How to Minimize Energy Waste and Improve Energy Efficiency
According to studies, HVAC systems in commercial buildings account for more than 40% of total energy use. When these systems do not operate properly, they become a major contributor to energy waste. In fact, HVAC equipment can lose as much as 5% of its overall efficiency each year it goes without maintenance. So the quest for energy efficiency begins and ends with proper HVAC maintenance. But where do you start?
The biggest challenge for building owners and property managers is identifying which systems require immediate attention and which systems can wait. Most commercial facilities are filled with more HVAC equipment than you can count. You need a plan of attack.
It All Starts with HVAC Preventive Maintenance
Any effort to curb energy waste and promote energy efficiency should begin with HVAC preventive maintenance. A dirty condenser coil alone can increase building energy consumption by 30%. So it is important to stay up-to-date with your facility’s annual HVAC maintenance. Remember, it is better (and cheaper) to be proactive than reactive. Deferred maintenance is never the answer. Not only will regular, preventive maintenance help improve equipment efficiency, but it will also minimize costly breakdowns and subsequent downtime, and extend equipment life.
Preventive maintenance is the only way to ensure HVAC efficiency.
An HVAC System Audit Will Help Identify Problem Areas Causing Energy Waste
Just because your HVAC system seems to be working properly does not mean it is running efficiently. Even with annual preventive maintenance, some HVAC systems will still waste energy, but why? To assess the energy efficiency of your HVAC equipment, you will need to conduct an HVAC audit. This component-by-component, system-by-system evaluation of your HVAC equipment will provide you with a plan to make your system as efficient as possible.
Common issues uncovered during an HVAC audit include:
- Equipment not installed properly
- Modifications have altered equipment efficiency
- Changes within a facility can impact its equipment
- Equipment age eventually catches up with it
- And more
An HVAC audit can help business owners and property managers identify elements that are unreliable, underperforming, obsolete, inefficient, or broken.
Retrocommissioning or Recomissioning Can Combat Energy Waste
Retrocommissioning or recommissioning resolves problems that occurred during design or construction and addresses problems that have developed throughout the building’s lifetime due to operational and occupancy changes. In layman’s terms, recommissioning can bring a system’s operation back to the way it was originally intended. This process is also one of the more cost-effective ways to reduce energy usage.
Recommissioning is often done at the onset of operational problems, or after a change in building ownership or purpose.
Trust Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI)
The MSCA GreenSTAR qualified service technicians at CFSI evaluate HVAC and mechanical equipment in commercial buildings to optimize performance and reduce energy consumption. Our key focus is helping building owners, property managers and facility professionals lower their operating expenses and energy consumption through proactive and preventive HVAC maintenance.
Contact us today for a service quote for your commercial heating and cooling systems.
Throughout our 13-year history, CFSI has serviced prestigious government facilities and commercial office buildings, implementing innovative operations and maintenance practices to lower operating expenses and ensure consistent and efficient performance.
To learn more about curbing Energy Waste, please contact CFSI at 202.600.2787 or sales@crockett-facilities.com. In addition to mobile HVAC and preventive maintenance services, we also offer on-site engineering services.
Like us on Facebook; follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+.
Sources: