Why you should keep a healthy and efficient HVAC system
Maintaining an energy-efficient HVAC system is an integral part of keeping your costs low while ensuring your equipment meets industry standards. Given the fact that heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems can make up 35% of energy used in manufacturing facilities, maintaining an efficient system is of particular importance for industrial operators.
Fortunately, there are numerous energy-saving opportunities to be had, if only you know where to look.
5 Steps to ensuring the most energy efficient HVAC
Efficient improvements not only help maintain profitability and improve your bottom line, they also help to ensure employee safety and morale. With the help of expert energy sources like Enbridge Gas Distribution, the US Small Business Administration, and Origin Energy, we’ve created an energy checklist to keep your HVAC system up and running efficiently:
Create a secure building envelope: Keep heat inside by ensuring you seal and insulate air ducts, hot water and steam pipes and conduct an air balance assessment every 3-5 years to ensure optimal air flow. Control sunlight to minimize heat during the cooling season, investigate solar screens and films, and plug leaks with weather stripping and caulking. Read more about creating an energy-efficient building envelope.
Use fans instead of air conditioning: Fans are a great way to control temperature, humidity and air movement, saving you money on energy while reducing the demand on your air-conditioning unit.
Perform proper maintenance on all HVAC equipment: Did you know that proper maintenance of HVAC equipment can save up to 10% of space conditioning energy usage? Develop a maintenance schedule and include tasks like: checking and changing air filters (dirty filters overwork equipment and result in lower indoor air quality) and belts; inspecting fans for items like lint and dirt; cleaning coil surfaces; ensuring that dampers are sealed tightly; and inspecting ductwork. Replace any old equipment like valves, steam traps and other low cost parts. Consider acquiring an annual maintenance contract to make sure that your contractor provides pre-season tune-ups, saving you energy and money for years to come.
Check your thermostats: If you haven’t already installed programmable thermostats, now is a great time to start. Make sure thermostats are located somewhere that provides balanced space conditioning and that heating equipment is an appropriate distance away from each unit. Ideally, room temperature should hover between 24-25 degrees (Celsius) in the summer and between 18-20 degrees in the winter with frequently unoccupied rooms like washrooms and storerooms set to approximately 16 degrees in winter. These small changes could save you up to 30% on heating costs.
Reduce operating hours: Make sure you’re not wasting energy unnecessarily by keeping your HVAC running when it’s simply not needed. Adjust your thermostat setting alongside the season and install HVAC night set-back controls. You might also want to consider installing separate controls for different zones.
Questions about our HVAC checklist? Leave them below!
Interested in energy-efficient equipment for your hotel, restaurant, commercial or industrial business? Check out these energy-saving incentives and rebates and start saving now.
image credit: Jazzy Jsuar
