Like any other aspect of business, your commercial building should ultimately be taking in more money than it’s costing you, or it could be recipe for disaster. Many building owners and facility managers don’t realize how much money they’re wasting by allowing some fairly simple commercial heating and air issues to go unresolved. That’s why we wanted to provide the following list of issues to be aware of if you’re looking for ways to economize:

Insufficient scheduled maintenance

Problem: Like your car or any other piece of complex equipment, your building’s HVAC system requires a host of routine maintenance tasks to be done on a regular schedule in order to keep performing at its peak level. If maintenance isn’t being done properly, or if the system goes too long between maintenance visits, it can affect how well the system runs and how much energy it uses to do its job.

This decrease in energy efficiency can show up almost instantly in higher utility bills. And, if the system is forced to run for too long without proper maintenance, it can also end up causing components to break or wear out far earlier than they should, which also costs a lot to replace.

Solution: Set up a planned maintenance program with your HVAC service provider so you can be sure your system is always running at its best and your investment is protected.  

The wrong equipment was originally installed

Problem: In many cases, inspection by a trained professional can reveal if the HVAC system originally installed in your building was not the best choice for the size or uses required. This could be due to budgeting considerations by the original owner, reliance on a service provider that was willing to cut corners, or possibly changes over the years in how the building is used.

Regardless of the reasons behind it, a system that is too small for a given building will always struggle to adequately heat or cool the building, and will be using more energy than it should. A system that’s too big for the building can also run inefficiently, not to mention that it’s probably costing more in energy than the right size system would to accomplish the same purpose.

Solution: Have your system evaluated by a reputable commercial HVAC service provider and discuss options for retrofitting or replacement with an energy efficient system of the proper size and strength.  

Inadequate or malfunctioning controls

Problem: Today, many commercial buildings are equipped with “smart” sensors and control systems that allow facility managers to take advantage of the valuable benefits that come with building monitoring and automation, and analytics platforms. The more automated your system is, the more energy efficient it can become.

Even if “smart” equipment is outside your budget at this point, the control system should at least be accurately calibrated and functioning well to ensure that all HVAC components are turning on and off when necessary, that every available zone is set for the optimal temperature based on needs and usage, and that the system isn’t operating at full capacity when no one is occupying the building, such as overnight or on the weekends.

Solution: Have your HVAC service provider inspect and test the existing control system, and discuss any sort of adjustments or upgrades that can improve your ability to monitor, analyze, and automate the facility’s HVAC system. Even relatively small and inexpensive improvements to the control system can result in dramatically lower operating costs.

Of course, these are just a few examples of the kinds of deficiencies your HVAC system may be facing that are costing you money. The best option for commercial facility managers and building owners in Colorado, Arizona or Virginia who want to save money is to have a professional perform a full operational assessment on the current system and let you know where energy is being wasted so you can start making incremental improvements and seeing immediate results.