Good news -- GCSAA HQ here in Lawrence, Kan., is taking another step to be more environmentally friendly, and that move is going to save the association some money. We're driving toward sustainability!
Back in July GCSAA signed an agreement with Johnson Controls Inc. to have their Business Management System (BMS) installed here at HQ. The system will allow us to monitor and control the building’s heating, cooling and outdoor lighting from a single computer. From this computer we can set high/low temperature thresholds based on day of the week, time of day, outside temperature, humidity and much more.
Currently our building works around the clock to maintain one temperature. With the new system, we'll be able to program our heating and cooling system to keep the building at one temperature from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and a higher temperature the other 12 hours. All of the energy previously used to maintain a lower temperature during non-work hours is saved during this 12-hour period and all weekend.
This new system will make GCSAA HQ more energy efficient and reduce expenses significantly. Commercial buildings with built up HVAC systems, such as GCSAA, can often reduce their energy usage by 18 to 20 percent after a BMS is installed. If a 20-percent reduction in energy cost is realized we can expect to reduce expenses by about $30,000 a year.
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