Fan energy is the highest electric consuming component in commercial HVAC. The supply air temperature setpoint is one of the single biggest factors in determining fan energy and HVAC performance.

The lack of commonly accepted standardized control sequences in our industry is a problem. An absence of a common understanding of our systems should function has led to disjointed operating philosophies and customized control sequences that are often simply wrong, wasting a tremendous amount of energy and producing a variety of negative performance dynamics that can go completely unnoticed throughout the life of the system. ASHRAE Guideline 36 targets this low-hanging fruit by defining the best practices for sequences of operation. It has the potential to influence our industry as positively as any other technology. It will take a cultural shift in the design and implementation of control system installations, but its time has come.