Hardworking HVACs for Hardworking Businesses

Having an efficiently functioning HVAC system can go a long way in delivering a comfortable environment in businesses and municipal buildings. From providing better air quality by filtering dust and pollution to helping maintain ideal temperatures and humidity control, HVAC systems work hard to provide a myriad of functions.

So, it is no surprise that with time they tire out and their performance suffers. However, the signs that your HVAC system is underperforming may not be immediately noticeable. Even as energy bills creep up (HVAC consumption often makes up 50% of your total energy bill!), people don’t always associate this with an aged or faulty HVAC system. Some red flags include: difficulty maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature, poor air quality with increased levels of humidity, and an increased amount of dust.

At Verde we know all the ins and outs of HVAC systems and how to save you money – from what you can do to make your current equipment more efficient to how to go about upgrading it.  While some of our customers go toward very advanced systems like heat pumps and VRF systems, most of our customers save a ton of money with simple upgrades and improvements.

Ways to Reduce Your HVAC Energy Costs:

1.) Smart or Programmable Thermostats 

You can improve the efficiency of your current HVAC equipment by installing a smart or programmable thermostat. Unlike traditional thermostats, smart and programmable ones tailor temperature levels to your needs throughout the day, rather than simply maintaining a single set temperature point.

For example, you can program your heating system to warm up the house for when you get home, versus keeping a slightly cooler temperature when you are at work.   In larger businesses this can translate to having various heating and cooling zones. Overall, this eases the strain on your HVAC system as it doesn’t have to work as hard.   Less strain on the system means fewer maintenance costs over time.

2. Consider Economizing

Installing an HVAC economizer for your existing unit can provide significant energy savings. Economizers reduce the need for your HVAC system to artificially cool air by taking advantage of cold outdoor air. Assuming that the outside air is cooler than inside and the correct humidity, the economizer will switch off the air conditioning system and being to draw in the air from outside.   Should the outside temperatures change and no longer be efficient for cooling purposes, the economizer will close its dampers and switch the air conditioning compressors back on.

Economizers are often required additions to newly installed HVAC units, but they can also be easily retrofitted with minimal mechanical work for older systems.

Another economizer tool we use is the simple CO2 sensor.  By adding one of these into your system, you can save thousands of dollars by avoiding bringing in too much outside air when your building is vacant.  We love the Pelican thermostat system, which we can often retrofit to a relatively new system for very low cost, yet savings thousands of dollars.  How do we do this – the savings come with a big rebate from your utility.  And we love the visibility that the Pelican system provides to our commercial customers – allowing them to see all kinds of system information that they never knew they could get access to like temperature in the ductwork, how open is the economizer, and more.

3.  Tune-up Your HVAC System

It may seem obvious, but it is just as important to tune-up your commercial heating and cooling system as it is at home.  And these systems are even more expensive, and yet they are often overlooked.  Changing filters and cleaning the outdoor coils on equipment helps them work more efficiently – but also reduces the risk of equipment failing due to neglect.

We are often able to do a completely no cost tuneup for our commercial clients once every three years – and while we do this, we provide a free tool to get ages, photos, and other information about equipment at various locations.  For folks that have multiple buildings, this information can be invaluable.

4. Treat Yourself: Trade up

Replacing your HVAC system may not sound like a cost-saving strategy, but the up-front spend is outweighed by long-term savings. If your system is at least 10 years old, you should get a performance assessment from one of our professional HVAC technicians to determine just how much your dated system may be costing you.

New HVAC units are much more energy efficient than their ancestors – consuming 30% less energy while providing better performance. Because they consume less fuel, they cost less to operate which translates to tangible savings from the moment they are installed.   Their improved technology includes better air flow, for consistent temperature and humidity throughout your property, sound absorbent materials for quiet operation, and compatibility with the latest technologies from smart thermostats to solar power.

With utility incentives available for HE (High Efficiency) units, replacement can often be less expensive than standard efficiency unit replacements.  While they cost more money and take longer to make – proactive planning can help us get rebates that make the decision a no-brainer.

5. Recovering Energy Instead of Wasting it

Most ventilation systems are simple – they bring in outside air and heat or cool it to blend it with your air.  Air escapes out of your buildings through exhaust fans, windows, doors and cracks.

Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) are a way to save the energy from flowing out your doors and windows.  In fact, the ERVs we install from Ventacity recover up to 93% of the energy normally wasted – a staggering amount in the modern era for commercial buildings.  ERVs can be placed where a traditional rooftop unit is placed, or added newly to a space where previously poorly ventilated.

Energy Recovery Ventilators can bring a significant more fresh air into a space than before, while saving energy. Better air quality is better for learning and working, it helps decrease the spread of germs, and often can mitigate moisture buildup that can damage buildings and equipment.

ERVs are among our favorite energy savings tools – and yet are rarely used in commercial spaces.  Rebates and incentives from utility programs are increasingly including these equipment in their standards, making them more affordable than ever.

6.  Heat Pumps for Commercial Buildings

Most of our heating in Illinois uses fossil fuels, like natural gas, to heat our buildings.  While it is cheap and easy to get in our buildings, it always contributes to global warming.  Heat pumps are 350% more efficient than natural gas furnaces and boilers, and use electricity. Did you know that 70% of our grid in Illinois comes from nuclear power, wind and solar – making our electricity 70% fossil fuel free?  If you add 350% more efficient plus 70% fossil fuel free you get – SUSTAINABLE.

Heat pumps have a variety of forms, including geothermal, large CO2 heat pumps to replace boilers, and Variable Refrigerant Flow systems for maximum control and savings.  Curious to learn more – let us dig in together.  Verde has been one of the first companies to retrofit commercial buildings to heat pumps, and incentives and rebates continue to develop to cover more and more of the cost as the industry matures.