As Earth Day approaches, now is the ideal time for commercial building stakeholders to adopt practical strategies for reducing energy consumption and emissions. Commercial buildings represent around 35% of electricity and 18% of total energy consumed in the U.S. and 26% of related emissions.1,2 What’s more, around 30% of the energy used in commercial buildings is wasted.1 The biggest consumers of this energy are HVAC, heating, and lighting systems. Space heating consumes around 32% of total energy consumption for the average building, with ventilation coming in second at 11% and lighting at 10%.3
In addition to confronting rising energy costs and a volatile energy market, commercial building stakeholders are feeling the pressure to meet new and emerging regulations and standards around emission reductions, energy efficiency, building performance, and benchmarking. Along with federal net-zero goals, states and municipalities across the country are enacting phased emissions and energy performance targets for commercial buildings that call for significant reductions in greenhouse gases, along with annual reporting to demonstrate progress.
The good news is: there are practical strategies building stakeholders can put into place now to see immediate gains in energy efficiency and emissions reduction, without requiring a major capital outlay or disrupting operations. Here’s a good place to begin.
Retro-Commissions (RCx): Optimize Existing Systems
Retro-commissioning (RCx) involves the evaluating and fine-tuning of existing HVAC and lighting systems to optimize their performance. With a focus on issues like faulty sensors, stuck dampers, leaking valves, and degraded components, or implementing strategies such as simultaneous heating/cooling, buildings can capture significant energy savings with minimal downtime.
In fact, reports show that RCx generates an average of 15% in energy savings for commercial buildings, with a median repayment of 1.1 years.4
Smart Thermostats: Simple, Intelligent Control
Smart thermostats are WiFi-enabled devices that, when added to HVAC systems, go beyond basic temperature control. These devices use sensors, AI algorithms, and connectivity to adapt automatically and dynamically to occupancy, weather, and usage patterns.
This makes them an effective strategy for cutting energy consumption by automating setbacks during off-hours, pre-conditioning spaces based on demand, and minimizing temperature swings through precise adjustments. In fact, smart thermostats have been shown to reduce HVAC energy consumption by 15-30%.5
BMS Tweaks for Big Savings
Small changes to your Building Management System (BMS) can yield significant savings by optimizing HVAC, lighting, and other systems without requiring major overhauls. For example, raising cooling setpoints by just a few degrees during occupied hours, and a few more after hours, cuts compressor runtime.
Linking BMS to motion sensors or CO2 detectors to dim lights or pause ventilation in unoccupied zones is another effective way to reduce energy waste. Setting BMS rules to cap simultaneous equipment loads during peak hours can also reduce utility bills. Research shows that making these kinds of BMS adjustments can lower energy consumption by up to 30%.6
Peak Load Management Strategies: Pre-Cool and Coast
Pre-cooling space overnight or in the early morning, when electricity is cheaper, and then coasting during peak-pricing hours can dramatically reduce HVAC output and lower maximum demand charges. This strategy works by flattening HVAC load during peak hours, and avoiding simultaneous equipment ramp-up of chillers, fans, and compressors. Precooling alone can cut peak load by up to 20%, with cost savings ranging between 15-20%.
Wind-Downs and Setbacks
A wind-down period during the transition between full occupancy and unoccupied mode replaces the hard on/off switch approach, and creates a gradual reduction in energy use. During the wind-down phase, lighting dims in stages and HVAC setpoints begin to drift upward while ventilation rates reduce.
The goal is to match actual declining occupancy instead going by the clock, keeping occupants comfortable while they’re leaving. The benefits of this approach are multifold. HVAC systems operate more efficiently when they’re ramped down gradually, and short cycles are avoided. This also helps reduce energy spikes and wear and tear on components.
With setbacks, you’re allowing indoor conditions to drift outside normal comfort zones during low or no occupancy. For example, you might increase the cooling setpoint by a few degrees or decrease the heating setpoint by 5-10 degrees when there are few people around. This approach reduces compressor runtime, fan energy usage, and reheat energy usage (a significant hidden load in VAV systems).
Harness Natural Light
Harnessing natural light—often called daylighting—is one of the most effective ways to cut energy use in commercial buildings, by reducing lighting demand, cooling loads, and peak electricity usage. With the addition of sensors to detect available light levels, artificial lights can be automatically set up to dim or switch off when there’s enough daylight. Data shows that effective daylight harvesting can reduce light energy costs by 20-60%.8
Sealing the Building Envelope
Upwards of 40% of a building’s energy is lost to unwanted airflow.9 Air sealing your building’s envelope is an effective way to prevent uncontrolled air leakage, reducing your HVAC load while maintaining conditioned indoor air. Sealing any gaps in the barriers between indoor and outdoor environments — walls, windows, doors, roof, and foundation— can save you up to 30% on heating and cooling costs, according to the Department of Energy, by improving the building’s thermal envelope.10
Regular Mechanical Maintenance
Conducting regular tune-ups and maintenance for your mechanical equipment can go a long way to ensuring peak performance. Mechanical systems naturally degrade over time; bearings wear out, lubrication breaks down, and electrical connections loosen, causing energy drift that can increase consumption if left unchecked.
For your HVAC system, make sure you replace dirty filters and coils that can restrict airflow, correct refrigerant imbalances that reduce cooling efficiency, and replace worn belts and motors that draw more power. Check your heat exchangers as well, looking for corroded condenser or evaporator coils that can interfere with heat transfer, removing scales that force compressors to work harder, and keeping systems clean so that they use less energy.
For building systems that rely on sensors and controls, make sure thermostats are calibrated correctly so they don’t over-condition spaces and waste energy. Check for faulty controls that may cause equipment to run during unoccupied hours.
Find the Energy Savings in Your Systems
Albireo Energy can help you find the low-hanging fruit for cost-effective, minimally disruptive, and rapid improvements in energy efficiency. Reach out to us today to schedule an energy audit of your building systems and develop your practical strategies for increased energy savings.
Sources.
1. “About the Commercial Buildings Integration Program.” U.S. Department of Energy.
2. “Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024/25.” Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction.
3. “Commercial Buildings: The Biggest Energy Users.” LA Department of Water & Power. October 10, 2023.
4. Carroll, Steve. “When ‘working’ isn’t working: why retro-commissioning matters.” Salas O’Brien. April 28, 2025.
5. “Smart Commercial Thermostat for RTUs: The Game-Changer Your Rooftop Units Need.” Cognition Controls.
6. “How can BMS systems reduce your costs and promote sustainability?” Echoo. October 31, 2024.
7. Xu, Anni et al. “Demand Flexibility of Pre-Cooling Strategies for City-Scale Buildings Through Urban Building Energy Modeling.” Buildings. February 25, 2025.
8. “Designing Energy Efficient Lighting Systems for Buildings.” PacLights.
9. Wieroniey, Stephen. “Can Air Sealing Help Create Energy-Efficient Buildings?” American Chemistry Council. July 21, 2020.
10. “Improving the Energy Performance of Your Building’s Thermal Envelope.” Vermont Gas.
