5 Proven Strategies to Optimize Energy Costs and Improve Building Efficiency
In today's competitive landscape, building owners and facility managers are constantly seeking ways to improve operational efficiency and reduce expenditures. One area ripe for significant impact is energy consumption. Consider this critical insight: on average, 30% of the energy consumed in commercial buildings is wastedi. This means a significant portion of your utility budget is simply wasted, highlighting a massive opportunity for savings and improved performance. Given that heating, ventilation, and cooling can account for between 35% and 52% of total energy consumption in U.S. commercial buildings, implementing robust building automation systems is crucial for optimizing energy efficiency and reducing operational costs.ii, iii
Discover five proven strategies to significantly cut energy costs and unlock your building's full efficiency potential, all without a complete overhaul of your existing infrastructure.
Strategy 1: Embrace Integrated System Control
Imagine a conductor leading an orchestra, ensuring every instrument plays in harmony to create a masterpiece. Similarly, an integrated control system acts as the conductor for your building's various operational components, particularly your HVAC systems. Rather than having disparate systems operating independently, a unified approach allows them to communicate and work together seamlessly.
Many modern buildings struggle with inefficiencies because their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment operates in silos. This can lead to conflicting commands, wasted energy, and a reactive approach to comfort issues. By implementing an integrated system, you gain a holistic, 360-degree view of your building's environment. This comprehensive insight allows you to monitor, regulate, and change settings with precision, helping to ensure that your HVAC system operates as a single, optimized entity. The power lies in this coordinated control, which can lead to significant energy savings and improved occupant comfort.
Strategy 2: Leverage Pre-Engineered Programs & Factory-Installed Controls
The complexity of building automation can often be a barrier for facility managers. However, recent advancements in control technology have significantly simplified the implementation process. A key strategy in achieving rapid and effective results is the utilization of pre-engineered control programs. These programs are essentially pre-written instructions that simplify system setup and significantly reduce the need for extensive field programming. This means much of the intricate decision-making is handled automatically, built upon deep operational knowledge to take the guesswork out of maintaining peak equipment performance.
Beyond pre-engineered programs, choosing equipment with factory-installed controls can offer a more streamlined installation and operational experience. When control mechanisms are built directly into the equipment during manufacturing, it helps ensure optimal integration and performance from day one. This integrated approach can eliminate the need for expensive system coordination modules and supports cost-effective operation through built-in energy-saving strategies, further helping to reduce the guesswork from ongoing system management. The clear benefit of this dual approach is faster commissioning, minimized setup time, and a system designed for efficient and reliable operation.
Strategy 3: Optimize for Peak HVAC & Chiller Plant Performance
HVAC systems are often the largest energy consumers in a commercial buildingiv. Therefore, optimizing their performance is paramount to reducing energy costs. Beyond basic temperature control, true optimization involves fine-tuning your entire HVAC system, including chiller plants, to operate at their most efficient points.
This means moving beyond simple on/off cycles and embracing sophisticated control sequences that dynamically respond to building conditions. Think about how a smart thermostat learns your preferences – a truly optimized HVAC system can go several steps further, continuously adjusting to internal and external factors to help maintain comfort with the least amount of energy. By focusing on optimized HVAC and chiller plant performance, you can realize energy reductions without sacrificing occupant comfort.
Strategy 4: Harness the Power of Intuitive Monitoring & Remote Access
Visibility and control are critical for proactive building management. Modern building control systems offer intuitive user interfaces that provide graphic-rich insights into your facility's operations. This means you can easily visualize energy consumption trends, identify potential issues, and understand the real-time status of your equipment through auto-generated graphics.
The true advantage, however, is the ability to stay connected to your system around the clock, from virtually anywhere. Whether you're on-site or off-site, you can access your building's performance data and make adjustments from any web-enabled device or locally through a wall-mounted touchscreen. This remote monitoring capability allows facilities staff to respond quickly to everything from comfort concerns to alarm conditions. Imagine receiving an alert about an unusual energy spike and being able to investigate and help rectify the issue remotely, potentially preventing significant waste before it escalates. This level of insight and control empowers facility managers to be proactive, not just reactive, which can lead to sustained energy savings.
Strategy 5: Prioritize Expertise and Ongoing Support
Implementing advanced building control strategies is an investment, and like any investment, it requires proper installation and ongoing maintenance to yield strong returns. Choosing partners who possess specialized expertise in these systems is crucial. Look for professionals who are trained and certified in the installation and servicing of sophisticated building automation systems in commercial buildings.
This commitment to expertise helps confirm that your system is properly maintained, allowing you to protect your investment in both equipment and controls. Beyond initial setup, ongoing support, including regular check-ups and responsive service, can help ensure that your building continues to operate at peak efficiency for years to come. This long-term partnership with knowledgeable experts is key to sustaining energy cost reductions and maximizing the lifespan and performance of your building's critical systems.
Conclusion
By adopting these five proven strategies, facility managers and building owners can move beyond simply reacting to energy costs and instead proactively reduce expenses while working to improve their building's overall efficiency and performance. Embracing these approaches not only helps deliver immediate financial benefits but also positions your facility for lasting performance and operational excellence in an evolving energy landscape. The future of building management is integrated, smart, and ultimately, more robust.
References
[i] About the Commercial Buildings Integration Program. (2020). Energy.gov. https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/about-commercial-buildings-integration-program
[ii]Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Water Heating. (2024). Energy.gov. https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/heating-ventilation-air-conditioning-refrigeration-and-water-heating
[iii]Use of energy in commercial buildings - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2025). Eia.gov. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/commercial-buildings.php
[iv]Kateryna Dmytriyeva. (2024, November 14). Understanding energy use in commercial buildings. www.cim.io. https://www.cim.io/blog/understanding-energy-use-in-commercial-buildings