Energizing HVAC Programs
2
HVAC T he rising cost of fuel and energy is no surprise to anyone. When you take your car to the gas station, I’m sure you’ve noticed that you’re spending as much as 25% more per gallon over the last couple years. Likewise, the Department of Energy is reporting a 19% increase in energy costs over the last year, and these rising costs are start- ing to chip away at many retailers’ bot- tom line. Historically, retailers have had sepa- rate line items in their budget for HVAC maintenance and energy/utilities expenses. In most cases, facility man- agers have the HVAC maintenance line item in their budget, and the energy and utilities budget is usually someone else’s responsibility. Some retailers report that HVAC energy usage within their stores is second only to lighting and in some cases can represent more than 35% of their total energy bill spent. Why, then, is energy usage not considered when an HVAC maintenance program is devel- oped, implemented and reviewed? Why is energy usage not a criteria for deter- mining if proper HVAC maintenance is being performed? Proper maintenance is critical to con- tinued operation of a store’s HVAC equipment — thereby ensuring cus- tomer and employee comfort. Let’s face it: customers will not spend time in a store that is too hot or too cold. Most HVAC maintenance programs are struc- tured around this theory but are driven mostly by price. Contractors with the lowest maintenance pricing, in most cases, are awarded the contract to pro- vide maintenance. Maintenance quality considerations are usually overlooked as they relate to wasted energy dollars. A recent study performed for Purdue University’s International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference showed some shocking results. The Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) project investigated inefficient design and maintenance practices in small HVAC systems. The study found that: • 63% of unit economizers were mal- functioning. • 46% of units had incorrect refriger- ant charges. • 39% of units had air flow issues. • There were numerous control related problems causing fans, heating and cool- ing to operate incorrectly. (A total of 75 buildings and 215 rooftop units were studied as part of this project.) The reason the result was so shocking was that economizers are designed to allow for free outside air to be used when store conditions require cooling and the ambient temperatures are below 55 degrees. Disconnected or malfunction- ing economizers force the unit to run mechanical cooling to keep the store comfortable and use energy to run the compressors. Also, when the compres- sors are running, the common charge and indoor air problems cited in the study significantly reduced the energy efficiency of units. Even small problems can reduce efficiency by 10% to 20%, and large problems (e.g. most charge issues) can bring the efficiency to zero. How does this happen? The HVAC industry is a fragmented industry and one where most technicians work on roofs, out of site and devoid of effective technical management. It is also an industry with few defined standards from which technicians work. Within the same company, one technician can review the operating data of a unit and confirm it is ENERGIZING HVAC PROGRAMS Is your HVAC maintenance program costing you energy dollars? | Mark Barraclough “ Keep in mind that a 10% increase in HVAC unit efficiency could reduce or eliminate your overall HVAC maintenance budget for that unit.
description
Energizing HVAC Programs
Transcript of Energizing HVAC Programs
HVA
C
The rising cost of fuel and energy isno surprise to anyone. When youtake your car to the gas station, I’m
sure you’ve noticed that you’re spendingas much as 25% more per gallon overthe last couple years. Likewise, theDepartment of Energy is reporting a19% increase in energy costs over thelast year, and these rising costs are start-ing to chip away at many retailers’ bot-tom line.
Historically, retailers have had sepa-rate line items in their budget for HVACmaintenance and energy/utilitiesexpenses. In most cases, facility man-agers have the HVAC maintenance lineitem in their budget, and the energy andutilities budget is usually someone else’sresponsibility. Some retailers report thatHVAC energy usage within their stores issecond only to lighting and in some casescan represent more than 35% of theirtotal energy bill spent. Why, then, isenergy usage not considered when anHVAC maintenance program is devel-oped, implemented and reviewed? Whyis energy usage not a criteria for deter-mining if proper HVAC maintenance isbeing performed?
Proper maintenance is critical to con-tinued operation of a store’s HVACequipment — thereby ensuring cus-tomer and employee comfort. Let’s faceit: customers will not spend time in astore that is too hot or too cold. MostHVAC maintenance programs are struc-tured around this theory but are drivenmostly by price. Contractors with thelowest maintenance pricing, in most
cases, are awarded the contract to pro-vide maintenance. Maintenance qualityconsiderations are usually overlooked asthey relate to wasted energy dollars.
