VFD On Condenser Pump

International Energy Agency Energy Conservation in
Buildings and Community Systems (ECBCS) Programme

Annex 46, U.S. Army Installations Management
Command (IMCOM), US Department of Energy, Ft. Lee
and The PERTAN Group
September 19, 20, 2009
Fort Lee, VA
Presented by
Scot M. Duncan, P.E.
Vice President
Retrofit Originality Incorporated
21382 Countryside Drive
Lake Forest, CA 92630
949 370 8582
www.roi-engineering.com
sduncan@roi-engineering.com
Copyright 2009 Retrofit Originality Incorporated. Not for reproduction or distribution without written
permission from ROI www.roi-engineering.com
J.1
Use Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) for the

Primary Chilled Water pumps above 5 HP
A VFD allows the equipment speed to be controlled to match the

need of the loads it serves, rather than running at full speed any
time it is running.
Installation of VFDs on the primary chilled water pumps will allow
the speed of the pumps to be varied in response to changes in the
cooling loads and chilled water system temperature differentials.
Since the power demand of the primary chilled water pump motor
varies approximately to the 2.5 power with speed (it is not quite a
cubic relationship in the installed world), reducing the pump
speed to 70% when the chiller load is around 70% will result in a
primary chilled water pump energy savings of approximately 55%
to 60%. At low loads, reducing the speed to 50% when the chiller
load is around 40% or less will result in a primary chilled water
pump energy savings of approximately 80%.
Since the chillers spend the majority of their time operating below
70% of their design cooling capacity, the system energy savings
can be substantial.
Primary Pump VFD Energy Curve
Power Draw%
Primary Pump Energy Use - Variable Speed

vs. Constant Speed
100
80
Constant Speed
60
Theoretical Curve
40
Probable Curve
20
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Speed %/10
J.2 Use Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)

for the Condenser Water Pumps
A VFD allows the equipment speed to be controlled to match the

need of the loads it serves, rather than running at full speed any
time it is running.
Installation of VFDs on the condenser water pumps will allow the
speed of the pumps to be varied in response to changes in the
cooling loads. Since the power demand of the condenser water
pump motor varies approximately to the second power with
speed, (due to the fixed minimum lift conditions of an atmospheric
cooling tower, the savings does not correspond to a cubic
relationship) reducing the speed to 70% when the chiller load is
around 70% will result in a condenser water pump energy savings
of approximately 50%. At low loads, reducing the speed to 50%
when the chiller load is around 50% or less will result in a
condenser water pump energy savings of approximately 75%.
We typically do not recommend taking the condenser water pump
speed down below approximately 50%, as the savings are
minimal below that level, and we need to pay attention to the
minimum allowable flow rate over the cooling towers, which is
typically in the 50% of design flow range.
CDWP VFD Energy Savings

The pump energy savings ratio for the condenser water
pump is slightly different than it is for the primary chilled
water pumps, as the condenser water pumps have a
fixed minimum lift required to move water up over the top
of the cooling towers, and there is no static regain for
water falling through a cooling tower as there is with
primary chilled water pumps operating in a closed loop.
Since the chillers spend the majority of their time
operating below 70% of their design cooling capacity, the
system energy savings can be substantial.
Condenser Pump VFD Energy Curve

Condenser Pump Energy Use Variable
Speed vs. Constant Speed
Power Draw%
100
80
Constant Speed
60
Theoretical Curve
40
Probable Curve
20
0
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10
Speed %/10
J.3 Cooling Load Based

Optimization
Most Mechanical Engineers have never
operated an HVAC system, and were never
properly trained in the art and science of energy
conservation and building controls.
Most control system designers are not versed
in energy conservation design strategies.
Most operating engineers dont have

PhDs, and dont want HVAC and control
systems that require a PhD to understand.
Overview
Merely having great equipment and a
fantastic system design does not guarantee
that a system will be energy efficient.
Typical energy efficient control strategies
leave a substantial amount of savings on the
table.
Control system strategies that cannot

be easily understood by the operating
staff will quickly be disabled, and the
system will revert to manual operation,
and savings will be lost.
Summary
Poor control strategies can
waste more energy than great
equipment can save.
The controls must adapt to changing
end use loads and conditions and allow
the operating staff the ability to tune
the system to meet the needs of the
various connected loads.
6/30/07 Peak OSA

