How to Reduce Energy Consumption in a Commercial Building
Monitor your building's energy use for maximum efficiency., Maintain your building's steam trap system as needed., Optimize your Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system., Check the controls of all of the operating systems in your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Monitor your building's energy use for maximum efficiency.
This means checking and updating your building's commercial energy consumption on a regular basis in order to ensure you are not wasting energy or using excessive energy.
Keep these things in mind when assessing your commercial building energy use:
Adjusting your building's operational timing can make a big difference in your energy bill.
For example, it is not necessary that you heat or cool your building to levels that are optimal to employee comfort during non-business hours.
Therefore, you may want to reset your thermostat to save on electricity during off hours.
The energy efficient design measures that were incorporated into your building when it was first built may need updating.
You may utilize occupancy sensors that will turn off unnecessary systems in unoccupied areas. -
Step 2: Maintain your building's steam trap system as needed.
Many large commercial buildings use steam boilers for heat and have a network of hundreds of steam traps that are used to control the condensate.
It is not unusual for a number of these stream traps to malfunction after a certain age, which means they are constantly releasing steam, causing the boiler to go into overtime and driving up the cost of your commercial energy consumption. , Your HVAC system can account for up to 20 percent of your commercial building energy bill.
Therefore, it is important that your building's boilers and/or chillers are checked regularly by a professional and maintained for optimal performance. , Outdated technology, improper programming and malfunctioning control indicators could all contribute to providing an inaccurate account of how efficiently your building's operational equipment is running.
You may need to replace, reprogram or upgrade your equipment controls to ensure your building's operational equipment is running most efficiently. , Replacing old windows with energy efficient models, using new lighting fixtures and employing modern construction techniques to upgrade your building's efficiency can greatly reduce energy consumption. , This applies to chillers, boilers, water handlers and air distributors. , Have an energy consultant or specialist do a thorough assessment of your building's energy efficiency and make suggestions for how you may reduce energy consumption. -
Step 3: Optimize your Heating
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Step 4: Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system.
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Step 5: Check the controls of all of the operating systems in your commercial building.
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Step 6: Update your fixtures with the most advanced technology.
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Step 7: Install high efficiency equipment to replace dated units.
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Step 8: Audit your building regularly.
Detailed Guide
This means checking and updating your building's commercial energy consumption on a regular basis in order to ensure you are not wasting energy or using excessive energy.
Keep these things in mind when assessing your commercial building energy use:
Adjusting your building's operational timing can make a big difference in your energy bill.
For example, it is not necessary that you heat or cool your building to levels that are optimal to employee comfort during non-business hours.
Therefore, you may want to reset your thermostat to save on electricity during off hours.
The energy efficient design measures that were incorporated into your building when it was first built may need updating.
You may utilize occupancy sensors that will turn off unnecessary systems in unoccupied areas.
Many large commercial buildings use steam boilers for heat and have a network of hundreds of steam traps that are used to control the condensate.
It is not unusual for a number of these stream traps to malfunction after a certain age, which means they are constantly releasing steam, causing the boiler to go into overtime and driving up the cost of your commercial energy consumption. , Your HVAC system can account for up to 20 percent of your commercial building energy bill.
Therefore, it is important that your building's boilers and/or chillers are checked regularly by a professional and maintained for optimal performance. , Outdated technology, improper programming and malfunctioning control indicators could all contribute to providing an inaccurate account of how efficiently your building's operational equipment is running.
You may need to replace, reprogram or upgrade your equipment controls to ensure your building's operational equipment is running most efficiently. , Replacing old windows with energy efficient models, using new lighting fixtures and employing modern construction techniques to upgrade your building's efficiency can greatly reduce energy consumption. , This applies to chillers, boilers, water handlers and air distributors. , Have an energy consultant or specialist do a thorough assessment of your building's energy efficiency and make suggestions for how you may reduce energy consumption.
About the Author
Michael Ryan
Committed to making home improvement accessible and understandable for everyone.
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