Our columnist suggests the constant need to modernize buildings that still maintain old technologies in their facilities.
by Alfredo Sotolongo*
The most economical energy to produce is the one that is saved!
As the song says, "How the years have passed!" and that phrase contains a lot of truth. In the last 50 years many buildings have been built where air conditioning systems consist of obsolete technologies.
I am referring not only to chillers, cooling towers and water pumps, but also to roof units for dehumidifying and cooling the ventilation outside air. Every year the cost of electricity increases, which is a further incentive to renew existing systems since investment in modern and more efficient systems is recovered much faster.
There are many buildings today that were built with old and inefficient air conditioning systems. These air-cooled and water-cooled systems operate in extremely high KW/Ton ranges. We all know that technology has improved exponentially in the last 30 years. Today we have smaller components that occupy a smaller area than the original systems, leaving space available for the installation of other equipment.
We already know that air conditioning systems operate most of the time at part loads. With modern technology, the complete system adapts at all times to the thermal load existing at that time and thus avoids unnecessary energy consumption. Each component of the air conditioning system is interconnected with each of the other components, maximizing efficiency with the use of automatic controls. The system of automatic controls acts as an orchestra conductor that maintains operational balance.
When any air conditioning system is being upgraded, be it the central plant and/or the humidity control units, it is very important that it is able to adapt to the thermal load at all times in a way that maintains electricity consumption directly proportional to the existing load.
Chillers can be modular, where several are needed to meet the thermal load, or a single non-modular one for the entire capacity, which is shipped disassembled to be assembled within the central cooling plant. We have been involved in projects where we have applied both alternatives using the Multistack brand that specialize very successfully in the manufacture of modular chillers.
Many buildings when they were initially built had no other buildings around them, which simplified the work and type of cranes needed. Today, most constructions are surrounded by existing buildings which makes it difficult to transport the equipment to its final destination and requires the use of more complex cranes and sometimes the use of helicopters to raise the equipment. Engineers can reduce installation costs by selecting alternatives for the air conditioning system that is most economical to transport. One solution is to use modular chillers that can be climbed in elevators and/or short flights of stairs and another is to use non-modular coolers for all the capacity that can be assembled on the roof or its final location.
It is very important in projects of replacement and improvement of the air conditioning system, whether chiller rooms or units dedicated to cooling and humidity control, that the representative of the wrapped factories knows how to recommend and coordinate the optimal combinations of equipment to achieve the highest efficiency using new technologies and at the same time select the easiest components to take to their final destination in the most economical way. and simple possible.
If you need more information on any of the topics covered in this column, please contact me at the mail: [email protected]
* President of Protec, Inc., is certified as a professional engineer in Puerto Rico and the state of Florida; has more than 40 years of experience in the application and sale of systems and equipment for energy conservation. He is a member of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), AEE (Association of Energy Engineers), ASHRAE and was president of the Miami chapter of that association.
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