No business exists in a vacuum and constant change is just part of the excitement and challenge of running a commercial enterprise. Markets go up and down, competition makes moves and countermoves, and new products and services must constantly be explored.
But, at the end of the day, every business needs to focus on maintaining its bottom line.
If your balance sheet and P&L statement show red for any significant length of time, real problems can develop — and no matter how flexible and comfortable with change you are, that’s an adjustment that won’t be easy.
For the owners and facility managers running commercial buildings, the same principles apply: just like any other business, the facility’s bottom line has to be monitored and kept in the black or the building isn’t going to be able to function for long. Investing in a routine commercial HVAC service and maintenance plan for your Charlotte, NC facility can help you do so. Here are some reasons why that’s the case:
Energy efficiency improves
Accounting for more than 40 percent of the energy being used in the United States at any given time, commercial buildings are prime candidates for improvements in energy efficiency. Since the HVAC system accounts for about 44 percent of that energy usage, ensuring a more efficient HVAC system can obviously have a tremendous impact on the total amount of energy — and money — you’re spending every day. So, anything you can do to keep the HVAC system as energy efficient as possible can mean lower utility costs all year.
We’ve had numerous clients report back to us with impressive reductions in energy costs following a needed cleaning or tune-up. These significant savings can turn a balance sheet inside out. It’s important to note that the larger the building is, the higher the return we expect to achieve.
Avoids costly emergency repairs
If you own a vehicle, you can easily relate to the maintenance/repair debate.
Common sense and empirical evidence both say it’s smarter and less expensive in the long run to maintain a vehicle as directed by the manufacturer. Still, it’s far more common for drivers to neglect the car until something goes wrong, then bring it in for repairs.
The trouble is, this strategy leads to obvious problems:
For one thing, it’s frustrating and inconvenient to experience a breakdown. It could even be dangerous if whatever needs fixing is integral to controlling the vehicle and its breakage results in an accident. Finally, relying on emergency repairs will usually cost more than maintenance in the long run because when one part goes bad over time, it’s rare for it to have no adverse effect on any other parts while it’s declining.
Thinking similarly about the commercial HVAC system in your building, the same three principles apply. However, your HVAC system costs a lot more than your car, so the potential costs of emergency repair are much higher. Learn more about our planned equipment maintenance services.
When a commercial HVAC system stops functioning, it can be inconvenient, frustrating, and even dangerous if the weather and other circumstances are particularly bad. The downtime that goes along with a complete system outage can mean thousands or even millions of dollars in lost productivity and opportunities. Some specialty buildings (like data centers) can even sustain damage to expensive equipment or supplies if the HVAC goes out.
Looking at it that way, the fairly low cost of a commercial HVAC service plan pales in comparison to the potentially higher cost of dealing with emergency repairs rather than adopting a planned maintenance program.
Worker productivity is enhanced
While the figures are not quite as easy to pin down, common sense and anecdotal evidence both tell us that enhanced worker productivity can be traced back to maintaining a healthy and comfortable work environment — the key goal of every HVAC system. When employees aren’t comfortable — due to temperature extremes, poor air quality, or any other similar factor — they’re not going to give all of their energy and attention to the job.
Even small changes in the normal workplace comfort level can have an impact on productivity and job satisfaction, according to a study correlating employee productivity and the conditions in their environment.
The study concludes, “It is clear that the facilities management profession can have a significant impact in creating high performance workplaces by placing greater emphasis on office environment comfort systems and their respective control systems.”
So, as the owner or facility manager of a commercial building who always needs to monitor the bottom line, choosing a routine commercial HVAC maintenance program can have a long-ranging positive impact on ROI.
If you’d like to discuss what options are available for your building, contact our Charlotte HVAC company today and we’ll schedule a visit to assess the situation and recommend solutions. Want to learn more? Find out how to avoid common HVAC repair scenarios.
