Source: Washington Business Journal
Ever enter an office building with a heavy door that feels stuck? So stuck, in fact, that it needs two hands and upper body strength to open? Did you know the reason the door is stuck, is likely due to an issue with the building’s HVAC?
As an energy engineer, I work with clients to create a cohesive relationship between sustainability and energy efficiency, and connect customer’s sustainable business goals with energy initiatives they might not have known they had.
One of the ways I do that is by understanding the pain points in buildings.
In this particular case of the stuck door, the problem is building pressure. Preforming an airside balance will not only fix the doors but it will allow enough outdoor air to reach the currently starving VAV boxes, making the building more comfortable and lowering the energy bill due to equipment running at peak performance.
Building owners should look at their building holistically to maximize energy savings. I recommend starting with the following steps to improve energy efficiency.
Put your equipment on a schedule. If your building is running all the time, you will see an immediate payback once a schedule is implemented.
Install occupancy sensors on the lights in the building. Most of your tenants are not turning lights off.Use LED lights over previous generation lights.
Encourage a “turn it off” program, making a point to turn off or unplug anything with an energy demand, like desktop computers.
Invest in low-flow fixtures for the bathroom’s toilets and sinks.
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