The value in smart gas valve choice
Commercial buildings are being forced to be ever more energy efficient, but all too often the humble gas valve is forgotten when it comes to new build specification or as a retrofit. Paul Aston, Xylem Flow Control UK, explains how being ahead of the game on gas valve choice could ensure increased energy efficiency in commercial buildings.
The pressure to deliver ever more energy efficient buildings is relentless for architects, specifiers and constructors working on new build or renovation projects, but also for facilities and building managers running the building once completed. The seemingly inexorable increase in energy costs is fuelling the search for solutions. Nowadays, high efficiency boilers, low energy lighting and high efficiency circulator pumps are the rule rather than the exception. Attention is increasingly turning therefore, to new or previously overlooked areas of the building which consume energy and offer, via more accurate specification or retrofit, the potential for cost savings once the building becomes operational. The gas valve is one such area. Often given little thought by the architect or specifier and overlooked by the facilities manager, the gas valve can offer considerable savings. Pipes are mostly unnoticeable to the aesthetics of the building, but the role that they play transporting liquids and gas is crucial. However, pipes only transport the gas and cannot regulate the flow or switch it off completely. This is the role of the gas valve. Gas valves are a permanent feature of all buildings, ensuring safety through controlling the flow of gaseous media and shutting down the gas supply in emergency situations. There are two types of gas valve that work in completely different ways, namely solenoid valves and electro-hydraulic valves. These valves differ in terms of operation, but they also differ significantly in terms of their running costs. Solenoid valves work by using mains electricity to generate a controlled magnetic field which affects the state of the valve and lifts a plunger to open or close the valve door. Energy input is required 24/7 to maintain the magnetic field as the valve door moves between the open and closed position.
Electro-hydraulic valves work by using electricity to activate a pump and apply pressure onto a piston. When this reaches a certain point it hits a micro switch which locks the hydraulic fluid into the piston and enables the valve to stay in the fixed position. With an electro-hydraulic
36 energy
valve energy input is not required 24/7 which means there is considerable scope for
a reduction in building running costs. Whilst solenoid valves have a lower initial purchase cost, facilities managers in particular need to take account of the whole life cost of the valve, particularly when considering replacement or retrofit. Constant energy usage unsurprisingly results in high electrical power and carbon consumption rates. A typical solenoid valve consumes 0.0892Kg carbon per hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This equates to £387 per year with an annual carbon usage of 781kg. In comparison, electro-hydraulic valves, such as the Alcon HWA, consumes 0.014KW of electricity per hour and has an overall carbon usage of 64.33kg annually. This EN161 approved electro- hydraulic valve costs £31.80 per year
which means that a building can achieve a payback period of less than 18 months compared to a typical solenoid valve. This can result in valuable reductions in energy and carbon usage for buildings such as schools, care homes, hospitals, residential tower blocks and commercial kitchens. Specifiers and facilities managers are too often in the dark on the potential for power consumption savings. Savings from less obvious sources, such as the gas valve, can help to ensure a building is more energy efficient, but all-too-often this vital piece of equipment is overlooked. Greater recognition of the on-going running costs of gas valves and a focus on whole life costs rather than just initial purchase cost, could deliver real dividends. My advice to specifiers and facilities managers is to take a closer look at the humble gas valve when considering the efficiency of a building.
www.xylemflowcontrol.com
£50M to help companies save energy
EMSc (UK) Ltd, manufacturer of the
UK’s market-leading voltage optimisation solution, Powerstar, has £50M funding available for administration to public and private sector companies wishing to invest in implementing specific energy saving technologies.
The £50M is for technologies that can deliver a return on investment within a 5 year period, as identified in reports prepared by the NHS Sustainable Development Unit and St Georges University. Funds will be provided interest free for up to 5 years.
The funds are only available for the top three technologies – Voltage Optimisation, LED lighting and Variable Speed Drives (VSD’s) – as they have been proven to provide the highest energy savings, across a range of different sized sites. Applications for the funding can only be made through EMSc (UK) Ltd until the 31st of December 2013 and will be subject to status and approval. For more information visit
www.ems-uk.org
Building & Facilities Management – October 2013
Dr Alex Mardapittas, Managing Director
Energy
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