The performance of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems can often be improved by making adjustments to conditions and settings – even if the HVAC system is an older model. Rather than purchasing a new system, it often makes sense to evaluate how to bring an existing system to a higher performance level.
By carefully monitoring temperatures, pump speeds, fan speeds, you can begin to determine how to best optimize your HVAC unit’s performance.
1. Occupancy schedules
Determine the timeframe needed for the temperatures in typical rooms to reach their desired setpoint. This timeframe may change based on the season. If possible, schedule rooms tightly. Schedule your equipment accordingly.
2. Setpoint adjustments in a demand response system
The response of each piece of equipment up the line is driven by the thermostat controlling the terminal box damper. When the most needy terminal box damper gets to 100% and cannot maintain its setpoint, then the air handling unit (AHU) setpoint needs to be adjusted. Up until this time the air handlers, chillers, towers, boilers and pumps can hang back. When the static pressure setpoint is increased, then the VFD-driven fan speed will increase, providing more air. If this is not enough, then the setpoint for the cold air is decreased. When the AHU reaches its limit, the pump speed for cold water increases. The setpoint on the chiller drops when the pump reaches 90%. If the chiller gets to 90%, then the cooling tower needs to begin to run harder. These simple adjustments can add up to thousands of dollars in savings.
3. Programming
If you have a computer-controlled building automations system (BAS), ideally it’s best to train your in-house technician who is familiar with your mechanical system to design, implement and maintain the programming, rather than outsource the programming. As an interim step, you could start by simply adjusting setpoints manually, three times a day, however it’s easy to forget to do this on an ongoing basis. To maximize your system, it’s important to monitor and track temperatures, pump speeds and fan speeds, creating trend lines, reports, and determining maximum and minimum setpoints for each season, continually tracking and adjusting as needed.
These are a few ways to increase your HVAC system’s efficiency and performance – often by 10 to 30%. By operating just enough to get the job done and adjusting to conditions, you’ll see an impact on operational efficiency.
For more information about extending the life of your HVAC equipment and saving costs, contact Crockett Facilities Services – a mechanical contractor and HVAC service provider for Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. Call 301.262.2771 or email us at sales@crockett-facilities.com. We’re In This Building Together!
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