Small Business

Heating and cooling

Energy efficiency tips

Insulation is an effective way of reducing heating and cooling costs - consider insulating your ceiling and walls.
Roof ventilation, air curtains, and window films are simple ways you can help reduce the cost of heating and cooling.
Heat reflective paint can help keep the room at the optimum temperature.
Ensure air conditioner controls are easily accessible and consider installing a zoning system to control heating and cooling to rooms not in use.
Ensure air conditioners and heaters are maintained according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Where possible, remove any large objects that may block ventilation or restrict the flow of air around rooms.

Winter heating

The optimal setting for heater is between 18 and 20 degrees. Every degree higher can increase your running costs by up to 15 per cent.
Use ceiling fans to help push down the heat that has risen to the ceiling to keep the room at optimum temperature.
Make sure you seal draughts around doors and hang close-fitting, heavy curtains (preferably with pelmets) around windows. Draughts can increase your heating costs by up to 25%.
Review the position of your heater’s thermostat. Is it near an open door or draughty area?
Consider using infrared heating options, as they warm the skin (the same as some bathroom light/heat/fan combinations) and not the surrounding air. Air conditioning large areas can be both expensive and impractical.

Summer cooling

The optimal setting for your air conditioner is between 23 and 26 degrees. Every degree lower can increase your running costs by up to 15 per cent.
Install ventilators to enhance cooling and to help keep the room at optimum temperature.
Keep hot air out by closing all external doors and windows. This reduces the amount of work an airconditioner has to do to maintain a comfortable temperature inside.
Beat the heat. If a hot day is forecast, turn the air conditioner on early. It's more effective to maintain a comfortable internal temperature ‘from scratch’ rather than having to reduce the temperature in a workspace that has already reached uncomfortable levels.
If you need to reduce the temperature quickly, run the fan on high speed only until the desired temperature has been reached, then reduce the setting to low to maintain the temperature.
Is the air-conditioning unit suitable for your business? Needs may vary depending on your work space layout, partitioning, number of employees, number of windows, renovations etc. A range of factors can impact on the effectiveness of air conditioning and it's vital to purchase an air conditioning unit that best suit your needs.
Check and clean filters on a regular basis. Approximately 90 per cent of air conditioning failures can be attributed to dirty or blocked filters. A dirty filter also forces the unit to work in overdrive, chewing up unnecessary energy.

Search: