How To Reduce Your HVAC Energy Costs: 7 Tips From A HVAC Guru

HVAC costs are one of the most expensive maintenance expenditures for a business, so it’s common to try to find ways to cut costs while keeping staff and customers comfortable.

Here are 7 tips from a national HVAC company to reduce your HVAC energy costs.

#1 Adjust The Thermostat

This may seem obvious, but adjusting the temperature is one of the easiest ways to save on energy costs. Adjusting the thermostat just 1 degree (higher in the summer, and lower in the winter) can save you 3% annually on energy costs. Additionally, the Department of Energy & Environment recommends programmable thermostats that automatically adjust the temperature when your business is closed. You can save up to 10% on energy costs per year by adjusting the thermostat 7-10 degrees for 8 hours per day.

#2 Upgrade Your pieces of equipment

The reality is that older HVAC equipment is less efficient and requires more energy to operate. Today’s energy-efficient commercial HVAC systems can reduce your energy costs. Newer ENERGY STAR-rated commercial HVAC equipment is 6% more efficient than standard equipment and can save you $2,000 or more on energy costs over the lifetime of the product.

#3 Control the Sunlight

Upgrading to energy-efficient windows is the best way to control sunlight coming into your building, but if that isn’t in the budget, manual or automatic commercial shades or blinds can help lessen the load on your HVAC system. Create a schedule that changes with the seasons to control the amount of sunlight coming into your building to reduce energy costs.

#4 Schedule your Maintenance Regularly

A well-maintained HVAC system is a more efficient system! From basic maintenance like changing the air filters to cleaning your ductwork, and having seasonal maintenance completed by a national HVAC company, when your HVAC is in tip-top shape it rewards you with lower energy costs.

On that same note, when you practice proactive maintenance versus reactive maintenance, your technician can find and repair minor issues before they become costly repairs, or worse, lead to system failure and replacement. So while it may seem counterintuitive, sometimes you have to spend money to save money!

#5 Inspect the Ductwork

Leaking ductwork is the equivalent of opening a window and throwing money out. All that lost air that doesn’t make it into your building means your HVAC has to work overtime to reach the desired temperature. Has your ductwork been inspected as part of your seasonal maintenance appointment with a national HVAC company? Leaks, gaps, holes, and loose-fitting connections are easy to fix and will start saving you money on energy costs immediately.

#6 Weatherize your Buildings

You can have the most efficient HVAC possible, but if you have drafty doors and windows, single pane glass, or a dated roof, you’re losing money every day. While it can be expensive to fully weatherize large and aging buildings, working these upgrades into your capital budget in the coming years can help your HVAC work less.

Some weatherization strategies include:

• Upgrading to energy-efficient windows and doors
• Sealing leaks
• Installing new insulation
• Installing a moisture control barrier
• Upgrading roof to thermoplastic polyolefin or similar to improve energy efficiency
• Installing smart thermostats

#7 Get Innovate

Like our new IoT HVAC sensors that allow you to reap the financial benefits of practicing reactive maintenance without the worry that something will go horribly wrong, today’s innovative technologies are changing the way many businesses operate their HVAC systems.

Some innovative ways to reduce energy consumption include:

• Reduce “demand charges” on your energy bill by creating a strategic schedule for running your HVAC that avoids peak times.
• Install a demand control ventilation system that monitors CO2 levels and reduces the intake of outside air when the building is not at max capacity.
• Consider new technology, like thermal energy storage (TES), which cools your building using ice!
• Use variable frequency drives (VFDs) to control the speed of your HVAC blower fans, compressors, and pumps to help it better meet demand and run more efficiently.

Whether you need to schedule regular HVAC maintenance, or you want to learn more about innovative energy-savings technologies, our network of vetted national HVAC companies standing by ready to serve. Forget the hassle of calling a bunch of companies and sitting through consultations and quotes. We do the heavy lifting for you.

This article was originally published at Trillium facility solution.