About: bonus-eventus

When you think of a smart building, what do you see? Do you see your home with a smart thermostat, maybe a home control system that allows you to put the kettle on when you’re still in the car? It’s true that these are all smart technologies, designed to help make life a little easier for you at home or at work.

But systems, the IoT (Internet of Things) and environmental technology have evolved much further than that, allowing us to create buildings that are designed around the technology, allowing every system to be coordinated and in sync. So today we’re going to take a look at what’s considered the pinnacle of smart building design – The Edge in Amsterdam – and what makes it so unique.

Introducing The Edge

The Edge is located in the financial district of Zuidas in Amsterdam. Completed in 2015, it’s 40,000 sq-meters, 15 stories high, and has been given the prominent title of the ‘smartest and most sustainable’ office building in the world. It’s owned and managed by Deloitte, and was commissioned to bring all of their Amsterdam staff into one building that was perfectly suited to their needs. To create it, they commissioned PLP Architecture, a London based firm famous for creating sustainable, human-centric environments for businesses.

Sustainability At Every Step

Before we get onto what makes The Edge the ideal smart building, we also wanted to touch on its unique approach to environmental efficiency. Because it was designed and built with technology and sustainability in mind, the building itself is a remarkable example of what can be achieved when suitability is put at the heart of design.

• The Edge was built and shaped to make maximum use of the sunlight throughout the year. The windows give the office spaces the best use of daylight, while an integrated 6,00 sq. meter solar array on its south absorbs excess solar radiation and provides all the energy needed to run the building.
• It was built over an aquifer, which the buildings heat pump systems use to draw thermal energy and manage the heating and cooling of the building.
• The entire building is fitted with 6,500 low-emission LED lights, with motion sensors to ensure light is only provided when the building is occupied. This detail alone saves the building upwards of $100,000 a year in energy costs.
• All the flooring is made from rapidly renewable and recycled concrete.
• Relocatable walls are fitted on 14 of its 15 floors, giving workers power over their own space, meeting the highest standard of acoustic performance and made from durable and responsible sourced materials.

These decisions were not made in passing, or lightly Each detail of the building was carefully considered to ensure maximum sustainability and minimum environmental impact. Thanks to this attention to design The Edge has achieved a huge number of sustainability targets and even won awards – while showcasing that sustainable design is both possible and profitable.

Smart Tech Bringing It All Together

The sustainability achievements of The Edge are quite remarkable, but what sets it apart as the cornerstone of modern design is its integration of smart technologies. You see, Deloitte wanted to create a building that would serve their needs, save money and ultimately make them more efficient. To that end, the whole building is connected via the Internet of Things, enabling all systems to be controlled and monitored at all times. A few examples of smart technology within The Edge include:

• Nearly 30,000 IoT sensors throughout the building, all collecting anonymous data about everything going on inside. From heating and cooling systems to lighting, room occupancy and even coffee machines – that data is being collected and used to improve functionality at all times.
• Sensors are installed within the heat pump systems to track both water usage as well as local climate conditions.
• Machine learning algorithms are constantly working to optimise the energy consumption of the building, as well as user comfort and profitability.
• The building uses 30% of the energy a conventional office building of the same size does.
• Lighting, temperature, CO2 levels and humidity are all monitored and adjusted to ensure optimum comfort for the people inside.
• The IoT system includes a bespoke app, allowing employees to find parking spaces, open desks, report issues to facilities management and see their own energy consumption within the building – all from their own phone.

All of this means that The Edge is more than just a building – it’s a living, learning organism that’s been designed to adapt to the way people use buildings, all while keep efficiency high and costs low. The Edge is one-of-a-kind, but it’s our hope that it won’t be for long. It’s a proof of concept, showing that smart and sustainable buildings can make a huge difference to the environment, to employee productivity and business profitably, and we hope more businesses will follow suit. At Bonus Eventus Maintenance, we are always looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of the buildings we work in, and will always recommend eco-friendly solutions like heat pumps where possible. If you would like to know more about creating a sustainable building, just get in touch with one of our team today.