Temperature =
Sample VSE/LOBOS Design

and Control Logic Results 103F red line
Average TOTAL
chiller plant efficiency
= Less
than 0.50
kW/ton yellow line
Chiller, Approx 0.35

kW/ton, blue line
Cooling Tower, Approx
0.08 kW/ton, white line
Chilled Water pump,
Approx 0.04 kW/ton,
pink line
Condenser water pump,
Approx 0.03 kW/ton,
green line
AHU Summary
100 degrees
outside
52.7 F
CHW supply
temperature
Max 54.5F
supply air
temp. on all
AHUs
At 100F outside, we have a 1.8
degree approach temperature

between the CHWS temp and the supply air temp
leaving the coils. This allows very high CHW temperatures and thus
very high system efficiencies. This compares to typical designs that use
coils that provide a 10F to 13F approach temperature.
.
Chiller Plant Snapshot

Chiller @
0.32 kW/ton
Total chiller
plant @ 0.45
kW/ton,
including
pumps,
chillers and
CTFs
100F OSA
Complete day performance:

tons and kW/ton 6-13-07
Blue = total
plant (0.39
to 0.51
kW/ton),
including
all pumps,
CHs and
CTs
Yellow =
load in
tons (380
to 530
tons)
Control to the Loads

The system must respond to the needs of the
loads, be it a single floor in the winter, or the
entire facility in the heat of the summer.
If the loads are not being properly cared for
and met, the system is not doing its job.
As soon as occupant complaints start
coming in, the system will go to manual
operation, if it is not easy for the Engineering
Staff to tune and adjust it.
The Basics Dont Change

To save substantial energy with any system, you
have to incorporate central plant and airside
optimization software.
Central Plant Optimization routines must look at the
site loads without knowing AHU load information, you
cannot maximize energy savings, or respond to load
changes properly.
AHU Optimization routines are required to minimize
energy use and promote occupant comfort!
The System Must be Operator Friendly If the person
that designed it cannot explain it in an understandable
manner to the people that operate the facility, it is too
complex.
Load Based Optimization on AHU 56F at 0.49 INWC @ 10th

Floor AHU@0.24 kW/T & Total HVAC sys @ 0.64 kW/T
Penthouse fan system
serves all 10 floors with
0.49 static pressure.
Old setpoint was 4+
75% load on plant
Total Plant @ 0.33 kW/Ton and

Total HVAC System at 0.52 kW/Ton
55% plant load

Total Plant Efficiency @ 0.38 kW/T Total

HVAC System (including Supply and Return
Fans) @ 0.51 kW/Ton (VSE/LOBOS)
33% plant load

Dont just look at kW per ton! It can be extremely misleading!

Low Temp Air Extreme Test - 39F Air, 0.15 INWC static pressure
0.03 AHU kW/Ton, 0.49 Total HVAC system kW/Ton
While this looks impressive from a kW/ton basis, the dehumidification

load to provide 39F air temperatures increased the tonnage dramatically,
so overall energy use went up, not down.
J.3 Cooling Load Based

Optimization, cont.
Cooling load based optimization strategies should be

incorporated into the control routines for the CHWS
temperature set-point, the chilled water differential
pressure setpoint and the condenser water
temperature setpoint (for water cooled equipment) to
reduce chiller and pumping system energy waste,
while improving the control system response at the
cooling loads. The load based optimization strategies
should also incorporate chiller staging routines that
take best advantage of the installed equipment. Self
tuning loops should be incorporated that will adjust the
system to accommodate continuous changes in the
load and weather.
Load Based Optimization System

(LOBOS)
One such system which incorporates these
concepts is the Load Based Optimization
System (LOBOS), which takes data from the air
handling units that are controlled from the same
DDC control system as the chiller plant, and
uses this data to raise the chilled water supply
temperature as high as possible, to save chiller
energy, while lowering the chilled water system
differential pressure as low as possible, to save
pumping system energy.

