Loss of an organization’s profits is the biggest reason that facilities must maintain proper conditions at all times. It is the facility manager’s responsibility to know which areas of facilities are vital for maintaining comfortable conditions at all times.
Developing an HVAC Crisis Management Strategy
The first step in the design of an emergency cooling system is to identify those areas that must be kept properly air conditioned in the event of a main power or cooling failure.
Once facility managers have determined the crucial areas of the facility, the next job is to estimate the cooling capacity necessary to maintain conditions.
Once the facility manager is satisfied with the existing HVAC system, the next step is to confirm the emergency operating conditions of these vital areas.
Facility managers should also keep in mind that some facility equipment can function at higher temperatures without damaging the equipment.
The heat produced by occupants during an emergency situation is typically insignificant.
Lastly, heat transferred through exterior walls and roofs of your facility can oftentimes be negligible in new buildings. Older buildings with little or no insulation require facility managers to determine the expected amount of heat transfer during an outage.
It is essential for property managers to make sure that the load requirement for the vital areas of their facilities do not also come with a potential risk of danger to your facility’s occupants.