Hopefully by now you know that we are pretty passionate about renewable energy. As part of our work as HVAC maintenance specialists we are always looking for new ways to power buildings that are less harmful to the environment. One of those methods is heat pumps, but they still require power to run, so alone they can reduce your carbon footprint, but not completely erase it. For that, you need to consider a renewable energy source – step up solar panels. Solar panels are great for both home use and businesses, and today we’re going to tell you why.

What Is Solar Energy?

Solar power is a type of energy harnessed from the power of the sun’s rays. There is no need to mine coal or oil, destroy natural landscapes or worry about shortages – it’s the greenest source of energy there is. Just like the wind, solar power is a virtually unlimited and inexhaustible fuel resource that does not require mining or gathering. And the best part is you can harness it yourself – all you need is the right equipment to become energy self-sufficient, and help save the environment too.

The solar panels you commonly see installed on the roofs of private homes or business properties are PV cells made from layers of semi-conducting material. This is usually silicon but could be other things. These cells are activated when light shines on them, creating a small electrical field across all the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the stronger the electrical field becomes, and the more electricity is produced. Dozens of these cells are often placed together to maximise effectiveness, sometimes powering entire homes in the height of summer.

The cells used in solar PV are measured in a unique way called kilowatts peak (kWp), which measures the rate of electricity generation in full direct sunlight during summer. In real-world terms – a 4kWp system can generate, on average, around 3,800 kilowatt hours of electricity every single year, which is roughly the same as a typical household’s electricity consumption. But the reason it is fast overtaking gas as the preferred power source is this – it is cheaper to produce and can save nearly 2 tonnes of CO2 from being pumped into the atmosphere every year.

Living Off-The-Grid

For most people, being able to fund their electricity bill using natural sunlight is a dream. It could save you hundreds of pounds over the course of a single year, and can come in handy in an emergency! But as well as the obvious benefits above, there are a few other great advantages to solar PV panels. While they might cost a little to install, the benefits vastly outweigh the drawbacks, and you will start seeing results quickly. Some of the benefits you will see from solar PV include:

Low Monthly Rates: Despite the initial cost, installing renewable energy will save you plenty on your monthly power bill. Anything you produce yourself will cut back on what you need to pay the power company, and if you produce more, you can sell it back for a profit!

Flexible Living: If you prefer wide open spaces, refreshing views of nature, or the peace of rural life to noisy, rude neighbours, you can benefit from renewable energy. Producing your own power will give you the freedom to live just about anywhere you want.

Positive Environmental Impact: Of course, the environmental impact of choosing renewable power is huge. By going off-grid, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint and doing your bit to prevent climate change.

And the best part? All of those benefits apply to business premises as well as residential ones. So, if you own a business property, solar panels could be an incredibly good investment. Not to mention there are always grants available for businesses looking to install solar panels, working as an incentive to help reduce the Co2 emissions of our country. Just ask your local authorities what schemes they are running to find out how you could save money on the cost of installing solar panels.

At Bonus Eventus Maintenance, we’re really passionate about the environment. We’re always looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and passing that knowledge on to our clients. By advising our clients to combine solar panels and heat pump solutions, we hope to help you save money, and do your bit to save the planet. If you’d like to find out more, just get in touch with the team today to book your free consultation.

At Bonus Eventus Maintenance we talk a lot about preventative maintenance – which is no surprise since it’s the foundation of our company! Preventative maintenance plans are at the heart of what our business does, and we do it because that’s the best approach for our customers. By adopting preventative maintenance, we are ensuring a good outcome for them, which is one of our core values.

But have you ever wondered why it’s so important to us, and we why don’t just practice reactive maintenance instead?

Reactive Maintenance

Reactive maintenance is when you deal with something after the problem has occurred. For example, you wouldn’t replace a seal until it broke, or deal with rust until it caused a hole in a pipe and gushing water. You do this because you didn’t know those issues were coming, and it took you by surprise. It’s an approach that is all too common, and it can cost your business thousands in repairs, damage and downtime. You aren’t planning for maintenance – you’re reacting to problems and doing the work at the last possible moment (or just after it).

For us, that would mean a lot of running around after emergency call-outs, fighting fires – sometimes literally- to keep businesses running when they are in dire need. And while we do handle emergency call-outs, we always try to move the client onto a preventative maintenance plan when we’re done.

