HVAC Efficiency Controls Could Mean Significant Savings

From DOE blog:

HVAC Efficiency Controls Could Mean Significant Savings

April 27, 2012

April Saylor

New Media Specialist, Office of Public Affairs

What does this mean for me?

• Commercial building owners could save an average 38% on their heating & cooling bills just by installing a few new controls onto their HVAC systems.

According to a new report from Pacific Northwest National Lab, commercial building owners could save an average 38 percent on their heating and cooling bills just by installing a few new controls onto their HVAC systems.

These findings mean significant potential savings for building owners who use commercial rooftop systems – but there’s just one problem: the controls aren’t currently commercially available.

Srinivas Katipamula, the PNNL engineer leading the study, says the report makes “a convincing case for manufacturers to produce more advanced HVAC controllers and for building owners to adopt these energy-saving methods.” The PNNL team hopes the report will encourage manufacturers to begin producing the four different control methods. Three companies currently manufacture HVAC controllers, but only one company offers a product with all the control options that resemble the team’s simulations. To help the manufacturer's better understand their market, PNNL's report examines potential pricing options for the controllers and how long it would take for building owners to recoup that cost. Since packaged HVACs regulate more than 60 percent of the commercial building floor space in the United States, the potential savings from retrofitting advanced controls on these systems is enormous.

The following four different control methods were considered by Katipamula and his PNNL colleagues:

• Air-side economizers cool outside air to chill the building instead of creating cool air with the HVAC compressor.
• Supply fan speed controls slow or speed up the ventilation fan that circulates the building’s air based on whether or not a desired temperature or amount of fresh air has been reached instead of continually running the fan at full speed.
• Cooling capacity controls run the HVAC compressor at different speeds based on need.
• Demand-controlled ventilation slows or speeds up fans and air intake based on carbon dioxide levels inside the building instead of running ventilation fans at a constant rate.

In general, the researchers found that installing a multi-speed fan control had the greatest impact on energy savings in hotter cities (think Miami), and demand-controlled ventilation created the best possible energy savings in colder cities like Chicago or Seattle.

For more information about the study, read the full report.

GE Energy Expands Telecom Power Portfolio

27 March 2012

GE Energy Expands Telecom Power Portfolio

 

New GPS 4827 and GPS 2436 Enable Telecom, Wireless, Cable Broadband and Satellite Service Providers to Shrink Utility Bills and Reduce Cooling Requirements while Lowering Capital Expenditures

DALLAS — March 27, 2012 — GE Energy (NYSE: GE) is launching its new GPS 4827 and GPS 2436 telecom energy systems with power electronics energy efficiency approaching 97 percent and flexible equipment leasing options. Designed to accelerate energy efficiency upgrades across mid-size central offices, mobile switching centers, internet datacenters and other communications facilities, the new Galaxy Power System™ (GPS) DC power plants help carriers cost-effectively achieve their sustainability objectives through Total Efficiency™ technology. The new GPS systems are estimated to save more than a billion kilowatt hours annually by reducing power loss and cooling requirements 50 to 70 percent.

“GE Energy’s GPS DC power plant continues to lead the DC Energy Systems segment based on its reliability, output capacity, energy efficiency and ease of operation,” said Jeff Schnitzer, president of GE Energy’s Power Electronics business. “These new GPS DC power plants enable our customers to simplify the operations and maintenance of their installed base, while also lowering power and cooling expenses.”

Equipment leasing financial options available through GE Capital ensure communications providers can optimize their CAPEX budget while in many cases funding the monthly lease payment from the utility savings achieved by upgrading legacy DC power plants. A Cost of Power™ calculator demonstrates how Total Efficiency investments may deliver one to two year return on investment payback periods.

The GE Energy GPS 4827 provides up to 1800 Amps of 48Vdc output while the GPS 2436 provides up to 2400 Amps of 24Vdc power. The integrated, multi-cabinet configurations are managed by the user-friendly Galaxy Millennium^® II controller. The new GPS energy systems utilize the same Infinity TE series rectifiers used in other GE Energy cell site and outside plant cabinet products to simplify and lower the cost of deployment, operations, maintenance and spare parts.

