A tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot is available to owners or designers of new or existing commercial buildings that save at least 50% of the energy and power costs associated with interior lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, or hot water systems of the building. A certification must be obtained from the contractor documenting the energy saving features. Partial deductions can be taken for projects that reduce the energy costs if the cost reduction is less than 50%.
Paper Recycling
Use less paper. In the office setting, employ electronic methods to distribute documents instead of printing them. Stop receiving printed documents on a fax machine. Instead, receive them electronically as email attachments. You will be able to read, save, and distribute documents electronically. There are companies that provide “fax to email” services to avoid excessive use of paper.
Environmental/Green Attorney
Law offices with a staff of environmental experts can assure that you properly define and receive the green services that you need.
Real Estate Specialists
There are many factors that go into making a commercial building location a sustainable site, including: development density, maximizing open space and alternate transportation options nearby.
Furniture
Use recycled furniture – you can receive LEED points for helping the environment. Michigan has nationally-known furniture builders providing new furnishings using recycled material.
Lighting
Minimize ceiling lighting and use personally controlled task lighting. Change to T8 or T5 lamps with bi level switching to save energy, and where it is useful, put in timers and motion sensors. LED lights are cost effective in situations where there are high maintenance costs for lamp replacement. Reduced lighting energy may qualify you for an EPACT 2005 federal tax deduction and DTE rebates – plus, you may be eligible for LEED points.
Install fluorescent light fixtures for all ceiling- and wall-mounted fixtures that will be on for more than 2 hours each day.
Office Equipment
Use Energy Star products.
Green Printing
Instead of using regular ink for your printer, consider ink that is eco-friendly. Some printing companies offer products and services that are environmentally safe-anywhere from green ink to cutting and folding services.
Office Recycling
Remember to recycle paper, cardboard, metal, glass, and type 1 & 2 plastic. Set up stations to make collection of these materials easy for everyone.
Office Supplies
Purchase recycled paper supplies and ink cartridges. Consider Energy Star rated products in your next equipment purchase.
Energy Auditing
Commissioning is a process that has been around for many years and has been referred to by many different names in different industries. ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) defines commissioning as “A quality-focused process for enhancing the delivery of a project. The process focuses on verifying and documenting that the facility and all of its systems are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated and maintained to meet the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR)”.
Retro-commissioning, or re-commissioning if a building has been previously commissioned, refers to developing a building operation plan that identifies current operating requirements and needs, conducting tests to determine whether building systems are performing optimally in accordance with the plan, and making any necessary repairs or changes.
An experienced consultant can assist in commissioning or retro-commissioning, resulting in reduced energy use, lower operating costs, reduced contractor callbacks, better building documentation and verification that the systems perform properly.
Energy Management
Energy management systems, when properly set up, ensure that you efficiently reduce energy consumption. Use of these systems may qualify you for a DTE rebate.
