Energy efficiency advice & tips
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) - Enhanced Control Strategies
Enhanced building control strategies increase the capability of an existing energy
management system to better manage the energy use in buildings and the comfort of
building occupants. This can be achieved through the installation of control/monitoring
technologies or simply reprogramming or fine tuning existing equipment control systems.
- Building controls
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These can generally be used to reduce energy use by:
- Time of day scheduling
- Resetting space and supply temperatures
- Minimising infiltration rates
- Shutting off unnecessary equipment
Installing programmable thermostats can save 30–80% of annual HVAC energy use.
Many enhanced control strategies for HVAC systems can be implemented to some degree
with existing electric, pneumatic and digital control systems.
Upgrading control hardware and/or software to accommodate advanced control capabilities
can provide additional benefits.
Linking the various sensors and controllers through a digital system is necessary
to achieve the higher level of operating control needed to
effectively manage and optimise energy use and minimize energy costs.
Ask yourself the following questions regarding your buildings:
- Is heating or air conditioning occurring in the building when it is not in use?
- Is the HVAC system optimising the mix of inside/outside air?
- Is it possible to respond to comfort complaints quickly and efficiently?
- Can lighting and HVAC levels be adjusted from a central location?
- Does the system automatically vary supply air temperatures in response to actual
heating and cooling loads?
- Is full advantage being taken of the capabilities of the energy management system
beyond just using it as an expensive time clock?
- Space heating
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Space heating consumes a major proportion of the thermal energy used by many commercial
premises. Total energy use in typical office buildings is 200–580kWh/m2.
Typical energy use in offices for heating and hot water provision is:
- 100kWh/m2/year of treated floor area for small offices
- 240kWh/m2/year of treated floor area for large air-conditioned offices
Good practice benchmarks for heating energy consumption range from 100 to 350kWh/m2/year
depending on office type. Therefore there is significant potential for reducing
the amount of energy used for space heating in buildings.
The main way of achieving energy savings is to optimise control of the space heating
system by:
- Improving individual controls
- Installing a computerised building energy management system (BEMS)
Savings are possible with virtually all space heating systems in industrial and
commercial buildings. A number of areas associated with space heating can also yield
electricity savings.
- Install building energy management system (BEMS)
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Space heating can consume a large proportion of the energy in many industrial and
commercial buildings. A Building Energy Management System (BEMS) optimises energy
consumption of both thermal and electrical energy.
Energy savings from installing a BEMS are site-specific but significant.
If installed on a well-controlled building, energy savings from installing a BEMS
could be 10%. If installed on a poorly controlled building, savings could be up
to 40%.
- Ensure thermostats are set to the desired temperature
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For every 1°C of extra heat your heating bill could increase by 7%. 16°C is acceptable
for warehouses and 20°C for offices.
- Fit thermostatic radiator valves
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If your radiators are full on without any form of regulation, you could be overheating
a room and increasing your heating bill.
- Have boilers professionally serviced
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Maintaining your boiler could save you up to 25% on your annual heating bills.
- Fit insulation material behind radiators on outside walls
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This could save you around £10 per radiator in a year, ensure radiators are unobstructed
and you are not using portable heaters to make up for insufficient heat.
- Ensure adequate insulation on all hot water pipes
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Insulate all hot water pipes, flanges and valves to prevent heat loss and cut down
on your hot water bills is a cost effective measure.
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