Commercial HVAC technology has come a long way in helping building owners and facility managers run their properties more efficiently and cut down on utility bills.
One such innovation that commercial property managers are increasingly adopting is zoning systems, which give tenants better control over the individual office spaces and allows them to tailor the heating and cooling requirements for each space as needed.
Save On Energy Costs With A Commercial HVAC Zoning System
Commercial HVAC zoning systems allow you to set individualized airflow and temperature settings for each area of your interior space, or “zone”. Zones often vary in size, ranging from an entire floor to specific rooms, offices, and workspaces in the building. How you set each zone depends on how it’s being used.
By focusing on heating and cooling only in spaces where needed, instead of keeping a whole building at the same temperature, you’ll consistently reduce your energy needs and substantially save on power costs.
How Commercial HVAC Zoning Systems Work
Each designated zone in commercial HVAC zoning systems have a programmable thermostat and individual motorized dampers. When heating and cooling settings are entered into the thermostat for a particular zone, the damper system will operate to control its airflow and temperature settings.
In most cases, HVAC zoning systems are used in spaces with many individual rooms, such as offices, meeting rooms, and lunchrooms, but they can also be used to control the airflow and temperature on an entire floor. We usually recommend placing the programmable thermostats in the most frequently used rooms so they can be set according to the needs of the people in the space.
For example, board or meeting rooms often used by teams can be set at a different temperature than rooms that aren’t used as often. Spaces that might not need consistent heating or cooling include filing rooms, storage rooms, and offices that will be unoccupied for extended periods. Server rooms, technology rooms, and storage rooms containing stock with special temperature requirements can also be programmed to receive individualized temperature settings without affecting the climate needs of the adjacent spaces.
Zoning systems can also be set to meet the heating and cooling needs of rooms containing heat-emitting office equipment such as printers or photocopiers. These rooms should be considered separate zones with their own temperature and damper settings that ensure they stay cool all year round.
You can even set temperatures based on the room’s location within the space. For example, sun-facing offices can be set differently than rooms that are shady all day, ensuring that each location’s climate needs are consistently met. Similarly, spaces with energy-saving windows, insulation, or other energy-efficient features should be zoned separately from areas without these features.
Read More: How Do Windows Affect Your Commercial HVAC System
What Other Benefits Do Commercial HVAC Zoning Systems Bring?
Aside from substantial savings on your energy bill, zoning systems’ ability to customize climate control to individual spaces will help keep your occupants happy, resulting in higher production levels, better employee retention, and happier clients and customers.
Another benefit is the system’s adaptability to a space’s changing needs. For example, the thermostat settings can easily be adjusted if an unoccupied space becomes occupied.
Read More: 6 Tips On Reducing Energy Consumption In Commercial HVAC Systems
Installing Commercial HVAC Zoning Systems
As with other aspects of your commercial HVAC system in Southern Ontario, zoning systems should only be installed by qualified, licensed technicians. Springbank Mechanical Systems has the skills and experience to perform every step of the zoning system installation process, including:
- Making accurate load calculations to determine the precise temperature control needs of your space
- Ensuring the zoning equipment is of the proper size and can provide the required capabilities
- Strategically grouping the space into individual zones based on common occupancy levels, purpose, climate control needs, and other facets of the space
- Installing efficient and reliable smart control devices that provide complete control over zone temperatures and programmable automated adjustments based on the time of day, occupancy levels, and other factors
- Installing high-quality dampers that will provide consistent, reliable airflow into the individual zones based on the thermostat’s settings
- Regular zoning system maintenance as part of your current preventative HVAC maintenance program to help the system run efficiently, prolong the life of your equipment, and maximize energy savings
Since 1990, Springbank Mechanical Systems has specialized in installing, maintaining, and servicing HVAC systems for commercial and retail properties. We provide honest, reliable service using only professional-grade products and state-of-the-art equipment, giving you powerful HVAC performance and an unparalleled customer experience.
When you’re ready to discuss integrating a zoning system into your commercial HVAC system, or if you would like to discuss our customized tech-based solutions that optimize HVAC energy savings, contact our team anytime.
Gregg Little, Paul DeThomasis, and Hugo Lopes are co-owners of Springbank Mechanical Systems. You can reach them at 905-569-8990 or via email at gregg@springbank.com, paul@springbank.com, or hugo@springbank.com.