Home » Commercial Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) » True Story: How an Office Building Saved $20,000 Through a Simple HVAC Optimization
Histoire vraie : comment un immeuble à bureaux a économisé 20 000 $ grâce à une simple optimisation CVAC
Reading time: 5'

True Story: How an Office Building Saved $20,000 Through a Simple HVAC Optimization

Spectacular Savings Thanks to a Targeted Commercial HVAC System Intervention

At AirGreen, we firmly believe that every commercial HVAC system hides untapped savings potential. The story we’re about to share is clear proof of that. It tells the story of how our team stepped in at a Laval office building, where a simple optimization of the existing HVAC system allowed the owner to save over $20,000 in one year, without needing a full system replacement.

The Context: An Energy-Intensive Commercial Building in Laval

The building in question is a three-story office building located in a Laval business district, with a total area of nearly 3,800 m². It housed several small professional service firms (accountants, consultants, lawyers), and its original HVAC system – consisting of rooftop units, a plate heat exchanger, and standard wall thermostats – had been in operation for over 10 years.

Despite receiving regular annual HVAC maintenance, the owner was noticing abnormally high electricity bills, especially during the summer and winter seasons. Tenants were also complaining about uneven thermal comfort, with overheated zones in the winter and excessively cold areas in the summer.

Initial Diagnosis: Functional Equipment, Poorly Synchronized

When we were called in, our first step was to perform a comprehensive energy audit of the HVAC system. Here’s what we found:

  • The rooftop units were running at full capacity, even when parts of the building were unoccupied.

  • Thermostats weren’t connected to a centralized system: each tenant was independently controlling the temperature in their own office, causing thermal conflicts.

  • The heat exchanger wasn’t optimized for actual occupancy hours.

  • There was no programmed energy-saving strategy based on weekly schedules.

Our Intervention: A Targeted Optimization Without Major Replacement

Instead of recommending a full replacement – which would have been costly and, in this case, unnecessary – we opted for an intelligent optimization strategy, executed in three steps:

1. Control System Modernization

We installed a centralized control system with remote management capability, fully compatible with the existing equipment. This allowed us to:

  • Synchronize the rooftop units based on actual building usage.

  • Prevent energy spikes by staggering equipment start-up times.

  • Provide the owner with an intuitive digital interface to monitor and adjust settings remotely.

2. Energy Programming

In collaboration with the tenants, we defined optimal heating and cooling time slots. The system was reprogrammed to:

  • Reduce HVAC operations outside of business hours.

  • Maintain a consistent comfort temperature throughout the building.

3. Deep Maintenance and Airflow Balancing

We also carried out a comprehensive HVAC maintenance, which included:

  • Cleaning of coils and filters.

  • Verifying and adjusting airflow per zone.

  • Sealing ductwork to reduce energy losses.

Results: $20,000 in Savings and a More Comfortable Building

Less than three months after our intervention, the first Hydro-Québec bills showed over a 35% drop in consumption. Over a full year, this translated to more than $20,000 in energy cost savings, without replacing a single HVAC unit.

Additionally:

  • Thermal comfort significantly improved, according to tenant feedback.

  • The owner now enjoys better visibility on the building’s energy performance.

  • The building’s rental value has been enhanced by this technical modernization.

Why Did This Optimization Work?

This case clearly shows that in the world of commercial HVAC, energy savings don’t always require a major equipment overhaul. A sharp technical analysis, combined with deep knowledge of energy usage behaviors, can reveal substantial savings opportunities.

At AirGreen, our approach is based on:

  • Full expertise in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for commercial buildings.

  • Careful attention to each step: diagnostics, planning, installation, maintenance.

  • In-depth knowledge of local grants and incentive programs for energy-efficiency projects across Montréal, Laval, Longueuil, the North Shore, and the South Shore.

What You Can Take Away

Here are some real-world lessons this project highlights:

  • An HVAC system can be fully operational… and still be inefficient.

  • Smart scheduling and programming are just as important as the equipment itself.

  • An energy audit can uncover hidden savings, often accessible at low cost.

  • The right HVAC partner can make all the difference.

Do You Own an Office Building in Montréal, Laval, or on the South Shore?

If you’re a building owner or manager and your energy bills seem unusually high, contact us. We’d be happy to do for you what we did for this Laval client: transform an existing HVAC system into a long-term source of savings and comfort.

Our commercial HVAC services cover Greater Montréal, including Longueuil, the North Shore, and the South Shore. Whether you need an energy audit, full maintenance, or smart modernization, we bring our full expertise to your service.