6 Ways to Lower Business Costs Through Commercial HVAC

Business owners are always looking for ways to lower their operating costs, and one of the easiest ways to do this is by upgrading and maintaining your commercial HVAC system. Of course how much you will save and the exact route you will need to take in order to cut costs will vary from business to business, depending on what kind of commercial HVAC system you have.

Here are six ways you can save money by replacing or doing better maintenance on your HVAC system:

1. Adjust your company procedures slightly so that there is not as much strain on your HVAC system. Move lunch hour to the hottest time of the day during summer so that you can turn the air conditioner up and install programmable thermostats to adjust the temperature at these times. This will not only save money on your air conditioning bill but also save wear and tear on your HVAC system.

2. Perform regular maintenance on the heating and cooling components of your commercial HVACsystem. The condenser coils should be cleaned regularly, belts and filters should be changed, and duct leaks should be patched up. By keeping your system running smoothly, you could save up to 30 percent of the energy you spend on fans and up to 10 percent of the energy you spend on heating or cooling various spaces.

3. Cut the cost of operating the fans that push the air throughout the building by having adjustable speed drives put in. These drives adjust the motor speed of the fans so that they are only moving the amount of air that you actually need. This will save you 30 to 40 percent off of your heating and cooling costs each year.

4. Replace all units that are more than 10 years old with newer, more energy efficient models. A high efficiency commercial HVAC system can save you up to 40 percent of the energy that is spent on models that just barely meet the minimum standards for energy efficiency and possibly even more than that if you are replacing a totally outdated system that doesn't even meet the minimum standards anymore. The most efficient units have a SEER higher than 11 or 12.

5. Have an energy management system put in, especially if you aren't ready to replace a complicated old HVAC system. The energy management system will give you various options for temperatures in different zones, as well as control temperatures changes according to times when equipment will be firing up or shutting down for the day. An energy management system can save you up to 40 percent on your systems.

6. Instead of repairing pumps or fans, replace them with more efficient models that will save you money on operating costs.

For a more radical change, you might even consider putting in an evaporative cooler, which are much more energy efficient than ordinary air conditioners. If you live in an area that has very low humidity in most of the year, then your business may especially benefit from this change.

Of course there are numerous other ways you can save money by making small adjustments to your HVAC system, and as you can see, you do not even have to follow all of these tips to save a significant amount of money on your operational costs. Some of these tips require a larger investment than others, so it all depends on where your business is financially right now and whether it is time to replace some of your HVAC equipment.