SAVING ENERGY TIPS
Tips for apartments and condos
Managing energy costs is a hot topic for many apartment and condo developments. Especially for those that share a common bill for appliances
like in-suite gas fireplaces. Here are some simple ways to use less energy in your strata block or apartment complex:
Space heating
Boilers
Maintain your boilers and associated systems. Get your maintenance contractor to measure boiler efficiency at least once every year.
Turn off boilers and heating pumps in the summer. If some residents require heat in warmer weather, it's cheaper to provide them with portable heaters.
Get your maintenance contractor to check the control system. Inadequate or incorrectly operating controls can increase your costs by 20 per cent.
Replace your boiler if it's more than 25 years old. Installing new high-efficiency units can reduce your gas usage by up to 30 per cent.
Fireplaces
Turn off pilot lights in the summer.
Use automatic fireplace shut-off timers. Timers run for one hour, then need to be reset, and can yield major savings.
Make sure fireplaces are part of your annual maintenance schedule.
Make-up air units
Turn off heating in the summer months. Set temperature controls to 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit). This temperature is usually
sufficient for corridors, stairs and hallways.
Water heating
Tank-type heaters
Make sure tank-type heaters are part of your annual maintenance schedule.
Think about changing tank-type heaters to boiler/storage tank combinations for major cost and energy savings
Storage tanks
Make sure storage tanks are well insulated.
Pipes
Insulate all hot water pipes in the boiler room and any running through unheated areas such as parkades. Make sure that valves and flanges
are insulated.
Water temperature
Set the water temperature at 55 degrees Celsius (131 degrees Fahrenheit). Hotter temperature settings waste energy while lower settings can
lead to increased bacterial growth.
Showers and faucets
Install low-flow showerheads and save up to 30 per cent on your hot water usage. Flow reducers on faucets can offer additional savings.
Swimming pools
Adjust temperature settings so that the air temperature in the indoor pool area is higher than the water temperature — this greatly reduces
heat loss from the pool. Cover the pool and hot tub when not in use to reduce heat loss and evaporation. Reduce indoor pool room
ventilation rates at night when the pool is not being used. Cover the pool throughout the period when it is being heated before the start of
the season.
Building structure
Insulation
Check insulation levels when refurbishing and upgrading to current standards where possible.
Windows and doors
Draft-proof windows and doors with weather-stripping.
Install double-glazed windows.
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