Pricing and Availability
GE Energy Galaxy Power Systems are approved for deployment with contract pricing at AT&T, CenturyLink, Comcast, FairPoint, Frontier, Verizon and other service providers. Ready-to-ship configurations of the GPS power plants, with associated services and training, can be rapidly deployed within weeks. For more information please visit www.ge.com/powerelectronics or call 877-546-3243 or +1 972 244 WATT.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

GE’s Jenbacher Cogeneration Technology Set to Power Urban District Energy Project in Melbourne

26 March 2012

GE’s Jenbacher Cogeneration Technology Set to Power Urban District Energy Project in Melbourne

 

• 2-Megawatt (MW) Jenbacher Unit to Help Cogent Energy Supply Power, Heat and Cooling for Dandenong Commercial District
• Cogeneration Plant Could be Expanded Up to 6 MW to Meet Melbourne’s Growing Energy Needs

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA—March 26, 2012—One of GE’s (NYSE: GE) natural gas-fired Jenbacher gas engines will be powering a cogeneration plant that will provide reliable electricity and thermal energy for a major urban revitalization initiative in Dandenong, Victoria. Built by Cogent Energy, the plant will play a pivotal role in the VicUrban-lead Revitalising Central Dandenong (RCD) initiative that is rejuvenating the south-east region of Melbourne.

The collaboration marks GE’s first urban district energy project in Australia.Clarke Energy Australia, GE’s authorized distributor for Jenbacher gas engines in Australia, will supply project owner Cogent Energy with a 2-MW,J612 Jenbacher cogeneration unit for Phase 1 of the new power facility, which could be expanded to 6 MW.

GE’s ecomagination-qualified Jenbacher system was shipped to the Dandenong site in January, with commercial operation set to begin this year. The gas engine is expected to save the equivalent of about 9,900 tons of carbon emissions a year, which equals the removal of more than 5,500 cars from the road.

The cogeneration plant is set to dramatically reduce the emissions and energy use of the Dandedong Commercial District by reducing its reliance on energy from the grid. The plant also will have the capacity to produce surplus hot water, which Cogent Energy will then sell back to local commercial buildings to provide cooling via building owner-supplied absorption chillers.

“Helping central Dandenong transform itself into a vibrant, 21^st century retail and services district will require a reliable, cleaner, cost-effective supply of energy to meet the growing needs of the area’s business and residential communities,” said Blair Healy, manager of Cogent Energy. “GE’s Jenbacher technology offers the optimal energy efficiency we required to make this project successful.”

“Australia represents an important growth region for GE as more customers embrace various distributed power applications—including industrial cogeneration—to bring the sources of energy production closer to end-users,” said Rafael Santana, CEO and president—Gas Engines for GE Energy.

GE is helping customers worldwide to generate reliable on-site electricity and heat at or near the point of use through its comprehensive suite of distributed power solutions ranging in size from 119 kilowatts to 100 MW. The fuel flexibility of GE’s Jenbacher gas engines and its other distributed energy technologies also promotes greater regional energy and economic security by enabling countries to use more of their own energy resources to meet their domestic needs.

The Dandenong project builds on GE’s commitment to supporting Australia’s energy goals. The company’s involvement in Australia dates back to 1902 when GE installed one of the electric motors in Sydney to open the Pyrmont Bridge over Darling Harbour.

More recently, in September 2011, GE announced it would supply an integrated solution of on-site power and water filtration equipment to a consortium that is building a water treatment plant on behalf of Australian coal seam gas company QGC. The project, located at QGC’s Kenya site near Chinchilla in Queensland, integrates GE’s Jenbacher and Waukesha gas engines for the first time. The units will generate on-site power for GE’s advanced membrane and thermal water treatment technologies that will desalinate water produced during the extraction of coal seam gas.

GE’s Jenbacher gas engines are designed to run soley on a variety of gases, which results in high levels of generator efficiency, reliability and environmental performance.

Many of GE’s Jenbacher products are ecomagination-qualified, providing customers with products that improve their operating performance and reduce environmental impact. Ecomagination is GE’s business strategy to help meet customers’ demand for products that improve their bottom line and reduce their impact on the environment. Ecomagination reflects GE’s commitment to invest in a future that creates innovative solutions to environmental challenges.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

Post from Dept. of Energy Blog

Taking a Tour of Wilmington's Energy-Efficient Spaces

February 28, 2012 - 11:30am

Roya Stanley (left) on a tour of the Snipes Academy of Arts and Design with the building's architect -- Thomas Hughes. Through interactive real-time energy data tools, Snipes students incorporate energy use data in their classroom projects and studies. | Photo Courtesy of the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance.

Roya Stanley

Director, Policy and Technical Assistance

I
n Wilmington, North Carolina, local institutions are leading the way in building efficiency and sustainability. From the WAVE Transit Forden Station to the Wilmington Convention Center to the city’s street sweeper complex, Wilmington is saving money by saving energy and supporting job growth in energy efficiency technologies. 
 


Last week, I experienced first-hand how Wilmington public buildings are leveraging energy efficiency and clean energy technologies to save money and reduce energy waste. I joined Representative Mike McIntyre, Mayor Bill Saffo and Joy Allen, executive director of the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance, on a tour of the city’s energy efficient buildings. 
 


