With the crisis prevailing in Europe and the subsequent rise in energy prices, energy-saving measures are a current topic all around Europe. One of the widely discussed and effective energy-saving measures identified is lowering room temperatures. Dropping the room temperature by one degree can save 5% on average in heating costs. Hence, measures are now being taken all over Europe to lower room temperatures to save energy.
To demonstrate the energy-saving potential of room temperature optimization, let’s take a 10,000 m2 office property for an example. The heating costs of a building can be estimated to be on average €0.63/month/m2 (Sponda, 2015). Hence, the heating costs of a building that size can be estimated to be around 6 300€/month. By lowering the room temperatures by two degrees, you can save up to €4,410 per year on heating costs (assuming 8-month heating season) according to the 5% rule. Moreover, since the energy prices have increased significantly over the past months, the saving potential is actually even more greater than in this example.
The saving potential of lowering room temperatures is indisputable, however, conducting room tempearture optimisation is not technically easy. To ensure the success of energy-saving measures, it is important to carry out the room temperature optimization project in a controlled manner. But what should you take into account when conducting the energy-saving measures? Let’s take a look at the issues you should consider before starting the project.
Risks related to the property’s energy saving measures:
- Dissatisfaction of the property users – How do you communicate the measures and make sure the users of the building are still satisfied with the indoor conditions after the changes?
- Failing to achieve the desired temperature – How do you make sure that the desired temperature is reached and the temperature remains at the target level and does not fall below the target for an example?
- Condensation of moisture on the property’s structures – If the indoor temperature of the property falls substantially lower than desired, the humidity of the indoor air may begin to condense on the property’s structures and cause a mold risk. How do you eliminate the risk of damaging the property?
- Adequacy of reporting – How do you credibly report that the energy savings have been achieved and the measures have been carried out responsibly without endangering the indoor conditions?
3 tips for successful temperature optimization project
Now that we have identified the main risks of the temperature optimization project, here are our three tips for eliminating the threats:
- Take care of user communication. When implementing energy saving measures, it is important to monitor users’ satisfaction with the conditions. Before lowering the temperature in the property, the users of the property should be notified of the upcoming measures and why they are being done. It would be recommended to give users the opportunity to monitor the conditions, and give feedback on them in real time so that possible negative user feedback can be processed as quickly as possible. A well-reasoned and transparent communication ensures higher user satisfaction.
- Monitor indoor conditions and make sure the measures are successful. Controlled implementation of measures requires monitoring of indoor conditions. Real-time monitoring of the conditions can ensure the success of the measures and prevent the risk of an excessive drop in temperatures causing unnecessary user dissatisfaction or structural risks to the property.
- Report on the success of the measures based on data. Report regularly and transparently on the measures and their success to the users of the property and other important stakeholders. With the help of reporting based on reliable measurement data, the success of the energy saving project can be credibly communicated.
How to get started?
Chosen as Europe’s building management technology solutions provider of the year 2021 & 2022, Freesi offers a market-leading solution for monitoring and developing indoor conditions. We are happy to help you to conduct energy saving measures in a controlled manner without damaging the indoor conditions or the building. Book a demo or contact us.
Find out how much you can save by optimizing your building portfolio’s room temperatures, order a free case study analysis to your e-mail here.