According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), residential and commercial buildings account for 40% of total U.S. energy consumption. According to CSE Magazine, HVAC systems use between 40-60% of the total energy consumed in buildings, based on data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Since we normally don’t interact directly with our business’s heating or cooling systems, we often don’t think about the energy consumption and money wasted through inefficient HVAC systems. The following will provide some simple tips to keep your building’s HVAC more efficient.
Schedule a professional energy audit
First things first, have a professional conduct an energy audit on your HVAC system. Most utilities in New England offer complimentary energy audits, so there’s no reason not to have your systems evaluated for potential energy efficiency upgrades. Depending on the age of the unit and the parts, and the condition the unit is in, there may be some simple fixes you can make without fronting the cash to purchase a new system. Let’s discuss some of the upgrades you can make.
Install an economizer
One of the simplest and lowest-cost solutions, economizers take advantage of cooler temperatures outside your building by bringing in that air, instead of mechanically cooling warmer air by powering the compressor, to cool your building. Thus, the only energy needed is to move the air throughout the building. Buildings often produce a high amount of energy and heat during normal business hours, making the air outside cooler than the air inside the building. This is why we sometimes need to use the AC on cool days. Utilizing this simple solution, on average, can save businesses up to 30% in energy costs.
Implement controls
Controls allow the user to set preferences to how the heating and cooling systems operate and make them run more efficiently behind the scenes. Controls include devices such as programmable thermostats, timing automation systems, demand and occupancy sensors, and more. Simply put, these optimize the heating and cooling functions during peak hours, and for when the building is unoccupied—which is especially important. Why heat or cool your building more than necessary?
Reduce load capacity
Load capacity refers to the total amount of heating and cooling your building uses. Reducing load capacity helps your existing systems run less frequently. There are several important steps you can take to reduce your building’s load capacity, including:
Installing insulation
Insulation and air sealing are commonly overlooked components of building energy management. There are many ways to seal and insulate your building, including roofs, walls, pipes, and ducts. Over time, these components wear down, allowing heat to escape through cracks or holes. You want to heat your building, windows, and doors, not “the whole outdoors,” as the expression goes. Proper insulation, building envelope sealing, and maintenance can increase the efficiency of your building dramatically.
Installing energy-efficient windows
For small businesses, installing storm windows can help your business save up to 15% of your annual building costs. For larger, multi-story businesses with many windows, the project is a lot more complex, but the concept and savings are similar. In some cases, larger businesses can reduce overall energy consumption by up to 50%.
Business owners should notice an immediate difference on their next energy bill, but those savings will decline without proper maintenance. Installing window film (discussed in the next paragraph), cleaning, caulking, and replacing components all ensure the windows stay at peak performance during their lifetime. For instance, cleaning ensures buildings take advantage of solar heat, while caulking helps stop air leakage.
Installing window film
Another overlooked component of energy management is solar heat—sunlight coming in through the windows. According to FacilitiesNet, “roughly one third of an average building’s cooling load is due to solar heat gain through windows” (Zimmermann, 2006). Window film can block up to 80% of solar heat by absorbing and reflecting the heat back outdoors. According to Jim Mannix, business development manager at 3M, “From a building management perspective, you can reduce kwh, make tenants more comfortable and reduce demand charge” (Zimmermann, 2006). In winter, the sun can be used to offset heating costs, as well, provided your windows are properly sealed.
Source: FacilitiesNet
Installing energy-efficient lighting
As a core component to your entire building’s energy management, lighting, especially older, less efficient models, generates a lot of heat. Upgrading to more efficient fluorescents or LEDs gives off less heat and reduces the strain on your HVAC system. This is one of the easiest and most cost effective measures for energy savings and maintenance.
Upgrading to ENERGY STAR certified office equipment
Similar to lighting, old office equipment generates a lot of heat. Upgrading to more energy-efficient equipment, especially those that are ENERGY STAR certified, are easy ways to reduce your building’s load capacity. Better yet, you can receive rebates on many ENERGY STAR appliances.
HVAC Maintenance
Like all equipment, proper maintenance is essential to ensure your HVAC system is running as efficiently as possible. We recommend checking and tuning up your HVAC before the start of every winter season. Check for leaks and defective equipment in your pipes, ducts, coils, and unit fittings to make necessary repairs. Chillers, boilers, and other heating and cooling equipment all wear down or break over time. Cleaning debris and dust that accumulates in the coils and ducts in the system can prevent your heat transfer from being compromised and your system requiring emergency repair.
It is also critical to change your HVAC filters regularly. You wouldn’t run your dryer without changing the lint trap often, right? We recommend changing your filters at least once a month. Filters are cheap, ranging from only a few dollars, and can improve system performance and air quality. Plus, this is important to keep people working in the space healthy.
Educate your workforce
As a business owner or facilities manager, you know the importance of energy savings and how they affect your bottom line. Your company’s other employees, however, may not share the same knowledge. It is important to train your employees on the best ways to increase your building’s efficiency. Little things such as turning off computers after hours and making sure to turn off lights, even with a motion sensor, affect your building’s energy efficiency. We recommend a brief training session to educate your workforce on energy efficiency best practices to reduce load capacity.
Purchasing a new HVAC system
After you’ve had your HVAC inspected and you’ve determined it makes more sense to upgrade, we recommend you check the system’s Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating. The SEER rating, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, evaluates the efficiency of an HVAC system. Older models generally have SEER ratings of 6 or less. Today, the minimum required SEER rating for all commercially sold units is 13. According to Energy.gov, “SEER 13 is 30% more efficient than the previous minimum SEER of 10.” Upgrading models with SEER ratings of 6 or less will see even higher energy savings.