Preventative Maintenance

Preventative maintenance is the exact opposite of reactive maintenance. Instead of just waiting for things to go wrong before you deal with them, preventative maintenance involves planning out an inspection and repairs schedule. This is a regular event, usually every month or quarter, where an engineer will carry out a full inspection of your equipment to make sure it’s all in working order. If they spot anything that isn’t working, or that looks likely to fail in the near future, they can repair or replace it then and there.

This approach means there are no small problems building up into big ones, and your machinery is always working as it should. These repairs are often minor, and could be anything from replacing a seal that’s starting to tear to tightening a bolt or cleaning a filter. Think of it as a regular health check for your machinery – something that keeps it all working properly at all times. This approach to maintenance has been gaining popularity in recent years, especially as costs have gone up and business owners are looking for ways to extend the life of their systems as much as possible!

Why Preventative Maintenance Matters

There are bound to be some things in your building that don’t require a maintenance plan – or perhaps any real maintenance. When they wear out, they are replaced, and the intervening time isn’t much of an issue. But in most cases, a machine malfunctioning or parts needing repairing is a major issue and something that needs to be solved as soon as possible. This is where preventative maintenance is really important.

Because preventative maintenance is all about spotting problems before they become problems, you can save yourself a lot of time, money and stress. At Bonus Eventus Maintenance, we believe that operations should centre around preventative maintenance, and set up plans with our customers to inspect and do work on their systems on a regular basis. This allows us to pick up little niggling problems and fix them quickly, usually for a lot less money than that major repair would cost!

If that’s not enough, here are a few other benefits our customers have seen from their preventative maintenance plan:

Elimination of downtime: No large-scale repairs means the business doesn’t experience any downtime and is able to provide service continuously.

Improved employee morale: Workers know that they won’t have to deal with suddenly losing access to equipment, or be forced to work in buildings with no heat while emergency repairs are organised.

Equipment has a longer lifespan: Because it is being maintained regularly, their equipment lasts much longer and functions better, giving them more time to handle upgrades or replacements.

Increased business credibility: They can deliver on promises without sudden issues or delays caused by faulty equipment, making them more reliable for their customers.

Better reputation: They become known as a reliable business where things never break down.

Saved money: Of course, all of them have saved money as well! Small repairs are usually cheap when they are handled quickly, which means you aren’t having to spend out on costly repairs every few months. Instead, it’s a small and manageable amount as and when needed, which is better for your cashflow and your bank balance.

If you would like to know more about our maintenance plans, or to set up your own preventative maintenance schedule, just get in touch with the team today, and we’ll be happy to help.

Hotels are one of those very unique businesses that don’t just require you to keep your employees happy and comfortable – but thousands of other people as well. Depending on the size of your hotel you might see hundreds, if not thousands of guests come through every month, and it’s your job to make sure they have the best stay possible. One of the biggest ways you can do this is by investing in a good heating and ventilation system. After all, you can buy the comfiest beds and the plumpest pillows, but if the rooms are too hot in summer, or too cold and draughty in winter, you’re going to get complaints.

But what does a hotel need from a HVAC system, and how do they make the most of their investment?

Hot & Cold Temperature

One of the main functions of HVAC systems within hotels is to provide guests with adequate heating, cooling and ventilation. This is to ensure a comfortable temperature for their stay, which should be carefully controlled depending on the current weather conditions. That means being able to supply hot and cold air to the room itself, as well as ensuring an adequate supply of hot water to all rooms at all times. This is a big ask, and only gets bigger the more rooms there are in your hotel, so choosing the right HVAC system is critical.

Low Noise Pollution

Noise pollution is a huge problem in many areas, especially in built-up cities or in hotels near busy roads. The background noise is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean your HVAC systems should be adding to the sound level. Many HVAC systems will make a lot of noise as they operate, and managing the environment for a large hotel is no small task. But in a hospitality environment, you can’t have clanking pipes and whirring noises at every hour – it’s bad for the guest experience and your bottom line. This means you need to choose a HVAC system that is designed to cope with such a large load without making a lot of noise or disturbing guests during their stay.

