CHILLERS Remote concepts
When it comes to delivering optimum efficiency performance, a chiller does not always live up to its initial billing, says Star refrigeration sales and marketing director Rob Lamb.
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ntroduced in 2009, the European EcoDesign Directive now forms a key part of UK legislation relating to the energy efficiency of refrigeration and cooling equipment. Chillers were originally identified as having ‘high potential’
for energy savings due to their significant levels of energy consumption and long operating times. The EcoDesign Directive set out requirements for all new refrigeration systems to meet minimum efficiency performance standards (MEPS). The ultimate aim of the legislation was to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions across Europe. The EcoDesign Directive forced chiller manufacturers to improve plant efficiency and provide clear, standardised data on energy consumption. In today’s chiller market MEPS figures allow end-users to easily compare different models alongside life-cycle running costs, potentially saving them millions of pounds on energy bills. There is no doubt that EcoDesign Directive has enabled end- users to make more informed decisions when purchasing new cooling equipment. Essentially, the higher the MEPS figure the more energy efficient the chiller, and the higher the energy and carbon savings.
MEPS data takes into account around 75% of a system’s total life cycle running costs, rather than focusing on capital costs alone. Energy consumed during refrigeration plant operation normally amounts to 60% of the system’s total life cycle cost. However, it is important to recognise that MEPS data is based on consistent operation of a chiller at its optimal design parameters. Although system performance may be optimised on installation, a number of factors will adversely effect operation and reduce efficiency over time.
End-users may purchase a chiller with a certain MEPS rating,
but it would be wrong to assume the system is still performing at an optimum efficiency level five years down the line. Once a chiller is up and running on site, the true operating efficiency of the system is often a complete unknown to the end-user. The reality is that chillers do not operate consistently, or stay
within their optimal design parameters all year round. Seasonal fluctuations in ambient temperatures and changes in cooling load profile have a direct effect on system performance and efficiency. Like any piece of industrial equipment, all chillers will see an
incremental decline in performance over time. To some extent, this operational decline can be rectified with ongoing planned, preventative maintenance and regular servicing. Without ongoing monitoring, it is very difficult to optimise equipment performance and maximise efficiency, as parameters are constantly changing.
As a result of the Eco-Design Directive, many industrial
cooling equipment manufacturers have focussed on designing new, more technologically advanced, energy efficient chillers. Alongside this, Star has invested heavily in the development of remote monitoring systems for all brands of chiller. Remote monitoring systems can be built-in to new refrigeration plant or retro-fitted to any existing chiller. Through remote monitoring, we can ensure that the system’s
original MEPS rating is achieved and maintained by taking immediate corrective action to optimise efficiency. We use the live data it generates to significantly reduce overall energy consumption and minimise adverse environmental impact throughout the entire life-cycle of the chiller. This in turn can lead to substantial energy savings for the end-user, amounting to between 10 and 30% on electricity costs. For operators of large cooling systems, this often represents a cost saving of hundreds of thousands of pounds per year. Remote monitoring is a highly valuable and relatively
inexpensive tool. It provides real time visibility of plant status, energy consumption, temperature trends, pressure levels and component health. It also provides insights into where improvements can be made, by comparing live data from site with optimum performance for the same running conditions. By analysing this information regularly, we can work out how much cooling is required at any one time. We can then advise local maintenance engineers to act quickly and make the technical adjustments required on site to help optimise performance.
As well as assessing the efficiency performance of a chiller, 14 August 2020
www.acr-news.com
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