Reducing energy consumption with flexible workspaces

We deal with strong questions raised by climate change and the energy crisis. Coworking could be an appropriate response. Sharing goods, reducing bills and environmental regulations are all arguments to encourage you to turn to flexible workspaces!

For a company or a freelancer, moving into a flexible workspace has a double interest, both environmental and economic. Electricity, furniture or Internet… All users share all the equipment available on site.

Reduce unused space and unoccupied workspaces

With the advent of teleworking and the flex office, a hybrid rhythm has become part of our daily working lives. With employees no longer coming into the office every day, many companies find themselves with unused m² and more workstations available than there are employees in the office. Could coworking and flexible offices be the key? As a main or complementary solution, they allow the number of workstations and surface areas required to be adapted upwards or downwards according to the organisation of the company and the number of people in the office. Only what is necessary is consumed and used, with no superfluous items. And for remote workers, teleworking in a coworking space allows them to reduce energy consumption at home by pooling resources.

Sharing sources of consumption

Sharing workspace with flexible offices makes it possible to pool resources and energy consumption. How can this be done? In a very simple way: several workers use the same light for lighting, the same fridge to store their lunch and the same printer for their documents.

And in the context of the energy crisis, shared offices also optimise heating in winter and air conditioning in summer. A feature that fits perfectly into a greener real estate approach.

Pooling furniture in offices

Another advantage of a flexible workspace is the shared use of many of the facilities available on site: office furniture, refrigerator, coffee machine, etc. The pooling of this equipment, all used by the coworkers, avoids under-use of goods: for example, there is no need to have a printer per person or a microwave per office. Sharing this equipment to make better use of it is part of a sobriety and sharing economy approach. In addition, as these services are included in the package offered by the coworking company, the maintenance and replacement of these elements are not at the expense of the tenants.

Reduce travel

How far away is the coworking space from its users’ homes? This is the second question that can contribute to the ecological approach. An hour’s drive to work is a thing of the past!

A coworking space offers a favourable environment to make the distinction between work and personal life a few minutes from home, on foot or by bike without having to travel dozens of miles. A real break for the self-employed, and an opportunity for companies. For employees who are far from the office, it is possible to offer them days in a coworking space near their home. This reduces the carbon footprint of the company while offering an ideal working space to its teams. Less traffic jams, less pollution and a better attractiveness for your company!

Get out of the tertiary sector decree

By 2030, an environmental regulation aimed at drastically reducing energy consumption will be imposed on spaces dedicated to tertiary use. The measure concerns operating areas greater than or equal to 1,000 m².

The objectives set by this decree imply a reduction in consumption of :

40% by 2030 ;
50% by 2040;
60% by 2050.
The rate is calculated in relation to a reference year, determined by the company between 2010 and 2021.

Installing your premises in flexible workspaces will allow you to avoid the tertiary decree, since the obligation concerns the owners of the buildings concerned. Thus, you will avoid the heavy investments induced by the compliance with this law, such as the change of the lighting system or the windows. You will also not have to carry out energy audits, carbon footprints and other controls of your consumption… although a sober approach is logically encouraged!

Good to know: Using flexible workspaces can also position you on corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues. In addition to environmental issues that may appeal to your customers and partners, coworking can also contribute to your employer brand by offering more flexible solutions to your teams. And to optimize your real estate strategy, choose environmentally certified buildings.