Variable Room Temperatures

No one person is the same, and each person will have a slightly different idea of what a comfortable temperature is. Some prefer it to be warmer, while others like a slightly chilly room to help them relax. While the general temperature of your hotel and common spaces should be set at a happy medium, most of the time, what that looks like may change throughout the day. For example, you might want the reception area to be cooler around midday to give relief from the warm weather outside, but make it warmer in the evening as the outside temperature starts to drop. Fine control of the temperature at any time is important for any hotel.

On top of that, guests want to have control over the temperature in their rooms during their stay. This is known as ‘zoning’, and it’s something that not all HVAC solutions can do. Each guest should be able to set their own temperatures during their stay, at various times of day, and you need to make sure you choose a HVAC system that can provide that level of control, zoning capabilities and flexibility.

Maintenance

Above all, hotels need to ensure that their AC systems are working properly at all times. The last thing you want is your HVAC systems to break down in the middle of the night and end up with a lot of grumpy customers, especially if it was a preventable fault. It’s even worse if you then can’t get the fault fixed quickly, as this could quickly end up with you losing a lot of money.

So, when you’re looking at HVAC companies, make sure you hire one that can provide you with an ongoing regular maintenance service as well. Alternatively, you could hire a specialist maintenance company (like us) to perform regular inspections and maintenance, repair faults and be on hand for emergency call-outs, so you know that your HVAC systems are always in the best working order.

At Bonus Eventus Maintenance we specialise in the repair and regular maintenance of HVAC systems for commercial properties, including hotels and restaurants. We have a wealth of experience dealing with HVAC systems of all shapes and sizes, and can provide you with the information you need to make the right decision for your hotel. If you would like to know more, just get in touch with the team to book your free review and consultation.

Energy bills.

At the moment, those two words can cause panic in pretty much everyone in the UK. The cost of energy has continued to rise month on month, despite energy companies reporting record profits year on year. But it’s just homeowners that are worried about their energy use – businesses all over the UK are also feeling the pinch of the energy crisis, and looking for ways to bring the cost of running their business back down. One of the main ways you can do this is by understanding what exactly your energy bill is paying for, and what steps you could take to reduce it.

The 2 Key Charges

On the face of it, your energy bill should look very simple. It’s made up of the unit cost and the standing charge. The unit cost is the amount you pay for each unit of gas or electricity used, and is measured in kWh. The standing charge is the cost you pay each month to have energy physically supplied to your premises and kept connected to the energy network. It’s no different to your home energy bills there, and in theory, that should be all you pay, and it will certainly be all you see on the bill. But as we know, theories aren’t always correct.

Extra Costs For Businesses

There are actually a few other costs involved in business energy that contribute to what you pay overall as well. While some are region or industry-specific, the universal charges include:

Business energy wholesale costs: This is the amount the energy supplier pays to buy energy in bulk before selling it on to customers. You won’t see this as an individual item on your energy bill, but it will make up a part of your unit rate. Unless you’re on a fixed rate tariff, your energy bills will usually go up when the wholesale cost of energy does.

Transmission Use of System charges: Also known as TNUoS. This covers the cost of maintaining and upgrading the National Grid. It’s usually included in the standing charge.

Paying for Distribution Use of System: Or DUoS. Distribution Network Operators are licensed by Ofgem, and they are the people who distribute electricity in your area. This charge covers the costs incurred by your DNO, and will vary depending on the type of contract you have, your meter type, your location and your time of use.

Climate Change Levy: This is a charge the government brought in a few years ago to encourage businesses to become more energy efficient and reduce their carbon footprint. This cost is charged per unit of energy, and will be factored into your overall bill. If you use small amounts of energy (less than 33kWh a day), you use energy for domestic purposes (like accommodation or schools), or are a charity, then you don’t have to pay this levy.

VAT: Most businesses are charged VAT at 20% on gas and electricity, and this will be automatically added to your energy bill. The good news is, you can claim it back, if you are VAT registered! And if you are a charity, use an average of less than 33kWh per day, or use at least 60% of your energy for domestic purposes, you’re eligible for a reduced VAT rate of 5%.

Can I Reduce My Energy Bill?

Obviously, with energy prices as high as they are, you want to do everything you can to bring that energy bill down and keep your business running smoothly. The good news is, you can find some pretty significant savings just by changing how you approach powering your HVAC systems.

