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New chillers for old
Chiller specification trends are changing in the current financial climate as clients are finding capital
expenditure hard to swallow. However, in the light of impending R22 phase out, F Gas Regulations and
energy cost pressures, now is the time for clients to listen to and carefully consider advice given by
consultants for upgrading existing chiller plant. Steve Warnock, managing director at the Coolmation
Group, outlines the key issues around chiller replacement
clients that own old leaky Eurovent B in catalogues and a Turbocor or screw chiller.
systems and the ongoing costs the Eurovent Directory of Where load conditions are
it takes to maintain them. Certified products. going to be constantly above
With recent technology Yet, a chiller’s EER should not 70%, it is probable that a screw
developments and be considered in isolation. compressor chiller will be just
improvements in equipment Reference to the chiller’s ESEER as efficient as a Turbocor one,
design and performance, (European Seasonal Energy and considerably less
replacing old chillers with new Efficiency Ratio), as set out by expensive. (An important point
high efficiency units can bring Eurovent will allow clients to for clients when discussing
real cost benefits to clients. compare the efficiency of one capital expenditure – although
Replacement can also deliver chiller against another under again to reap best value each
guaranteed, longer term part load conditions. application must be considered
performance advantages than Since the compressor is the individually and clients must
the higher risk, ‘stop-gap’ single, largest energy consumer listen to the advice of the
solution afforded by using within any cooling system, the consultant). Where loads are
alternative refrigerants in old choice of scroll, screw or likely to reduce for considerable
chillers. As the phase-out Turbocor centrifugal chiller is a periods to around 50%,
begins to bite then R22 and key factor in defining the EER Turbocor chillers will be
other HCFC refrigerants will and ESEER. Chillers featuring significantly more efficient than
become less readily available on the latest Turbocor centrifugal screw.
the market and much more compressors, with their
expensive as a result. inverter-driven, permanent Apply common sense
Additionally, if existing chillers magnet motor and magnetic Common sense needs to be
C
hallenging times lie Introduced in 2000, the EU estimated 15% of the servicing are becoming unreliable and in bearings, have recently grabbed applied when selecting chillers
ahead for consultants. Ozone Regulation banned the needs of the remaining contravention of F-Gas plenty of headlines. Typically, by their capacity. The calculated
With the current use of ozone depleting HCFC installations. legislation by regularly leaking traditional induction motors of cooling capacity, for example,
financial climate refrigerants, such as R22, in At the same time, clients refrigerant, then the case for this size are in the 92% will very likely include some
driving some finance new chillers and cooling must also be made aware of the upgrading to a new chiller is efficiency range, but the margin of over capacity. The
directors to batten down the systems. However, R22 remains recently introduced European even more persuasive for the Turbocor compressor’s chiller selected will normally
hatches where budgets are a very common refrigerant in Union F-gas Regulations. F- clients. permanent magnet DC motor have a slightly higher than lower
concerned, consultants face the existing chillers and this gases or Fluorinated gases, provides an efficiency of capacity than the calculated
significant hurdle of persuading Regulation will ban the use of which include HFCs, the Consider the EER between 96 to 97%. Yet, they need, and the overall selection
clients to opt for the best value R22 and HCFC drop in commonest refrigerants used However, in a replacement are not necessarily the best will be based on the peak load
rather than the cheapest option replacements such as R408 and today, have a high global scenario, selecting the most option for all applications. occurring on the hottest day of
when it comes to chiller R409 as top-up fluids for warming potential. The F-gas energy efficient chiller is not the year. It is also likely that the
specification. Consultants must maintenance between 2010 (for legislation was therefore necessarily that simple, and selection criteria will be based
therefore make clients aware of virgin refrigerant) and 2015 (for brought in to help meet the EU’s there is certainly no one silver
Against the backdrop of
on an ambient condition
other essential factors that are recycled refrigerant). That said, Kyoto Protocol obligations by bullet solution for all a weakening economy, of up to 35°C. That may be fine
currently driving product choice the EU is already indicating its working to minimise the applications. As a first step, it is the cost of energy for central London, but for
while conveying that chiller preference to bring this date emissions of these gases and necessary to consider each
has soared in the
more rural or northerly
replacement is not only forward and implement a total so reduce their impact on the unit’s EER (Energy Efficiency
past 12 months
applications is that really
desirable but necessary. phase out by 2012. environment. Ratio), the ratio of cooling necessary? In other words, in
As a result, more and more New F-gas measures came output compared to power no time at all, clients could be
Soaring costs clients are waking up to the into effect last year and apply to input. For those tasks requiring overpaying for an oversized
Against the backdrop of a plain truth that, sooner rather all static refrigeration and air Eurovent, the European cooling capacities up to 350- chiller which will cost more to
weakening economy, the cost of than later, chillers using R22 conditioning equipment i.e. Committee of Air Handling and 400kW, then chillers featuring operate and maintain
energy has soared in the past 12 and other HCFC refrigerants chillers. They impose legal Refrigeration Equipment four or six independently throughout its lifecycle.
months. During 2008 UK PLC must either use alternative obligations on operators of this Manufacturers, has set its own operating scroll compressors In short, for optimum
has swallowed double digit rises refrigerants or, ultimately, be equipment, with operators formulae to calculate EERs, are still very likely to be the efficiency and reliability, it is
in the cost of the gas and replaced. defined as the people or making it easier to compare the most efficient selection. better to have a smaller chiller
electricity and faces continued It’s true that some HCFC organisations that have actual performance of chillers Matching a reducing load highly loaded than a larger one
price and supply uncertainty in users are waiting for a ban on power over the technical manufactured by Eurovent simply means turning idling.
the months and years ahead. recycled HCFCs to be functioning of the equipment. accredited companies. Its compressors off - considerably It should also be
Alongside these pressures, introduced believing that there Secure refrigerant containment classification for full load EER more efficient than allowing remembered that a chiller with a
refrigerant phase-out and will be a supply of reclaimed is core to the regulation so it is follows a similar path to the A to compressors to continue to run Eurovent certification can be
a tougher refrigerant R22 that they can use until this necessary for clients to both G approach to the Energy in an unloaded state absolutely relied upon to
management regime are point. However, the high price prevent leaks and repair any Labelling Directive, with the For those projects where achieve its published capacity, a
beginning to have an impact on of reclaiming R22 means that leakage as soon as possible. A energy efficiency of chillers demand exceeds 500kW, then different situation to that which
the market. recycled R22 will only meet an significant consideration for designated by Eurovent A or the choice is probably between existed in the past.
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JUNE 2009 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER 7
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