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By Karen, on May 11th, 2012
Whether you’re seeking an official Green Building Certification or simply want to reduce your impact on the environment, water conservation is probably part of your plan. Normally when we think of water conservation, we look to plumbing – low flow toilets, automatic shut-off faucets, irrigation and so on. I recently read an interesting article that addresses water usage in HVAC, specifically in cooling towers. Here are some of the highlights:
From The HVAC Factor: Reducing Water Consumption. Changes to cooling tower operation and maintenance are one way to conserve this resource, written by Neil Maldeis and originally published in the April 2012 issue of Today’s Facility Manager.
“Heating and air conditioning systems are traditionally designed as “closed” systems that consume little or no water in normal operations. In large commercial HVAC installations that are properly operated and maintained, water for cooling towers accounts for almost all of the HVAC system’s water consumption.
Cooling towers need to make up water that is lost in three ways: by evaporation; from intentional bleed off (required to remove suspended and dissolved solids left behind when pure water evaporates); and from drift, water that escapes the system in the form of mist or droplets carried by the airflow.
Strategies for improving cooling tower performance and reducing water consumption include:
- Use existing building automation system technology to control tower operations, including automatically shutting the tower down when possible without impacting occupant comfort.
- Monitor water levels in the cooling tower reservoir to prevent overflow. Check fill valve settings and operation, and replace old float style fill valves with more efficient parts. Install an overflow alarm to alert the operator in case of sump overflow.
- Install drift eliminators to redirect airflow and reduce water loss.
- Recognize that evaporation rate is directly tied to cooling load, with evaporation loss of about three gallons per minute per 100 tons of cooling. Finding ways to reduce cooling load will reduce both energy and water consumption.
 Use These Tips to Conserve Water While You Keep Cool This Summer
- Use turbidity sensors, chemical monitors, automatic bleed systems, side stream filtration, and other methods to maintain ideal water quality levels in towers. Consider alternative make-up water sources such as wastewater from industrial processes.
- Evaluate potential of hybrid cooling towers, dry coolers, heat sinks, and other less water intensive methods to replace or supplement current cooling towers as part of a broader upgrade.
- Engage an energy engineer, energy services company, or other third-party advisor to conduct a critical system audit that includes the cooling tower and other HVAC system elements.”
For full article, click here.
If you’re a Facility Manager or Building Owner, Today’s Facility Manager is a great resource for information. Whatever method of interaction you choose – tweet, blog, newsletter – they are chock full of pertinent info relating to what you do and see every day. And no, I am not being compensated for my suggestion. I just really like their stuff!
By Karen, on May 4th, 2012
Because the AC condenser is located outside, dust, pollen and other environmental contaminants can collect on the coils or fins and cause it to lose efficiency, cooling effectiveness, and can even damage the compressor. We generally recommend cleaning your condenser coils once per year. Coils may need to be cleaned more or less frequently depending on the location and environmental factors, but we would not recommend going more than two cooling seasons without a thorough coil cleaning.
Cleaning an air conditioning condenser is not rocket science, but there are a number of different ways to get in trouble and cause damage to yourself or your condenser. If you must be a do-it-yourselfer, do yourself a favor and read the Operations and Maintenance Manual for your unit before you start. If you can’t find the hard copy, most manufacturers have downloadable copies of their manuals online, listed by the model number of the unit which is located on the nameplate of your condenser. After you’ve read the manual for your unit, check out these tips.
Here are some tips on how to avoid regretting your decision to be a do-it-yourself HVAC tech:
1. Read the manual. I know, I said this already, but it’s really that important. Reading the instructions is not a sign of weakness. Take the time to do it right and you could save yourself a lot of money and headaches.
2. Never, never, never use a power washer on your condenser. Put down the power washer and step away from your condenser! Power washers are great for a lot of tasks, but cleaning your AC condenser is not one of them. A power washer can bend and damage coil fins and restrict air flow to the point of inoperability. See photo below.
 - This is not a happy AC condenser. The power washer has almost completely cut off air flow through coils.
3. Avoid coil cleaners when possible. Coil cleaners can be harsh on you and your coils. Many coils can be cleaned with nothing but a coil brush, shop vac and a garden hose. If coils do not get sufficiently clean with water and brushing, then try a commercial coil cleaner. The best way to know if your coils are clean and your unit is operating at peak efficiency is to test the temperatures and pressures of the refrigeration circuit with a proper set of gauges. We recommend a professional HVAC technician for testing unit operations.
