This is a difficult question to answer in a standard blog because the type of business has a huge effect on control of temperatures and humidity. The range depends on whether the HVAC system is being used primarily to provide comfort to people inside the facility or if it’s designed to protect equipment and process. A large industrial space will need much different amounts of cooling during the summer than a small office space.
For this blog, we’re going to look at the office environment. This will give you an idea of what you need to expect from your commercial cooling in Toronto, ON and the ways we can help you.
Temperature
Creating comfortable temperatures for an office environment can be tricky, since most people have different tolerances for high and low temperatures. There’s also fluctuation depending on the seasons. The trick with temperature ranges is to create a comfortable environment without placing too much strain on the HVAC system and wasting energy.
A good starting range to consider for indoor temperature is 21–22°C during the milder seasons (spring and fall). In summer, a good range is to raise the temperature to 23–26°C—most people will find this comfortable in hot weather and it will lower energy costs. For winter, move to a lower range of 20–23.5°C. With balanced humidity (see below) these temperatures should satisfy most of the people in a workplace. However, you may need to make adjustments because of factors like insulation, radiant heat exposure, and heat given off by equipment.
Humidity
Humidity often gets passed over in considerations of comfort, which is a mistake. Humidity in Toronto goes through large swings over the year, with sweaty and damp summers and crisp winters. Humidity is also a major factor in causing damage to office equipment. The key is finding the right balance of indoor relative humidity (RH). Often, less experienced HVAC installers will try to solve high humidity and end up making a space too dry.
The ideal range of relative humidity is from 40% to 60%, with 45% one of the most comfortable levels. If humidity drops below 30% or goes above 70%, the facility will have serious issues. We strongly recommend working with us to find humidity balancing solutions if this is the case.
Building Automation Controls
We have another recommendation for controlling temperature and humidity in your building: hand the hard work over to a building automation system (BAS). These automation systems can streamline operations in your facility in numerous ways, and one of them is the proper adjustment of humidity and temperature indoors based on sensor readings, internet connections to weather information, and past history. A BAS balances energy-saving with ideal conditions, and you won’t have to worry about making continual adjustments based on fluctuations—the automated system will do all the work for you. We install building automation systems and other energy management programs.
Advantage Airtech Commercial Ltd. is the Double “A” Name with the Triple “A” Rating. Call us for all your commercial HVAC needs—we’ll find the ideal temperature and humidity solutions for your facility.
