Steps to Realizing Industrial Energy Efficiency (including HVAC)
Here’s a pair of recent items (one article and one report) that are specifically relevant to the industrial side of the HVAC industry:
- “A four-step process to energy control” by Jim Plourde and Carl Castellow, P.E., of Schneider Electric (Plant Services, Sept. 1). The authors write to point out that many opportunities for industrial energy efficiency are being missed, and that although an energy audit is a good place to start, it’s only a start, and must be followed by concrete action steps if it’s going to do any good. They suggest a four-step process: measure energy usage, fix the basics, automate where appropriate, and monitor and control. Regarding HVAC and automation they write: “HVAC control regulates heating and cooling at the optimal levels, which can change day by day. Variable frequency drives regulate the fans and pumps central to a facility’s HVAC system and manufacturing processes, so they aren’t constantly running at full capacity.” Combined with lighting automation, they say, this can yield a 15 percent improvement in energy efficiency.
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HVAC Industry Braces for Health Reform
President Obama talks to Congress about national health reform on 9/9/09
Don’t look now, but there’s a debate brewing in America about the advisability of overhauling the nation’s health insurance system — and the HVAC industry is taking notice. If you have a pulse, you’ve probably already heard about the first part. If you’re involved or interested in the HVAC industry, you may or may not have heard of the second. For those who wonder how health reform might affect the HVAC industry, the ever-reliable ACHR News has published an article exploring this very issue: “Health Care Reform Excites and Scares HVAC Industry” (Sept. 14).
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Study: Top HVAC Complaints among Office Workers Include “Too Hot,” “Too Cold”
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has released a new report that examines the most common heating and cooling complaints made by office workers. It also looks at the ways facility managers respond to these complaints. Obviously, this means the spotlight is on HVAC systems (hardly a bad thing, in our book).
“Temperature Wars: Savings vs. Comfort” (pdf) is the result of a 2009 study whose purpose, as stated in document’s introduction, was “to identify when most thermal complaints occur, the nature of the complaints, and what building actions and improvements are made to make workers comfortable and able to concentrate on their jobs.”
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