| Create a mechanism for occupants or employees to share their suggestions with you. Make sure you respond to comments and act on recommendations when feasible. You may even offer a reward for the best energy-saving ideas. |
| Educate staff members about the basic principles of energy management and empower them to establish their own departmental green teams. Check out the ENERGY STAR Green Team Checklist for steps and considerations to take into account when establishing a green team. |
| Share your energy efficiency goals. Transparency is the first step to getting the people inside your building or space interested in what you’re doing. When you share your energy reduction goals and progress toward saving, employees and occupants sit up and take notice of your efforts. |
| Display the past 6–12 months of energy use information in a high-traffic area or distribute it as part of a regular report. Seeing the data and any trends in energy use can inspire occupants and employees to contribute to continued savings. |
| Encourage actions that apply to most of your employees’ workspaces, or that can be practiced at work and at home, like turning off lights when not in use and activating computer power management features. |
| Print and hang banners, posters, and signs with energy-saving messages in high-traffic areas in your space or in areas like lobbies, elevators, hallways, over water fountains, and in break rooms. |
| Create door hangers, post-it note reminders, or light switch covers to help occupants or employees remember to take action. Some K-12 schools have started energy patrols, in which students pass out “oops” and “wow” stickers to encourage behavior change. |
| Hold an energy fair, conduct an energy awareness event in the lobby, or offer building tours to give occupants a sneak peek at the inner workings of the building. |
| Host a brownbag, hold a webinar, or present about why it’s important to save energy at staff meetings, tenant meetings, or other get-togethers. You can also integrate information about your energy program into your organization’s orientation training. |
| Give incentives and recognition. Consider starting small with something like a pizza party, ice cream social, bagel breakfast, or other food rewards for hitting goals or making progress. Depending on savings levels, you may also consider awarding cash or prizes for great energy-saving ideas or to energy champions. |