A recent study performed for PurdueUniversity’s International Refrigerationand Air Conditioning Conferenceshowed some shocking results. ThePublic Interest Energy Research (PIER)project investigated inefficient designand maintenance practices in smallHVAC systems. The study found that:
• 63% of unit economizers were mal-functioning.• 46% of units had incorrect refriger-ant charges. • 39% of units had air flow issues.• There were numerous control relatedproblems causing fans, heating and cool-ing to operate incorrectly.
(A total of 75 buildings and 215 rooftopunits were studied as part of this project.)
The reason the result was so shockingwas that economizers are designed toallow for free outside air to be used whenstore conditions require cooling and theambient temperatures are below 55degrees. Disconnected or malfunction-ing economizers force the unit to runmechanical cooling to keep the storecomfortable and use energy to run thecompressors. Also, when the compres-sors are running, the common chargeand indoor air problems cited in thestudy significantly reduced the energyefficiency of units. Even small problemscan reduce efficiency by 10% to 20%,and large problems (e.g. most chargeissues) can bring the efficiency to zero.
How does this happen? The HVACindustry is a fragmented industry andone where most technicians work onroofs, out of site and devoid of effectivetechnical management. It is also anindustry with few defined standards fromwhich technicians work. Within the samecompany, one technician can review theoperating data of a unit and confirm it is
ENERGIZINGHVAC PROGRAMSIs your HVAC maintenance program costing you energy dollars? | Mark Barraclough
“Keep in mind that a 10% increase
in HVAC unit efficiency couldreduce or eliminate your overall
HVAC maintenance budgetfor that unit.
running fine, yet another technician cansay there is a performance issue. This isa problem since all HVAC contractorsrely on the technical expertise of each oftheir technicians to guarantee that main-tenance is being done correctly andeffectively. Most HVAC units are critical-ly charged and technicians adjusting thecharge without the correct procedures ortools can significantly reduce a unit’s effi-ciency. Adding charge is one of the sim-plest repairs. This makes it easy to over-charge units, making them less efficient.Indoor airflow problems are caused bydirty filters, dirty indoor coils andrestricted ductwork. When an air condi-tioner has difficulty absorbing heat fromthe indoor air stream, it compensates bymaking the indoor coil colder, whichlowers the unit’s efficiency. Dirty con-denser coils have a similar effect on theoutdoor coils, also reducing efficiency. Asa result, HVAC units, although running,may not be doing so at their peak energyefficiency.
So, what is the answer? As the HVACindustry continues to develop new tech-nology for maintaining and servicing
units, there are now tools on the marketthat help technicians maintain units andcreate some level of consistency. Some ofthese tools, such as the Digi-Cool SystemAnalyzer and the Testo 523Refrigeration System Analyzer, replace atechnician’s standard set of manifoldgauges with a data acquisition tool thatcollects and processes unit operatingdata and provides the technician withmore definition of the problem. There isalso the Honeywell HVAC ServiceAssistant that not only does what theother tools do, but also provides auto-mated fault detection and diagnostic fea-tures that assist the technician in deter-mining exactly what the problem is with-in the unit, and what is needed to correctit. This tool goes one step further andcan actually provide a detailed analysisas to how energy-efficiently the unit isrunning and the approximate gains inenergy efficiency from correcting thefault that it has detected.
In the end, retailers have to lookclosely at how energy usage plays animportant role in their HVAC mainte-nance program. With the continued rise
in energy prices, retailers and HVACcontractors must get creative and findways to validate that the PM programnot only provides consistently perform-ing units but, just as importantly, unitsthat are running at their most properenergy-efficient levels. Keep in mind thata 10% increase in HVAC unit efficiencycould reduce or eliminate your overallHVAC maintenance budget for thatunit.
In coming articles, I hope to providemore details around this issue and fur-ther illustrate the importance of bring-ing these two budget line items closer, toprovide retailers with potential energysavings that have not yet been realized.PRSM
MARK BARRACLOUGH IS PRESIDENT OF
ALPINE MECHANICAL SERVICES, ANEW BRITAIN, PENNSYLVANIA-BASED
SELF-PERFORMING HVACCONTRACTOR.
Reprinted From Professional Retail Store Maintenance, April 2006 © 2006 France Publications, Inc. Atlanta, GA (404) 832-8262. www.FrancePublications.com