4. Know your coils. Some coils are one piece, some are two pieces laid back-to-back. The two piece coil needs to be separated in order to get them clean or you’ll just clog up the middle of the coil worse than if you didn’t clean at all. In addition, some coils are coated, some not. If they’re coated, you need to know what type of coating and what cleaners are acceptable to use on that particular coating. The wrong cleaner can damage the coating or even the coil itself. You’ll find this information in – you guessed it – the O&M manual.
5. Read the Directions. If you need to use a coil cleaner, read the directions to make sure that you protect yourself (gloves, eye protection, etc.) and your coils (is it safe for your type of coil?) appropriately. Also make sure you are using a CONDENSER coil cleaner. A split unit has both a condenser coil and an evaporator coil. The cleaners are NOT interchangeable. Using the wrong one can damage your coils.
6. Safety First. Use safety glasses to avoid getting debris, cleaner, etc. in your eyes. You only have one set of eyes. Protect them! Also use gloves to protect your hands when cleaning the coils. Coils can have sharp edges. Wouldn’t want to mess up your manicure, would ya?
Although I preceded this article with the statement that coil cleaning is not rocket science, I would also like to point out how many times in this article that I said some version of, “If you do this wrong, it could damage you or your coils.” For this reason, I would always recommend using a professional HVAC technicians, and not just because I am an HVAC contractor. There are a lot of ways to go wrong with HVAC units. They are complex and a lot more delicate than they look. When you look at it as protecting your investment, it just makes sense to find an HVAC professional that you can trust, and use them. If you don’ t already have one, call us at Advance Air. We’ll take great care of you and your coils.
By Karen, on April 24th, 2012
Advance Air is a proud sponsor of amateur dirt bike racer Jesse Lamy, son of Chris Lamy (technician and part owner of Advance Air). With an already stellar performance record after only three years on the amateur racing circuit, 13 year old
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Jesse Lamy proudly displaying his 2011 NEMX Championship Plaque.
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Jesse Lamy dominated his Division in the New England Motor Cross last fall, taking first place in the NEMX 250 C Division. Advance Air’s sponsorship will help with bike repairs, safety equipment, race fees and more.
Motor cross is one of the most physically demanding sports, requiring high levels of strength and fitness as well as demanding excellent concentration and mental focus. Jesse is supported in his pursuit of a professional racing career by his father, Chris Lamy and his mother Jodie Lamy who travel all over New England to attend his races, filling the roles of dirt bike mechanic, promoter and coach nearly every weekend.
We expect great things from Jesse in the coming year as he enters a new, more challenging 250 B division in the New England Sports Committee (NESC). In this new division, he will be racing alongside professional racers and seasoned amateurs, some twice his age. For more information or to sponsor Jesse, send an email to info@advanceair.net.
Best of luck to Jesse for a safe and winning season!
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Jesse Lamy sporting the Advance Air logo in his first race of 2012.
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By Karen, on January 4th, 2012
In heating and air conditioning units, motors generally have two speeds – they’re either full speed or stopped. To get an idea of what this means, it’s similar to driving your car by alternating between flooring the gas pedal and slamming on the brakes. In addition to being an enormous waste of energy, it’s also very hard on the car, or in this case, the HVAC unit.
 Controlling a motor without a VFD is like flooring the gas pedal on your car and using the brakes to regulate speed. In an effort to make motors more efficient and reduce wear and tear, the Variable Speed Drive (VSD) or Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) was introduced to allow motors to run at varying speeds. With these drives, your motors can start up more slowly and build up to max speeds, if needed, or run at lower, more efficient speeds.
The VSD and VFD drives function like a brain for the motor. They tell the motors exactly how fast and how long to run to maintain desired temperatures, airflow, etc. At lower speeds, your motor is still able to provide you with ideal comfort but at much less cost. To put a number on it, motors running at full speed use nearly 8 times more energy than a motor running at half speed.
In addition to saving energy and reducing wear and tear on your equipment, the drives can also alert you about malfunctions or needed maintenance, minimizing equipment downtime. In some cases repairs can be done even before anyone notices a problem.
VFD and VSD drives can be used on equipment such as fans, hot water pumps, compressors, etc. They can be paired with high efficiency motors for a double whammy of efficiency. Plus VFD/VSDs qualify for huge rebates from utility companies, making it even more cost-effective to invest now.
To find out how VFD/VSDs can work for you, see energy savings calculations, etc., please call us or visit our website at http://www.advanceair.net/variable-speed-drives.htm.
By Karen, on December 8th, 2011
Sometimes it’s hard to see past the dollar signs, but would you hire the cheapest day care provider, site unseen, just because they were the cheapest? How about the cheapest brain surgeon? So what if he graduated last in his class and doesn’t have the most up-to-date equipment? It’s only your brain!
