How to Improve HVAC Energy Efficiency

Improving the energy efficiency of HVAC Systems in businesses is imperative to reducing energy costs and increasing the sustainability of their operations. This is especially the case with the rising gas and electricity prices which are making it harder to use your HVAC system without running up an eye-watering bill every month.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can increase the energy efficiency of your HVAC system and provide useful tips and tricks that can help you save on energy costs for your business.

Why do HVAC systems use so much energy?

It’s no secret that HVAC systems use a lot of energy, the University of Reading claims that HVAC & R (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) account for 60% of the energy consumption of buildings in the UK. Another study claims that on average commercial and office buildings in the UK spend around 40% of energy usage on their HVAC systems.

This is because of the amount of energy required to run the compressor and motor, which is really demanding, especially if the set temperature changes frequently or there are drastic changes in the weather.

There are also quite a few factors which influence the performance of your HVAC system and therefore its energy consumption. One of the most important of these factors is the age of the HVAC system, older models or outdated parts tend to be less efficient and become even worse over time due to extensive years of service.

If you have a failing compressor then this could be heavily contributing to a high energy bill caused by your HVAC system. This is because it has to work harder to achieve the set temperature.

These factors are why it’s important to upgrade your HVAC system if it’s getting too old and make sure you are doing regular maintenance that ensures your HVAC system is running an optimum efficiency level.

Tips for increasing the Energy Efficiency of your HVAC System

In order to help you improve the energy efficiency of your HVAC system, we’ve outlined some top tips and key considerations that can help to keep your energy bill down and make sure your HVAC system is operating at its optimum capacity.

• Regular cleaning and maintenance of your HVAC System – although you should make sure this is done regardless of the energy efficiency of your HVAC system, it is beneficial for saving on your energy bills as it can help to identify issues that you were not aware of. As mentioned earlier, a failing compressor can be detrimental but it’s equally important to make sure that the air filters and coils are clean, the refrigerant is topped up or the thermostat is working properly.
• Make sure your HVAC system is the right size for your building – this is an often overlooked consideration as the assumption is that the HVAC system was correctly chosen for the building. Sometimes the HVAC system is too small and has to overcompensate with constant heating and cooling, and this can significantly decrease the energy efficiency. Think about how well insulated the building is and its overall energy performance because this can impact how your HVAC system works.
• Is it time for an upgrade? – sometimes HVAC systems simply perform poorly and use large amounts of energy because they are too old. The older your HVAC system is, the less energy efficient it will be so if you haven’t upgraded in the last 10 – 15 years then it might be time to a get a newer model.
• The importance of your Thermostat controls – smart thermostat controls can help to considerably improve the energy efficiency of your HVAC System. They are also more effective at maintaining a comfortable environment than constantly adjusting your HVAC system controls. Smart thermostat controls can even be used to reduce HVAC usage when the building is empty, saving you from spending unnecessary money.

How to reduce reliance on your HVAC system

Now that we’ve addressed how you can go about improving the performance of your HVAC system to improve its energy efficiency, we will outline how you can reduce dependence on your HVAC system year round. These tactics should help you to save more on your energy bills if the performance level of your HVAC system isn’t the issue.

• Turn it off when you don’t need it – although this might seem obvious, a lot of businesses leave their HVAC system running overnight and this is unnecessary as there is no one in the building. You also don’t need it on if the outside temperature is comfortable so on days when the weather is nice, it’s a good idea to just turn it off and open some windows to maintain ventilation.
• Invest in a dehumidifier – lower humidity levels can reduce the amount of work that your HVAC system does and can also improve it’s performance.
• Consider the energy performance rating of the building and increase insulation or the sealing of doors and windows.

How MFM can help you optimise and maintain your business’s HVAC system

As one of the leading contractors the South West, you can rely on us to provide expert Air Conditioning and HVAC maintenance and Commercial Heating maintenance services that will help improve the performance of your heating and cooling systems while increasing your overall energy efficiency.

Our client base includes offices, manufacturing sites, health centres & hospitals, laboratories, schools & universities, government buildings, shopping centres, retail stores and leisure centres so you can trust us to tackle any type of maintenance for HVAC systems of all sizes.

Get in touch today to find out how we can help you optimise your business’s HVAC system and make sure it is operating at peak performance.