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Tips for Business 1. Purchase ENERGY STAR® office equipment. This includes photocopiers, printers, computers, monitors, fax machines and scanners. Most photocopiers, computers and monitors come with a "sleep mode" setting, and automatically powers them down when not in use.   2. Every business can reduce lighting expenses with occupancy sensors, allowing lights to come on only when people are using a room. Make a list of low-use rooms at your office. Include conference rooms, individual offices, lunchrooms, copy rooms, storerooms and restrooms. Install an occupancy sensor at every light switch or in the ceiling. This will save money while extending the life of your lights.   3. Replace those old fluorescent lights in your office with new four-foot T8 lamps. The four-foot lamps save energy, and provide essentially the same light output with improved color qualities. Combined with an electronic ballast, the T8 lamp system virtually eliminates flicker and hum. Ask your building manager or call an electrician to install them.   4. The biggest consumer of energy in a commercial building is usually the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, HVAC. Routine inspections and maintenance will save energy, reduce operational cost and extend the life of the equipment while making everyone in the office more comfortable. HVAC systems should be inspected a minimum of 4 times a year, and then adjusted as required. Regularly check and clean all HVAC filters.   5. When an electric motor fails or is damaged, consider replacing it rather than repairing it. Repairing or "rewinding" a motor reduces the motor's efficiency and may result in higher electricity use than before. Most motor repairs are short-term fixes. Replacing an old motor with a new premium efficiency one is your best option.   6. Use ENERGY STAR® exit lighting. Older style, incandescent exit signs may have a cheaper price tag but the bulbs last less than one year. One sign can save a movie theatre $10 - $15 dollars a year and the LED lights can last up to 25 years.