Five Commercial HVAC Trends that can help you increase efficiency, improve indoor air quality and tenant comfort, save money, and cut emissions.
HVAC is all around us – literally. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are a major part of any commercial building, accounting for more than 40% of total energy use. So it should come as no surprise that business owners and building managers are giving HVAC a lot of attention in 2015. Below are five Commercial HVAC Trends that can help you increase efficiency, improve indoor air quality and tenant comfort, save money, and cut emissions.
Top Trends for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Controls
New HVAC Regulations
Okay, so this first one isn’t so much a trend as it is the result of a trend or, better yet, trends – energy efficiency and eco-consciousness. Nowadays, even the government is starting to care about HVAC efficiency and building emissions, which is why the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has a new set of energy efficiency standards for residential and commercial HVAC equipment.
Effective January 1, 2015, a new Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) went into effect for air conditioners and furnaces. Most areas, including Maryland, DC, and Virginia, will move to a 14 SEER standard for air conditioners and an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of 80 percent for furnaces.
HVAC Integration
IHS Technology, the premier provider of global market, industry and technical expertise, estimates that 14.2% of all HVAC controls in 2014 were proprietary. More interoperability for HVAC control systems are expected in the coming year, so different building systems can be integrated together rather than having to use a single manufacturer.
Can’t we all just get along? Well, turns out we can. One of the biggest trends in 2015 is the integration of HVAC controls with other building systems, such as lighting, access control technology and building automation systems (BAS) into a single platform. Newer BAS and HVAC controls offer increased functionality that, when used properly, can be a powerful tool used to reduce maintenance and energy costs.
Think of it as increased efficiency at the touch of a button.
Smart HVAC Control Systems
The smart thing for business owners and building managers to do is to invest smart HVAC control systems. This will not only help increase tenant comfort, but also decrease energy costs. That’s what we like to call a win-win. And while the initial investment for such smart controls may seem high, IHS calls this a “necessary expense” for larger commercial buildings.
Smaller commercial buildings, meanwhile, can experience similar energy savings by using smart thermostats to curb energy use and better monitor energy efficiency. The smart thermostats have little to no installation costs and are automatically updated with the latest firmware and algorithms. Energy efficiency increases over time with the smart thermostat’s learning ability.
Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI): A Leader in HVAC Efficiency
Crockett Facilities Services, Inc., an award-winning mechanical contractor servicing Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC, can help your commercial Class A office building save costs and energy with our HVAC preventive maintenance services. As a preventive maintenance customer, you will receive priority service when emergencies arise, ensuring your tenants are comfortable and issues are resolved quickly.
Request a Quote for Annual HVAC Preventive Maintenance Plan
To learn more about how Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. can assist your and Building Automation efforts, please contact CFSI at 202.600.2787 or sales@crockett-facilities.com.
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