Zone in on the Benefits of Commercial Zoning Systems

The heating and cooling needs of a commercial building are significantly different from those of a residential space. As an owner or manager, you have multiple clients with differing indoor comfort needs. A single thermostat, even in each individual space, cannot reasonably satisfy this need for variable indoor temperatures. With a commercial zoning system, you’ll be able to improve rental satisfaction while saving money on your building’s monthly energy bills.

What Does a Zoning System Do?

A zoning system allows you to divide the indoor spaces of your building into separate areas, or zones, where temperatures can be controlled with precision. Each zone is distinct from those around it, so temperature adjustments in a particular zone should not be significantly affected by surrounding zones. If a person in one office needs more or less heating or cooling, a zoning system can provide it.

Zoning systems use a series of motorized dampers installed inside properly sized ductwork to adjust how much heated or cooled air enters a particular zone. These dampers are controlled by individual programmable thermostats that are dedicated to a single zone. The dampers open and close to reduce or increase the temperature in the zone based on settings at these thermostats.

Why Use a Zoning System?

Zones can be as large as an entire floor of a building or as small as an individual room. If your commercial building has multiple tenants on the same floor, for example, the zoning system can be designed to allow the occupant of each office or rental space the option of controlling the temperature within that area. If there are unoccupied spaces on the floor, the zoning system can be used to shut off heating or cooling to that area. If temperatures are not an issue, the zoning system can be used to maintain a consistent level of heating or cooling in all areas of the floor.

Benefits of Zoning Systems

Using a commercial zoning system offers multiple benefits to both tenants and building owners.

• Improved customer service: When tenants are comfortable, they’ll be happier. A zoning system gives your tenants the option of establishing temperatures that are acceptable to them. They will no longer have to rely on a single thermostat to control the areas they occupy, reducing any conflicts about temperatures among occupants of that space or with your staff.
• More consistent indoor comfort: Zoning systems allow you to maintain a more consistent level of comfort throughout your commercial space. Many buildings will have areas that are harder to heat or cool than others, so a zoning system gives you the temperature control to compensate for this inconsistency.
• Reduced energy usage: A zoning system can be a good tool to use for reducing energy usage throughout your building. Since you can shut off heating or cooling to unused zones, you’ll save energy by not heating or cooling that space. Occupants who need less heating or cooling can easily reduce energy consumption.
• Lower monthly bills: Along with reduced energy usage, a zoning system will bring you lower monthly bills. Cutting HVAC system use in unoccupied areas means you won’t be spending money to provide heating or cooling in those zones. The temperatures in a zoned office or retail space will be more accurate, meaning that you are not providing a single temperature for the whole space, which is potentially wasteful.
• Increased system life: Since a zoning system can be expected to reduce overall demands on your HVAC system, it can also be expected to add time to the system’s expected lifespan. Reduced stress on your heating and cooling systems also means fewer calls for repair.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about Plumbing, HVACR, Fire Protection, and Alarm Systems in Mechanical, Commercial, and Residential settings. For more information on the benefits of a zoning system for your commercial space, or to view projects we’ve worked on, visit our website!