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By Karen, on April 28th, 2011
Having just launched our Energy WatchDog Program, I’ve had the…well I don’t want to say pleasure but let’s call it opportunity…to become familiar with energy metrics – kilowatts and kilowatt-hours and the like. Personally I would like to have words with the person who invented the term “kilowatt-hour” as it does not necessarily refer to an hour, but the consumption of energy over a vague period of time which could literally be an hour, 24-hours, a month, or any amount of time which floats your boat.
For example, a 60-watt bulb will use 60 watt-hours (or 0.06 kilowatt-hours) of energy in an hour, but you could also say that it will consume 1,440 watt-hours (or 14.4 kilowatt-hours) in 24 hours. Whether or not energy consumed was during an hour, a day, or a year, you will still see a watt-hour or kilowatt-hour (kWh) designation. And that’s just the start of the confusion.
One helpful blog article that I found recently does a good job explaining the concept of watt versus watt-hour and also has some clever-cute “screw in a light bulb” jokes to boot. The blog, “What is a Watt, Anyway? Understanding Energy and Power Metrics” posted by Tristan Roberts on BuildingGreen.com discusses the following:
- Watts are basically the miles-per-hour measurement of the electrical world–they tell you how fast the electrons are speeding down the highway (i.e. a 60-watt bulb is going 60 watts per hour – that’s fast!). A watt is a measure of speed of electrons, otherwise known as “power.”
- While a watt is a measure of power, a watt-hour is a measure of energy. When you get your utility bill, the electricity you’ve used is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or kilowatts consumed over a period of time. Energy is defined as the capacity to do work, such as creating heat, light, or motion. Kilowatt-hours is the measurement of energy consumed over a period of time.
- Commercial and industrial facilities typically pay “demand charges,” which are calculated based on their peak power draw (usually measured in megawatts, or MW), which compensates the electric utility for ensuring that it has enough power available to meet that demand.
Though this article touches on Demand Charges, I will be exploring them further in future blog articles. An important thing to know about demand charges is that they can be fairly easily reduced using programming and sequencing strategies. More on demand charges to come…
By Karen, on April 1st, 2011
As controls systems age, they can start misbehaving. Because controls systems rely on computer software as well as electronic hardware, they are subject to glitches and performance problems for a whole host of reasons. Sometimes a simple upgrade can resolve issues, other times these glitches are symptoms of bigger problems and an overhaul is your best bet.
 Avoid the Frustration - Keep Controls Current!
When you start seeing the symptoms below, it is a good time to look at replacement, or at least a signficant upgrade:
- Computer system upgrades conflicting with existing HVAC controls software. Some older HVAC software will not run correctly on new computers for a myriad of reasons – incompatible operating system or Java version, missing drivers, incompatible internet browser, etc. These conflicts get worse as the age gap between the HVAC software and the computer grows. And it’s not just one computer you need to consider. Any computer that wishes to view or access the controls system whether on- or off-site, management, maintenance dept. or service contractor may begin to have issues as the age gap grows. Like any computer software, upgrades for both software and hardware are necessary to ensure continued compatibility.
- Obsolete repair parts. As manufacturers move on to the new more powerful controls systems, the older systems get left behind and are not supported. It becomes increasingly difficult to get replacement parts the older a system gets.
- Obsolete communications or connectivity technology. Many older controls systems do not have a user-interface and require special devices to communicate with a laptop. Older systems often use serial cables or PCM-CIA Cards, technologies which are no longer available in new laptops. Often external devices or adapters don’t work, leaving field techs blind when they try to troubleshoot or program an older system.
- Difficulty integrating new controls onto old controls systems. Though advances have been made to better integrate newer systems with each other (even if they are different manufacturers), older systems often have proprietary systems or older technology that doesn’t communicate with newer devices, even from the same manufacturer. If you are adding new HVAC equipment to your old controls system, you may have problems making everybody play nice together. It’s like trying to play a new CD in an 8-track player.
- Limitations on control system functions like trending or load-shedding. Newer systems include improvements and refinements over the old. You may find your old dog system can’t learn new tricks. This might cost you much-needed efficiencies.
- Un-maintained controls or controls operated by un-trained staff. Though not really an age issue, this is probably one of the single biggest issues in controls today. Controls are incredibly powerful in the hands of those who know how to use them, but can actually work against those who aren’t well trained. Newer systems tend to be more user-friendly. Think of old DOS-based systems vs. Windows®.
