Optimize Heating & Cooling Systems

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Affordability

Optimizing your heating and cooling could be the easiest, most cost-effective way to significantly reduce your energy bills.

Cost savings

Cut your business energy bill by up to 10% or more by properly adjusting and monitoring heating and cooling set points.

What you need to know

• In winter, begin heating the building once occupants arrive and complete the warm-up during the first hour of occupancy. Similarly, set back the temperature for the last hour of occupancy.
• During summer (cooling season), cool your building to no lower than 24°C when occupied. Avoid mechanical cooling when the building is unoccupied, unless necessary for morning pre-cooling.
• Keep the outdoor air damper closed during the morning warm-up in winter and fully open during the summer cooling season.
• Where applicable, install adjustable speed drives on fans, chilled water pumps and heating pumps. Adjustable speed drives allow equipment to operate at low and varying levels to match the actual varying loads.
• Maximize the use of outdoor air for space cooling using existing system capabilities – use the ‘fan only’ option on the air conditioning, for example. And during the summer cooling season, flush the building during the night with cooler outdoor air.
• If your budget allows, consider converting constant air volume systems to variable air volume systems.
• Consider converting dual duct systems to single duct systems.
• Take advantage of HVAC controls to provide energy savings while improving comfort.
• Eliminate or minimize simultaneous heating and cooling by adjusting supply air temperatures to meet highest reheat demand.

FAQ

Should we change our company’s dress code to accommodate higher temperatures in summer?
Review your organization’s dress code to ensure it allows employees to dress appropriately for warmer summer weather in the office. Mandating suits and ties during hot weather adds to your costs, as more cooling is required to maintain comfort. Consider implementing business casual for the entire summer instead.