Multiple variables affect the operating costs of an HVAC system
Control of variables and choice are key to manage a mechanical system for the life of a building.
The energy used in your building is a function of multiple variables; the structure and occupancy for example. Other variables center around component selection, control and design. HVAC is not like buying a new laptop, outdated by the time you unbox. Technology is moving fast in HVAC as well, but the purchasing decision will be one that lasts for decades. A hydronic system advantage is that components are forward and backward compatible, enabling upgrade as technology and budgets allow, and ready replacement if required 20 years from now.
Hydronic systems are closed loop — simply meaning that water as the medium is recirculated — and it also means controlled; control of a variable. Your building HVAC system responds to the load inside the building and does so against the sources for heat absorption, heat rejection and the fuel sources outside the building. Or are they?