(LOBOS)
These resets are accomplished while still
maintaining the required supply air temperatures
at the air handling units feedback from the
cooling loads is required for best system
performance.
The system also resets the condenser water
supply temperature setpoint to reduce chiller
energy by lowering the condensing pressure of
the refrigerant, without wasting cooling tower fan
energy.

(LOBOS)
Increasing the chilled water supply temperature
(within reason, comfort and humidity control
limitations) can reduce energy consumption on
constant speed centrifugal chillers by up to 20%,
and by up to 40% or more on variable speed
centrifugal chillers.
Reducing the chilled water system differential
pressure (within reason, comfort and humidity
control limitations) can reduce energy
consumption on variable speed chilled water
pumping systems by up to 50% at light loads.

(LOBOS)
Differential pressure is what forces cold
water from the chiller plant through the
chilled water distribution piping system to
the air conditioning systems to provide
cooling to the end use loads. A system
does not need the same differential
pressure when it is 70F and dry outside
as it does when it is 90F and raining
outside.

(LOBOS)
A reset strategy based on the needs of the end
use loads can reduce pump energy by 40% or
more, depending upon the diversity of the loads.
Efficiency and load based reset strategies
should be incorporated into the control routines
for the cooling towers. Reducing the condenser
water supply temperature (within reason and
equipment limitations) can reduce energy
consumption on constant speed centrifugal
chillers by up to 30%, and by up to 60% or more
on variable speed centrifugal chillers.

(LOBOS)
An additional benefit associated with
resetting the chilled water supply
temperature and differential pressure is
that cooling coil control valve response
and thus system temperature control are
much better when these strategies are
incorporated.

(LOBOS)
When cooling loads are light but the differential pressure
setpoint is at 40 PSID, and the CHW supply temperature
is at 42F, most of the cooling coil control valves will be
operating at or near shutoff. Valves operating near shut
off provide very imprecise temperature control, resulting
in large swings in the leaving air temperature from the air
handling units, and over- and under-dehumidification. If
the CHW supply temperature is increased and the
differential pressure is decreased, the valves will open
up and operate closer to mid-stroke or even further
open, where their control can be very accurate.
This is shown in the following trend of supply air
temperature vs. supply air temperature setpoint
LOBOS On, then turned off

Red = Supply air temperature,
Green = Supply air temp
setpoint
Notes for previous page

During the day, the CHWS temperature setpoint and
differential pressure setpoint are reset based on the
loads. At approximately 19:00, the system is operated in
a fixed temperature and DP setpoint mode. It can be
seen that the supply air temperature control stays within
approximately 0.5F until 19:00, when the swings exceed
5F, due to the CHW control valve at the AHU being
near shut off.
Optimized chiller equipment staging can reduce the
energy consumption penalty imposed by running too
much constant speed equipment by over 50%.
Temp
Scale
kW/ton
Scale
Condenser water return temperature
Condenser water supply temperature

Chiller kW per ton of cooling
Great with LOBOS, 36% worse
W/O LOBOS
Chilled water return

temperature
Chilled water supply temperature
Discussion of Previous Page

This test was run to see what effects changing
the condenser water temperature setpoint would
have on VFD chiller system efficiency.
The red line is the condenser water
temperature with a system using the Load
Based Optimization System (LOBOS) control
system, which determines the most efficient
operating points for the HVAC system based
on the actual cooling loads of the facility.
The blue line is the chiller efficiency in kW
per ton.
The green line is the chilled water supply
temperature.
Discussion, continued
The first test, shown in the preceding page,
shows that the chiller energy efficiency is
running at approximately 0.33 kW per ton,
prior to the start of the test.
This is excellent efficiency, as most chillers
installed today operate between 0.60 and
1.5 kW per ton of cooling.
With LOBOS, the condenser water
temperature is running at approximately
68F, while the chilled water temperature is
running at approximately 50F.
We manually raised the condenser water
setpoint to 80F from the automatically
controlled setpoint of 68F to determine
what effect a normal operating strategy
would have on chiller system performance.
Many facilities routinely operate their
condenser water systems at between 80F
and 85F, which are the typical design
points for chillers when they leave the
chiller factory.
As can be seen, the chiller efficiency was made
dramatically worse, increasing from 0.33 kW per ton to
0.45 kW per ton, using 36% more energy to deliver the
same amount of cooling. The chiller energy increased
from 332 kW to 452 kW, an increase of 120 kW. There
was a savings in cooling tower energy of approximately
40 kW by letting the temperature rise, but the net effect
on the system was an increase of 80 kW, or
approximately 21% more energy to provide the same
level of cooling.
When the condenser water temperature was released
back to LOBOS operating controls, the efficiency was
returned to the previously obtained levels.
This also shows that a facility can be
designed with excellent cooling equipment,
but if it is operated and controlled in a
normal manner, the efficiency can suffer in
a rather dramatic fashion compared to the
potential efficiency.
Remember Bad Controls Can Waste More
Energy Than Good Equipment Can Save.
Control Strategy
Make it understandable.
Make it consistent/repeatable from plant to
plant.
Make it tunable by the Operator (within
limits)
Make it self tuning.
J4. LOBOS Control Screens - Plant

