Efforts by companies to trim energy are increasingly focusing on downsizing office and manufacturing space, retrofitting older systems with the latest technologies, or locking in utility rates through long-term contracts with suppliers, Financial Week reports.

In an effort to to reduce its energy and water use, waste production, and CO2 emissions by 10 percent in four years, P&G, for example, has earmarked about five percent of its budget this year, or about $5 million, for energy-saving projects, including downsizing its office and technical center facilities and remodeling and upgrading those facilities to more energy-efficient standards.

Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of organizations are paying more attention to energy efficiency than they were just a year ago, according to the Johnson Controls Energy Efficiency Indicator survey.

More corporate tenants are asking for energy audits to help them develop energy efficiency plans, according to John Schinter, an international property manager. Energy management systems that monitor lighting, heating and cooling can save as much as 20 to 30 percent on utility costs annually and give companies pay-back within three years, he says.

Others have observed that long-term contracts with energy suppliers increasing from two-to-three-years to three-to-five-year contracts.

Foodprocessing.com reported recently that sustainability and energy efficiency are increasingly becoming the reasons for major operation overhauls.