Technology Tuesday: Economizers

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and are ready and eager to jump in and save some money.  A great way to kick off the new year is to talk about how to save money and energy with equipment you probably already have: 

Economizers! 

Install them, save tons of money, and forget about it, right? 

WRONG! 

An important thing I learned in energy management training is that economizers are generally only found in one of two states of operation: 

  1. Broken 

  1. About to break 

Most HVAC units live on the roof where they are subjected to all weather conditions.  I, personally, have never seen a protective shelter built for an HVAC unit, so it’s safe to assume they take a beating throughout the seasons.  If the unit as a whole takes a beating, then the economizer also takes a beating. 

Economizers are a crucial part of your HVAC system’s ability to function efficienty.  Although, rooftop units can very easily be out-of-sight and out-of-mind, you can realize a tremendous amount of energy savings by just making it a policy for your maintenance team to check them periodically to ensure they are working properly.  Alternatively, enrolling in a utility HVAC service optimization program or contracting with a local HVAC contractor can also help manage this issue.  The energy savings will go a long way. 

PG&E Commercial HVAC Optimization Program 
https://www.pge.com/pge_global/common/pdfs/save-energy-money/facility-improvements/hvac-optimization/fs_HVAC_QM.pdf 

SCE HVAC Optimization Program 
https://www.sceonlineapp.com/upstreamHVAC/HVACOptimization.aspx  

 

Let METU start saving money for you! 

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