Technical Insights December 15, 2019
Keep It Chill
Ensure all elements of a building’s energy ecosystem work in harmony to achieve the right temperature.
Each person produces approximately 120 watts of heat. Factor in heat generated by computers and lighting, plus sunlight entering through windows, and it’s easy to see how zones in a building can become overly warm. To improve comfort, turning up the AC and, ultimately, getting a bigger chiller may seem like ideal solutions. But what if a better solution existed – one that’s also more cost-efficient?
Looking at a building’s energy systems as a whole can reveal a variety of opportunities to improve efficiency. Heating, cooling and ventilation work in tandem to control temperature and humidity. If these systems operate out of balance – or inadvertently counteract each other – comfort drops and energy costs rise.
Whole-system balancing measures can include:
- Installing low-wattage bulbs and high-performance windows to reduce the amount of heat inside in the building
- Adjusting controls to optimize space temperature control vs. heating and cooling setpoints
- Recovering wasted heat to be recycled within the building
- Surveying for leaking/seized heating valves
- Adding zone controls to increase performance according to the conditions of each zone
By ensuring that all elements of a building energy system work in harmony, you can achieve the right temperature in a space in the most efficient way. And you can achieve these outcomes without simply turning up the AC, or replacing expensive equipment with an oversized model before the end of its useful life.
