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A Green Strategy for HVAC Audits, Equipment, Service and 3Rs Combine for Better Performance
November, 2007
By Ron Dawczyk
Increased public interest in the environment is leading tenants to seek out greener developments. Property managers are now interested in developing a more sustainable business plan by understanding how technologically savvy tenants choose office and living space.
Green strategies are reduce landfill requirements, make better use of natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize dependency on fossil as well as nuclear fuels. Here's what some experts are saying: 1) By the year 2020 China will surpass the USA as the thirstiest worldwide consumer of oil. 2) Enriched uranium used for power generation is starting to become in short supply, which could result in a tenfold increase in its price over a short period of time. 3)
We are now in a "peak oil" scenario and reserves will soon no longer be adequate to satisfy worldwide demand.
Other experts are less pessimistic. Even so, consumers everywhere have firsthand knowledge of rising prices for electricity, natural gas and fuel at the gas pumps.
First and foremost, consider an aggressive conservation plan to eliminate energy waste. For the property manager, that should include a detailed audit of everything within the building envelope that consumes energy or has an impact on energy consumption.
Do boilers and furnaces operate in the 90% efficiency range or better? Do chillers or air conditioners use the latest refrigerants and have a SEER (standard energy efficiency rating) rating higher than 16? Does the building make use of the latest control systems that are programmed to accomplish energy efficiency without compromising human comfort? Have building pumps been commissioned to provide the exact flow requirements for maximum operating efficiency?
MECHANICAL CONSIDERATIONS
High-efficiency boilers have come a long way in recent years. After some false starts with the first and second generation versions, several manufacturers are producing third generation models that are reliable with fairly low maintenance requirements. This technology can be trusted and embraced, but prospective purchasers should do their homework before they make an investment decision.
Chillers bring their own sets of challenges because of the high cost of upgrading to the latest technologies. However, since this is one of the major consumers of energy its worth a closer look.
Make sure an expert performs regularly scheduled service work on cooling towers providing condenser water. Just because water is cascading down and the blower is running, doesn't mean it's working to peak efficiency. Ask your service provider to use 'green' water treatment as well.
There have also been many recent developments in air conditioner design. A service provider should be able to provide customers with that information.
The control system is probably the most important part of the system, and it also tends to be the most overlooked part. Control systems today are capable of measuring outside temperature and inside demand then calculating and instructing equipment to function accordingly. These intuitive systems are one of the best defenses against energy waste.
Far too often, though, the mechanic making repairs has to make judgments about what settings to employ. This is usually due to the fact that nobody has taken the time or effort to devise a control strategy that maximizes the system's design. Building owners should ask for the strategy in written form; a verbal description is not enough.
Green strategies stress the 3 R's - reduce, reuse and recycle. So, rather than sending a leaking pump to the scrap heap, why not consider rebuilding it? Pump technology hasn't changed much over the years and pumps can be successfully rebuilt to perform like new.
Reuse is a more difficult to apply to HVAC, but there are opportunities when upgrading a mechanical room. Don't strip it to the bare walls first. Remove only what is absolutely necessary and reuse as much as possible.
Ron Dawczyk is the Mechanical Services Manager at Shewfelt (Mechanical) Construction, specializing in heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, CCTV and security systems. For more information, see the web site at www.shewfelt.com
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