Ask a Trane Expert: What is Really Influencing Equipment Controls Decisions?

You’re located in Colorado. What sustainability pressures are building owners facing in your area?

Andrew: Many of the building owners I talk to are concerned about regulations and public image when it comes to sustainability. Energize Denver is a city initiative to reduce the EUI of buildings, and it sets incremental goals that buildings must reach by 2030. If decarbonization wasn’t a priority before, the new regulations are pushing building owners and managers into action to avoid high energy costs—and fines. Some are more proactive. They have set their own energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals, which are reported on company websites or published in annual reports.

How is decarbonization showing up in your conversations?

Andrew: More and more building operators are starting to have an energy focus beyond reducing energy bills. Increasingly, facilities and operations managers are asking Trane about energy for decarbonization initiatives. In large corporate organizations, decisions are often being reviewed by business leadership through a sustainability lens, and facility teams are tasked with specific targets and goals. When equipment reaches the end of its life, replacement or upgrade plans often have more people involved.

You’re working on a large project that has a big decarbonization component. What can you tell us about it?

Andrew: Yes, the company is a big name here in Denver and they have been on the forefront of reducing their impact on the planet. We started working with them to replace several old, large non-condensing boilers. After several conversations about their sustainability goals and public optics, it became clear that energy recovery and storage would be ideal for this application. The building is unique in that it has large simultaneous heating and cooling loads. Themes shifted towards decarbonization and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). So, a simple boiler project evolved to include thermal storage, reducing peak load and packaging it all into one big project that is being funded partially by federal initiatives.

Tell me about the controls element. Why is it so important?

Andrew: During an early project meeting, our client looked directly at me—as the controls guy in the room—and said, "This is great, but you've got some serious work ahead of you.” That was their way of emphasizing how important the controls are for these complex heating and chilled water plants. They realize they need to collaborate with a company that understands the existing facility and the way the entire system interacts to both heat and cool the building. I am excited to see where this project goes and how Trane can support them with our local team and by bringing in our national decarbonization specialists.

What about buildings that are more typical in size? How can they use controls to decarbonize?

Andrew: An average building can see significant energy improvements by upgrading systems to the latest technology and improving control sequences. If they already have a modern building automation system, a deep dive into how their facility is actually running provides a lot of insights. We often find additional ways to deliver significant energy cost savings and reduced emissions. Intelligent Services allow us to analyze how a building is actually performing, which identifies ways it can improve.

Fully replacing systems to become super-sustainable isn’t always realistic. What’s a good starting point? 

Andrew: It’s okay to start small. A decarbonization journey doesn’t always have to include big, shiny new equipment. Most building owners don't have the capital or the need for something of that magnitude. It’s possible to gain significant benefits with the equipment they have simply by adding a new building management controller and maybe a new equipment control system. There’s no need to rip and replace every BAS device immediately. A new front end, a communication backbone and a formal migration plan is a great place to start, and then tackle the rest of the building in phases.

New controls can make a difference in your building. Contact Trane for an assessment.