How to reduce energy use in your facility

Most buildings can cut 10-30% of energy use with scheduling fixes, lighting and HVAC control tuning, and basic maintenance, all without sacrificing comfort. The process? Start with a clean baseline, prioritize controls, and lock in persistence with lightweight commissioning. ABM helps scope, implement, and verify the measures so savings show up on the bill and stay there.

Quick win checklist

• Correct schedules in BAS and stand-alone thermostats
• Enable auto-off with occupancy sensors in low-traffic spaces
• Raise cooling setpoints slightly and widen deadbands
• Repair air leaks and door sweeps at entries and docks
• Start and maintain a filter and preventive maintenance calendar

Start with a baseline

A baseline tells you where there’s energy waste.

Review utility bills and interval data to see energy use intensity and demand peaks. Look for obvious scheduling misses: systems starting too early, running through unoccupied hours, or fighting setpoints. If you use ENERGY STAR, note the current score and identify an improvement range. The first ten percent comes from getting schedules, start/stop times, and setpoints right.

Lighting that thinks for itself

Treat lighting as a package: audit, LED retrofit, controls, and a short commissioning pass. Swapping to LED lighting can save up to 75% on your lighting energy use.

• Occupancy sensors reduce waste in conference rooms, restrooms, storage, and back-of-house areas.
• Daylight harvesting lowers output near windows while preserving comfort.
• Task tuning trims fixture output where full brightness isn’t needed.
• Plug load controls pair well with lighting zones in shared spaces to cut stray device consumption.

Explore lighting solutions.

HVAC controls that save energy quietly

Incremental control changes deliver durable savings.

• Demand-controlled ventilation reduces outside air when rooms are lightly occupied and adds it back when they fill.
• Economizer logic uses outdoor air when conditions favor free cooling.
• Supply air temperature reset, static pressure reset, and optimal start/stop reduce fan and compressor hours.
• Preventive maintenance keeps coils clean, sensors accurate, and filters in spec so controls do what they’re supposed to do.

Use this HVAC maintenance checklist.

Cut the silent loads

Small devices add up. Target office and IT plug loads, vending, breakroom appliances, printers, and monitors. Use smart strips in copy areas, set sleep policies on PCs and displays, and schedule equipment shut-off after hours. In shops and production areas, check compressors and point-of-use air tools for leaks and unnecessary run time.

Tune the envelope and operations together

Comfort complaints and energy waste often share a root cause. Seals at doors, docks, elevator shafts, and utility penetrations. Where climate allows, use night flush or morning warm-up to carry comfort into occupied hours. Add shading or film on sun-heavy exposures to reduce cooling load without darkening spaces.

Manage peaks instead of paying for them

Demand charges can erase energy savings if peaks go unmanaged.

• Identify which equipment drives your peak using interval data.
• Pre-cool or pre-heat before the peak period, stagger large equipment starts, and shed noncritical loads.
• Enroll in demand response and integrate events into BAS sequences to enable automatic response.

On-site generation and storage

On-site resources can lower costs and improve resilience.

• Solar PV can be owned outright or via a power purchase agreement.
• Battery energy storage manages peaks, supports demand response, and provides limited backup.
• Microgrids combine generation, storage, and controls for sites with resilience needs or complex tariffs.

Use incentives and financing to stretch dollars

Combine utility rebates, tax credits, and performance contracting to improve ROI. Plan measurement and verification early so you meet program rules. ABM manages incentive applications, timelines, and documentation while aligning scopes with finance objectives.

Keep the gains with continuous commissioning

Savings fade without light-touch persistence.

• Review trends regularly and keep alarms meaningful.
• Re-tune seasonally for weather and occupancy changes.
• Share KPIs across operations and finance so everyone sees progress: kWh, peak demand, comfort calls, and maintenance work orders.

What ABM delivers

• Energy audits and retro-commissioning to surface fast wins and longer-horizon projects
• Building automation re-tuning for schedules, setpoints, and sequences
• Intelligent lighting and controls design, installation, and commissioning
• HVAC upgrades, filtration, and preventive maintenance programs
• Solar, storage, and microgrids with ongoing operations and maintenance
• Performance contracting with guaranteed savings and clear M&V

Energy-saving FAQ

What is the fastest way to lower energy use in a commercial building?
Fix schedules and setpoints in lighting and HVAC, then add occupancy sensors and task tuning. These measures are fast, inexpensive, and measurable.

How do I know if my BAS is wasting energy?
Look for systems that start too early through unoccupied hours, fighting setpoints. Trend supply temps, airflow, and valve positions; mismatches point to tuning or sensor issues.

What is retro-commissioning, and how is it different from an energy audit?
An audit identifies opportunities; retro-commissioning tunes how systems actually operate (schedules, sequences, and sensors) to capture savings now and set up longer-term upgrades.

How do rebates and performance contracts work?
Rebates reduce upfront cost for qualified measures. Performance contracts bundle projects and guarantee savings with formal measurement and verification.

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