What It Is
HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) efficiency reduces the amount of energy you need to control temperature and air flow in a space. Methods for improving HVAC efficiency include
- Using or reducing natural light
- Repairing air leaks
- Installing a programmable thermostat
- Replacing old HVAC equipment
Why It Matters
“Mechanical air conditioning accounts for the largest percentage of energy use in both residential and commercial buildings. Not only that, building codes are becoming more stringent, and there is a greater need to improve the indoor air quality for better worker performance.”[1]
HVAC efficiency helps you use less energy to control temperature in a space, which cuts down on your utility bill. HVAC efficiency also controls humidity levels, which helps reduce bacteria and mold growth and improve air quality.[2]
Getting Started
The following tips can help you start improving your business’s HVAC efficiency
- Change you air filter regularly
- Tune up your HVAC equipment every year
- Use natural lighting and shade to control temperature
- Repair air leaks with caulk, caulking cord, weather stripping, or expanding foam[3]
Change your air filter regularly
Check your filter once a month to make sure it’s clean. “A dirty filter [slows] down airflow, [which makes] the system work harder.” Furthermore, the dust and debris from a dirty filter can build up in the system, causing it to break down. The ENERGY STAR Program recommends changing your filter at least every three months.[4]
Tune up your HVAC equipment every year
“Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort.”[5] For more information, check out these links from ENERGY STAR:
Maintain Your Equipment: A Checklist
Finding the Right Contractor: 10 Tips
Use natural lighting to control temperature
For controlling temperature in a space, south- and north-facing windows are best. They let in natural light while “producing little glare and almost no unwanted summer heat.” South-facing windows are also particularly good for natural lighting and heating in the wintertime.[6]
Make sure to shade east- and west-facing windows because they often
- Cause glare
- Admit a lot of heat during the summer
- Contribute little to solar heating during the winter[7]
Check out the How To Guide Article, Energy Efficient Lighting, for more information on natural lighting and other energy-efficient light sources.
Repair air leaks
Cracks around doors and windows let cool air escape in the summer and warm air escape in the winter, raising your utility bill.
You can easily detect some air leaks because you will feel a draft coming from the window or door. However, smaller leaks are harder to find. Energy Savers suggests using the following steps to detect smaller leaks:
1. Shut all windows and doors
2. Turn on all exhaust fans to depressurize the space
3. Light an incense stick and pass it around the edges of common leak sites. (If the smoke is sucked out or blown into the room, there’s a draft.)[8]
An energy audit (i.e., assessment) can also help you identify air leaks, as well as other energy inefficiencies. For example, a professional energy auditor can conduct a blower door test, using a powerful fan to depressurize your space so that he/she can better detect leaks. In many cases, federal and local governments will help fund energy audits, making the process more affordable. So be sure to check Grants.gov and your local government website.
For more tips on detecting air leaks, visit the Energy Savers website. You can also watch this video from HowCast to see how to fix leaks yourself.
Going Further
To go further, install the following products:
- A programmable thermostat
- Motion or occupancy sensors
- Double-pane windows
- ENERGY STAR equipment
Install a programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat turns the HVAC system on or off at scheduled times. This ensures that the system is on when needed and off when not. “Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs.”[9]
Install motion or occupancy sensors
Motion and occupancy sensors heat or cool the office only when people are using the space. The sensors switch the HVAC system off when the space is empty, reducing the electricity bill.
Install double-pane windows
Installing double-pane windows can reduce air leaks because they better prevent air from escaping or entering the space. Check out GreenYour.com to learn how to buy and install double-pane windows.
Replace old equipment with ENERGY STAR equipment
If you need to update or replace your HVAC system, shop for new, energy-efficient equipment from ENERGY STAR. “Replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with ENERGY STAR qualified equipment can cut” $200 from your energy bill. This list of indicators can help you figure out if you need to replace your system. However, when in doubt, have a professional HVAC contractor evaluate your system.
Also, make sure that your new equipment is installed correctly, as improper installation wastes energy and money.
Case Study
The “stale smell” and “lack of fresh air” inside the Kings Pharmacy in Brooklyn, New York annoyed both its owners and customers. “To improve comfort and indoor air quality, as well as lower the utility bills, [the owners]“
- Installed two new economizers on the existing units
- Cleaned the evaporator coils
- Replaced the system?s filters and belts
- Installed two programmable thermostats[10]
These changes save them over $2,000 a year. For more information on this case, click here.
Resources for More Information
Videos:
- How to Fix Air Leaks in Your Home by HowCast
- Quick Fix: Caulking Cord by EnergyCircleTV shows you how to repair air leaks with caulking cord
Links:
- ASHRAE offers HVAC-related publications and training courses to paying members
- Energy Saving Tips: Heating and Air Conditioning by The Small Business Administration
- A Guide To Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling by ENERGY STAR
- Purchase ENERGY STAR Certified HVAC products here
- When Is It Time To Replace Your HVAC Equipment? by ENERGY STAR
- Whirlpool gives more information on SEER and AFUE ratings on its website
Podcasts:
- Green Plus teamed up with the Center for Sustainable Tourism at Eastern Carolina University on this podcast on HVAC Systems
Conclusion
Improving the efficiency of your HVAC system saves energy and money while making the workplace more comfortable for employees and customers. Simple steps, such as changing your air filter, can increase HVAC efficiency. More advanced steps, such as installing occupancy sensors and ENERGY STAR equipment, can result in even bigger savings.
[1] Quote retrieved from “Tips for Energy Efficiency” on the US Small Business Administration website, http://www.sba.gov/content/tips-energy-efficiency
[2] Information retrieved from “Tips for Energy Efficiency” on the US Small Business Administration website, http://www.sba.gov/content/tips-energy-efficiency
[3] List retrieved from “Heat and Cool Efficiently” on the ENERGY STAR website, http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac
[4] Information for this paragraph retrieved from “Heat and Cool Efficiently” on the ENERGY STAR website, http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac
[5] Quote retrieved from “Heat and Cool Efficiently” on the ENERGY STAR website, http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac
[6] Information and quote retrieved from “Daylighting” on the Energy Savers website, http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/lighting_daylighting/index.cfm/mytopic=12290
[7] List retrieved from “Daylighting” on the Energy Savers website, http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/lighting_daylighting/index.cfm/mytopic=12290
[8] Steps retrieved from “Detecting Air Leaks” on the Energy Savers website, http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11250
[9] Quote retrieved from “Heat and Cool Efficiently” on the ENERGY STAR website, http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac
[10] Quote and list retrieved from “Kings Pharmacy” on Nyserda.org, http://www.nyserda.org/programs/hvac/casestudies/Kings_Pharmacy.pdf
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