ENERGY MANAGEMENT
SAVE BILLIONS WITH PROPER ENERGY MANAGEMENT
It is estimated that UK businesses are missing out on a cost-saving opportunity of £1.6 billion through failing to invest in energy efficiency. With such big financial savings at stake, it’s easy to see why proper energy management is such an integral part of the operations for buildings, ebm-papst, explain.
HVAC equipment plays a vital part in keeping buildings healthy, not only through ensuring that occupants feel comfortable, but also through maintaining the fabric of the building by providing ventilation that helps protect the building against damp and condensation.
A fact not widely known is that up to 40% of all electrical energy consumed in commercial buildings is through HVAC equipment. Therefore, by looking at the whole HVAC system, its components and the controls used to manage it then great energy savings can be made.
Combining a full fan upgrade from old AC fans to more energy efficient EC (electronically commutated) fans with a new set of controls and a bespoke controls system has the potential to provide huge energy savings. While many new buildings in the UK already incorporate EC fans into their HVAC equipment, it is often the case that older buildings continue to use inefficient equipment.
Using an EC fan, instead of a traditional AC fan and motor, can reduce overall HVAC energy consumption by at least 30%, with this saving commercial buildings between 40- 60% on their annual electricity costs. This can equate to a payback period as low as two years.
Modern EC Technology also offers the additional benefit of having integrated variable speed control that can be adjusted by the building or facilities manager to maximise the performance. The improved ability to control EC fans
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is significant as combining this with the right set of building controls will ensure that any upgrade is fulfilling its true energy saving potential.
“UP TO 40% OF ALL ELECTRICAL ENERGY
CONSUMED IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IS
THROUGH HVAC EQUIPMENT.”
This was demonstrated by a recent project delivered by ebm-papst and Norland Managed Services, which involved the upgrade of 1,200 Fan Coil Units (FCUs) across a ten storey building. This upgrade project is estimated to reduce energy consumption by 70%, which will be a financial saving of £54,000 a year. Additional benefits include a reduction in noise, less maintenance and improved controllability to allow the energy consumption of the building to be better managed in the long-term. A large part of the project was designing and delivering a customised controls platform, which reflected the requirements from the client, the amount of fans that needed to be controlled and the building’s specifications.
The integration of a fan upgrade with a new set of controls and controls
system does not require a complete replacement of existing HVAC systems. Rather than investing in brand new HVAC systems, the more cost-effective option is to upgrade the fans in existing equipment to new high efficiency EC fans. In most cases they are directly interchangeable with their AC predecessors allowing for simple replacements with minimal disruption which are less time-consuming than fully replacing HVAC equipment.
Another project involving ebm- papst surveyed the energy use of 12 air handling units (AHUs) in a commercial building in Central London. Despite the initial estimation proving to be fairly modest, the measurements taken after a trial installation confirmed that the overall reduction in energy would be in the region of 70%, with a payback period of just under two and a half years. Based on the results of the trial installation, the client decided to proceed with a full EC fan upgrade across the 12 AHUs.
A variety of energy saving solutions and strategies can be implemented across commercial buildings in different systems, from HVAC equipment to AHUs. However, effectively controlling and managing these solutions will bring the most benefit to organisations. For fan upgrades, the ability to control EC fans will prove to be crucial for many commercial buildings. Combining EC fan upgrades with a customised controls system will be the best way to reduce energy in commercial buildings and provide significant long-term financial savings.
www.ebmpapst.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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