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by Ron Rau on Mar 18, 2025
While many energy-saving initiatives struggle to balance cost reduction with occupant comfort, it's entirely possible to achieve both. You don’t have to sacrifice comfort to save on energy. If you’re not already factoring in comfort alongside energy savings, now is the time to start.
When we first engage with a new customer or begin developing a new energy optimization strategy, we always focus on proactively addressing potential comfort issues. The fear of harming occupant comfort can stop and/or slow down the progress of any energy optimization plan. The key to selling an energy optimization program is to get ahead of the expected comfort concern with a proactive plan to not only hold the line on comfort but ideally improve it over the baseline.
At Phoenix, we ensure that when you begin an energy optimization program, you will be certain that the program will not negatively impact the comfort of your associates and customers, and that you have a toolset and playbook to ensure continuous, real-time controls that ensure comfort throughout the entire program. We begin by conducting remote ‘health checks’ on all HVAC units to assess their performance and identify inefficiencies before implementing energy-saving measures. We also perform periodic checks as different system attributes are utilized. We look at the ASHRAE zones to anticipate different weather patterns and the impact to comfort and energy strategies at each site. Then, we utilize HVAC IQ scoring data to tell us how efficiently units are performing in real-time while keeping the stores comfortable at corporate setpoints. During the program, we then verify that the temperature, humidity, and other conditions are being maintained, and if not, we adjust locations and equipment to bring comfort back in line, real-time.
Common to the multi-site industry, Demand Response programs and events are used to reduce energy expenses. More recently, there have been increasing requests to manage utility demand charges (energy delivery charges) as these charges are rising at a faster rate than energy consumption charges. Generating savings year-round, rather than only during Demand Response events, has been shown to reduce both kWh usage and peak demand, making it a lucrative program. Having the ability to rollout demand management strategies, while also actively preserving store comfort, significantly improves the risk/reward profile of a demand management program improving the odds of full stakeholder support.
When it comes to energy optimization, you don’t have to choose between savings and comfort. With the right strategy and technology, both are achievable. At Phoenix, we’re here to ensure your energy program doesn’t just meet efficiency goals but enhances occupant comfort every step of the way. Ready to start? Contact us today to see how we can make energy optimization work for you.
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