Most commercial HVAC systems are still powered by electricity, which means paying energy companies for the privilege. But if you switch to a heat pump, you will find your energy bill plummets pretty quickly. They work by absorbing thermal energy from a low-grade source (air, water or the ground), and transferring it to a heating element before dispersing it through the heating and hot water system. This unique design means that the heating process can cost you anywhere from 25% to 60% less than using a traditional boiler, significantly reducing your energy bill. Plus, they’re a low-carbon option for powering your building, which means you are doing your bit to combat climate change as well!

If you want to really cut down (or even eliminate) your energy bill, then your best option is to pair a heat pump with solar panels. This allows you to draw solar energy in and convert it into electricity, which you can then use to power your HVAC system and your building as a whole. You can also purchase batteries to store excess electricity for when you need it, or even sell the spare power back to the National Grid!

While the initial installation cost of these solutions might be big, so is the impact they can have on both your energy bills and the environment. Depending on the size of your building, you could effectively eliminate your energy bills, leaving you free to spend that money on growing your business. At Bonus Eventus Maintenance we are passionate about saving you money and saving the environment, so if you would like to talk about heat pumps, solar panels or carbon-neutral solutions, just get in touch to find out how we can help.

Industrial units are generally quite hectic, jam-packed places. There is a lot going on and a lot to manage, and your ventilation is just one cog in that very big wheel. But depending on what your business does, it could be an important factor, or it could be absolutely critical (as it is with food manufacturing and solvent storage companies). Even if your workspace is occupied by people working at desks, you still need to ensure adequate ventilation and air quality for them on a daily basis. This is done through industrial ventilation units, installed into the bones of your building. But why bother investing in a high-quality ventilation system over a cheaper one?

Employee Health

One of the bigger reasons to invest in a decent industrial ventilation system is for the health of your employees, and anyone else who visits your premises. Proper ventilation improves air quality within the building, which is not only more pleasant to be in, but prevents health problems and reduces employee sickness rates. Poor air quality has been found to exacerbate certain health conditions like asthma and allergies, and can even cause significant damage to those who are already vulnerable. Good ventilation prevents all of that by providing high-quality air in the work environment.

Remove Fumes & Impurities

The main function of a ventilation system is to vent old air out and pull new air in. This removes any fumes and impurities that have been generated within the building and prevents them from being breathed in by the people inside. Within the ventilation system, there will be a series of filters, all designed to catch impurities as they come in and prevent them from entering the building. This means that you will see a significant reduction in odours, bacteria, dust, humidity and everyday pollutants.

Comply With Government Regulations

Believe it or not, there are laws and regulations surrounding ventilation, heating and cooling, especially in business settings. If your building does not meet the standards required by law then it could be considered dangerous by the government, and you could be shut down. All buildings and facilities managers should make themselves fully aware of the regulations and their responsibilities, and take appropriate action to ensure the buildings they look after come up to code.

Reduce The Temperature

Did you know that air conditioning isn’t the only way you can reduce the temperature of a room or building? When a lot of people are confined to a small space, as often are in industrial units, the air can become stuffy, leading to it feeling hot and uncomfortable. Not a great work environment! This isn’t helped by the body heat people give off making the space feel warmer than it is, and making it very obvious that there isn’t adequate ventilation in place. Ventilation helps to circulate fresh air into a space and removes stuffy, old air, creating a better atmosphere and reducing the temperature and relative humidity in a room.

Prevent Damp & Mould

Have you ever had a bathroom without a vent or a window? How quickly did you find mould and mildew building up in there? Damp and mould like dark, damp environments without ventilation, so if your buildings don’t have ventilation, you’re more likely to experience these problems. That likelihood goes up more if your business does something that generates heat or steam, like food production or even bookbinding. Even in the colder months when you want to keep the windows shut, proper ventilation allows for the free flow of air in your building and prevents mould from growing.

Energy Efficiency

Finally, good ventilation helps improve energy efficiency in your building by reducing the need to open windows for fresh air. This means that in colder months you won’t be letting hard-earned heat float out of the window in exchange for fresh air, or have to run the heating full blast to compensate for that lost heat. In today’s climate, any way to keep your energy bills down is a plus, and ventilation can do just that.

