Zone Controls and Programmable Systems for Commercial Buildings

Heating and cooling a commercial building in Kansas, presents different challenges and needs than heating and cooling a home due to the size of the building and how many people it needs to accommodate at one time. Obviously there are many offices in different parts of the building, sometimes different floors, and each may require a different temperature simultaneously. But despite these differences, commercial buildings have some of the same issues to face as a home––inefficiency in heating and cooling resulting in unnecessarily high utility bills and inconsistent comfort levels. To address these, the soundest action is to install a zone control, or programmable, system. Call one of our professionals at B&C Mechanical, and we would be happy to discuss your needs with you.

What is a Zone Control or Programmable System

A zone control system, or programmable system, allows one HVAC system to be used efficiently by many users simultaneously in different areas, or zones, of one building. Each zone is operated independently of the others without the temperature choices of one zone significantly impeding or affecting the others. Zones can be designed to be as small as one office or as large as an entire floor. Basically the zone control system uses thermostats, a control panel, and zone dampers in the ducts working in tandem with the HVAC system to meet the needs of the users.

How Does It Work?

A zone control system in a commercial building gives precise control over the temperature in each designated area or office space in the building using only single-zone unitary HVAC equipment. It uses thermostats to connect to a central control panel to open and shut dampers distributed throughout the building’s ductwork, thus blocking or releasing hot or cold air. Each zone’s temperature is set, and the zone control system does the rest of the work. The zone control system warms or cools the spaces used the most at the time they’re needed. Each zone has its own thermostat and damper system controlling the heating and cooling provided to that space. It’s a wonderful system, for example, for buildings that may have areas using a lot of technology. The office or area where many computers are may need that area cooled more to offset the equipment’s heat, but the cooler temperatures don’t affect the adjacent offices or areas in separate zones that don’t require those temperatures.

Benefits

A zone control system has several benefits for commercial buildings:
Consistent heating and cooling.
It’s all about temperature control. If a space, or zone, requires more heating or cooling, simply adjusting the thermostat will meet that need. Even in areas of a building that may traditionally be harder to heat or cool, this precise temperature control compensates for the inconsistency.
Less energy use.
Since unused areas are now zoned, the heating or cooling can be shut off to avoid heating or cooling them unnecessarily. Also offices where tenants need less heating and cooling will only be heated or cooled upon demand, when needed. This all means less energy use.
Cost savings.
Since heating and cooling are only going where they’re needed, there will be less energy wasted through the year. A zone control system can reduce the heating and cooling cost in a building by as much as 25 percent. Also, less HVAC system usage and stress means less needed repairs, another cost savings.

Call our expert technicians today and ask us about how you can save money with zone controls for your building.

B & C Mechanical is proud to offer commercial heating and cooling services to residents in Kansas and Missouri. In Kansas, our service ares include Olathe, Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Prairie Village, Shawnee, Merriam, Mission, Kansas City, Roeland Park, and surrounding communities. In Missouri, our service areas include Blue Springs, Gladstone, Grandview, Independence, Lees Summit, Liberty, North Kansas City, Raytown, South Kansas City, and surrounding communities. Call us now at 913-681-0088 or request service online.