Night Setback Temperatures

It depends on the type of zone.  Generally 52/88 are the best setpoints to use.  This means that during night setback, the heat setpoint becomes 52 degrees, and the cool setpoint becomes 88 degrees.  These are not random numbers.  The cost of recovering a zone to its occupied temperature setpoints is NOT a linear function in terms of cost per degree of recovery.  i.e. it costs more to heat or cool a zone 1 degree that is further away from setpoint, than it costs to heat or cool a zone 1 degree that is closer to its setpoint.  The cost of recovery curve begins to increase sharply at 52 degrees for heating, and at 88 degrees for cooling. 

Further analysis of this concept must take into consideration the amount of energy a given air mass has.  The more energy that has to be added to or removed from a zone, the more it costs.  Ask an EPM Engineer to discuss this concept with you prior to changing your night setback maintain setpoints.

There are special considerations for certain types of zones.  In your building(s) these considerations may include: Network rooms, critical documents storage, musical equipment storage, microfiche storage, etc. What you must manage here more than temperature is humidity.

For more information on these and other discussions, contact an EPM engineer or your Manufacturers representative.

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