What are the Biggest Energy Wasters in Your Building?
Energy wastage in a building especially a big commercial buildings can go unnoticed because it happens in a variety of places with the residents going on business as usual with little or no energy usage tracking. But big savings on the power bill can be realized by identifying areas where energy loss is happening. Which are these areas that can be targeted for energy optimization?
Elevators
Not many people will stop to think about an elevator’s energy consumption when riding on one. But elevators take up 3-7% of the energy consumption of average commercial buildings. Elevators vary in energy consumption depending on their height and carrying capacity.
The typical mall elevator rises about 15 feet powered by a 7.5 Hp motor. Assuming a 24/7 all week operating mall, this elevator will take up about 8,000 kilowatts-hours in a month. A 24/7 20 foot high unit will typically have a 20 Hp motor and take up about 32,000 kilowatt-hours in a month.
The largest energy wastage happens in the drive systemswhich runcontinuously. In addition to the energy wasted when the elevator is idle, there is also the heat it produces which further needs running energy consuming HVACs to cool the air.
Lighting
The type and configuration of lighting in a building is a big factor in energy consumption. The older system of lighting used incandescent or fluorescent bulbs operated by on/off switches. Incandescent bulbs are the most wasteful as they use filament heat to light up.
People will often forget to switch off the lights when going out of a room. This translates to wastage energy. High voltage bulbs also give off considerable heat which in turn requires turning on the AC to cool.
Incorrect voltage matching is also an avenue for energy wastage. This happens when bulbs that are brighter than needed are installed.
Heat loss
Loss of heat in a building necessitates higher operation level of the heating level, which adds on to the power bill. There are three main ways in which heat is lost in a building;
- By infiltration- This happens when windows and doors are opened, leading to an air shift where heated air flows out of the building.
- By ventilation – This is where unheated air comes in through the ventilation system.
- Plane heat loss – This is when heat is lost by conduction through the building elements; floors, walls, ceiling, and roof.
There are a variety of solutions to make abuilding more energy efficient.These measures include better technology in elevators and lighting, and better insulation techniques.