Looking for more ways to save energy during the winter heating season?  Check out these tips to make sure your building is running efficiently during the winter season:

•  Keep programmable thermostats set to match building occupancy schedules. Modern programmable thermostats and building automation systems will automatically adjust the start time of the HVAC to ensure adequate warm-up time. Be sure to stagger start stop times of large loads to at least a 15 minute time frame to minimize peak kW billing.

• Make sure your system is operating within building policy min/max temperature set points.

• Send a reminder to building occupants to close curtains, shades and blinds at night and during unoccupied periods to help your building retain heat and to keep them open on sunny days.

• Gradually decrease the temperature setting if occupants feel some areas are too warm.

• Consider a change in building policy to discourage or ban personal heaters.  If portable space heaters are allowed consider low wattage radiant type with occupancy sensing controls.  The best approach to uphold comfort is to maintain the HVAC system so that it provides adequate and evenly distributed heat.

• Consider using occupancy sensors or timers to turn off HVAC systems and associated exhaust fans when rooms are unoccupied unless health codes require constant ventilation

• Verify outside air dampers are tightly closed when the HVAC system is off.  When HVAC systems are on, verify outside air dampers are closed to a minimum or as needed to maintain minimum air quality standards.

• Located in a cold climate? When the weather during unoccupied periods is predicted to be below zero and windy, refrain from turning off circulation of water that does not have antifreeze protection in areas where freeze-up has occurred or is likely to occur. Also, be careful about turning down heat set points in areas where sprinkler systems could freeze up or have frozen in the past.

Find out more about building scheduling at http://betterbricks.com/system-diagnostic-toolss/equipment-operates-during-unoccupied-hours