 when defining thermal comfort conditions: metabolic rate, clothing insulation, air temperature, radiant temperature, air speed, and humidity. These factors are considered in defining a range of operative temperatures that provide acceptable thermal conditions.
ASHRAE 62 “Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality” defines the role that ventilation plays in the control of contaminants in the air. The standard specifies minimum ventilation rates and IAQ that would be acceptable to building occupants. Largely applicable to the design of new buildings, the standard is also intended for use as a guidance document to improve IAQ in existing buildings. A key consideration in the latest version of the standard (62.1-2004) is outdoor air quality, which is no longer ignored or assumed to be acceptable. These two standards actually suggest thresholds for all of the key parameters mentioned above. That makes ASHRAE a good source for optimizing HVAC systems to promote occupant comfort and, surprisingly, to manage energy costs.
How to Balance Your System
Once you know your thresholds, here are some tips for optimizing your HVAC system.
Proper Airflow—Conduct duct traverses to measure air pressure, velocity and flow. If pressure is too high and/or airflow too low, it could mean your system is working too hard to push too little air through. It’s probably time to replace dirty coils, fans and filters, which have probably been adding mold to the system, too.
Check Ventilation—Many buildings are either over-ventilated—needlessly spending energy on blowers—or under-ventilated, particularly airtight buildings built during the 1970s with underpowered ventilation systems. Under-ventilation leads to bad IAQ in a hurry. Use ASHRAE guidelines to get your balance just right.
Add Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)—The EPA recommends demand-based variable air volume systems, using VFDs to more efficiently regulate HVAC motors, pumps and so forth. That’s money up front for the installation but significant long-term savings in energy costs.
Temperature, Humidity and CO2—Regularly check indoor temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels, and compare them to the ASHRAE thresholds. Think of them as indicators, or hallmarks on your overall system health. If they’re in line, it’s likely that your system is well balanced and your tenants are happy.
In the end, HVAC energy costs are dictated by how often your equipment is working and how hard it has to work. Optimizing airflow stops equipment from overworking, while proactive pressure monitoring increases equipment lifespan. Controlling moisture (humidity) and contaminant infiltration in the building envelope promotes good indoor air quality, increasing productivity and reducing material and product damage.
And as Mike has found, “When I’ve got a big HVAC system and a lot of tenants, getting the balance right and checking it regularly can really help.”