7 Strategies for Modern Office Spaces
Over the years, office culture has changed significantly. There is a continuous transformation and changes happening in modern office spaces. There is a need for natural light, decreased pressure for HVAC systems and so much more. Recently, it has been evident that companies preferred to have a more open office plan, where designs for HVAC systems are included. This is why HVAC professionals have to think and plan early for HVAC system design strategies for the client’s office space.
But how these changes exactly affect the HVAC system design? In this blog, you will learn and discover many essential techniques and HVAC design strategies that are best applied for office space implementation.
1. Build an energy-efficient space by minimizing HVAC cooling loads
In comparison to other appliances that are typically found in any modern office, HVAC systems usually have higher rates of energy consumption. Hence, it is vital to reduce HVAC loads. There are several other things to highly consider, apart from the insulation process for the windows, walls and floors. But to lessen heating loads, particularly during the cold season, it is crucial to focus more on the daylight.
Adding more daylight is one of the design strategies that are very great for workplace wellbeing and health. Another energy-saving idea is lighting systems that will turn off or dim when there is enough daylight. When combined with cooler types, this particular strategy often reduces cooling loads and produces lesser heat waste for your client’s HVAC systems.
2. Create Design Zones
The need for many independently programmed zones in the HVAC system design is critical, especially if you wanted to acquire higher energy efficiency. This particular idea’s main reason is simple — each area has a set of different requirements to sustain a very comfortable temperature for the occupants. Hence, HVAC professionals like you should consider the following examples:
· Rooms that host appliances, especially computers, have separate special needs of humidity and temperature control.
· The impact of the weather is different between perimeter spaces and interior spaces. Hence, it is necessary for you to control them separately.
· Areas where large numbers of occupants are gathering, like conference rooms, must be treated separately. It will need more cooling when being in use and less cooling when unoccupied.
This can be easier said than done in a very open office space that might not have several traditional walls. Hence, it is another reason not to entirely skip HVAC system design expertise in any of your plans.
3. Take advantage of sensors
Sensor technology, especially smart technology, has come a very long way over the years. There are two types of sensors proven to be very useful for saving energy. The sensors are going to be integrated with the HVAC system design. These are the following:
· Light sensors — this type of sensor has the ability to sense the amount of daylight that can be available in the space. It can adjust the lighting, especially when it is necessary. The light sensors can be tied directly into the HVAC system designs to adjust the cooling and heating accordingly.
· Occupancy sensors — it can track how many occupants are there at any given time. It can also send any messages to HVAC controls. For instance, whenever sensors detect that many occupants are present in the room, cooling will automatically increase to accommodate the area’s increasing load efficiently.
If sensor technology is integrated into the building’s HVAC system, the system can detect humans in any room and produce cooling and heating levels accordingly. One of the common problems these days is when the HVAC system runs despite there’s no one in the room. But having occupancy sensors, heating, and cooling bills will decrease drastically.
4. Ensure ventilation
It isn’t only about the furnace or air conditioner when it comes to HVAC system designs. It would be best if you considered ventilation as well. With the right and proper ventilation, overall comfort increases while it controls humidity and diminishes odor from the office space. As being mentioned earlier, more and more businesses and companies are moving now to open space offices. This is why the importance of ventilation is acknowledged.
One of the huge benefits of proper ventilation is the assurance of adequate air distribution to the entire office space. Company owners and their employees won’t anymore feel like being in a confined space. Designing ventilation is one of the critical skills of HVAC professionals and you are expected to provide expert opinions in this matter.
5. Install the Right-Size Commercial HVAC system
One of the most common misconceptions from your clients is the bigger the HVAC systems they have, the better it will be. However, this belief or assumption is wrong, especially for HVAC systems. Oversized HVAC systems usually have many issues like turning on and off frequently. As a result, the system’s air conditioner will eventually suffer from short-cycling problems in the long run. In such cases, your clients will soon experience a sharp rise in their heating and cooling bills.
It is crucial to install the HVAC system’s correct size and calculate the loads for the designs carefully. Only the best and experienced HVAC installers can pick the right furnace or air conditioner for their client’s office. First and foremost, they are to determine the square footage to get the HVAC system designs’ right size. Next, materials and suitable lighting designs are to be selected.
If you are a very experienced HVAC professional, you’re not only following these strategies, but you start considering and calculating some other factors, including daylight. In addition to these many considerations, project management for construction and HVAC projects is in the top list.
6. Ensure underfloor air distribution
Office spaces have been traditionally cooled with overhead air distribution. Yet, the HVAC system designs can be less than effective or less energy efficient in more open modern office spaces that have higher ceilings. If that is the case, office spaces should have a large open plan where under-floor air distribution systems are used. This type of system uses several diffusers that are installed under a raised floors.
It will take advantage of the stratification, allowing warm air to move towards the ceiling. Under-floor air is proven to be very great in providing constant comfort levels and maintaining indoor air quality.
7. Pay attention to IAQ (Indoor Air Quality)
Thermal comfort is mainly essential. However, it isn’t the only aspect that should be addressed when designing HVAC systems. The occupants’ health can be significantly affected by bacteria and viruses, dust and other contaminants that the naked eyes cannot see. Hence, it is equally vital to control humidity, remove contaminants, and eliminate odors or anything that can spread illness.
HVAC professionals must ensure safety and health by maintaining proper air quality levels. The system may combine both conditioned air and outside air, but there should be some limits. The HVAC system design should provide sufficient intake and distribution of air from the outside within the space.
This is another area wherein HVAC professionals’ expertise will make a massive difference between getting the whole thing right before building.
Improve Your Team’s Work Performance Using Subcontractor Scheduling Software
Leading a team, whether it comprises ten members or more, will never be easier. Grouping different crew members with different temperaments will often lead to miscommunication and clashes, impacting group performance and workplace productivity. So much so it can drive you crazy. However, if everything is handled correctly, you can make the whole team accomplish better professional goals.
No matter how productive the team is, there are other ways that you can incorporate to take productivity and work performance to a whole new level. Use cloud-based applications like Pro Crew Schedule and things will get easier not just in managing any of your HVAC projects but also in supervising your whole team. You can request a live demo, and it’s FREE!
Here are the benefits of using this software application.
· File sharing storage
· Resource and document management
· Team collaboration features
· Easy to access and user friendly
· Time tracking features
· Cloud-based storage
· Construction crew management
No one can ever deny this software’s effectiveness as it plays a massive role in boosting productivity and teamwork. Having the best project management application like Pro Crew Schedule can make work management much more effective.
Key Takeaways
If you’re not planning to follow HVAC design strategies for your client’s office space, redesigning the entire HVAC system might happen. As a result, there will be additional costs and expenses. In general, it can be hard to emphasize the importance of thinking about HVAC system designs ahead in the planning stages. That is why essential strategies for HVC designs stated above should be considered early on, whether it is for commercial building projects or renovation.
