TVA offers a number of services to industrial customers that will help them assess their system’s efficiency and opportunities for cost savings.

To gain the greatest efficiency from your HVAC system:

• Adjust building temperatures (up in summer, down in winter) during periods of non-use, such as weekends or nonproduction time.
• Repair leaking air ducts. Install duct installation and perform regular inspection and maintenance. Use aerosol sealants for duct repair; they perform better than duct tape. Studies show that repairing duct leaks in industrial spaces could reduce HVAC energy consumption by 30 percent.
• Consider variable air volume systems. They adjust the rate of airflow into a room based on the current requirements of the space and work to more closely match HVAC load to heating or cooling demand.
• Install adjustable speed drives on variable air volume air handlers and recirculation fans to precisely match the flow and pressure requirements of the air handling system. The energy consumed by fans can be lowered considerably since they do not constantly run at full speed. Adjustable speed drives can also be used on chiller pumps and water system pumps.
• Consider a heat recovery system, which reduces the energy required to heat or cool intake air by recovering the thermal energy of the exhaust air. These systems typically include heat recovery wheels, heat pipes and runaround loops, and can recover from 45 to 65 percent of exhaust heat.
• Use ventilation fans in the ceilings of work areas to help destratify workspace air, creating better air circulation and more even temperature distribution.
• Install efficient exhaust fans. Mixed flow impeller exhaust fans are typically 25 percent more efficient than traditional centrifugal exhaust fans and can be cheaper to install and maintain.