Changing light bulb by USAGYongsan on Flickr

Managing total energy costs over time requires an energy strategy focused on quantity as well as price. Energy conservation measures can go a long way toward lowering consumption and associated costs while achieving sustainability goals and meeting regulatory compliance.

These top four high-impact measures should be included in most energy conservation projects:

• Lighting Retrofits – Almost always the quickest payback and most profitable energy conservation measure
• Building Automation Controls – Comparable to lighting in quick payback and cost-effective savings
• Water Conservation – Among the most aggressive ROI measures to provide big dollar savings and fast paybacks
• HVAC Upgrades – Can improve efficiency on a large scale

Also reference the DOE – Office Building Energy Checklist