The design of your commercial HVAC system is crucial, as it will impact many things in your home, from thermal comfort to indoor air quality. Moreover, in order to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of your HVAC system, there are several considerations that you need to make.
In this post, home furnace repair expert Cooper Bros discusses the major factors that you should take into account when designing your commercial HVAC system.
Climate Zones
Climate zones aren’t necessary for residential homes, but in commercial buildings, having zones is a must. One reason for this is that different areas in large buildings have different heating and cooling requirements. For example, offices or rooms where workstations are located are used all the time, so these areas will need more heating and cooling than other rooms or areas that aren’t often used.
Without zones, you’re only able to set one temperature for the entire building. If you have zones, however, you can have multiple thermostats throughout the building, with each thermostat controlling the temperature in a specific zone.
Building Design
Make sure to consider the entire building when designing your HVAC system. Typically, there’s much more leeway when you’re starting from scratch, as you’re able to adjust the building design in order to suit heating and cooling requirements. But even if you’re renovating a building, there are still some ways for you to improve the efficiency of your HVAC system. AC repair can sometimes do the trick, but you can also look beyond the actual HVAC system for solutions. For example, you might want to consider adding more windows so that you can maximize natural light and heat. Adding an appropriate number of windows can lighten your heating loads during colder weather as well. To protect your building and its occupants from excessive heat during the summer, experts recommend using tinted windows.
Air Distribution
Commercial buildings typically use overhead air distribution. However, since office spaces are continuously evolving and are now often designed with wide-open, high-ceiling designs, this type of air distribution may no longer be the best choice. In more open spaces, underfloor air distribution can provide more comfort, better air quality and greater energy efficiency.
Cooper Bros has more than two decades of experience in the HVAC industry. We carry out installations — including AC and furnace replacement — according to industry standards and local codes. Call us at (408) 649-2008 or fill out our contact form to request a free quote.
