sustaining& cost savings

After 40 years in HVAC contracting, most large scale savings can commence with the original design of an airconditioning or ventilation system.

The only thing I can add is be very careful what you recommend I am familiar with a recent problem Caterpillar has after instituting a cost savings program. It was so bad that they could not ship units for quite a while while trying to correct severe problems from long time vendors. You can only squeese the vendor so much.

More information please, are you working in design, application, or procurement?

My experience in HVAC has had me trying to make existing systems more efficient, whether commercial or residential, and have made some progress. But as Philip mentioned, the original design and installation is paramount. I am developing small systems for my industry, (acoustics/studio building, etc.) and have had to retrofit commercial systems on a regular basis. A few key points.

1. the correct initial size is important for the cubic ft. of space.

2. The proper insulation of ALL ducting.

3. The proper insulation of the ducting AAAAND the physical space is paramount. It makes no difference to me if you have a great hvac system and you pump cold air into a badly insulated room or house. It's like pumping cold air into thin air !

4. The proper circulation of air through environment.

5. In multi zone applications, you must be able to monitor (digital thermostat system) all zones properly in order to cool and circulate the air throughout them. Part of this is achieving the right amount of cold air production, distributing it and recirculating air as needed. I had a system in SOHO NYC that was crestron controlled (crestron is a bit overated) and we achieved a balance by putting temp sensors where applicable and through monitoring them, opened and closed vents in different areas, and used the fans instead of cooling all the time to balance efficiency.

I hope this helps, I must run, will check on thread later, Just remember that it is true, the initial planning and installation will help you a great deal in terms of efficiency. I constantly run into problems such as poorly placed vents, with no regard to basic physics. Hot air rises, cold air falls to the ground. Recirculating instead of just pumping cold air in everywhere is extremely helpful, and the wrong choice in terms of the right unit, (10 ton, etc.) has been a problem for me, and leaky uninsulated ducting is ubiquitous in every install I have ever seen. thanks, csoul...