Generally we recommend keeping an existing controls system in place as long as it is effectively performing. A well-maintained controls system can last anywhere from 10-20 years, depending on the type of system and its capacity. But the key is to weigh the cost of an inefficient or difficult to service system against the cost of replacing it altogether. Controls are extremely powerful tools that will quickly pay for themselves and provide years of energy savings. But when controls misbehave they can cost you serious bucks. But when you start seeing serious issues cropping up, it’s time to bite the bullet and plan for your new controls system. Waiting to take action can be costly.
By Karen, on March 22nd, 2011
Firstly, when I say “controls system” I mean a Building Automation System (BAS) or Energy Management System (EMS) featuring a system of Direct Digital Controls (DDC) that can be controlled and monitored centrally by computer. For more info on DDC controls, check out this website: http://www.advanceair.net/building-automation2.htm
A well-maintained controls system can last anywhere from 10-20 years, depending on the type of system and its capacity. Controls are extremely powerful tools that will quickly pay for themselves and provide years of energy savings, but they must be selected carefully, used and maintained properly to get that payback.
Invest in Non-Proprietary Software
Like everything else, in order to get the most out of your controls system, you must invest wisely upfront. Ideally you want a system that is not too highly proprietary – the two most popular platforms are  BacNet® or LonWorks®. Each platform has its positives and negatives in comparison to each other, but both platforms have very good following and seem to be here to stay. Longevity is vital to getting support, replacement parts and easily upgrading or expanding your system in the future. Advances in controls technology even allow these platforms to integrate with each other to some extent.
Properly Train Operating Staff
The next step is to train on-site staff to operate these systems properly. In order to know if you controls system is effectively performing, you need to really understand its purpose and function. Most controls system installers will offer a brief one-time “training session.” This is usually not enough. There are too many bells and whistles to truly understand all of them in one sitting. When your service provider is working on the system, work with them as they resolve issues or update settings, ask questions, every service call can be a learning experience for staff. Any good service provider would welcome the opportunity to share knowledge of the system and provide a little impromptu training session.
Monitor System Regularly and Semi-Annually Review
Controls systems are not “set-it-and-forget-it” investments. At a minimum, they should be monitored daily for alarms and irregularities and thoroughly checked annually or semi-annually to make sure the system itself, as well as all of its settings are maximizing energy savings and control. If on-site staff is unable to provide proper continual monitoring or the semi-annual inspection, this is a service offered by many controls contractors. If systems are set up to be monitored remotely, the cost for daily monitoring is typically minimal and the benefits are enormous. Annual maintenance should be provided on-site, generally during seasonal preventive maintenance visits once or twice per year. This is also a good time to see if expansion or upgrades are necessary.
If you really want to be thorough confirming that your system is functioning correctly, you can also use devices independent of the controls system, such as data loggers, to confirm that the sensors and controls settings are calibrated correctly. This service is often provided by contractors under an Energy Services Contract.
If you’ve selected wisely, had a well-trained staff and/or controls contractor monitoring and maintaining your controls and haven’t done major changes or expansions to your HVAC equipment, you can easily get 10 years out of your initial controls investment. At the ten-year mark, it is time to start looking at options. Can you upgrade the existing system to extend its life? Or do you need to plan for a total system overhaul in the next few years because of system problems or limitations?
Though we all want our controls systems to last forever, next week’s blog will discuss how you will know that it’s time to say goodbye to your old controls system…stay tuned.
By Karen, on December 22nd, 2010
I heard two inspirational stories today that I felt compelled to share. Hopefully they will inspire you as they inspired me.
One of the suppliers that we work with was shopping in the mall with his young twin girls for a gift for their mother. When they passed a toy store, the Dad said, “Girls, pick out any toy you want.” So the girls scoured the aisles to find the most beautiful baby dolls they could find. Proudly walking through the mall showing off their new dolls, they soon walked past a Toys for Tots collection box where Dad asked the girls to give away their new dolls to kids who have no toys. With some small regret, the girls agreed. And gave away their brand new dolls.
Inspired by the Toys for Tots story, one of our technicians donated one of his own gifts to purchase warm winter jackets for local children. The jackets were given to a local school program to be distributed to a boy and girl in need. The same technician also wrote a poem for the twin girls to let them know how they’d inspired him. As I share this poem and pass along these two stories, I hope that the spirit of giving will continue to spread as the poem says, “like snowflakes in the wind.”
