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Controls Continued from page 50


Orchestrating the Components Your key to success as a systems integrator depends on


how easy it is to design, implement, and maintain the con- trols to achieve peak comfort and efficiency. Ideally the controls should be plug-and-play, yet customizable for specific applications. In the end, the controls are king: They rule the systems and ensure the results you and your customer want. We could not have achieved the functionality described


in my home using traditional technology. There would be one control box for solar hot water, others for the heat pumps, mixing, snow melt, etc. All would be built by a different manufacturer, and all unable to talk to one anoth- er.


Mechanical room at the Wallace Residence in Centennial, Colo. features a Grundfos Alpha Pump for water-water load side (at the time photo was taken, pump was replacing another fixed volume circulator so connection to water- water unit is not shown).


array, and an energy recovery ventilator (ERV). In addi- tion, space heating and cooling is furnished throughout most of the home with a high-mass radiant system in which PEX (crosslinked polyethylene) tubing has been installed in the floor and covered in concrete or gypcrete. Beyond this conventional in-floor application, radiant technology is also used in several other areas of our home: The garage, driveway and porches all have radiant in


the concrete to provide snow and ice melting. Hot water circulates behind the bathroom mirrors to add


heat to the bathroom and to prevent condensation during showering. Cold water from the ground loop circulates within the


walls, creating a "cool pantry" and a wine cellar using pas- sive cooling. So what are the functions of all these components? The


first GHP — a three-ton water-to-water two-stage com- pressor unit from Enertech — augments the rooftop solar collector panels to maintain a constant temperature in the hot-water tanks that supply the radiant system and provide all of our domestic hot water needs. Combining this tech- nology with advanced controls enables the GHP to run at only 60% of peak-load consumption, thus increasing the heat pump’s coefficient of performance while reducing the overall energy consumption. The second GHP — a three-ton, water-to-air unit from


Water Furnace International operates with its own ECM2 (electronically commutated motor) fan blower that works in conjunction with an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV). The ERV helps maintain indoor air quality by refreshing the indoor air while minimizing energy loss to the exteri- or (heated indoor air in the winter, cooled indoor air in the summer). The ERV and GHP, precisely controlled by the CCN, provide whole-house ventilation, using less than 100 watts of power. The photovoltaic array generates enough electricity to


offset the power used by all of the above HVAC and water-heating systems, so that our home’s systems are car- bon-neutral with no greenhouse gas emissions.


Page 52/Plumbing Engineer With two years’ experience in our home and at a hand-


ful of client sites, the best system I’ve found for managing all the components – even in the most complex systems – is the Climate Control Network from Uponor. A radiant controls workshop at Uponor’s Apple Valley, Minn., Factory Training Center in February 2009 introduced me to CCN. But the developments that Uponor has made to this control package takes it far beyond what was possible just a year ago. During my visit, Uponor product man- ager, Application Controls, Jeff Wiedemann and I dis- cussed the need for a standard-based, enterprise-wide inte- grated control that could operate via Internet access. Having worked in the Silicon Valley high technology industry for 15 years, I needed the same open infrastruc- Continued on page 54


Designed for hydronic heating applications in resi-


dential and light-commercial applications, the Grundfos ALPHA™ ECM circulator features a per- manent magnet motor that will cut power consump- tion by a minimum of 50 percent, as compared with other circulators in its class. The design is a dramatically more efficient motor


that generates less heat and energy waste, while deliv- ering a starting torque four times higher than a stan- dard induction motor — a key feature should the cir- culator experience long periods of idleness. The ALPHA features an innovative AutoAdapt™


function that automatically and continuously adjusts circulator performance based on the changing needs of the hydronic heating system. An easy-to-read display offers a range of unique,


features for monitoring the system: • A large, real-time display indicates energy con- sumption (Watts). • This same display will toggle every four seconds between power consumption and the flow indicator, showing the relative estimated flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM). • A one-touch, button-type interface permits the


user to toggle quickly and easily among seven differ- ent hydraulic operating modes: three fixed speeds, three levels of constant pressure, and the AutoAdapt setting. For more information on ALPHA, visit online at www.poweredby.grundfos.com


October 2011


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