Chiller Plant Tuning Graphic - Simple Four adjustments - how fast
the Differential Pressure and Chilled water supply temperature are
adjusted when the loads are increasing and decreasing.
J4. LOBOS Control Screens - AHU

AHU Tuning Graphic - Simple Six adjustments Setpoints for fan
speed and return air temperature setpoint, and how fast the static
pressure and supply air temperature setpoints are adjusted when the
loads are increasing and decreasing.
J4. LOBOS Control Screens - AHU
AHU Setup Screen
This screen lets you set

the level of importance
for each AHU a lab unit
gets greater weight than
a less critical unit, the
further out units get
more weight than the
close in units, and big
AHUs get more weight
than smaller AHUs.
J4. LOBOS Control Screens

Control system consistency from HVAC system to
HVAC system should be a long term goal.
If every tank, rifle or HUMVEE operated differently
from the last one, how effective do you think our
soldiers would be?
HVAC systems are the same the human interface
and behind the scenes control logic should all have
the same look and feel, and the controls strategies
should be the same:
When the cooling loads are high, provide higher pressures
and colder water and air to meet the loads.
When the cooling loads are low, provide lower pressures
and warmer water and air to save energy.
J.5 Use High Efficiency

Dehumidification Strategy.
When air handling units are being replaced, or where there is a

need for dry, non-saturated supply air, the installation of High
Efficiency Dehumidification Systems, in either Dedicated Outdoor
Air System (DOAS) or Variable Air Volume (VAV) design
iterations should be utilized.
Although the airside of the HVAC systems is not a direct chiller
plant energy efficiency project, the design and operation of the
airside has a substantial impact on the performance of the chiller
plant. The chiller plant is operated to respond to the needs of the
end uses, (the air handlers serving the occupied spaces) so if the
end use air handlers are inefficient at transferring heat due to their
design or small cooling coils, colder water and higher flow rates of
chilled water will be required. This can create a very inefficient
cooling system, and can contribute directly to the Low Delta T
Syndrome.

Air distribution systems that have normal designs and
cooling coil sizes have a detrimental effect on chiller
plant performance.
For example, a cooling coil that requires 42F chilled
water supply temperature and provides a 54F return
water temperature to meet cooling loads and provide
adequate dehumidification will cause the chiller plant to
use 25% to 40% more energy than a cooling coil
selected to provide the design supply air temperature
and the design dehumidification load with 50F chilled
water supply and 70F chilled water return will require. If
a HEDS designed AHU is utilized, the chiller plant
savings will increase by another 25% or more.

When design dehumidification loads exist, there is typically the

need for some form of reheat energy to temper the air entering
the spaces. Reheat energy typically comes from a new source
of energy, typically a boiler plant connected to steam or hot
water sourced re heat coils, or electric strip reheat coils.
Cold, saturated air entering a humid space can cause
condensation to form on surfaces that it comes in contact with,
creating wet spots and all of the problems that go along with
water on surfaces in occupied areas, so some form of re-heat
or a method to decrease the relative humidity of the air entering
the space is required.
For a system such as a DOAS design, or a VAV system serving
a barracks facility, the design day chiller plant and boiler plant
energy savings associated with a HEDS system can be in
excess of 50% when compared to a typical design.
D.2.2.8
Inefficient Dehumidification
Systems (Inefficiency)
Supplying nearly saturated 55 F air into a humid space results