At the Forden Station -- the first LEED Gold registered public building to break ground in the state of North Carolina -- on-site geothermal heating and cooling systems have helped reduce energy consumption by 45 percent. Snipes Academy of Arts and Design utilizes a water source heat pump system and outside air system for the school’s heating and cooling. Through interactive real-time energy data tools, Snipes students incorporate energy use data in their classroom projects and studies. 
 


Reducing energy waste in buildings is an important element for a sustainable energy future. In the United States, buildings consume about 40 percent of all U.S. energy, contributing a significant amount to overall energy costs. In Wilmington, the Cape Fear Green Building Alliance is helping train local energy auditors and building analysts to conduct energy efficiency upgrades and capture the savings. 
 


Nationally, through the Better Buildings Challenge, more than 60 companies, cities, universities, hospitals and other partners have committed to upgrading more than 1.6 billion square feet of building space across the country -- which will jobs, eliminate waste and help make our commercial and industrial buildings 20 percent more efficient by 2020. 



Check out more on the Better Buildings Challenge HERE.

News Release from the DOE - Energy Efficiency Training Centers

President Highlights Smart Energy Training at U. of Miami

February 24, 2012 

 President Barack Obama tours the University of Miami Industrial Assessment Center in Miami, Florida, Feb. 23, 2012. The IAC is where students learn how to become industrial energy-efficiency experts as they help small to mid-sized manufacturers reduce their energy costs. | Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy.

Ginny Simmons

Managing Editor for Energy.gov, Office of Public Affairs

What have IACs accomplished to date?

• 15,000 energy assessments have helped save enough energy to power 5.5 million American homes.
• Participating manufacturers have saved more than $5.6 billion in energy costs.
• 3,000 students have graduated -- with more than 60 percent going on to careers in the energy industry.

During his visit to Florida, yesterday, President Obama highlighted the University of Miami's Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) as a smart and important piece of the administration's "all-of-the-above" approach to domestic energy sources.

In September of last year, the Energy Department gave 24 universities a total of $30M in grants to help train the next generation of industrial energy-efficiency experts. Each school will receive $200,000 to $300,000 per year for up to 5 years to train students on core energy management concepts. The teams conduct energy assessments in a broad range of manufacturing facilities, which prepare students to compete in today's economy while helping local companies and factories reduce energy waste, save money, and become more competitive.

As President Obama said yesterday, "We're taking a step that will make it easier for companies to save money by investing in energy solutions that have been proven here at the University of Miami -- new lighting systems; advanced heating and cooling systems that can lower a company's energy bills and make them more competitive."

Since the Industrial Assessment Center program began in 1976, university teams have conducted more than 15,000 energy assessments at U.S. manufacturing plants nationwide. To date, more than 3,000 students have graduated from the Industrial Assessment Center program, with more than 60 percent going on to careers in the energy industry. Critically, these assessments have helped save over 530 trillion BTUs of energy -- enough to meet the energy needs of 5.5 million American homes -- and have helped participating manufacturers save more than $5.6 billion in energy costs.

If you'd like to apply for an assessment, you can contact one of the 24 schools across the country that currently participate in the IAC Program.

With USDA's Help, a Midwest Grocer Cuts his Energy Bill

From USDA blog:

Posted by Adam Czech USDA Public Affairs Specialist, on February 6, 2012 at 10:33 AM

Pat Longmire has owned a grocery store in Spring Grove, Minn., for 22 years. He knows customers want fresh produce, quality meats and weekly deals that save a buck here and there.

But he wasn’t sure how customers would react after he put glass doors on the coolers in the store. Longmire didn’t have to worry for long, however. “The response was overwhelmingly positive,” he said.

Longmire used a grant from USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program(REAP) to purchase and install the doors. The doors resulted in a savings of about $500 per month on heating, cooling and electricity bills.

“It’s the smartest thing we could have done,” he said. “You get return on your investment back quickly.”

With energy costs rising and the grocery industry trying to become more energy efficient, Longmire knew the time was now to make the upgrade.

He originally considered replacing all the coolers in the store, but decided using the REAP program to install doors on the existing coolers was a better option. The entire project was completed for what it would have cost to replace just one cooler.

Using funding provided through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program, a Minnesota grocer installed doors on coolers and cut his energy bill by $500 a month

Longmire set the thermostat inside the store to 72 degrees when he had open coolers. Since the doors have been added, he sets the temperature to 68 degrees and the store actually feels warmer than it did at 72.

“We were just wasting energy before,” Longmire said. “If every store across the country did what we did, the impact would be dramatic. It’s just one little thing, but it’s making everything more efficient.”

Without the REAP program, Longmire’s energy costs would have kept going up. Instead, he was able to do something about it and use the money he saves to improve his business and contribute to the local economy.

“This program really helps businesses like mine do projects like this and stay competitive,” Longmire said. “It’s great.”

USDA is currently accepting applications for funding through the REAP program.  For more information click here.