When it comes to energy efficiency, the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are usually the biggest energy users in any building, accounting for roughly 40% of the energy consumed in commercial buildings. Cutting back an HVAC system’s energy footprint can be the single most important energy cost decision for your facility. According to a recent study the U.S. Department of Energy, commercial building owners can save an average of 38 percent on their heating and cooling bills if they installed just a handful of controls designed to make their HVAC systems more energy efficient.
It is not always clear that a new chiller, boiler or rooftop unit is what a commercial building needs to improve its energy conservation. Sometimes it’s the accessories that leverage the most energy savings. Controls are usually the key to more efficient HVAC system. Additions like air-side economizer controls, which use cool outside air to chill the building (instead of creating cool air with the HVAC compressor); supply fan speed controls that slow or speed up the ventilation fan that circulates the building’s air based on whether or not a desired temperature or amount of fresh air has been reached (instead of continually running the fan at full speed); cooling capacity controls that run the HVAC compressor at different speeds, likewise based on need; and demand-controlled ventilation that slows or speeds up fans and air intake based on carbon dioxide levels inside the building (instead of running ventilation fans at a constant rate) are some of the best alternatives to capital replacements.
In addition, Web-Enabled Programmable Thermostats (WEPT) are devices that allow users to modify temperature set points and HVAC controls remotely. Building owners can use WEPT to help optimize heating energy use without having to make physical site visits to manually re-program thermostats.
There also exists both Tax Incentives and Utility Incentives for qualified projects (including labor) that contribute to the overall savings of HVAC system retrofits.
At EnviroProfit, we believe that HVAC systems should be a major consideration when setting energy goals. We recognize that most changes to systems in the next five years will likely be to decrease energy costs. With rising energy prices and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings, many owners have begun to manage energy cost actively as an asset, rather than a fixed cost. High-performance HVAC equipment, in conjunction with energy controls, can result in significant savings for your business.
Please contact us to see how we can assist you.