When it comes to buying new facility equipment, facility managers tend to be extremely brand-loyal. And oftentimes, with a hundred things happening at once, when it’s time to replace equipment, replacing like for like is easy and convenient. But it’s also not a recommended practice – especially on big-ticket times like HVAC. If your HVAC is nearing or at the end of its life, have you considered a new strategy?
Building electrification is gaining huge momentum as a smart, efficient strategy for commercial facilities. Since a majority of buildings are heated with natural gas, heat pumps are one of the most impactful ways facilities can reduce their carbon footprint. And with the cost of natural gas skyrocketing, the return-on-investment story for heat pumps can be really enticing.
The Renewable Energy Hub lays out a strong case for the benefits of both air source and ground source heat pumps for commercial facilities. One possible benefit that’s sometimes overlooked is an improvement in indoor air quality. As well, in addition to the operational savings, buying heat pumps may qualify organizations for state and federal tax incentives.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
