In order for a business to implement energy efficient HVAC systems, its buildings must be open to the enhancement of their current mechanical and electrical components.
Installing a more efficient HVAC system will mean a significant reduction in power consumption, which is hugely important as buildings consume more than 40% of the total power consumption in many countries.
The first step is to analyse how the current heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) is working in order to find ways to improve a site’s energy efficiency.
HVAC accounts for a large chunk of what an organisation spends on energy, and even small adjustments can greatly improve the working environment and make a big difference in how much money is spent.
Heating and hot water makes up around 60% of total energy use, so by ensuring that the system in place is efficient the potential savings can be substantial.
While it may seem obvious, there are three key ways to help lower heating costs:
1. Lose a degree or two – Lowering the temperature by just 1°C can potentially reduce an annual heating bill by up to 8%.
2. Replace inefficient boilers – It is important to recognise that when it comes to replacing boilers that they meet the latest building regulations for minimum efficiency standards. In many cases installing a higher efficiency boiler can mean better savings from a more energy efficient HVAC system.
3. Install de-stratification fans – In commercial or industrial properties that have warm air heaters and high ceilings, de-stratification fans can help energy use fall by 20% by directing warm air at the ground where it’s needed.
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Air conditioning units use a huge amount of energy and can increase a building’s energy consumption and its associated carbon emissions by up to 100%. However it is still used by many organisations to counteract the heat generated by computers.
Simple ways to achieve energy efficient HVAC through air conditioning include:
- Temperature control – Air conditioning shouldn’t operate below 24°C. To ensure this is a comfortable temperature, make sure heating and cooling systems aren’t competing with each other.
- Variable speed drives – Producing more cooling than necessary is a big waste of money and energy, which is where variable speed drives come in. They can vary the output of the air conditioning system to meet individuals’ needs over the course of the day and will save money on energy costs in the process.
- Free cooling coils – As the UK has a fairly mild climate, free cooling coils work well and can lead to big savings. When it’s cool outside, they utilise the cold outside air and use it as a way of cooling for air conditioning systems. This is a good way to save money as less energy is required to create cooling for the air conditioning units.