BSEE W
Research from the Carbon Trust* suggests that poorly maintained air condioning systems can waste up to 60% more energy than their wellmaintained counterparts. Tony Nielsen, markeng manager at Panasonic explains why customers should be informed about the importance of proacve maintenance and servicing to save energy, costs and ensure the eecve performance of air condioning systems
hen specifying an air conditioning system, it is crucial to consider
maintenance and servicing as part of the initial design specification to establish a
robust and long-term air conditioning solution for your customer.
When many people think of energy efficiency, the general assumption is that it is down to the core manufactured air conditioning unit itself. However, it is also just as important to consider the set-up, routine maintenance, structural build and external environments are to the efficiency and performance. Examining the installation as a whole, an assessor may be able to provide a valuable insight into the true potential for a facility. Therefore, by considering the controls of the building and truly understanding the purpose and use of the air conditioning system it is also possible to increase efficiency.
Often, the importance of routine inspections comes to light when the use or layout of a building requires remodelling. This is because the demand for air conditioning and airflow usage varies depending on the space and the original specified layout, the numbers of occupants and proximity to air conditioning units. Routine inspections help assess and monitor a building’s need and demand for air conditioning equipment, and thus can provide reassurance for regulating both efficiency and cost.
Air conditioning inspection reports contain:
uInformation on the current efficiency of your equipment.
uSuggestions for improving the efficiency of your equipment.
uAdvice on replacing inefficient equipment and/or refrigerants.
uAny faults identified - such as the condition of air filters - and actions.
uAdequacy of equipment, maintenance and how to improve it.
Assessors will then take a close look at the control settings and strategy for the system. This includes the day-to-day usage requirements for the building, as well as internal and external temperature set points. Quite often it is possible to reduce energy costs significantly by simply recognising and understanding these requirements and thus adjusting the settings to respond only when they are most needed. Paperwork will also be closely looked at to give the advisor a better understanding of the routine care and maintenance applied to a VRF system. The principal role of the air conditioning inspection is to improve the overall energy efficiency of a building. The inspection report looks to highlight opportunities for energy improvements, through adjusted operation, and in some cases, options to upgrade to new energy- efficient systems. By adhering to the advice, the process will improve the building’s EPC rating. Here at Panasonic, improving energy efficiency, decreasing carbon emissions and reducing cost is key. We believe that by highlighting the need for maintenance and servicing in the form of routine inspections is one route to achieve this.
Building relationships
HVAC installers are in prime position to offer an on- going maintenance and servicing package to their customers and for some manufacturers, this is considered an important element of the sales process.
But, of course, this can be a hard sell. It is no surprise that once customers have paid for their HVAC system, they are not thinking about agreeing to pay out more money in a years’ time or being the one to make the call further down the line to organise a maintenance check. If their
16 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER DECEMBER 2019
system is working sufficiently, they may leave it and think that a service is not required. However, installers should make customers aware that regular maintenance is required and is an essential part of ensuring energy efficient performance. Indeed, regular inspections are enforced by the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). In order to comply with regulations, building owners must schedule regular inspections and report the results of these inspections to the central Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Register. The EPBD*2, released a new and updated legislation that came into force in December 2018 that also stipulates that buildings must move towards using at least 32% renewable energy in buildings by 2030 with a review for increasing this figure in 2023, a serious challenge for building owners and managers. An air conditioning system that is poorly maintained with elements that do not function efficiently risks increasing energy usage and adversely impacting a building’s capability to reach its zero-energy target.
Regular inspections can also often reveal issues that prevent an otherwise efficient system from functioning properly. Frequent cleaning of filters and ductwork is also an important part of the inspection, as blocked components such as these can also reduce the systems efficiency. Modern air conditioning systems are phenomenally energy efficient, but they need to be kept well maintained and regularly inspected for property owners to take full advantage of their energy saving capabilities.
Keeping pace with regulations
Regulations regarding the energy consumption of buildings are growing ever more stringent, with buildings in the UK being forced to reduce energy consumption and move towards zero-carbon status. One very effective way of meeting these regulations is by regularly inspecting air conditioning systems to ensure they are running at peak efficiency. Regular inspections are enforced by the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), in order to stay on the right side of the law, building owners must schedule inspections and report the results of these inspections to the central Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Register. The EPBD also stipulates that buildings must move towards being zero- energy, a serious challenge for building owners and managers. An air conditioning system that is poorly maintained with parts that do not function efficiently risks increasing energy usage and adversely impacting a building’s capability to reach its zero-energy target.
These tough regulations and need for regular inspections can provide them the opportunity to offer clients a long-term service contract, where the contractor will provide maintenance, regular inspections and refurbish the system where
necessary for an annual fee. This can provide contractors with a stable, long-term source of income and help to strengthen relationships with existing clients.
Get Smart
The Internet of Things and the development of different technologies and appliances connected to the internet have the potential to revolutionise the maintenance of building services, including air conditioning. There are several smart control systems on the market that connect air conditioning units to the internet and then enable remote monitoring, control and maintenance of the system via an online platform, accessible from any web browser, tablet or smartphone. Remote maintenance and monitoring can mean huge advantages for installers offering maintenance contracts to their customers. If installers can monitor the performance of air conditioning units, they can see that a unit is not performing as it should be and schedule a maintenance visit. With a truly smart air conditioning system, such as Panasonic’s AC Smart Cloud, installers may be able to diagnose the issue through the web portal in addition to some cases being solved remotely. Even though remote maintenance is not possible in all cases, being able to see what the exact issue is enables installers to prioritise maintenance obligations so that they do not have to spend time travelling to a site and attending to an issue that did not necessarily require urgent attention. This remote monitoring and maintenance can be particularly useful in applications where a robust, stable air conditioning system is critical to the business, such as data centres and server rooms. Installers can monitor the performance level of air conditioning units and receive alerts when performance drops below a certain level. This project can then be prioritised, and the installer can ensure that crucially important air conditioning systems remain operational and that business activities are not interrupted. Maintenance and servicing should be a crucial element of an installer’s business in order to form long-standing and repeat customer relationships. Whilst this will guarantee the installer a steady business, customers are also given peace of mind that they are safe in the hands of their installer to care for their new HVAC solution. For more information, please visit:
www.aircon.panasonic.eu
*
www.carbontrust.com/resources/guides/energy- efficiency/heating-ventilation-and-air-conditioning-hvac
*2
https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/new-renewables- energy-efficiency-and-governance-legislation-comes-for ce-24-december-2018-2018-dec-21_en
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MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT
The importance of maintenance & servicing for HVAC installations
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