in condensation in the spaces, which can lead to mold and
mildew problems. Electric or hot water reheat systems are
sometimes employed to decrease the RH of the supply air to
the spaces to reduce the potential for condensation, but these
systems are typically turned off in the field to reduce energy
use.
Inefficient air dehumidification results in significant repair and
maintenance costs. The cost of mold remediation outweighs
the total first cost of the HVAC system by an order of
magnitude over the life of the HVAC system.
Changing dehumidification/reheat system design strategy can
reduce energy consumption and cooling and reheat loads,
improve IAQ, and reduce the potential for mold growth in
occupied spaces. These factors will reduce the level,
frequency, and expense of remediation that seems to occur on
a regular basis.
D.2.2.8 Inefficient Dehumidification

Systems (Inefficiency)
cont
Air supply systems that must provide both cooling
and dehumidification are typically designed in a way
that wastes chiller and boiler plant energy.
Using standard AHU design strategies that
dehumidify the air and then reheat it to reduce RH
can waste 50% or more of the chiller plant and boiler
plant energy when compared to using AHU designs
based on high-efficiency dehumidification systems
(HEDS) design strategies for dedicated outside air
systems (DOAS) or variable air volume (VAV)
systems combined with a separate heating and
cooling system
Moisture Control
In order to reduce the potential for
biological issues, the building envelope
and HVAC system must be designed in
concert to properly control moisture.
Relative Humidity in the facility must be
maintained within acceptable
boundaries to promote occupant
comfort and health, while reducing the
potential for biological issues.
Dehumidification/Reheat Systems
Many areas in the continental United
States only have dehumidification
problems in the summer.
Other, more far flung locations require
continual dehumidification and reheat
to maintain comfort conditions and
reduce biological issues.
Dehumidification Systems
Problems
Billions of dollars in damage
occurs each year due to biological
growth caused by high Relative
Humidity in facilities.
This is preventable, and can be
energy efficient at the same time!
Problems
To reduce relative humidity in the
spaces, the air must be dried out,
typically by cooling it to 45F to 55F,
then re-heating it to around 65F
typically by using electrical or hot
water re-heat sources.
In this manner, very cold, 100% saturated
supply air does not enter the spaces.
If cold, saturated air enters a humid room,
biological issues will likely follow.
Problems
High RH can be caused by the desire to save
energy by reducing the dehumidification
(cooling) and re-heat load on the system.
If you cool the air less, you save chiller energy,
but you increase the RH in the space.
If you dry the air out by cooling it to the correct
level, but then do not re-heat the air (to save
heating energy), the cold saturated air will
encourage condensation everywhere it touches.
Problems
At one site that we visited, biological growth issues
created the need to completely re-build one of the living
facilities. The new HVAC system uses chilled water for
dehumidification and electric strip heaters (at 1.0 kW per
room!) for reheat to lower the relative humidity of the
spaces.
While the design of the system will work, the annual
energy consumption of this one 250 room facility will
increase by approximately 1,500,000 kWh per year.
The strip reheat coils will soon be disconnected to try
and comply with energy conservation goals, and the
biological problems will return, creating a massive
waste of funds, but coming out of a different, less
obvious budget.
High Efficiency Dehumidification

Systems (HEDS)
Weve developed a high efficiency
dehumidification system that can reduce
energy consumption by 52% (high loads) to
72% (low loads), while improving chiller plant
and boiler plant efficiency.
Combining VSE design strategies with Load
Based Optimization Controls, (LOBOS) and
HEDS can reduce facility energy consumption,
while reducing the RH to reduce the potential
for biological damage to occur.

Systems (HEDS)
System
Supply air temperature is 10F above the dewpoint temperature.

For DOAS-HEDS, the supply air temperature can be 20F above the
dewpoint temperature.

