Using Building Controls to Optimize Energy Efficiency
Upgrading building controls is usually one of the highest return investments that our clients make. The success of these improvements is linked to the fact that they don’t require the capital-intensive replacement of equipment. Instead, controls are used to optimize the operation of existing equipment. Many times the control system does not even need to be upgraded: a simple a tune-up, reprogramming, and some staff training can suffice.
There are two key reasons underlying this opportunity: loss of the energy-saving functionality on the existing controls, and availability of new bolt-on technology that can further optimize equipment operation.
First, it is common to find buildings that are no longer controlled in accordance with their original design intent. This can be true even in buildings less than a year old. We often find that scheduling routines, variable setpoints, and equipment start/stop routines have been disabled. While this ‘set it and forget it’ approach can avoid some trouble calls, it also increases operating expenses by 20-30% on average. That creates a big opportunity for energy and savings.
Second, new technology is available to optimize HVAC equipment. Variable speed drives can modulate pumps and fans to match loads which change with time of day and year. Carbon dioxide sensors can be used to match outdoor air rates to actual building occupancy, rather than always providing ventilation adequate for the worst time of the year. Reset controls can match the temperature of chilled and hot water to weather severity. For those features which are not new but were value-engineered out of your last retrofit, increases in market share have afforded price reductions on elements such as variable speed drives, occupancy sensors, and flow measuring stations.
Contact us to learn more about the benefits of improving the efficiency of your building controls.
