The downtime between peak heating season and peak air conditioning season is the perfect time to check in on the systems within your commercial property. Summer is right around the corner, meaning demand on your cooling equipment will increase rapidly. 

Get ahead of HVAC downtime and consider your facility’s “Report Card” and how everything seems to be running. With a short, half-day site walkthrough, a trusted facility partner can help evaluate your equipment and systems. Have you kept up with suggested or required maintenance? Are the energy bills slowly increasing? When was the last time equipment was inspected or replaced?

Investing just a few hours of your time now can save a lot of unneeded stress and extra time later this year if things start to break down. This is the time of year to check in on your building automation and HVAC systems and see what is passing with flying colors, and what may be at risk for failing. 

Grading Your Building Systems

When assessing your commercial facility, regular focus should be placed on your HVAC and BAS components. Here are a few key areas that should be “graded” every year to make sure everything is optimally working:

• Energy Bill: One of the most obvious indicators of your building’s performance is how your energy consumption is trending. While rate changes can affect the final bill, steady increases month after month may indicate larger system issues. Repeatedly high energy consumption could indicate miscalibrated sensors, poor economizer logic, or zone setpoints that are working against the usage of the facility. 
• Indoor Air Quality: Without proper ventilation and up-to-date HVAC systems, air quality, odor, and general building comfort can suffer. If the air feels stale and stuffy, or if the air quality within the facility has declined, a system inspection and HVAC maintenance may be in order. 
• System Security: Internal networks and data can quickly become threatened without proper security measures in place. Global events and increasingly intelligent data breach capabilities can compromise the way your facility operates and the data within, oftentimes coming in through the backdoor with something as minor as an unsecure building management system. Adding extra layers of cybersecurity and firewalls is essential to protecting your data and business from external threats. 
• Operator Training: Finally, it is important to grade your team’s training and knowledge of your internal building automation system and technology. Has turnover occurred in the last 12 months? Are team members unsure what certain notifications mean, or are you receiving the same errors over again? Are certain settings being manually overridden day after day to ensure the system operates as you’d like? These may indicate a low “grade” and call for a refresher course on how to manage your building’s operation systems. Regular training for new and seasoned employees can help everyone stay up to date on the latest technology and keep equipment running smoothly while maximizing the building’s comfort and efficiency.

After reviewing the checklist, what grade do you give your facility? Is there an area for improvement that may only be receiving a “B” or “C”? These systems are highly interconnected, and when one area receives a poor grade, the others will begin to follow. Over time, ignoring these issues can transform minor inefficiencies into expensive, emergency equipment replacements and major operational downtime.

How to Make the Grade

The good news is that it does not take a lot to improve your building’s building management system grades. Trusted consultants such as Egan Company can help review your system remotely, as well as inspect the physical equipment in your building to make adjustments and get everything in tip-top shape in time for the cooling season this summer. 

Our team takes into consideration a variety of factors to create a custom plan for your campus, including whether a building is occupied or unoccupied, the age of the equipment, recent staff changes and training needs, as well as system settings like zone setpoints that can be adjusted remotely. A quick phone call or site walkthrough can make a big difference in how the BMS is run and how your building’s grades improve. 

Helping Buildings Succeed

Occupant comfort and energy efficiency are achievable with regular inspections, maintenance, and conversations. Egan Company’s experienced team of building automation professionals understand how building systems interact with each other and how important comfort is for your occupants.  Whether you need a quick training refresher, a half-day site walkthrough, or assistance with setting up your system, Egan can help. By modernizing and maintaining your systems, your facility will gain significant cost-savings, enhanced operational efficiency, and improved system longevity.

Ready to improve your grades? Don’t wait until cooling season is here! Connect with Egan to learn more about getting your facility report card and take action on improving your systems today.