HVAC – ENERGY CONSUMPTION

HVAC CONSUMPTION

According to the US Department of Energy, HVAC energy consumption costs make up anywhere from 35% to 50% of a building’s total energy expenses (depending on type of business). Couple that with more than 50% of all commercial floor space is conditioned by Light Commercial HVAC systems, and businesses have a major problem with HVAC and energy costs.

Light Commercial HVAC

Light Commercial HVAC systems are far less expensive than large systems, but unfortunately they cost business owners a small fortune in energy expenses. Without proper airflow measurement and control, these systems generally do not run as efficiently as they are designed to run. They are designed to bring in a specific amount of outdoor air as required by building codes. However, if these systems do not have the proper equipment (and most do not) to accurately bring in the proper amount of Outdoor Air, there is no way to verify they are.

WIND CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCE AN HVAC SYSTEM

Most Light Commercial units do not have devices in place to compensate for things like wind pressure, hysteresis, damper binding and actuator slippage on the OA intake. Wind can significantly influence the amount of fresh air entering the building and cause too much OA into a space. In turn, energy costs could sky-rocket since the system would not be operating at the desired efficiency levels while conditioning far too much OA.

DAMPERS BINDING CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ISSUES

Hysteresis is the inability of an object to return to the same position. When the dampers modulate in accordance with the climate conditions or predetermined schedules, they are unable to reset back in the same place. So, it is conceivable that there could be a lot more OA entering the unit than you realize, causing the system to work harder to condition the air and increase energy costs.

Dampers could bind or actuators could slip as well, and there would be no way to know unless you had someone go on the roof everyday (obviously not a realistic solution). Just like with hysteresis, this issue could cause serious issues to energy consumption and expense.

All of these factors could lead to serious over-ventilating, which would lead to drastic energy expenses.

The good news is GreenTrol Automation has an affordable solution. By installing one of our Outdoor Air Controllers, you can compensate for all of these issues. With our precision Thermal Dispersion airflow sensors and integrated controls, we can control the amount of Outdoor Air and help your light commercial HVAC system provide Indoor Air Quality for your occupant well-being.

Contact Us Today! 1-877-446-8765