Systems (HEDS)
Variable Volume System Performance Comparison
"Normal HVAC" vs. "HEDS"
Entering Conditions
Leaving Conditions
% Design CFM
DB
WB
DB
Dewpoint
100%
78
65
65.1
55
75%
77
64.5
65.7
55
50%
76
64
67.2
55
25%
75
63
68.1
55
% Design CFM
Normal AHU System

Chiller Plant Load + Reheat
Energy (BTUH)

System (HEDS)
Chiller Plant Load + Reheat
Energy (BTUH)
HEDS %
Energy
Savings
100%
460013
219240
52%
75%
340795
148330
56%
50%
227500
81250
64%
25%
108160
30400
72%

Systems (HEDS)
DOAS Performance Comparison
"Normal DOAS" vs. "HEDS-DOAS"
Entering Conditions
CHWS
Temperature
at Unit
45F
CHWS
Temperature
at Unit
45F
Leaving Conditions
DB
WB
DB
Dewpoint
98
82
65
45
Normal DOAS System

Chiller Plant Load + DX
Subcooling + Reheat Energy
(BTUH)
1561813

System (HEDS-DOAS)
Chiller Plant Load + DX
Subcooling + Reheat Energy
(BTUH)
1126150
HEDS %
Energy
Savings
28%

Systems (HEDS)
High Efficiency Dehumidification System
Energy Savings vs. Design Airflow @ 100% reheat to
65F/68F Typical for DOAS, Barracks, labs,
manufacturing, underfloor air distribution systems, etc.
High Efficiency Dehumidification SystemEnergy Savings @ 100% Reheat to 65F/68F
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1
Percent of Design Airflow
Percent of Cooling and Re-heat Energy Saved

Systems (HEDS)
High Efficiency Dehumidification System
Energy Savings vs. Design Airflow @ 25% reheat to
65F/68F Typical for facilities that need minimal reheat.
High Efficiency Dehumidification SystemEnergy Savings @ 25% Reheat to 65F/68F
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1
Percent of Design Airflow
Percentage of Cooling and Reheat Energy Saved
J.6 Install A Continuous Commissioning, Monitoring

and Verification System to Maintain Savings
Persistence of the Chiller Plant and HVAC Systems
Essentially, this consists of installing:
accurate temperature sensors on the inlet and outlet of each chiller and heat
recovery unit evaporator and condenser,
an accurate low range differential pressure transducer across the evaporator of
each chiller and heat recovery chiller and using the differential pressure to
calculate the flow rate through the chiller,
a kW transducer on each chiller,
kW transducers on each pump and cooling tower fan and air distribution fan, or, if
they are powered by Variable Frequency Drives, obtain the kW from the VFD over
an RS 485 or other network connection.
Air handlers that are equipped with economizers must also be equipped with
return air and mixed air temperature sensors, and accurate supply air temperature
sensors.
If there is budget available, large AHUs should have DP transducers installed
across the coils, and inlet and outlet water temperature sensors so that tonnage at
the AHUs can be calculated as well.
Software would then be implemented to calculate the efficiency of each piece

of equipment, and then trends and alarms would be set up so that there
would be a historical database of equipment and system performance. The
alarms would be triggered when the system or equipment started operating
outside the boundaries set during system startup.
J.7 Install Water Source Heat Pumps (WSHPs) To Augment the

Capacity of the Hot Water Boiler, and To Reduce the Cooling Load
on the Existing Chiller Systems When Heat Is Required.
A 20 ton WSHP can deliver approximately 320,000 BTUH of heat

when it is loaded up.
In many cases, the chilled water temperatures that are delivered
to the facilities may be too high to adequately cool the facility, and
may also be too high to adequately dehumidify the building. In
these cases, small WSHPs can be used to reduce the CHWS
temperature entering the building while simultaneously dumping
the excess heat into a water storage tank for the domestic water
loads.
In cases like these, dry coolers should be installed to act as a
heat rejection source for the WSHP when the domestic water
system can no longer accept any more heat, but there is still a
need for the cooling system capacity/temperature to be
augmented.
Water temperatures of 120F to 135F can be obtained.
J.8 Develop an HVAC and Control System

Design Criteria for New and Retrofit Projects.
Weather Correct Standard Designs for

the various areas of the country should
be developed for Barracks, DFACs,
Offices etc.
Regional differences must be
accounted for in the envelope and
HVAC designs.
I Really, Really, Really want to

help make this happen!
J.8 Develop an HVAC and Control System Design

Criteria for New and Retrofit Projects.
The design-build method seems to

be delivering systems and designs
that may provide an inexpensive first
cost, but have higher than necessary
lifecycle costs.
Since we are still living with WWII era
facilities, it is safe to say that lifecycle
costs should be an important
consideration.