Quality plays a major role in pricing, and for good reason.
- For Installations, research and development costs and higher quality raw materials increase the price of HVAC equipment. Because of those higher costs, the equipment will be more energy efficient, last longer and be more reliable than cheaper equipment.
- Labor costs vary by skill level. Hiring, retaining and continually training employees is expensive. But the alternative is cheaper, less skilled, less educated labor installing your expensive HVAC equipment. The highest efficiency equipment, if installed improperly, will be less efficient than standard efficiency equipment.
- Good, honest business practices have a lower profit margin than shady ones. Cutting corners and playing games with change-orders after the fact gets upfront prices down, but costs more in the long run. And you don’t get what you thought you were paying for.
In order to make sure that you get the right unit, installed correctly, by a company that stands behind its work and provides quality service, you have to consider more than just price. First, establish a quality threshold for both the materials and the contractor. If you stay within the major HVAC unit manufacturers, you should be OK quality-wise. Make a note of the efficiency of the units on proposals to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Check contractors for proper licenses and insurance, and request references. Only after you’ve established that the equipment is comparable and the contractors reputable, can you safely let price be your guide.
Advance Air is not the cheapest contractor in town – and we’re not ashamed to admit it. We have value that the cheapest contractor doesn’t have.
We hire and continually train high caliber employees. We price your project honestly upfront and follow through on our commitments. We stand behind our installations and make sure our customers are fully satisfied. Anything less wouldn’t be acceptable to us or our customers. Even with this high level of service, we are priced lower than our similarly skilled competition because of the way we manage our business and our comparatively low overhead costs.
By Karen, on October 20th, 2011
For small offices, historic buildings, or other applications where ductwork is too costly, impractical or even impossible, there is a quality alternative. Ductless systems provide multi-room air conditioning that’s quiet, attractive and effective.
 Modular systems available. Add up to four indoor units to heat and/or cool multiple rooms. The traditional alternatives to central air conditioning – window or through-the-wall units – will get the job done, but they can be loud, unattractive and inefficient. See a detailed comparison chart on our website.
Through-the-wall units, or PTAC (Portable Terminal Air Conditioning) Units, are installed by cutting into an exterior wall and placing the unit inside a special sleeve to hold it in place.
Window units, as the name implies, are placed into a partially-opened window.
Window and through-the-wall units have potential security issues – a unit could be removed for access into a building through the unit opening.
Both are also noisier because they have the condenser motor and fan inside your room. In ductless split units, the noisy condenser is outside.
Ductless splits have some of the highest rated efficiencies available. And because the air doesn’t have to travel through ducts – usually located in 100 degree attic spaces – there are none of the usual energy losses associated with ductwork (a typical system loses 30-50% efficiency in the duct system). All of the cooling/heating goes right where you want it. Ductless systems can also provide heat as well as air conditioning, if needed.
For more information, or to find out if ductless split air conditioning systems are right for your business, call Advance Air at 508-763-3738 or send an email to info@advanceair.net.
By Karen, on October 14th, 2011
One day, after a particularly frustrating bidding experience, we were blowing off steam in the office and came up with a little jingle that had all of us giggling. I had forgotten about this little ditty until a new business colleague called it to my attention after browsing our website and stumbling across the link to the song.
I think everyone, at one time or another, has made an unfortunate contracting decision based solely on price, only to find out that you truly do “get what you pay for.” It’s just a little bit of fun that I thought I’d share. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it.
You Give Contractors a Bad Name
(Sung to the tune of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” )
A substandard product is what you sell
You promise me service, then put me through h—
Low bid price got a hold of me
When price is a prison, I can’t break free
Ooohh, your low bid won
Oh no, it’s not gonna run
Advance Air can save you
Get the damage undone
Shot in the dark
And you’re to blame
You give contractors a bad name
We play by the rules, but you play your game
You give contractors a bad name
You give contractors a bad name
Plaster a smile on your lips
Dangle your bid from your fingertips
Your price is a dream, you act so sly
Your very first change order is your first kick in the eye
Oooh, your low bid won
Oh no, it’s not gonna run
Advance Air can save you
Get the damage undone
By Karen, on August 26th, 2011
I was recently interviewed on a local AM Radio Show, hosted by Tech Angel Pam Viveiros from ThinkTech Computers to discuss technology in the field of HVAC. I listened to the recording of the broadcast – I had to, because I was so nervous I didn’t remember what I’d said – and couldn’t help but think that there’s just soooo much I didn’t cover, specifically in the area of Building Automation.
