The little guy!

Have you ever felt like the small guy?

Managers and business owners know this feeling well. Whether you have one small location or 125 stores across the country, there always seems to be someone bigger than you. This can make you question your business and yourself.

Our philosophy is to ALWAYS think big! Believe that nothing can stop you, there are no limiting factors, and you can do everything your competitors do…but better. Changes in technology and marketing tools mean that small businesses can access the same markets as the big companies. Printing costs are a fraction of the old costs. Facebook, Twitter and other social media are free. Producing videos, commercials, websites and software is within the reach of everyone. A little bit of research will almost always show you a newer way of doing something, and it’s usually easier and cheaper than the old way of doing things.

A good example of this in the HVAC/Energy Management industry is the recent changes in control systems. In the past they were large and bulky, the software needed a dedicated computer to run it (which also meant room for an extra computer), the parts in the system were proprietary, meaning you were stuck with a certain company even if you disliked the service you were receiving. All of this meant that the costs were out of reach of all but the biggest companies. Now, with recent technological advances, we can install systems for a fraction of the cost, the system is built with common parts, and everything is accessible on the web.

It may not be big, but it IS clever!

Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area.
We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!

construction zone

The earlier the better!

When construction starts on a new building (or a reno of an old one) getting advise early on could save you a lot of trouble later on.

Don’t just rely on your architect – have  your HVAC company come to the site early on. A good HVAC contractor will be able to look over the space and let you know what will and won’t work. They should also be able to recommend the best equipment to use and advise on the prevention of future conflict with other trades. For example: where the duct will run, controls placement, electrical requirements, fresh air intake and general layout of the system. We worked on one job where they had not taken any advice. As each trade arrived on site they found the sprinklers were in their way and had to be moved. Eventually they were moved FIVE times!

With this basic info at his fingertips, the site foreman doesn’t need to be an HVAC expert. The system will be planned out from the beginning so, as each trade arrives, their part of the job is already planned out.

Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area.
We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too.

Top 5 ways save money on HVAC systems

1. Program your thermostat. One of the easiest ways to save money is to control the number of operating hours, to ensure it’s only on when it’s needed! Less usage will also translate as less maintenance costs and, of course, less energy consumed. There are now internet controlled stats on the market which mean you can control settings anywhere at the touch of a button.
2. Changing filters. Dirty, clogged up filters will affect the efficiency of your a/c system. Ideally filters should be changed every 3 months to ensure optimum performance.
3. Cleaning coils and fans. Similarly, dirty coils and fans will increase energy consumption of your equipment and cost you more. Equipment should be cleaned at least once a year.
4. Updating equipment. The older the machine, the slower and more energy thirsty it will be! Regular maintenance will prolong the life, but eventually it will be much more cost effective to replace aging systems.
5. Cleaning burners. If heating burners are allowed to get dirty they will clog up and prevent proper combustion of the gas. This will affect the efficiency of the unit.

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How your building is wasting your money.

What is the biggest cost in running a building?

Energy! (Lighting, cooling and heating)

How can you control these costs?

Well, you could try asking your staff to turn down the thermostat and turn off unused lighting. However, this rarely works because:

• no one remembers
• thermostats are too confusing to use
• too many people press buttons, without knowing what they’re doing…
• which ends up with some areas cooling whilst others are heating
• and finally, units are left to run 24 hours a day, all of which costs you a fortune

In the past the so called solution was a building control system which costs tens of thousands of dollars. Control of this building system would be put on a computer in the basement, together with a very confusing program, which the maintenance staff were expected to run.

But now there’s new technology that makes management of energy costs and comfort levels easy — a building control system that can manage either one stat on its own or an entire building, and can be controlled from any computer in the world.

Please click here for more information.

I didn’t know I could do that….

“I didn’t know I could do that” – the most common response we get  when explaining energy management systems to new customers!  Energy Management is simple…from turning off a light switch to full,  integrated systems; it’s all intended to make your life easier and save  energy.

In the bad old days energy management systems needed a dedicated  computer, lots of expensive software, and tied you into a contract  with  one company who held all your information. These days all you  need is  a box that plugs into your router. This is combined with easy  to use  graphics, which can be customized just for your building or  business.  And, because it’s web based, replacement parts are easy to  come by  and can be serviced by any company. Of course, all of this  makes the  costs much less, which opens up an opportunity for  smaller businesses  and buildings to use this system. With  programmable thermostats,  motion sensors for lights, and entire  building control systems – your  options today are much greater, and  more affordable, that ever before.

Let us show you something you ‘didn’t know’!

Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and  Electrical  company, serving Vancouver and BC area. Our focus is Energy   Management –  saving you money whilst saving the environment.

We hate to be the ones to point it out….but the temperatures are starting to drop, and fall is just around the corner. Get ahead of the crowds  – get your furnace serviced now, so that when it’s time to turn the heating on you can do so straight away….knowing that it is safe and in perfect working order!

Did you know….?
The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty to protect the earth’s ozone layer and phase out the production and importation of ozone depleting substances. As of January 1st 2010 the next phase out took effect, from now on, no new R-22 equipment can be manufactured or imported, and the annual allowable amount of HCFC’s is reduced by 75%.
What is R-22?
R-22 is a gas, which is the main refrigerant used in air conditioning equipment.
What does this mean to you? Does your equipment use R-22?
95% of the Air Conditioning equipment in use today is using R-22.
What can you do?
Maintain your equipment properly and professionally, use some of the many energy management ideas to cut down on run-time with, and reduce the load the best you can (i.e. keep windows and doors closed etc).