Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC systems) account for 39% of the energy used in commercial buildings in the United States. Consequently, almost any business has the potential to realize significant savings by improving its control of HVAC operations and improving the efficiency of the system it uses.
Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning account for 39% of the energy used in commercial buildings in the United States.
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The use of high performance HVAC equipment can result in considerable energy, emissions,
and cost savings (10%–40%). Whole building design coupled with an "extended comfort zone" can
produce much greater savings (40%–70%).
Extended comfort includes employing concepts such as
providing warmer, but drier air using desiccant dehumidification in summer, or
cooler air with warmer windows and warmer walls in winter. In addition, high-performance
HVAC can provide increased user thermal comfort, and contribute to improved indoor environmental q
uality (IEQ).
Typically, a 30% reduction in annual energy costs can be achieved with a simple payback period of about three to five years. And, if the payback threshold is extended to seven years, the savings can be about 40%.