Toys for Tots Poem
A little birdie
Reported of thee
Bearing gifts
As you’ll see
Like twin beams of light
From a Northern Star
Guidance, a lesson,
By example that’s right.
Toys for Tots and a soldier stood tall
A Mom & Dad’s lesson
Taught at the mall
It’s give, not receive
For the best gift of all.
So lending a hand or a gift you see
And like snow flakes
In the wind
This lesson will spread
Like it did to me.
- Written by Anonymous
Wishing you the gift of a giving spirit this year. Happy Holidays!
By Karen, on December 2nd, 2010
I have always been interested in being “Green.” My mother will tell you stories of the makeshift recycling center I created in my bedroom because we didn’t have curbside recycling and she didn’t want “garbage” piling up in the house between treks to the recycle center. As an adult I still dutifully recycle, though I thankfully no longer have bottles and cans next to my nightstand. I believe in energy efficiency, clean air and water, reducing waste and so on. So, believing as I do, I WANT to believe in LEED Certification, but I still struggle to get on the bandwagon.
The principles and strategies of LEED make sense to me, but I can’t get past the feeling that the process is complicated to the point of impracticality. According to the GBCI website, LEED Certification requires a TEAM of individuals. Right off the bat, this suggests to me that this is far too complicated a process for the average human. At least one member of the team has to be professionally LEED Certified in advance, yet another indicator that this is not a user-friendly process.
What bothers me about the current LEED Certification process is this: if the typical building owner/manager is not capable of understanding and filling out the required documentation to certify their own building, then how are they going to be able to KEEP the building running in such a way that it continues to be LEED-worthy? If we want sustainable buildings through LEED, the LEED process itself needs to be sustainable, right?
So my premise is this: if the LEED Certification process were made simple enough so that the building owner/managers could certify their own buildings, they would also be able to keep the building running at LEED standards on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. Isn’t that the best way to create a sustainable future?
 Is the LEED Process Creating Sustainable Buildings?
By Karen, on November 3rd, 2010
Rebate programs, at least in the HVAC industry, tend to be cyclical. As prices fluctuate, rebate programs respond, but usually with some delay. During the cycle, there are times when prices have dropped, but the rebate programs haven’t caught up yet. This sweet spot in the cycle is when you can really make a rebate count. That’s where we are right now in HVAC rebates. But if history repeats itself, the sweet spot won’t last. There’s no telling what will happen with new rebate programs for 2011, but if you install before the end of 2010, you can capitalize on a pretty sweet deal.
We all know that as technology evolves, costs go down. For example, a few years after you buy that pricey 3-D TV, you’ll be kicking yourself for how cheap it is after the next big thing comes along (Is there such a thing as 4-D?). The definition of a “high efficiency” HVAC unit has evolved over time. When we refer to high efficiency today, we are talking about a 14 SEER unit or greater. Over the last year, the purchase price of 14 and 15 SEER units has come down dramatically, but the rebates haven’t been reduced or changed in two years. In some cases, we’ve seen rebates offset 100% of the cost vs a standard unit. This means you now get a 15 SEER unit for the price of a standard 13 SEER unit. And you get to reap all of the extra energy savings benefits for the life of the unit!
It’s a no-brainer – you get a better unit for about the same price and save money on energy year after year. Right now HVAC rebates mean real savings. Utilities have not yet posted the rebate schedules for 2011. We’re hoping that they will remain the same for a third consecutive year. But historically, as unit prices come down, efficiency requirements tighten and/or rebate amounts change to compensate. If you’re in the market to replace your older HVAC units within the next year or two, you may want to consider replacing them now to take advantage of 2010 rebates. Don’t count on the sweet spot hanging around for another year.
* HVAC Rebate programs are available to customers who use participating utilities. In our service area, this includes NSTAR, Cape Light Compact and National Grid. For more information, visit www.masssave.com.
 HVAC Rebates Mean Real Savings
By Karen, on September 21st, 2010
The motors driving your heating and AC units generally only have one speed – they’re either full speed or stopped. To regulate temperatures or airflow, the motors alternate between on and off to achieve the desired climate. This on/off action is 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.
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 only when needed – like on those 99 degree swampy days of summer – and run at lower more efficient speeds the rest of the time.
