With gas and oil prices on the rise, we know it is a priority for you, and essential to your business, to be keeping tabs on ways to save on heating and cooling bills. Heating and cooling larger commercial spaces can be pricy, but there are ways to keep your business’ energy costs down. At National, our goal is to help you in whatever way possible to make quality temperature control as affordable for both you and your business.
Tips for New Commercial Buildings
If you are building a new space, there are several points to keep in mind:
- Many of our commercial clients choose to invest in HVLS (high volume, low speed) fans. HVLS fans push large volumes of air from the ceiling, down to the floor where the air moves horizontally until reaching a wall, which then projects airflow sideways and upward. While the fans do not actually change the temperature, they do help with evaporating moisture which makes the conditions feel cooler. These fans are best for large commercial spaces such as warehouses, distribution centers, hangars and barns. HVLS fans are low maintenance and are a good way to boost efficiency.
- When purchasing a new HVAC system, it is important to look for maximum efficiency. Efficiency plays a significant role in how much energy you use. Check a unit’s SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating in a cooling system – the higher the SEER rating, the better. Look at AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) and HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) for heating units. As with SEER ratings, for both AFUE and HSPF, the higher the number, the better.
- Insulate the building properly and be sure to build with well-sealed windows and doors. Properly insulating buildings is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy bills and investing storm windows can reduce heat loss through windows by 25-50%.
- Choose a space surrounded by foliage or plant trees nearby. Foliage can come in handy to prevent radiant heat in the warmer months. This is a very environmentally-friendly and aesthetic tactic way to keep energy costs low.
Tips for Existing Commercial Buildings
If you are using an already established space, there are still many ways you can save:
- Change your air filters regularly. Benefits include a cleaner workspace and cleaner air and your HVAC system will run more efficiently which saves you money. To learn more about filters and indoor air quality click here.
- Seal any cracks in the foundation, around windows, near doors, and potentially even in ducts.
- Switch your lightbulbs with more efficient ones. Inefficient lightbulbs produce more heat and use more energy on their own. Therefore, this change is beneficial in both the summer and winter months.
- For businesses using large equipment that gives off a large amount of heat, a way to avoid spending more money cooling the space is to run the large equipment primarily when customers and employees aren’t present and set the thermostat to 76 during working hours. We know this is not possible for every business, but you can keep the space a little warmer and save quite a large sum of money using this technique when people are not present.
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Have further questions regarding saving money on commercial heating and cooling bills?
Contact the National Refrigeration team and we’ll find your solution.
Whether you need 24-7 emergency service or advice on improving your everyday air quality and comfort—at home and at work—call us at 401-737-2000 or email us.
