In much of the country, cooler fall temperatures are finally here. Like we said a few months ago, the “shoulder months” of spring and fall hold your best opportunities for energy savings. In fact, these crucial months will likely make or break your energy budget. Will you make the most of them?

You’re clearly going to run your heating system all winter, and you will almost certainly spend lots of money to cool your building in the summer. But in the fall, you have a lot more discretion when it comes to your energy use. A little bit of planning combined with a good regular maintenance routine opens you up to big savings.

The most efficient piece of equipment in your building is the one that’s not running

The simplest way to achieve significant savings is to only run the equipment you really need at any given time. Consider the following questions to see if you’re operating inefficiently:

• What’s the temperature outside?
• Is your boiler running? Should it be?
• Are your chillers or cooling towers running? Should they be?
• What are the control setting for your boiler and chiller? Are they set on auto or manual? If manual, why?
• Are your controls working properly? Is outdoor-air reset enabled? Is the sensor still installed and operational or has it been disconnected or damaged?
• Are VFDs running at 100%? Should they be?
• Do you see any open windows?
• Are you tracking hot and cold complaints? Notice any patterns?

Building automation won’t replace regular inspections

Most buildings these days have technological systems in place to help avoid wasteful situations. They are incredibly helpful, and we at LogCheck advocate their use. That said, your BMS or BAS won’t tell you everything. Routine inspections are still the best way to realize these seasonal opportunities for savings.

Many engineers use LogCheck to help them recognize areas to improve their operations. If you haven’t tried our mobile inspection application yet, now is a great time to get started. Click the button below to try LogCheck and see if it’s right for you:

Header image: Conservatory Water, autumn day by La Citta Vita. Used via Creative Commons license.