At Bonus Eventus Maintenance Ltd we specialise in providing industrial HVAC solutions to buildings of all shapes and sizes, from industrial warehouses to data centres and anything in between. If you aren’t happy with the quality of your industrial ventilation or would like to explore how proper maintenance could improve your system’s performance, just get in touch with the team today and book your free consultation.

If your business employs people, it’s your responsibility to provide them with a suitable and safe environment to work in. Not only that, but it’s in your best interests to make that environment as comfortable and positive as possible so that your employees are happy and productive. But did you know how much the ventilation in your offices could impact employee motivation? The wrong temperature, not enough fresh air or high humidity can all cause your employees to feel unwell, unhappy and thoroughly demotivated.

The solution? Good air conditioning.

Why You Need A Good Working Environment

We’ve all been in a stuffy, hot environment at some point. Trying to focus when the temperature isn’t right, or there is no airflow can be difficult if not impossible, and if you have to stay there for prolonged periods it can be incredibly demotivating. All of which are bad news for you. You want employees who are happy, healthy and productive, which means they need a workspace that is comfortable and well-ventilated.

It’s not just Recently studies have shown that good airflow actually enhances cognitive function and decision making, giving your employees a better chance to plan, make decisions and actively engage in their work in a meaningful way. On the flip side, even more research has found that working in a low-quality environment can have significant negative impacts on employee health and wellbeing. And since this is largely controlled by air conditioning and ventilation systems, it’s worth investing in for your workplace.

The Unseen Effects Of Bad Air Quality

Bad air quality doesn’t just make you cough – the impact is far more widespread than that. When the environment is too hot or too cold, employee productivity dip significantly. Lack of appropriate ventilation leads to the air feeling stuffy and air not being cleaned properly before being cycled. This can have a negative impact on long term health, as well as short term productivity.

For example, having a low relative humidity (below 40%) environment increases the lifespan of airborne pathogens, helping them stay suspended in the air for longer and travel further, spreading infection throughout the workplace. Viruses such as influenza and norovirus survive longer at an RH of 20- 30%, whilst a mid-range RH between 40% and 70% will minimise their survival. Tests also indicate the infectivity of the influenza virus is increased by both low and very high RH, with minimum infectivity at 50% RH. But RH below 40% will also make people feel cold, leading to a rise in heating bills, a wide range of health problems and increased absenteeism.

But, you can’t have your RH too high either. Above 60%, people will start to feel uncomfortable and out of proportion with the actual indoor temperature. This will make people a bit edgy, sweaty and generally unable to focus. This causes people to turn on air conditioning or comfort cooling, sending energy costs through the roof. High humidity also encourages mould growth and condensation, which at best is a temporary slip hazard and at worst can create mildew, mould and all of the associated health-related problems for your employees.

How To Achieve Improved Ventilation

The simplest way to achieve good ventilation and air temperature control in your workplace is by investing in high-quality air conditioning and ventilation systems. This can either be done by completely replacing what you have or retrofitting new systems into an existing environment to improve performance. Invest in happier and healthier staff, better employee performance and significantly reduced sickness rates.

At Bonus Eventus Maintenance, we supply, install and maintain air conditioning and ventilation systems for businesses and workplaces across the UK, no matter how large or small. If you would like to know more about improving productivity with air conditioning, just get in touch with the team today.

Every person, organisation and building in the world has a carbon footprint. Over the last 10 or so years a lot of focus has been on knowing what your carbon footprint is, and reducing it as much as possible. But not as much focus on business and residential business owners doing the same thing. So today we’re going to talk about what a carbon footprint is, why it matters and how using a heat pump could help reduce yours.

What Is A Carbon Footprint?

Essentially your carbon footprint is the name for the environmental impact generated by your company activities. Specifically, the amount of carbon dioxide released into the environment by performing the activity, and how damaging it is.

For example, if you wanted to work out the carbon footprint of a bottle of water, you would need to add up all of the greenhouse gases produced by sourcing the water, manufacturing the bottle, transporting and creating the product and all of the activities within the business to get that bottle of water made and sold to you. That’s a lot to add up!

We talked a bit more about how you can work out your carbon footprint in this blog, so if you wanted to know more, give that one a read!

Why Is Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Important?

