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One: Practice proactive, rather than reactive, maintenance.
Two: Conduct regular energy audits.
The US Department of Energy has determined that proactively-maintained equipment and facilities consume up to 20 % less energy. Proactive maintenance entails regular inspections along a prioritized maintenance schedule to identify equipment degradation before failure.
Newly-affordable tools, like thermal imagers, enable technicians to easily and efficiently survey equipment, reducing reactive maintenance which can cost 3 to 5 times more in terms of labor, equipment replacement and downtime.
Conducting an energy audit to map and monitor energy consumption patterns will identify additional energy saving opportunities, as well as help prioritize equipment for maintenance. Start by targeting the most common energy culprits: Inefficient equipment and lighting; then, move on to HVAC balancing and the building envelope.
When evaluating your equipment, HVAC and otherwise, consider these points. Have you installed newer-model, high-efficiency equipment where possible? Inefficient chillers often use up to 30 percent more energy than required. Neglected boilers and AC units also become less efficient over time. Have your circuits and systems been thermally scanned? Have you replaced old lighting fixtures with new, high-efficiency lighting or linear fluorescent systems?
Next, map the activity of your HVAC system. When is it cycling on? Does that match occupant and equipment needs? Are the filters regularly changed? Is the system balanced, or is the air being over or under conditioned unnecessarily?
You can also survey the building envelope. Start with a thermal imager and scan potential areas of heat or cooling loss, air leakage and moisture intrusion.
Check for heat loss around ducts, where insulation has settled or been improperly installed.
Then look for air leakage around windows, doors or other areas that penetrate the building envelope. Scan walls, ceilings and floors for signs of potential moisture intrusion. Last but not least the periodic inspection of flat or low-sloped roofs is also advised.
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