Consider these HVAC Tips to minimize your energy costs!

The battle against increasing energy costs is a constantly growing concern for all business owners these days.  There are several steps that can be taken with very little effort to reduce energy consumption and, in turn, your monthly utility bills.  The cost to heart and cool your buildings, regardless of the size of the space, is typically more than it needs to be because most systems are not operating at peak efficiency.  The factors that affect efficiency range from dirty filters to improperly sized equipment.

• Maintenance- Poorly maintained equipment can result in excessive energy costs due to such items as dirty filters, restricted coils, loose or cracked belts, improper refrigerant charge and leaks, economizer operation, bad bearings and more.  All of these issues will result in equipment running longer and working harder than necessary. It’s been determined that inadequate maintenance will lead to increased energy costs of 11%-42% over well maintained equipment.   That’s why the cost of a good maintenance program will more than pay for itself in utility savings alone.

• Negative air pressure- In applications where you are exhausting more air than what’s being brought into a space, a negative pressure will exist.  That negative pressure will exhaust the heating or cooling that you’re supplying to the building and outside air will be pulled in from any source it can find.  This forces your equipment to run excessively in an effort to achieve the temperature you’re calling for.  The system needs to be balanced or else additional intake air must be added.
• Economizers- Economizers can be added to any new or existing equipment. An economizer will allow for free cooling during certain ambient conditions by allowing outside air to cool the space without the compressor operating.  This can lead to huge energy savings during the cooling season.  Many economizers are not set up or maintained properly, which results in more energy loss than if the economizers weren’t installed.  Be sure to have a competent contractor check the economizers operation during maintenance.
• Programmable thermostats- These thermostats allow you to reduce system operation and energy use during unoccupied periods and are a simple, cost-effective solution.  To substantially increase their performance, be sure to locate the thermostats in areas that will not be affected by heat, cold or drafts.
• Equipment location- Whenever possible be sure to install equipment in shady areas or places that are not affected by extreme heat or cold, as this will cause equipment to work harder and run longer.

Many other factors can decrease energy usage, such as zoning, air distribution, high efficiency units and outside air damper positions, to name a few.

For more information on any of the above, or to find out more about how your energy costs can be minimized, please feel free to reach out to our Sales team.  We’ll be happy to provide you with a complimentary energy audit of your existing equipment.