How does equipment within a building affect internal loads?

Consider an office building: Occupants use computers, printers, scanners, monitors, etc. All of this equipment impacts the performance of the building. Specifically, this equipment consumes electrical energy, and generates heat energy. Minimizing the electrical energy consumed, and optimizing the heat energy produced with regards to thermal comfort is critical to delivering overall building performance.

Energy Use

When selecting equipment--whether it be an office computer or a casino slot machine--you will want to understand its energy efficiency. Certification programs, consulting engineers, and product representatives can help you do this.

The operational schedule of such equipment also affects energy use. Though a lot a lot of equipment is very energy efficient today, energy use can be further conserved by turning equipment off when it’s not in use. These little loads that consume energy throughout the day are called vampire loads and can easily be contained with good scheduling and automated turnoff strategies.

Heating and Cooling

As mentioned, equipment not only consumes electricity, but it also generates heat. Your mechanical systems (and possibly your envelope) will need to account for this. Using Sefaira to test properties of your building’s systems and envelope, and engaging with the mechanical engineer as early as possible in the design process are critical steps for buildings with unique and significant equipment profiles.