{"id":17781,"date":"2022-01-28T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-28T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blacmcstaging.wpengine.com\/best-practices-for-making-your-hvac-systems-more-efficient-and-less-costly\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T09:53:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T13:53:58","slug":"best-practices-for-making-your-hvac-systems-more-efficient-and-less-costly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackandmcdonald.com\/us\/best-practices-for-making-your-hvac-systems-more-efficient-and-less-costly\/","title":{"rendered":"Best practices for making your HVAC systems more efficient\u2014and less costly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Best practices for making your HVAC systems more efficient\u2014and less costly<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the heating season in full swing, it\u2019s a great time for facilities to address their HVAC needs and do something about rising energy bills, inefficiency, and temperature-specific concerns. With advancements in building automation systems, facility managers have an opportunity to capitalize on the digital age with rapid data collection and transmission. Software such as Energy Monitoring Control Systems (EMCS) or Fault Detection Diagnostics (FDD) can now easily gather input from equipment controls over boilers, chillers and variable speed drives, along with overall building automation systems. With all this centralized awareness and control, the energy usage of HVAC systems can, and should, be optimized by facility teams that prioritize proper function and efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though few companies take a proactive approach to optimizing their HVAC systems, proper care and maintenance can cut your HVAC costs, extend equipment life, improve comfort and maximize uptime. Facility operators can use the following best practices to confirm the system is operating at peak efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diagnose<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding exactly how well your HVAC is functioning is essential to getting the most out of your building system. Start with obtaining informed measurements; use your EMCS and FDD to provide you with key insights into where electrical usage is occurring, and when demand reaches its peak. Consider sub-metering your HVAC systems if you currently have only a single utility meter point. These can capture timely and accurate data points, and provide alerts when components malfunction or burnout. Facility teams can then verify their systems are operating well across multiple building zones, and identify intervention opportunities to save energy and costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, be sure to track the performance of the system overall and determine if there are any unusual fluctuations or deviances. It is vital to benchmark the facility\u2019s energy usage and costs in relation to previous years\u2019 performances, as well as comparable buildings, to determine an operational baseline for potential improvement. Over time, occupancy usage of spaces and schedules can change within a facility, causing certain system set-points, such as HVAC, to drift \u2013 and ultimately leading to increased energy consumption and cost. Completing this diagnostic process should allow you to identify how efficiently your system is operating, and provide the foundation for realistic and achievable strategies for saving energy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify causes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have identified the level of HVAC efficiency for your facility through accurate data and intelligent benchmarking, it is time to determine potential causes for your system\u2019s sub-optimal energy performance. Bear in mind that these causes may vary widely from building to building. While many causes can quickly be determined through the EMCS and FDD software, some may require the help of experts to identify. Common causes of HVAC inefficiency include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n