Obviously, the fewer carbon emissions that are released into the environment, the better. And everyone should be doing their part to reduce theirs. But the two biggest carbon producers are businesses and buildings, so there’s a big incentive to start there, as it will have a much bigger impact than any individual action.

There are also some business benefits to embracing carbon neutrality now and moving towards a more sustainable business model. For one thing, it will protect your reputation in the marketplace as the public outwardly condemns more and more carbon-heavy businesses. Consumers are actively choosing to work with businesses that take their carbon footprint seriously and are making positive changes, so a boost to your sales figures and general market presence are a welcome bonus.

It will also make it easier for you to transition to a more sustainable business model in the future. There are already limits being put on energy consumption and regulations around things like fossil fuels – and you can bet there will be more in the future. Lowering your emissions now in any way you can will make reacting and complying with new sustainability regulations a lot simpler for you down the line.

Finally, it will actually help your business cut costs. While investing in carbon-neutral strategies and equipment might seem expensive, most will save you an enormous amount on energy bills in the medium and long term. By lowering your carbon footprint, you lower your energy use, which in turn lowers your energy bills. And while it isn’t always viable for businesses to spend money on becoming environmentally friendly, in this case, the savings are worth it.

By cutting down the carbon footprint of those two sectors, we could significantly slow down climate change, preserve our environment and make better use of the earth’s resources.

Building Maintenance And Carbon Footprints

Commercial properties are one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gasses, largely thanks to the multitude of systems inside that produce carbon dioxide as well as the physical act of building them. This is such a large problem that the government has actually launched a ‘Zero Carbon Buildings’ initiative, with the aim of bringing all older buildings to carbon zero by 2050, and ensuring all new buildings are constructed in a carbon neutral fashion alongside them.

Once a building has been built, the biggest source of carbon dioxide is usually the HVAC system. Older or legacy systems like gas boilers can produce around 4,500 kWh of CO2 per year, which can add up to a huge amount of carbon in the environment over the building’s lifespan. But if you change to a modern solution like a heat pump, you can cut that number to almost zero. Heat pumps produce just 220 kWh of CO2 a year because they are powered by electricity, not gas, and they last a lot longer as a result. Paired with renewable energy sources like solar panels, this single change could bring your building to almost carbon neutral within a matter of months.

At Bonus Eventus Maintenance we are passionate about the environment and reducing the carbon footprint of our own business as well as our clients. We are currently consulting with a number of block and facilities managers on the changes that would need to be made to their HVAC systems to meet this target, and if you’re in a similar position we’d love to help you too. Just get in touch with the team today for a free consultation. And if you want to know more about energy efficient HVAC solutions, keep an eye on the blog.

We don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s pretty hot in the UK right now! We’re having some unprecedented heatwaves this year, and workplaces across the country are turning to the ‘AC’ part of their HVAC systems to keep cool. But if you haven’t been taking care of your air conditioning properly, you could end up in a sweaty disaster. So today we thought it would be a good idea to remind you of why regularly servicing your air conditioning is a good idea!

Better Energy Efficiency

With energy bills soaring, you want to make sure you’re making the most of every penny you spend, and not washing money running inefficient equipment. Regular servicing is an easy way to ensure your air conditioning system running at full efficiency. Small things like clogged air filters, dirty condenser coils and other issues mean that the system is using more energy to operate normally, sending your energy bill through the roof. You might not even notice any of those issues are there, just that your energy bill has gone up and you don’t know why. Maintenance can stop these things from building up and keep your energy bills manageable.

Lower Repair Costs

Speaking of keeping your bills manageable, regular servicing also means your repair bills will be lower across the board. That’s because your technician will be able to spot issues while they are still small and fix them early, leading to lower repair costs. Without regular servicing, you will find yourself on the receiving end of emergency repair bills, which are never cheap.

Your System Will Last Longer

As with any major equipment, regular servicing will extend your system’s operational life significantly. When just one component fails in the system, the rest of the components have to work much harder to compensate for it. This significantly reduces the lifespan of the entire system and means you will need to replace your HVAC systems a lot more often than strictly necessary. And while of course there is a limit on how long certain components are going to last, regular servicing means less stress is put on the system, and the longer it will last.

