Keeping your facility’s energy waste down will save a lot of money.
There are four problem areas that saving energy through bettering your facility’s operations can quickly correct. Most operations/maintenance related energy waste is a direct result of issues with equipment scheduling, sensor error, simultaneous heating and cooling, and outside air usage. In this week’s blog, we’ll explore these wasteful areas and how Crockett Facilities Services will increase your facilities’ energy efficiency.
Too Much Heating and Cooling
With most HVAC systems, the same air gets heated and cooled simultaneously, or hot and cold air streams are combined in order to yield warm air. Central heating and air conditioning usually use the latter reheating system which involves the zoning of a building’s central fan supply. This zoning process involves modulating the air to satisfy the cooling or reheating load. This reheating process is the big energy waster. Simultaneous heating and cooling will also rack up your operational costs. When your central a/c delivers more cooling than necessary, your reheating system must temper the air before it released. If your HVAC systems are constantly working against one another in this way, this will increase the wear and tear on heating coils, hot-water pumps, chilled-water pumps, boilers, chillers, and auxiliaries. Luckily, incorporating strategies to optimize the temperature of the air that has already been released in order to reduce reheating can be implemented. This will keep your facilities’ energy efficiency high.
Outside Air
Excessive outside air leaking into your HVAC system will cause increased heating and cooling. Your central heating and air conditioning will have to work much harder to constantly stabilize air temperature with the more new air is introduced. This is an extremely wasteful and expensive process. Luckily, low-cost and fast-payback HVAC options exist to keep outdoor air from needing to constantly be reheated or cooled. Scrutinizing setpoints and scheduling on the part of the facilities’ management or hiring an integrated facilities services, operations, and maintenance HVAC services contractor to assess the wasteful problem will be the best solution to this problem.
Equipment Scheduling
Running your facility’s equipment 24/7 is a huge, huge energy waster. If a piece of equipment is not needed for daily functioning, it should be scheduled to shut down during unnecessary hours. Take the time to walk through your building during unoccupied hours. Which systems are running when they need not be? This is quite simple to identify and saving energy will save you tons of money. Additionally, if you have a cleaning crew that comes in after hours, scheduling their services during hours of operation could is key. Cleaning crews need lighting to complete their jobs. This is especially true if they’re operating at night. Using their services during the day will use less lighting, and keep that wasted energy from nighttime use in your pockets.
Sensor Errors
Sensor errors, the dysfunctioning of your equipment’ scheduled operation times, cause increased heating, cooling, and operations which will waste some serious energy. If your HVAC system’s command settings are faulty, they will run when unnecessary. You don’t want your occupants uncomfortable! They rely on you to provide a pleasant work environment. Actively calibrating your facilities’ equipment, and central heating/air conditioning will keep these wasteful anomalies from continuing. Replacing and maintaining sensors should be done routinely for maximized equipment performance and increased energy efficiency.
Call Crockett For HVAC Energy Efficiency Solutions
If you feel your facility energy waste is through the roof give us a call today! This is where Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI) can help. We service all types of HVAC equipment, including packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs), air handling units (AHUs), rooftop units (RTUs), chillers, boilers, heat pumps and mission-critical computer room air conditioners (CRACs).
Over the years, we have fine-tuned and customized our preventive maintenance practices to ensure the best performance possible, extending the life of your HVAC equipment.
To learn more about HVAC solutions or upgrades, please contact us at 202.600.2787 or sales@crockett-facilities.com. Our PM contract customers receive priority service with 24/7 emergency service in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.