Heating up an empty building

Just like fans cool people and not rooms, the same principle applies to heating your facilities. No one’s going to complain they are too hot or too cold if they aren’t in the building, so the heat should only be operational when people are in the building. Use the energy management tools mentioned above to see how long it takes to heat up a building. That way, you’ll know exactly what time to turn on the heat so it’s nice and warm as people start coming in.

Not thinking about the heat churned out by equipment

Depending on your facility, running machines and equipment may help you warm the building. As you’re deciding on the ideal temperature setting, think about how much heat machines and equipment put out and if it’s enough to help your HVAC system.

Look into whether it would be a good idea to position HVLS fans above heat-emitting equipment and machines. As long as they don’t interfere with the machine’s performance, you can have fans spread some of that heat around to save on overall energy costs.

Neglecting to involve employees and staff

If the people working in your facility have access to the thermostat, they may be tempted to adjust it to suit their comfort levels. Be sure employees and staff understand not to adjust the temperature or consider restricting access to the thermostat. Otherwise, you may think the changes you are making aren’t doing much good because your energy bills are still the same.

Not using temperature setpoints

Going back to the mild temperatures of fall and spring, take them into consideration if you have temperature setpoints. For instance, you may have a specific temperature of, say, 70 degrees in the winter and 75 degrees in the summer. What about spring and fall when the temperatures aren't as high or low?

Using the same setting for fall as you do in winter is likely to bump up your energy costs more than necessary. Use energy management tools combined with your knowledge of your area’s climate to determine the ideal facility temperature when it’s neither too hot nor too cold outside.

Review the above tips to see which would save the most energy and money in your facility. Just a few minor changes may result in lower costs for facility operations.

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