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Many businesses today are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve their sustainability goals. But with so many options to “green up” your facility — ranging from simple automatic lighting to innovative energy sources — it can be difficult to know where to begin.
If you’re looking for a straightforward, effective, eco-friendly solution, you might want to start with your HVAC system. Why? Because your HVAC system is responsible for as much as 30% of your facility’s overall energy usage, and the regular preventive maintenance you’re already doing can play a big role in making your facility more efficient. Read on to learn how you can improve your HVAC sustainability.
Work your HVAC units smarter, not harder!
To reduce your facility’s overall energy consumption, you’ll want to set smart parameters for when and how your HVAC system heats and cools your space. Here are some of our top tips:
One of the simplest and most effective ways to green up your facility is something you probably already do on a quarterly basis: HVAC air filter changes. While this routine preventive maintenance service might seem insignificant, it can pay big returns by reducing your energy usage and boosting your HVAC sustainability.
When your filters are clogged by dust, dirt and debris, the air pressure inside of your filter track drops and your HVAC has to work harder to pull air through the unit (also known as pressure drop). This added load on your machine can really add up; in fact, the Department of Energy estimates that a dirty filter can increase your energy usage by as much as 15%! To keep your facility operating as efficiently as possible, it’s crucial to replace your filters on a regular basis.
The materials and transportation used for your HVAC filters play a hidden role in the overall sustainability of your facility. Traditional box filters are made with cardboard on all sides, contributing tons of cardboard to your waste stream each year. Additionally, these box-shaped filters cannot be condensed during transportation, resulting in increased greenhouse gas emissions during their distribution and installation.
Our patented PleatLink® HVAC filter system is designed without cardboard, reducing your facility’s waste tremendously during each filter change. Additionally, PleatLink® filters can be collapsed during transportation, allowing our technicians to ship the equivalent of an entire case of traditional filters in just one bag. These “hidden” HVAC sustainability factors can seriously add up over the lifetime of your units, making it crucial to find a filter that supports your long-term sustainability goals.
Over time, dust, pollen, dirt and other contaminants can build up around your condenser and evaporator coils. This layer of grime can seriously impact your machine’s performance — and its energy usage.
The Department of Energy estimates, “A dirty condenser coil can increase compressor energy consumption by 30%.” To avoid this excess energy consumption, you’ll want to schedule regular coil cleaning services to keep these critical components working at maximum efficiency.
At minimum, you should clean your HVAC coils once a year. But the location of your facility will determine your ideal coil cleaning schedule based on factors like dust, sea salt and exhaust emissions.
As we all strive to do our part to protect the environment, the routine actions we take add up to create the biggest impact. That’s why optimizing your HVAC usage and preventive maintenance program is so crucial in helping your facility become more efficient overall.
By making a simple filter swap, sticking to your preventive maintenance program and optimizing your HVAC sustainability, you can feel good knowing that you’ve done your part to make this critical component of your facility more eco-friendly. For more information about how to green up your facility with preventive maintenance, contact us today.
