Greening the Building and the Bottom Line: Increasing Productivity Through Energy-Efficient Design

A 1% increase in worker productivity can provide a company with savings that exceed its entire energy bill, according to this 1994 report from the Rocky Mountain Institute, which makes a case for energy efficiency as a way to boost productivity and increase a company’s bottom line. The report looks at design changes — improved lighting, heating, and cooling — that yielded increased productivity and energy savings for eight U.S. companies. For example, an upgraded light system in a Pennsylvania Power and Light drafting facility produced energy savings of 69%, a 13% increase in employee productivity, and a 25% decrease in absenteeism.