It’s not uncommon to want to design, renovate, or build a new building so that it is as energy efficient as possible.

But optimizing your building (or home) requires looking at the entire facility, taking into account all the variables that will impact how energy is used in the space.

Energy Efficiency & Energy Investments

It’s not exactly a simple task to design a building that’ as energy efficient as possible, but it’s definitely something you can implement based on what makes sense for your business.

So what are all the components that should be considered? It requires looking at and evaluating the following:

• How occupants will use the space and when
• Site conditions
• Climate conditions of the area
• Water heating
• Airflow and desired airflow throughout the space
• Building restrictions or standards that need to be met
• Appliances and electronic usage
• Insulation and air sealing
• Any solar heating or cooling
• Lighting
• Windows, doors, etc.
• Space heating and cooling
• Landscaping

All in all, so much goes into how much energy your building uses. Your roof, foundation, walls, insulation, windows, energy systems (meaning your actual heating, cooling, hot water), and floor area are all parts of the big picture. As made clear here, there’s a great deal of factors and conditions that impact your building and can shape the potential savings from an upgrade, renovation, or simply a new build.

With that in mind, here we examine 5 ways you can design your facility for maximum energy efficiency:

Insulate your windows and doors

One of the biggest improvements you can see can come from improved or better insulation in your building. If you think of a building that isn’t airtight in the right places, you can see how money is going out the door. You want an insulation strategy that controls window and door energy loss through the right materials but also take into consideration both size and orientation.

Check how often you heat water

One of the biggest surprises building owners face is how much water heating ends up costing them. Work with a designer or builder to make sure you have energy efficient hot water technology. As far as your occupants go, you can educate them on minimizing hot water use besides when it is required.

Evaluate your framing

When it’s a fit for your facility, advanced house or building framing is one way you can save. Also called optimum value engineering, this kind of framing is able to reduce the amount of lumber that is used and it can improve energy efficiency in wood-framed facilities.

Maintain your energy-efficient HVAC system

So you chose a highly-efficient heating and cooling system. If you want maximum efficiency, you want your system to be as efficient as possible on a day to day basis, simply put. That means you don’t want to neglect regular maintenance on your system, throughout the year.

Remember that commercial/industrial HVAC systems usually require more frequent maintenance than residential, so twice a year might not be often enough for your maintenance checks and tune-ups.

Check the building envelope

Super-sealing your building envelope will not only go a long way, but the impact of it will be evident immediately.

Commercial HVAC Install & Service: Call Your Local, Top-Rated HVAC Team

Cost-effective, energy efficient buildings take effort and coordination between parties, but the ROI is clear.

We’re here for you whether you’re looking to do an energy audit or install, repair, service, or maintain your heating and cooling system. If you’re looking to take on a project that can help you with energy efficiency, call us 24/hours a day at 859-491-4915 or contact us here.