If you’re footing the energy bill for a commercial building, whether it’s an office, school, retail store, or manufacturing facility, you’ve probably had a few of these thoughts:
“Why is our HVAC system running like it’s training for a marathon?”
“Why do our utility bills keep creeping up like they’ve got something to prove?”
“How do we fix this without freezing people out, or draining the budget?”
You’re not alone. The truth is, most commercial buildings are leaking energy like a slow tire puncture. The costs add up quickly, and the frustration grows just as fast.
At Harold Brothers Mechanical Contractors, we’ve helped hundreds of New England businesses get control of their energy use. The goal isn’t always tearing everything out and starting fresh. More often, it’s about smart upgrades, tuning, and steady maintenance that deliver long-lasting savings.
Let’s walk through the strategies that actually make a difference: the ones that reduce waste, improve comfort, and pay you back.
Heating and cooling systems typically account for 40–60% of a commercial building’s energy use. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, HVAC often accounts for the largest share of commercial building energy use. That means if your HVAC is outdated, oversized, or simply running out of tune, you’re leaving serious money on the table.
Upgrading to high-efficiency equipment, installing variable-speed drives, or adding zoning controls can immediately reduce waste. But you don’t always need new equipment to see savings. Often, the low-cost wins are in controls optimization: making sure your start/stop schedules match actual occupancy, calibrating sensors, and ensuring economizers are working as designed.
Running a 15-year-old rooftop unit without upgrades is like streaming Netflix on dial-up. It may limp along, but you’re burning money for poor performance.
Insulation matters, especially in New England winters. But just as important is infiltration, the air that sneaks in through cracks, leaky doors, or worn-out seals. That uncontrolled air has to be heated or cooled, and the load on your HVAC climbs. Federal building research shows that improving insulation and sealing air leaks can significantly reduce heating and cooling loads.
A building envelope audit, with thermal imaging or blower-door testing, can reveal surprising leaks. Sealing gaps, adding vestibules, or even installing air curtains at high-traffic doors can stop the bleed. Get ready for New England winters with essential HVAC and building prep tips. The payoff: lower energy costs, more stable indoor temperatures, and far fewer complaints about the “icebox conference room.”
A Building Management System (BMS) is like giving your building a brain. It tracks real-time usage, identifies which systems are over-consuming, and automates schedules so equipment only runs when it’s needed. Learn why investing in a BMS is a smart long-term energy strategy. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that building automation systems are one of the most effective ways to cut waste and lower utility costs.
Instead of guessing, you’ll know exactly where waste is happening. And with utility incentive programs like Mass Save, you can often offset the upfront cost of BMS installation.
Lighting isn’t your biggest load, but it’s one of the easiest to fix. Swapping out old fixtures for LEDs can cut lighting use in half. DOE’s Better Buildings program highlights how switching to LEDs and smart controls can cut lighting energy use by 50% or more. Add in occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting, and smart timers, and you’ll stretch those savings even further.
Think of lighting upgrades as a companion to HVAC efficiency. They reduce plug load, lower maintenance calls, and often make spaces more pleasant to work in.
Even the newest high-tech HVAC systems can waste energy if they’re not set up correctly. That’s where commissioning and retro-commissioning (RCx) come in.
Balancing ensures airflow is consistent with actual building needs. RCx digs deeper, uncovering hidden issues like dampers stuck open, heating and cooling fighting each other, or faulty sensors.
We saw this firsthand with a commercial office building in Lowell. The HVAC system was only seven years old, relatively modern, but tenants kept complaining about cold spots in winter and sauna-like conference rooms in summer. Our team found three major issues: a faulty sensor misreading room temps by 5 degrees, a damper stuck wide open on the third floor, and both heating and cooling fighting each other in the fall and spring seasons. After fixes, their energy usage dropped 21%, and so did the tenant complaints.
These are problems you can’t see without testing, but they can quietly waste thousands of dollars a year. Mass Save even offers rebates for RCx, a major bonus.
Changing filters is important, but true energy-saving maintenance includes coil cleaning, refrigerant charge verification, belt inspections, and calibration of thermostats and sensors.
Dirty condenser coils alone can increase energy consumption by 15–20%. DOE’s FEMP explains how routine O&M tasks—like coil cleaning and sensor calibration—directly improve energy performance. Skipping regular tune-ups is like never changing the oil in your car. It still runs, but you’re slowly wrecking it and paying more at the pump.
Post-COVID, many building owners are struggling to balance air quality with energy efficiency. The solution isn’t just pumping in more outdoor air, that’s expensive.
Instead, demand-controlled ventilation (using CO₂ sensors) adjusts outdoor air based on occupancy. Pair that with energy recovery ventilators (ERVs), which capture heat from exhaust air, and you can improve IAQ while cutting HVAC loads at the same time.
We often tell clients that upgrades, tuning, and maintenance can go a long way. But sometimes, the smartest financial move is full equipment replacement.
A 15-year-old chiller or boiler, even if “still working,” will never match the efficiency of modern systems. The upfront cost can sting, but a life-cycle cost analysis usually shows a 2–5 year payback. From then on, you’re banking the savings.
The key is data. Don’t replace because it’s trendy. Replace because the numbers prove it’s the best investment.
Savings vary by building type, size, and strategy, but most clients who follow through on upgrades see 10–30% annual reductions in energy costs. Add rebates and incentives, and many projects pay back in one to five years.
Beyond dollars, efficiency means fewer hot/cold complaints, happier tenants, smoother operations, and progress toward sustainability goals.
Energy waste isn’t just a financial issue. It slows operations, annoys tenants, and hurts your sustainability goals. But now you’ve got a game plan.
Start with your HVAC system. It’s usually the biggest culprit, and the best place to see fast savings.
Then chip away with smart upgrades like LED lighting and insulation improvements. Each change adds up quickly.
Want to go deeper? Check out our guide on HVAC energy efficiency upgrades for New England buildings.
Or better yet, reach out to the Harold Brothers team. We’ll help you make the smartest, most cost-effective moves for your building, your budget, and your bottom line.