ENERGY SAVING EQUIPMENT Monitor and save
By monitoring the essential characteristics of HVAC remotely and in real-time, optimum water conditions can be achieved, and system degradation prevented. This can result in energy savings across the board – from improved operation, thanks to the prevention of system fouling, to a reduction in the need to carry out energy intensive activities, such as flushing. Steve Munn, managing director for Hevasure, discusses.
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onitoring our buildings offers a number of benefits; in terms of user comfort, operational efficiency and energy
saving. The latest HVAC systems make automatic adjustments to increase energy efficiency. IoT data can predict weather conditions to adapt air conditioning, for example, and some systems even monitor human activity within a room to create the optimum environment. Building Management Systems (BMS) commonly manage these processes to maximise occupant comfort, while minimising energy usage, fine tuning HVAC systems so they are used in the most efficient way, and only when needed. In closed-circuit water systems, the backbone of many heating and cooling technologies, real- time monitoring of conditions helps prevent corrosion, which can lead to significant direct and indirect energy savings.
Corrosion’s impact on energy efficiency Internal corrosion effects the energy efficiency of
32 January 2022 •
www.acr-news.com
a HVAC systems in a number of ways: Q Build-up of debris in pipes and components causes restriction, which can lead to increased pump energies in order to maintain flow rates.
Q Heat transfer is reduced as a result of corrosion debris on heat exchangers and emitters.
Q Valve seats can be eroded, leading to changes in flow characteristics.
Q Heavily degraded pipework and components will eventually pin-hole and leak.
Overall, if a HVAC system is allowed to degrade, it is likely that it will not meet its design brief, use more energy and not last as long as intended. The impact of corrosion is direct in these examples, but there are also indirect effects that cause energy wastage:
Corroded systems need repairing more, which means maintenance teams travelling to site and spare parts required to fix problems. Crucially, corroded systems breakdown more, the knock-on effects of which can be huge. Large commercial
HVAC systems can cost tens of thousands, if not millions to repair, using vast amounts of energy, money and time.
If corrosion is allowed to take hold and debris starts to form, then flushing, involving massive volumes of water, is often used to clean out the system.
Real-time monitoring
Real-time monitoring acts as first-line of defence against corrosion, essentially providing an early warning system that can prevent the issue from happening in the first place. By measuring parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, pressure and corrosion rates, building maintenance teams can be alerted to changes in condition that could lead to problems further down the line, significantly reducing the risk of repairs and breakdown.
As an approach, it’s gaining industry-wide recognition, with the latest BSRIA guides to both precommission cleaning (BG 29) and the
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