3 reasons to rethink how your facility manages air conditioning

September 4, 2015

Air conditioning is a uniquely American luxury. In fact, many residents in countries across Europe detest the very idea of air conditioning, finding the American tendency to keep entire commercial buildings at a cool temperature to be both wasteful and uncomfortable. Regardless of one's personal feelings regarding interior temperature, HVAC systems like air conditioning can contribute considerably to a facility's total operating budget. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, up to 40 percent of electricity consumed by commercial buildings is used to power HVAC systems.

There are more than a few reasons for commercial facilities and multi-building campuses to change their approach to cooling. Doing so can have significant positive impacts on employee productivity, the environment and long-term energy costs. That's why it makes sense for organizations to examine their current cooling solutions and determine if a more cost-effective strategy for running the AC is readily available.

1. Overcooling may be increasing employee discomfort
Employees who are uncomfortable at work are always less productive, and a recent study published in the journal Nature Climate Change showed evidence that overcooling in the workplace is causing disproportionate discomfort to female workers.  According to the research, AC temperature guidelines for facilities across the country were originally developed around the metabolic rates of men. Specifically, temperatures are set according to the baseline figures for a 40-year-old man of 154 pounds.

While there may have been a time when such a profile represented the average office worker, these days, the population of office employees is split almost evenly between men and women. As a result, women in the workplace often find the office to be excessively chilly. Women typically have an overall slower metabolic rate than men, meaning that they require less cooling throughout the day to operate at a comfortable temperature. By raising temperatures in the office and finding an appropriate sweet spot between male and female preferences, facilities can make a considerable dent into their cooling bills. In addition, this means employees who once felt distracted at work by the cold will find their working environment more comfortable and productive.

2. Daytime cooling contributes to peak-time emissions
Unfortunately, America's love of air conditioning is in direct conflict with the desire to save the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency noted that cooling systems are known to release problematic hydrofluorocarbons into the atmosphere. However, the true emission dangers associated with air conditioners actually manifest several miles from the the facility being cooled. That's because peak demand for electricity naturally occurs during the hottest parts of the day - that period is also when air conditioners are being operated at full blast to cool off building interiors.

The simultaneous spikes in demand that occur when entire communities turn up the AC put extra pressure on the power grid, enough that utilities are forced to operate peaker plants. These part-time power plants are only activated when the grid is overwhelmed with requests for electricity, but peaker plants are known for generating twice as many emissions during operation than baseload plants. If commercial facilities were able to reduce their use of air conditioning, they could also help to limit the nation's dependence on dirty peaking plants.

3. Off-peak consumption translates to lower energy costs
In addition to causing an uptick in emissions, peak demand also influences electricity prices. Consumers will find that their rates are considerably higher during the peak demand periods than after sundown, when electricity is at its cheapest. Technology like CALMAC's IceBank thermal energy storage tanks is designed to help facilities avoid peak demand, allowing them instead to make ice overnight and use that ice to supplement the facility's air conditioners. Given the vast difference between peak and off-peak energy rates, facilities stand to save up to 40 percent of their cooling bills by curtailing their AC usage in this way.