatives have tremendous financial and environmental footprint implications for the country.
Sustainability is more than reducing paper waste around the office. Increasingly, management, property managers, and architects are becoming more concerned with making commercial places environmentally friendly.
There are different types of 3M window film that can help with sustainability efforts around the office. For example, sun control films are good for decreasing energy consumption. An office can save up to one ton of air conditioning for each 100 square feet of glass that is in direct sunlight. In addition to being energy efficient, sun control films increase productivity by reducing glare on computer screens contributing to a better working environment. Another type of film that can be used in making the office green is a light redirecting film. These films save energy by directing the natural light for several feet deeper into the building making the office building less dependent on artificial lights. An abundance of natural light has been shown to boost productivity, worker morale, and cause less sick days/absenteeism. The light directing film is a power house when it comes to energy efficiency, these films can reduce energy usage by as much as 52% when used with other light saving options.
The reduction in light pollution is one of the major benefits of 3M window film, another tremendous advantage is that the film reduces carbon emissions. The decrease in energy expenditure that happens when the 3M film is installed is translated into dollar savings on the utility bill. These savings in energy cost can be applied to other sustainability initiatives around the office. More and more workplaces are striving to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, a worthwhile accomplishment that is good for the environment and the bottom line. Therefore, 3M window film is an energy efficient, productivity boosting, and environmentally friendly product that offices should use to make commercial buildings “go green”.