Better Indoor Air Quality

Air conditioning isn’t just there to keep you cool. It’s also there to clean and filter the air to provide a safe environment for your employees. It’s been proven time and time again that indoor air quality is linked to productivity, sickness, absenteeism and employee happiness, so it’s a worthwhile investment to make! But to achieve all of this, your air conditioning system contains a number of air filters that are designed to purify the air that passes through it. These can get dirty very quickly, which then decreases the air quality. Regular servicing ensures that your filters are working as they should, being changed regularly and that everyone in the building is breathing clean air.

How often your air conditioning needs servicing will depend on a few things, including the model, age, how often it’s used and how well it has been maintained in the past. So, if your air conditioning isn’t cutting it in this heatwave, it might be time for a service. To book yours, or find out more, just get in touch with the team today.

If the last 2 years has done anything, it’s revealed just how important hygiene is for the overall health of individuals and the population as a whole. But while we’ve all been focused on making sure we wash our hands and properly clean surfaces, how much thought have you put into the cleanliness of other areas? Like the air in your building, for example?

Air quality isn’t just about keeping Covid-19 out of your lungs. It’s also directly related to things like concentration, mood, performance and better overall health, and improving it can have serious benefits to everyone breathing it. So how do you keep your air quality high and prevent infection? By keeping your HVAC systems clean and well maintained.

Airborne Pathogens And Viruses

One of the most common causes of infection from viruses is the inhalation of contaminated air. For example, speaking, coughing and sneezing can all expel large numbers of ‘aerosols’ (suspensions of solid or liquid particles in the air), which could include viruses and bacteria. The smaller the particles are, the longer they will stay in the air and the further they will travel when expelled. For example, we know that Covid-19 can survive in the air for over 25 minutes before it is dispersed enough to not be infectious.

When exposed to dry air, most of the moisture content in the aerosol will evaporate instantly, making the suspended particles smaller and lighter, able to travel further and survive longer. But both temperature and relative humidity affect the airborne survival of viruses, bacteria and fungi. So by controlling the heat, humidity and airflow within your building, you can significantly reduce the lifespan of viruses and pathogens and protect the people working within.

From The Outside In

Your first line of defence against pathogens and debris getting into the air in your building is to stop it from coming inside in the first place. The simplest way to do this is t ensure that all air intakes in the building have been fitted with a pre-filtration system, containing a filtering media that blocks larger pollutants from entering the building. These systems are actually a fairly standard part of most HVAC systems, as they help improve efficiency and keep it operating at optimum. The thing most people get wrong is not changing this filter media often enough. Since it is responsible for catching all of those bigger pathogens and stopping debris clogging the system, they tend to get filled up quicker than smaller filters and lose their effectiveness. By hiring a company to perform regular routine maintenance tasks like changing filter media, you can dramatically improve your indoor air quality and protect your HVAC equipment at the same time.

Regular Cleaning

Outside health concerns for the people in your building, maintaining good hygiene standards in your HVAC system can also have some commercial benefits. As we mention every week, regular maintenance is key to ensuring your system is working correctly and catching problems while they are small. Cleaning is a part of the HVAC maintenance programme for this exact reason. Without regular cleaning and hygiene checks, your HVAC system could suffer from:

• Condensation forming and pooling on vessels, pipes, equipment, cold surfaces and even floors, causing hazards and damage.
• Corrosion and other damage to buildings, structures, fittings and equipment.
• Bacterial growth and mould, resulting in hygiene issues, spreading infection and compliance difficulties.
• Higher servicing and maintenance costs as a direct result of damage caused by poor hygiene.

The good news is that ongoing HVAC maintenance isn’t an expensive outlay for you, unlike the cost of replacing a full unit, or paying sick leave for employees who are breathing poor quality air. While the cost of replacing a complete system can run into the thousands, maintenance and cleaning of that system will cost a fraction of that and keep your buildings in working order for longer. Not only that, but there is some evidence to suggest that well run HVAC systems could actually save you money in terms of energy and electricity used by your building.

By investing in regular maintenance and cleaning for your HVAC systems you are ensuring lower payouts for repairs, reducing your emergency call-outs (and their charges) and providing a cleaner, more comfortable environment for the people using your building. For advice or help with your long-term HVAC maintenance plan, get in touch with the team today to book your free consultation