Energy Facts

Moving into the twenty-first century, there is a growing need to maximize energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption. There are, however, a lot of misperceptions about the best ways to accomplish this. O’Brien Energy Solutions has put together a series of facts that will help building owners and developers achieve the best energy value for the cost, so your business can be more profitable.

Air Sealing
Air leakage, or infiltration, occurs when outside air enters a structure uncontrollably through cracks and openings. Properly sealing a building can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, create a healthier indoor environment and increase comfort level for occupants.   Insulation The cost of heating and cooling indoor air accounts for a large portion of a building’s operating expenses. All buildings experience a continual exchange of air, and some air exchange is desirable. However, minimizing the escape of warm air out of the building during winter and into the building during summer should be a priority for any building owner. Adding insulation can slow the thermal exchange of heated/cooled air.

Alternatives To Window Replacement
Property owners typically consider replacing windows an obvious energy conservation measure and are surprised when an energy analysis may not identify this renovation as a priority. While it is true that modern window technologies such as double-pane glass promise greater energy savings, the cost of quality window replacements is significant. This means other energy conservation measures may provide a much better value.

Boiler Controls & Sensors
The price of heating a building accounts for one for its largest operating expenses. Heating costs are largely managed through boiler controls. Inadequate boiler controls can cause expensive deficiencies such as ineffective heat distribution, inefficient boiler cycling, and overheating. Simple timers or aquastats frequently overheat indoor spaces, especially when heat distribution is already uneven. Water in the boiler is often set at 180-200⁰F, which is higher than necessary for comfort during most non-winter months, wasting energy and money.

Boiler Replacement & Repair
Older furnace and boiler systems have efficiencies in the range of 55%–80%, but modern conventional heating systems can achieve efficiencies as high as 97%. When deciding whether to replace the boiler, the building owner should consider energy savings along with other benefits such as decreased maintenance costs and better reliability. If a boiler no longer operates properly, is no longer safe, or can no longer adequately heat the building, it should be replaced.

Boiler Room Ventilation
The combustion process of boiler operation creates several byproducts that are potentially hazardous to human health and can cause deterioration to the building. Building owners can protect occupants from these hazards, as well as maintain energy efficiency, by ensuring that the ventilation system functions correctly and that any gas heating system is properly ventilated. In some cases, installing a sealed-combustion furnace or boiler can also help.

Insulation for DHW & Heating Pipes
Un-insulated DHW (Domestic Hot Water) and heating pipes frequently lose heat into unconditioned areas, increasing costs for the building owner. This problem is most prevalent in basements because basements are the coldest area of a building. Installing proper insulation around pipes greatly reduces heat loss and lowers energy costs.

Hot Water Heater Retrofit & Replacement
Water heating can account for 14%–25% of the energy consumed in a building. An older water heater may be lacking efficiency, resulting in an unnecessarily high utility bill. In some instances, water heaters are inappropriately sized for the demand of the building’s occupants. When a water heater is too large it wastes energy by working to heat water unnecessarily, while one that is too small fails to meet demand.

Lighting & Controls
Lighting typically contributes about 15% of a structure’s electric bill. High wattage bulbs and unnecessary lighting squander energy and money.  To more efficiently deliver light to a space, building owners should utilize lower wattage bulbs and eliminate excess fixtures. Motion and daylight sensors can also be installed to control unnecessary illumination.

Radiator Valves & Vents
In a typical building, not all spaces have the same heating requirements. Discrepancies are due to various factors including differences in distance from the boiler, exposure to sunlight and wind, and the use of internal heat sources such as appliances and light fixtures. Radiator valves and vents are designed to distribute air properly, but are often set incorrectly.  As a result, some areas may be too hot while others are not hot enough.