The use of HVAC systems in commercial buildings is necessary to ensure the general comfort of employees and clients. They provide a suitable working environment that encourages productiveness of all those involved. Many businesses funnel large amounts of money into HVAC servicing and repair each year. The energy costs can also be staggering especially during the summer when these HVAC systems are in constant use. Finding ways to reduce these costs is therefore necessary to save on funds for use in other areas. If you are a building manager or a business owner, here are some tips to ensure your commercial HVAC systems are energy-efficient and environment-friendly.
Maintain a functional air barrier
Heating and cooling your building premises is expensive enough, so don't extend the effect to the outside world. Maintaining an air barrier will significantly reduce your costs since heat won't escape to the atmosphere and vice-versa. Doing this enhance the energy-efficiency of your HVAC system tremendously. Draughty doors and windows should be closed whenever the system is running. Also, schedule regular caulking and weather stripping to seal any air leaks. Be sure to close up ducts that lead to unheated or uncooled areas of the building. Use foil tape or blown-in duct sealant to do the job. This will prevent heat exchange with such areas and the reduce energy consumption of the entire HVAC system.
Go green
Invest in using environment-friendly products and a green design that will reduce energy consumption as well as safeguard the environment. Design a building plan that will free up energy for use by HVAC systems when they are being taxed by prevailing temperatures. For instance, adopt a building plan that uses windows which optimize sunlight as a light source instead of relying completely on artificial light. For the HVAC units, opt for those with non-polluting refrigerants that will not harm the ozone layer or the environment at large.
Schedule regular maintenance
Liaise with a technician or HVAC contractor to conduct regular maintenance service for smooth operations. Old or faulty systems consume much more energy than is needed. Issues such as dirty filters will hamper the productivity of your system and overwork it, so ensure the filters are regularly changed. Routine inspections will also identify problems as they develop instead of allowing them to deteriorate further. Consequently, the repair costs are greatly reduced. The system performance can also be easily measured to determine when upgrades or replacements are needed. All this contributes to an energy-efficient HVAC system.
