In recent years, corporate and government mandates have focused on minimizing HVAC energy waste. Empower your business to operate more sustainably while optimizing airflow and reducing costs with energy-efficient HVAC solutions. 

Commercial HVAC System Uses

HVAC systems are critical for optimizing the airflow within your commercial buildings. Through heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, commercial HVAC systems offer temperature control and comfort. 

They help improve indoor air quality (IAQ) by increasing air circulation and regulating the internal temperature of buildings, heating in the colder months and cooling in the hotter months.

The challenge many commercial businesses face with their HVAC systems: high energy consumption. On average, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that HVAC systems account for 44% of a building’s energy use. Improving the efficiency of these systems can help lower carbon output and cut costs on energy bills.

Benefits of Installing Energy-Efficient HVAC Systems

There are 3 primary benefits of trading in old HVACs with energy-efficient operations: 

1. Lower Carbon Emissions 
2. Reduced Operating Costs
3. Government Incentives

Aside from shrinking electricity bills, energy-efficient HVAC systems help companies reach carbon emission reduction goals. Energy-efficient designs from ACT use pre-cooling and heating of air supply so air handler units (AHUs) don’t have to work as hard. 

In this model, less energy is needed to operate which helps slash carbon output and HVAC operating costs. 

Now more than ever, the US is paying close attention to commercial energy consumption, offering government incentives for companies able to limit their energy costs. Businesses able to reduce costs as compared to a baseline building defined by the industry standard ASHRAE/EISNA 90.1 can qualify for tax deductions. 

What is ASHRAE 90.1?

ASHRAE codes were developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers to create a framework for sustainable commercial building practices. 

These are the standards that most building codes adhere to because they offer benchmark values for safety, structural integrity, and energy efficiency. 

ACT’s Emission-Free Energy-Efficient HVAC Systems

ACT’s team of engineers has been helping businesses minimize HVAC energy waste through energy-efficient designs. Between Air-to-Air Heat Pipe Exchangers (AAHX) and Wrap Around Heat Pipe Exchangers (WAHX), ACT’s expert technology has helped a number of companies reach their carbon emission reduction goals.

Air-to-Air Heat Pipe Exchangers (AAHX)

Using passive heat pipe technology, AAHX can economically improve the indoor air quality of large commercial buildings. With the ability to moderate the temperature of incoming air by pre-heating or pre-cooling, these HVAC models can work effectively in all climates.

They are considered energy-efficient HVAC systems because they operate passively, reducing energy costs by up to 40%. Unlike traditional sensible or enthalpy wheels, AAHX systems isolate the energy transfer between the outside air and exhaust airstreams. Potential contaminants remain in the exhaust airstream. This does not occur in a wheel system. Since the wheel rotates constantly between fresh outside air and stale exhaust air, up to 15% of the exhaust air stream is fed back into the fresh air stream bringing odors, VOC’s and pathogens.

Using sensible-only energy recovery, these AAHX systems operate with a 50-70% effectiveness level. 

Passive Split Loop Thermosyphon Heat Exchangers 

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance product with high reliability, passive split loop thermosyphon heat exchangers are a proven cost-efficient solution. Their flexible design allows them to be used in a variety of configurations. 

The appeal of these systems is that coil sections can operate passively across distances of over 100 feet and in more than just side-by-side applications.

In this multi-story high-rise case study, the lead engineer suggested replacing their HVAC systems with a pumped liquid glycol system. After further testing, they discovered that using a passive split loop thermosyphon heat exchanger would simplify the energy recovery, limit routine maintenance, and speed up the pay-back period.  

Pump-Assisted Split Loop Thermosyphon Heat Exchangers

If you need your energy-efficient HVAC system to operate across larger distances, ACT also manufactures Pump-Assisted Split Loop Thermosyphon Heat Exchangers. These AAHXs operate passively for most of the year, but use a low-energy pump to assist the AHU during the season when the pump is necessary.

Though they do require some energy to conduct heat transfer, Assisted Split-Loop Heat Exchanges only use a fraction of the energy transfer required of Glycol Loops. That paired with their ability to configure airstreams horizontally and vertically year-round helped this AAHX win the Innovation Award at the AHR Expo in 2021. 

Lehigh University installed an energy-efficient HVAC system in 2019. In 2-3 years, this business recovered an estimated $150,000 in reheat savings using assisted split-loop thermosyphon heat exchangers.

Wrap-Around Heat Pipe Exchangers (WAHX)

In instances where increased moisture and humidity control are a necessity, ACT also builds and installs Wrap Around Heat Pipe Exchangers.  These systems also operate passively, using heat pipes for energy-free pre-cooling and reheating. 

The return on investment for these HVACs is fast because of the energy tonnage buildings can save through the WAHX’s passive operation.  

The savings are evidenced in our manufacturing plant case study. The client needed an energy-efficient HVAC to distribute airflow across 2 million square feet of their manufacturing space. 

ACT installed a WAHX system to work with the existing Dedicated Outside Air System (DOAS), which drastically reduced the company’s overall carbon emissions. 

In 2 years, this business recovered 54.5 metric tons of carbon emissions and over $15,000 in reheat savings for 10,000 CFM units.