How fast is it possible to start save energy?

Today it is essential to reach energy savings fast, both to shorten a project’s return on investment (ROI) and reduce power consumption. It will also be a part of the solution in the ongoing energy crisis, where every “saved” kWh is important. Earlier we have discussed how different savings and efficient troubleshooting will affect the time it takes to save energy by optimising HVACR systems.

Until the unlikely point where “we” have unlimited power and capacity, it will be crucial to save energy. By reducing the power consumption, the ongoing energy crisis will also be easier to handle and resolve.

To do this efficiently, all systems consuming electricity “on the grid” need to be evaluated. Thereafter they should be optimised, preferably in the order which gives best environmental impact as well as a short ROI.

When and where can I start to save energy

Based on thousands of optimised systems, we know that it is usually possible to reduce the power consumption with 10-30% in air conditioning, refrigeration, and heat pump (HVACR) systems. These systems consume between 30-60% of the electricity in many buildings, and 20% of the global electricity.

A prerequisite to reach these savings is that the performance is analysed, so information is available on the necessary level. Knowing the temperature and/or power consumption is not enough to ensure that HVACR systems run efficiently.

Connecting a system to ClimaCheck online (or onsite) can be done in less than one hour (simple system) to a couple of hours for more complex systems. When all sensors are connected and the data is analysed, all the necessary information is available to work with optimisation. As it is a new method, providing new information, some small changes will be necessary. It is important to avoid a situation where the information isn’t used, we have prepared this free guide, to leap-frog energy efficiency work.

The most time-consuming part in many organisations, is the “decision process”. In some cases, it is even longer than the ROI time when the project is started. When performance analysis is performed it is easy to identify saving potential. Deviations will be detected when they appear making it possible to avoid breakdowns and performance drift due to wear or changes in the system, which is adding to the savings.

At start up

Some problems and inefficiencies are easy to identify the second the performance is analysed with the ClimaCheck method, thanks to system efficiency index (“SEI”). These can usually be fixed instantly in a cost-efficient way. Fixing these often leads to major savings, making the ROI less than one year.

The first weeks

During the first period of time, you will see changes in operation during day and night-time. Changes caused by ambient temperatures and different “loads” caused by the daily operation etc will also be noticed.

Problems connected to controls or external systems will also start to be visible. For example, unstable operations with a lot of start and stops.

The first 12 months

With the variations in ambient temperature, many systems operate in a wide range of temperatures over a year. To fully optimise a system the operation during all these temperatures needs to be analysed and optimised.

The period where the majority of runtime occurs, will of differ. In some countries/areas it can be covered in weeks, while in other you need months.

The crucial point in this is to use the performance analysis and act on the information. When this is done the system should be running as energy efficient as possible.

Avoid performance drift

When a system is optimised, a new part of the energy efficiency process begins. Which is to ensure that the performance is maintained. This is done by continuously analyse performance and have a structure to take care of deviations when they are detected.

Glen Anderson at Bernhard describe this work well in his article  “The Value of Fault Detection and MBCx For Chillers”. When the condition of the system is continuously known and actionable information is available, it is possible to work with “predictive maintenance” as a part of the energy saving strategy.

How to reach energy efficiency in HVACR systems

The key is to start! Access to actionable information will be necessary. This can only be obtained by analysing performance! Thereafter there need to be a structure so someone is acting on the available information.

By utilising ClimaCheck’s performance analysis as a part of Data driven Optimisation and Predictive Maintenance (dDop method) it is possible to ensure and reach energy efficiency in HVACR systems.

This will enable your organisation to be in the forefront of the necessary changes to counter the energy as well as the climate crisis. As well as it will make your company more profitable and assist in the work with taxonomy, “green building certificate” and more, to reach / keep their goals.

If you want to meet our expert you can, book a meeting, or download our guide to take the first step.