Colleges/Universities and K-12 school buildings serve a multitude of purposes that include auditoriums, gymnasiums, cafeterias, lab spaces, and offices in addition to traditional classrooms. Designing the correct energy management strategy for these multi-purpose buildings can result in a positive impact to a school’s operating budget.

Effective energy management strategies can include Building Automation programming/sequence of operations improvements in combination with Automated Demand Response and Automated Electrical Demand Management initiatives.

Here are 5 Building Automation programming/sequence of operations improvements to incorporate into your energy management strategy:

1. Motion Based Control of HVAC equipment is a great way to reduce energy consumption when rooms are not occupied. Incorporating motion-based control sensors ensures empty classrooms and spaces are not unnecessarily heated/cooled, resulting in cost savings.
2. ASHRAE Guideline 36 compliant HVAC control sequences can be implemented in schools to reduce energy consumption, cost, and system downtime. ASHRAE Guideline 36 was created to develop and maintain best-in-class standardized HVAC control sequences, adapting standard sequences already proven to perform. Automated Logic has been utilizing Guideline 36 principles for the past 20 years and has been at the forefront of driving this standard.
3. Implement Optimal Start Strategy – Properly scheduling the heating/cooling of spaces yields major benefits: Reducing equipment run time and lengthening equipment lifetime. An optimal start strategy takes into account the actual conditions inside the building and the outside conditions to determine the shortest amount of time required to get the building at the right temperature by the occupied time.  Rather than arbitrarily starting at a set time, the controllers decide when it is best to actually start based on real-time data.
4. Demand Control Ventilation is an outside air ventilation control strategy based on interior CO2 levels. Building Automation systems can improve indoor air quality by optimizing the amount of fresh air that is brought into the building, matching outdoor air ventilation to occupant needs and meeting COVID-related indoor air quality standards for public health.
5. Optimize Heating /Hot Water Temperature Reset and Chilled Water Reset – Hot Water Reset can utilize feedback from building spaces, along with outdoor temperature conditions. Chilled Water Reset can utilize feedback from building spaces, outdoor enthalpy conditions, and other strategies to reduce chiller “lift”.

One last reminder as schools start preparing for summer break!  Students may be out for summer, but your HVAC/BAS is not. Remember that HVAC controls also regulate interior humidity levels.  Turning off HVAC or setting high temperatures can result in mold issues, which end up being costly to remove and repair. Contact us through the form below if you would like recommendations on best practices for summer HVAC controls.