Fan energy is the highest electric consuming component in commercial HVAC. The supply air temperature setpoint is one of the single biggest factors in determining fan energy and HVAC performance.

Fan energy is the highest single electric energy-consuming component in commercial buildings according to US EIA data. Fan energy is rarely optimized for part load and/or vacant space conditions. Use of Occupied Standby mode and optimization of Min Primary Airflow setpoints is essential to maximizing savings of HVAC systems in these conditions.

The lack of commonly accepted standardized control sequences in our industry is a problem. An absence of a common understanding of our systems should function has led to disjointed operating philosophies and customized control sequences that are often simply wrong, wasting a tremendous amount of energy and producing a variety of negative performance dynamics that can go completely unnoticed throughout the life of the system. ASHRAE Guideline 36 targets this low-hanging fruit by defining the best practices for sequences of operation. It has the potential to influence our industry as positively as any other technology. It will take a cultural shift in the design and implementation of control system installations, but its time has come.