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You manage or work at a small to medium sized business and your looking for a way to save some money and green it up a bit more. Since you have read some previous posts and already installed high velocity hand driers and sensor activated faucets – you’re now looking for the next step.

Why not install some point of use tank-less water heaters and get rid of your large inefficient hot water tank? We use a Takagi TK-3 at the family vacation home down in Jersey - it enables you to shower with perfect 122 degree water until your skin is thoroughly "pruned" (if you so desire). You will never run out of hot water again!

Smaller electric units are available for under the sink and in the kitchen, which are ideal for many business applications. Here is a great site where you can learn more

The carbon footprint of a small point of use water heater is dramatically less than that of a large tank system. The initial installation might set you back a bit more than a conventional system, but the monthly savings in water usage and energy consumption (approximately 24-34%) makes your return on investment fast. 
*Update: 1/22/11 As a bonus, the Takagi also supplies the hot water for the radiant base board heat. Get the Grundfos 3 speed pump - see link below and the Isolator shut-off valves so you can drain the system / replace the pump when required easily. 

Update: 11/15/14 installed a timer, so it only recirculates the domestic hot water during the waking hours - thus saving power and gas at night while sleeping. Accomplished this with a simple inexpensive yet reliable mechanical Intermatic Timer.

Also, installed a Descaling  filter, isolator valves for a clean out, and bought a submersible pump. Tankless water heaters are supposed to be cleaned out annually or more to clean out the nasties. Mine had not been cleaned out since it was installed and was very dirty, it required two complete cleanings and flushes with the Descaling Rinse. I got the gallon size as it is a better value than the quart size.) Get the pump on amazon, a way better deal than buying the whole kit. You likely have some washing machine hoses lying around the house as well. Make sure you flush out the system and remove aerators when finished to get all the sediment and loose particles when you are finished flushing. Replace your whole house sediment filter and clean the tankless cold in-feed filter as well.

Looks tricky - which it is, but you can contact me and I can give you some pointers. This system which I installed myself has a domestic recirculating loop, and a baseboard heating loop.

Sometimes, making the decision to turn your small business into a greener running machine can be difficult to implement. Getting caught up in the day to day activities coupled with countless obligations leaves little time to spare.

I encourage you to capitalize your time by taking advantage of the dip in consumer traffic at your business. Dedicate an hour or more to review each aspect of your business where you spend money. Ask yourself, why am I doing this? Is there a better way to achieve this task or function? Does this spending activity benefit the employee or the customer? How can I reduce my spending so I can pass the savings on to the customer?

The following are a few ideas that will help to jog your mind, but each business has its’ own challenges and opportunities.

-Can I replace any lighting in the store with compact fluorescents bulbs (CFL’s) or even more efficient LED lighting?
-Do I leave the lights on in the restroom at my business? Perhaps I should install a motion sensor switch in the restroom?
-Do I have paper towels in my bathroom? Maybe I should swap them out for a next generation high powered hand dryer…
-I wonder if installed an instant hot water heater under the sink if it would save money?
-Am I using a flat screen LCD instead of an older CRT monitor at the register?
-Am I handing out plastic bags at my store? Maybe I can pass out inexpensive reusable cloth bags that have my logo/name on the side, so that I get free advertising and reduce throwaway waste…
-What is the thermostat set in my business, could I tweak it a degree or two without causing discomfort to clients/customers?
-Do I have a programmable thermostat that changes the temperature automatically when no one is in the building?
-Should I install a humidifier to make it feel warmer in the winter?
-Do I have a high efficiency HVAC system?
-Do I have a recycling bin in the store, or does everything go in the trash?
-Is the packaging of anything that leaves the store in an environmentally sensitive container. (E.g. take out containers for food are available in enviroware materials that biodegrade quickly unlike foam or plastic)
-What do I do with my cardboard?
-Do I need something for my business? Maybe I can get it locally and less expensive on craigslist.
-Do I utilize the farmers markets in the area to get locally grown produce and goods? They are often less expensive than big box stores and it takes less fossil fuel to get it to your business…
-Do I have window tint on my sunny spots to decrease heat transfer in the summer?
-Can I telecommute on certain days (or ever day) and get the same work done without driving all the way to the office?
-Do I live close to my office?
-What if I could eliminate a car in my household by biking to work? -How much would I save in fuel, maintenance, insurance, taxes, and fees?
-Perhaps I should consider meeting with my client over a WebEx instead of driving in traffic?
-Is snail mail really required for that business function? Perhaps I could email it instead saving paper, stamp, ink, fuel?
-Maybe I should follow the undeniable trend and begin to transfer my paper advertising budget to digital media?

These are just a few ideas, if you have any more feel free to add them to the list.  Enjoy the Super bowl tonight and more importantly, advertising genius at it’s finest!