In a recent survey conducted by SWR Worldwide, more than 70 percent of California’s facility managers said the energy shortage has significantly hurt their companies, and nearly half don’t know how their companies will address the problem.
The survey was commissioned by Trane—the nation’s largest provider of commercial and industrial air conditioning systems, energy management, and building controls.
Other findings include:
- Two-thirds of the managers expect unplanned blackouts in the next twelve months.
- Two-thirds of businesses have placed restrictions on only their use of lighting, while few have looked at other means to improve energy efficiency.
- Almost half of the respondents either don’t have a strategy to address the impact of the energy shortage or don’t know if their company has a plan.
- Forty-four percent of the respondents said they were interested in getting assistance to help lower costs.
- Companies are unclear what steps they can take to conserve energy.
Trane suggests five steps FMs can take to conserve energy:
- Review building control systems. Check to see if the system uses outside air for cooling, night setbacks, and start-and-stop settings.
- Perform preventive maintenance. Simple tasks like replacing filters, cleaning condensers for the rooftop systems, and cleaning tubes for chilled water systems can have a significant impact on efficiency.
- Conduct a building tune up. A building’s performance can change as it gets older, so it’s important to periodically check components (air conditioning, lighting, elevator operation, etc.) and make adjustments as needed.
- Explore system upgrades. Consider investing in more comprehensive solutions that can provide quick paybacks such as adding free cooling/heating recovery, variable frequency drives, and thermal energy storage.
- Consider alternative fuel options. Use gas cooling and cogeneration (using more than one energy source) to provide more energy options.
For more information, contact Trane.
