Zone Control Systems for Commercial Buildings
Heating and cooling a commercial building in Chicago presents different challenges and needs than heating and cooling a Chicago home. This is primarily due to the size of the building and how many people it needs to accommodate at one time. There might be many offices in various parts of the building, along with the possibility of a number of floors, and each may require a different temperature simultaneously. This is where a zone control system comes in.
Despite these differences, commercial buildings have some of the same issues to face as a Illinois home––inefficiency in heating and cooling resulting in unnecessarily high utility bills and inconsistent comfort levels. To address these, the most efficient thing to do is install a zone control system. Call one of our professionals at Amber Mechanical, and we will be happy to discuss your specifics with you.
What Is a Zone Control System?
A zone control system allows one heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to be utilized efficiently by many users simultaneously in different areas, or zones, of one building. Each zone is operated independently of the others without the temperature choices of one zone significantly impeding or affecting the others.
Zones can be designed to be as small as one office or as large as an entire floor. The zoned system uses thermostats, a control panel, and zone dampers in the ducts, working in tandem with the HVAC system to meet the needs of the users.
Fact is, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) states HVAC systems account for 40 percent of electricity usage when it comes to commercial buildings.
How Does an HVAC Zone Control System Work?
In a Illinois commercial building, the zone control system provides precise control over the temperature in each designated area or office space using only single-zone unitary HVAC equipment. Thermostats connect to a central control panel to open and shut dampers distributed throughout the building’s ductwork, thus blocking or releasing hot or cold air.
Each area’s temperature is set, and the zone control system does the rest of the work. The system warms or cools the spaces used the most at the time they’re needed. Every zone has its own thermostat and damper system controlling the heating and cooling provided to that space.
It’s an efficient system, for example, for buildings that may have office space using a lot of technology. An area with many computers may need to be cooled more to offset the equipment’s heat, but the cooler temperatures won’t affect the adjacent offices or areas in separate zones.
What Are the Benefits of a Zone Control System?
A zoned HVAC system has several benefits for commercial buildings:
• Consistent heating and cooling. It’s all about temperature control. If a space, or zone, requires more heating or cooling, simply adjusting the thermostat will meet that need. Even in areas of a building that may traditionally be harder to heat or cool, this precise temperature control compensates for the inconsistency. Measures can be even more efficient with programmable thermostats.
• Less energy use. Since unused areas are now zoned, the heating or cooling can be shut off to avoid heating or cooling them unnecessarily. Also offices or areas where tenants need less heating and cooling will only be heated or cooled upon demand. This all means less energy use.
• Cost savings. Precision heating and cooling makes for less energy wasted through the year. A zone control system can reduce the heating and cooling cost in a building by as much as 25 percent. Also, less HVAC system usage and stress means fewer repairs, another cost savings.
Contact Us for Your Zone Control System Needs
At Amber Mechanical here in Chicago, IL, we are HVAC zoning professionals. Please call us at 1-800-592-6237 or request service online today. We know how much is riding on your business and the regular care of your HVAC system.