Heating Controls Matter For Small Buildings

Boiler Control Systems – Why they matter even for Small Buildings.

The cost of energy to run large heating systems like those found in office buildings, schools, apartment complexes, government buildings, and industrial buildings can constitute some of the highest expenses in your P&L statement, coming right off your bottom line. For building managers, it’s a never-ending balance between keeping your residents or work area’s comfortable, without paying too much for energy.  As such it has become essential that building operations managers implement technology and systems that reduce these costs without compromising on comfort.  With utility bills running into the tens of thousands of dollars a month, even a fairly small percentage decrease in heating costs can quickly pay for the cost of installation of a modern boiler control system.

But what about the manager of smaller, say 20-unit garden apartment, with a single boiler in the boiler room? Will the hassle and expense of installing a commercial heating control be worth it?  How will they ever install it in my old building?  My boiler already has built in energy management controls and outdoor temperature monitoring, why do I need more than that?

It’s all about Return on Investment (ROI)

In the northern half of the country, heating costs can consume anywhere from 60 to 90% of your overall energy bill, especially during a cold winter, or older buildings with older boiler equipment or inefficient heating configurations. But in 2022, heating control manufacturers like Heat-Timer® have introduced systems that address the problems of retrofit, wireless integration, internet and mobile control, as well as maximizing heating efficiency.  Modern Heating Control systems like the Heat-Timer® Platinum Series, utilizes wireless space sensors to detect building temperatures and learns the heat-loss profile of your building. The control uses this information to carefully control one or more boilers and to anticipate demand and improve heating efficiency over time. 

State of the art heating controls like the Heat-Timer® Platinum, cost a small fraction of what the energy savings will be over time, even in a small building.  Studies have shown that a Heat-Timer® Platinum series control with space feedback can save anywhere from 15% to 30% more on fuel costs than a high efficiency boiler with just an onboard outdoor reset control, running on its own.  That’s because without the ability to get temperature feedback from inside the building(units), the adjustments a standalone boiler makes in firing are coarse, and ultimately limited.  We have seen many a super simply bypass the boiler control due to complaints from residents, making the boiler/s operation even less efficient. Without direction from a smart control that actually knows what’s going on with temperatures throughout the building, the so-called “smart boiler,” will fail to satisfy the human factors associated with heat management.

Save Money, Be Green

While this has been all about maximizing energy savings, there’s more to to be gained by implementing a state-of-the-art heating control system.  The environmental benefits are significant, as is any investment that reduces energy usage. This in turn lowers emissions and waste, contributing to a lower carbon footprint. 

Then there’s another kind of green benefit: government subsidies. To offset the initial investment of introducing energy efficient heating systems to your buildings,  there are often state and federal rebates to support these types of eco-friendly investments because they take pressure off the energy grid and are part of various state run “green” initiatives. Like New York City’s Local Law 97 which legally requires your commercial building to reduce its carbon footprint over the next several years.  Motivating, isn’t it?

Heating Control Systems By Heat Timer®

With energy prices skyrocketing, it has become easier than ever to justify the cost of a modern heating control system, whether your building is large or small.

Call your local Commercial HVAC contractor today.  And ask them about Heat-Timer®

Or contact us directly.  For questions or information visit https://heat-timer.com

Original blog posted on https://www.heat-timer.com/boiler-control-systems-why-they-matter-even-for-small-buildings/