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. Motors running at full speed use nearly 8 times more energy than a motor running at half speed. At lower speeds, your motor is still able to provide you with ideal comfort but at much less cost. And your units don’t get whiplash from slamming on the breaks constantly.
The drives can also come with other nifty bells and whistles. Some can alert you about HVAC equipment malfunctions or tell you when the unit needs maintenance. Alerts can save equipment downtime headaches because repairs can often be done before anyone even notices a problem. On-demand maintenance means your units tell you when they need cleaning and filters changes, so they are always functioning at their peak efficiency.
VFD and VSD drives can be used on almost any type of motor-driven equipment, including fans, pumps, compressors, etc. They can be paired with high efficiency motors for a double whammy of efficiency. Both VFD/VSDs and high efficiency motors qualify for rebates from local energy providers such as NSTAR and National Grid.
To find out if VFD/VSDs are right for you, please call us or visit our website at http://www.advanceair.net/vfd-vsd.htm
 Variable Frequency Drive (VFD)
By Karen, on September 15th, 2010
Some of you may remember from my previous blog post, that the seagull is one of the biggest foes of the HVAC technician, truly a vicious dive-bombing menace. In our last story, one clever technician devised a strategy to distract the gulls so that he could work on the rooftop units. Some techs never even get a sporting chance…
Before even making it fully onto the roof, Paul our poor unsuspecting technician, sustained a gull-related head laceration while still on the ladder of the roof hatch. Just as his head crested the roof, a waiting sniper-gull came from behind and beaked him, leaving him with a terrible headache and a tiny bald spot to remember him by.
We believe this gull to be a mercenary gull, hired out by lesser gulls to protect their territory. It is said that this sniper-gull has portions of the scalps of over 100 technicians lining his nest. If you see him, please do not try to apprehend.
 WANTED: Sniper Gull - Charged with 100 counts of assault with a deadly beak. So, after the third bout in the battle Nature vs. the HVAC Technician, the score stands at Nature 3, Technicians 0. Better luck next time boys!
By Karen, on August 27th, 2010
 Tighten your belt on energy spending. If you want to cut costs – and in this economy, who doesn’t – you have to know what your costs are, right? Did you know that energy accounts for almost one-third of a typical building’s operating costs? Because energy savings go straight to the bottom line and can be realized almost immediately, energy should be one of the first places you look to cut costs.
That’s where an Energy Benchmark comes in. A Benchmark can tell you how your building stacks up against other buildings in your market. If you’re paying way more or less than the next guy for energy in your building, shouldn’t you know?
And if you’re paying less than your peer buildings, you have an opportunity to market yourself to potential tenants or buyers, or just give yourself a pat on the back for your fantastic building management.
If you’re paying too much, there are many ways to reduce your energy costs WITHOUT spending a lot. Studies from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) have shown that you can save from 5 – 30% on your energy bills with LOW or NO cost changes. We’re not talking unit replacements or major overhauls, but minor tweaks and upgrades that can help save major bucks.
Right now you have the option of going directly to the Energy Star website and conducting your own Benchmark. You can manually enter data about your energy bills and building space and type and you will get an Energy Star rating like one above. Your other option, which I highly recommend, is calling Advance Air to do one FOR you, for FREE.
Get more info about Energy Services at our website: http://www.advanceair.net/building-automation.htm
By Karen, on August 26th, 2010
One of the legendary foes of the HVAC technician is the seagull. Normally not a lovable creature by any standard, the awkward-looking, screeching gull becomes a vicious dive-bombing menace to the unsuspecting rooftop-unit-repairing technician.
 Are you talking to me? One clever technician dreamed up a scheme, inspired by his childhood gull-feeding beach adventures, to thwart his flying nemesis. Figuring that no self-respecting gull can resist the snack foods of his youth, the technician brought a gigantic bag of buttered popcorn to the roof with him in the hopes that it would provide sufficient distraction to let him repair in peace. When a generous sprinkling of popcorn at the far corner of the roof immediately drew the gulls attention, our ingenious technician declared, “Victory!” and proceeded to attend to the rooftop unit.
Within minutes the gulls realized that their benefactor had slipped away to what must have been their nesting area. Angered by the deception, the gulls quickly plotted their revenge, flanked the technician, and proceeded to drive him off of their roof in a flurry of flapping wings and stabbing beaks.
Seagulls 1, Technicians 0
And a total waste of perfectly good popcorn.
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