In the radio show, I compared Building Automation to the awesome
 Stand aside Jetsons! Building Automation has come a long way since the 60's. automation seen on The Jetsons, the 1960’s animated sitcom with robots and automated everything. That level of automation is now a reality for many commercial buildings – though on a more practical scale. Building Automation Systems (BAS) can be used to program and controls everything from HVAC, lighting, security, process equipment and more. And it all comes in a user-friendly interface that can be accessed from your on-site computer or by logging in remotely with a secure internet connection.
Now why would you want a “Jetsons” automation system in your building? Rather than list the capabilities of a Building Automation System, I thought I’d give a little day in the life peek into some of the things it can do for you. Wish I could animate it like the Jetsons opening sequence. Maybe next time…
6:00 a.m. It’s a typical early fall morning. Birds are chirping, sun is shining and the BAS system has the rooftop economizer fully open, letting the 62°F air cool off and freshen up the building before the first employee arrives. No need to fire up the cooling condensers yet. Save your energy for later. It is New England after all, and you never know what temperature you’re going to get.
6:30 a.m. Mary arrives, swipes her security card at the front entrance, BAS system recognizes her as an authorized user and as it allows her through the turnstile, automatically turns on the lights in her office on the second floor.
7:00 a.m. Mary is still chatting with Anne at the water cooler. BAS hasn’t sensed any movement in Mary’s office in the last half hour, so the lights switch off to conserve energy.
11:30 a.m. The sun is still shining, but it’s a wacko New England Fall day where the temperature climbs to 80°F in just a few hours – not to mention the crazy humidity that came out of nowhere. But no need to worry, the BAS system has already detected the rise in humidity and backed down that economizer so you’re not cooling the hot wet air from outside, but recycling the already cooler drier inside air.
2:00 p.m. That lunch meeting in 3rd fl conference room has gone long, there’s lots of hot air to trigger those CO2 sensors to increase the fresh air to the room and cool down the hot tempers in those tight collars.
3:00 p.m. Meeting has finally ended (thank goodness) and everyone’s back in their offices. As soon as the coffee cups are cleared away, BAS turns off the lights, cooling and fresh air.
5:30 p.m. Normally the building would be in night setback starting at 5:00, but BAS can sense the Anne is still hard at work (catching up after that long meeting and the earlier water cooler chat with Mary) and keeps things cool for her. It’s cool again outside, so BAS switches back to free cooling from outside air.
6:30 p.m. It’s Fall in New England, so it’s already getting dark. Anne’s not worried though because the BAS System has already turned the parking lot lights on. Anne leaves for the night and BAS closes up the systems behind her and the building can go into sleep mode for the night, saving bunches of energy in setback mode.
The brilliance of BAS is that without thinking about it, you only use the energy you need – no more, no less. And you get the benefit of full comfort, temperature, humidity and fresh air at the same time. For less money, you receive much better comfort than you had before, because you’re measuring more inputs and making better control decisions with the information. So though the BAS system can’t bring you breakfast like the Jetsons, it can make you completely comfortable while you’re eating it and save you hundreds, even thousands on your energy bill. Stand aside Jetsons!
By Karen, on July 28th, 2011
Energy accounts for about 30% of operating costs for a building, according to the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). The total energy consumption for the month accounts for the major part of the energy expenses, but it is only part of the picture.
Depending upon how you use energy, a Demand Charge could be a significant part of your overall energy costs. In the case study featured in my last blog, the Demand Charge represented 10% of the total energy bill. Demand Charges are controllable and should be part of the overall energy strategy.
 Demand Charges are controllable and should be part of the overall energy strategy. Demand Charges are dictated by your peak demand. To get a better idea of what peak demand is, think of it this way: if you turned on one 40 watt light bulb for an hour, shut it off, then turned on another 40 watt light bulb for an hour, you would have consumed 80 watt-hours of electricity, but since you only had one bulb on at a time, your peak demand would be only 40 watts. If you turn both 40 watt bulbs at the same time and leave them both on for an hour, your energy consumption after an hour would still be 80 watt-hours, but your peak demand would increase to 80 watts. Your usage bill would be the same, but your demand charge would be double!
Though it is certainly not practical to keep half of your building in the dark, there are many clever solutions with HVAC scheduling that can keep you comfortable while reducing your peak demand. When your Energy Services/HVAC Contractor has reduced your overall energy consumption, make sure they take the next step to reduce your Demand Charges as part of your energy strategy.
