To stay afloat financially, your commercial building should aim to earn more money than it spends. It’s just that simple. So, if you’re wasting money on issues that could be easily resolved, you could be holding your business back.
Many commercial building owners are amazed when they realize how much money they’re wasting every month due to relatively simple HVAC issues that go unresolved. If you’re looking for ways to control operating expenses and stretch every dollar a little further, here are three issues you can partner with a professional Charlotte commercial HVAC company to fix:
Issue #1: Ignoring a planned maintenance program
Every valuable piece of equipment you own requires some level of routine maintenance to keep it operating at its best and to make sure it lasts as long as it should. Similarly, your building’s HVAC system requires a number of routine maintenance tasks performed regularly to optimize performance and maximize the system’s lifespan. If proper maintenance is neglected, or if it’s handled poorly, it can affect how well the system runs and how energy efficient it is, both of which affect cost.
An HVAC system that is not energy efficient demands higher utility bills. And, like a car long overdue for an oil change, poorly maintained system components will break or wear out before they should, resulting in higher repair costs and more frequent replacements.
The simplest and best way to eliminate this issue is to set up a planned maintenance program to ensure your system is always running at its best and being protected.
Issue #2: Following poor advice regarding HVAC equipment
Our technicians make a pretty common discovery when doing an initial inspection of a new client’s facility: some or all of the HVAC system installed in the building is a poor choice for the size, layout, or use of the building. Sometimes it comes down to budgeting, or the building may have undergone a lot of changes since the system was first installed. But, unfortunately, it’s more often because the owner relied on a service provider that either didn’t know or didn’t care what was best for the client.
The bottom line is the same whether the equipment is too big or too small for its task. A system that’s too small will struggle to heat or cool the building, likely using far more energy during its shorter lifespan. One that’s too big is also going to run inefficiently, cycling off and on more often and using more energy than a smaller system would.
If you’re considering replacing your commercial HVAC system, you need to rely on the professional opinions of HVAC technicians you trust. As long as you’re still using the existing system, you’ll also want trusted professionals to evaluate it and offer options for retrofitting or replacement.
Issue #3: Outdated or low-quality control systems
If the terms “smart sensors” and “building automation” are unfamiliar to you, you’re probably spending more than you should on your building’s heating and cooling energy.
Many modern commercial buildings are designed with “smart” sensors and digitally-based control systems that connect to powerful building monitoring, automation, and analytics platforms. The more automated your commercial HVAC system is, the more energy efficient it is.
Of course, it doesn’t make fiscal sense to have this level of technology retrofitted into every building, and even if you don’t currently have a system for building automation and analytics, the controls you do have need to be accurately calibrated and functioning properly or you’ll be facing both inefficiencies and constant tenant complaints.
Once again, having a trusted HVAC service provider inspect and test the existing control system is the best way to go about resolving this issue. They can help you consider any recommended adjustments or upgrades to improve your ability to monitor, analyze, and automate the system. There are often relatively small and inexpensive control improvements that can result in noticeably lower operating costs.
That was just three simple, costly issues you could be facing with your HVAC system. We encourage commercial facility managers and building owners in the greater Charlotte area who want to save money to request a full operational assessment so we can help you determine exactly where energy is being wasted and what it will take to fix the situation. Then, you can start making strategic improvements and seeing results.