Here are some clever ways you can reduce your peak demand without impacting your comfort or productivity:
- Stagger Occupied Start Times of HVAC – If you can prevent multiple units from starting up simultaneously, you can reduce peak demand. For example, if a building has four rooftop units serving four different spaces, you can set each area to come on in sequence, rather than all at once. You may need to program start times a little earlier in the morning to get all rooms to temperature before the start of the day, but you won’t have a spike in energy demand all at once. Start times should be at least 20 – 30 minutes apart to make sure that you don’t overlap.
- Using sequencing techniques for HVAC units - When outside temperatures are moderate, you don’t need to run multiple stages of heat or cooling simultaneously to achieve comfort. HVAC systems are typically sized to meet your needs on the hottest/coldest days. Since most days are not so extreme, you don’t need to run both stages at once to effectively condition your space.
- Look at Heating and Cooling Set Points – We all know comfort can be a very subjective thing. One person will be wearing a sweater next to someone in a tank top. If you can get away with running a little warmer in the summer 72 instead of 70, or a little colder in the winter 68 instead of 70, you will use less energy overall, and reduce peak demand at the same time.
- Control Outside Air Intake – We all have heard about sick-building syndrome from buildings not having enough fresh air. But the opposite problem is actually more common. Most buildings exchange too much air. All that nicely conditioned air is literally going right out the window. By better controlling your outdoor air intake, you can still have healthy amounts of fresh air, and not cool or heat more air than you need to. This can be achieved by simply manually adjusting outdoor air dampers, smarter control of economizers, or by installing Demand Control Ventilation. Demand Control Ventilation actually measures the amount of carbon dioxide in a space and increases fresh air only as needed. It completely and automatically eliminates over-ventilation.
These are just a selection of the strategies that you can use to reduce your demand charge. Most can be easily accomplished through your existing Building Management System or by adding inexpensive programmable thermostats, sensors and controls.
Based on your specific operation, there may be even more ways that you can reduce your bill without creating noticeable changes in your work environment. If you’re interested in ways you can reduce your overall energy bill – or demand charges specifically – send us your energy bills and we’ll introduce you to our Energy WatchDog Killer Watts.
By Karen, on May 16th, 2011
As if it isn’t confusing enough that electric utilities charge delivery charges and generation charges, they also have a funky little thing on business energy bills called a Demand Charge. What ARE all of these charges? And how do you make them go away?
Every utility has their own billing format and pricing structure. The most popular utility in our service area is NSTAR, so most of the examples in this blog will refer to the typical NSTAR bill for a medium sized business. If you’d like an analysis of your specific bill, you can email me a copy and I’d be happy to break it down for you (please limit this to business bills from Southeast MA only).
 Confused by your energy bill? Email me. NSTAR is an energy re-seller. They deliver electricity but do not necessarily generate it. Because of this, there are separate charges for delivery and generation. The fee for delivering your energy covers the cost of building and maintaining wires. The generation fee pays for the energy NSTAR buys from the generating plant. These, among a few other small miscellaneous charges and taxes make up the “usage” part of your bill.
In addition to usage charges, there is another significant charge called a Demand Charge. NSTAR electric meters automatically record the peak level of energy demand during every month. The idea behind a Demand Charge is that the utility must have enough energy available to satisfy your peak demand at any given time. You won’t always be using your peak, but they must have it available, just in case. The Demand Charge is a way to offset the cost of the providing this just-in-case energy.
Here’s how a Demand Charge can affect your bill. If you consumed 15,000 kWh of electricity during the month, your usage charges might look like this:
Delivery Charges (per kWh) 8.6 cents x 15,000 kWh = $1,290
Generation Charges (per KWh) 8.0 cents x 15,000 kWh = $1,200
Total Usage Charges = $2,490
The demand charge captures the moment you had the most items turned on at once. Let’s assume your peak demand was registered at 60 kW this month. Peak demand only a snapshot of energy consumed it is measured in kilowatts (kW) versus energy consumed over time which is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Your Demand Charge would be as follows:
Peak Demand 60 kW
1st 10 kW is free -10 kW
Adjusted Peak 50 kW
Demand Charge (per kW) $4.86 x 50 kW = $243
Although energy consumption is clearly the major part of the energy expense, the Demand Charge (equal to 10% of the total energy bill in this case) is controllable and should be part of the overall energy strategy.
Energy accounts for about 30% of operating costs for a building, according to the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). Though no one can make their energy bills go away completely – short of resorting to using candlelight and the abacus – there are strategies to get the most out of your energy dollar. Check out our website for more info: http://www.advanceair.net/building-automation.htm.
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