A design standard for each different climate
type should be developed with substantial
input from the operating staff, and from
Subject Matter Experts familiar with
dehumidification and control system design
and function in the field.
Once implemented, the savings associated
with standardized system designs and
installations will result in millions of dollars
per year in avoided energy, maintenance and
biological remediation costs.

A design standard will also lessen the costs
to perform system design and engineering
reviews, as standardized designs will be able
to be utilized by the local design engineering
firms.
This will have the added benefit of educating
these firms for work in the private sector,
allowing their clients to reduce the lifecycle
costs of their facilities, and helping America
to reduce energy waste and remain
competitive with other nations.
J.9 AHU and Their Cooling Coils Retrofit

Strategies
Undersized cooling coils are a huge

contributor to energy waste. If the cooling
coils are undersized, as most of them are,
fan energy is wasted, chiller energy is
wasted, chilled water pump energy is
wasted, condenser water pump energy is
wasted and cooling tower fan energy is
wasted.
Additionally, undersized cooling coils can
be a leading contributor to biological
growth due to inadequate humidity control.

Strategies, cont
8.1. The AHU should be configured in a blow thru
configuration, rather than a draw thru configuration. The fans
should be upstream of the cooling coils, blowing through
them.
8.2. Provide cooling coils that meet the desired leaving air
temperatures with 50f entering chilled water temperature and
as close to 70f leaving chilled water temperature as possible.
8.3. The maximum cooling coil face velocity should be 350
feet per minute for blow through and 300 feet per minute for
draw through systems.
8.4. The desired fans are direct drive plug fans.
8.5. The cooling coils should be 8 rows deep.
8.6. The cooling coils should have 12 fins per inch.
8.7. The maximum leaving air temperature should be 55F.

Strategies, cont
8.8 The minimum fin thickness is 0.008"

8.9. The minimum tube wall thickness is 0.028"
8.10.
The minimum tube diameter is 5/8"
8.11.
The coils shall be equipped with individually
replaceable return bends of no less than 0.035"
thickness
8.12.
Hairpin return bends are not acceptable.
8.13.
Provide stainless steel coil casings and
intermediate tube supports
8.14.
The maximum height between drain pans
should be 24". Provide coils that have drain pans that
completely pass through the cooling coil finned surface
area.

Strategies, cont
8.15.
The coil air pressure drop should be
less than 0.8" wc.
8.16
The coil water pressure drop should be
less than 15'.
8.17
Provide low pressure drop (2 PSID
maximum) automatic control valves for the
cooling coil duty. Desired valves are pressure
independent characterized port ball valves Belimo or equivalent, designed for outdoor duty.
Provide with a sun/rain shield for the actuators.
8.18
Insulation system should be vapor tight
and aluminum skinned.
Summary
A recent, Peer Reviewed report in the
ASHRAE Journal found that cooling coil face
velocities in the 250 to 350 feet per minute
range offer the best lifecycle cost, in contrast
with the old school practice of sizing cooling
coils at 500 to 550 feet per minute face
velocity.
We have been recommending low face velocity
coils for years and have found it to be true.
Poor Cooling Coil Selections

The typical Low Delta T
syndrome was evident at each
facility we visited.
The Low Delta T syndrome has been
explained in detail in numerous other
publications, but suffice it to say that it leads
to the waste of huge amounts of pumping
and chiller energy, and the core cause of
the Low DT Syndrome is cooling

coils that are too small.

Most facilities were running 40F to 42F
chilled water temperatures to provide
adequate dehumidification.
One set of plants was running 38F water for
dehumidification.
Small cooling coils require excessive CHW
flow rates and very low CHW temperatures to
try to meet their loads.
High air velocities across the coils led to
water carry-off into the AHU and ductwork

Selecting cooling coils to provide 55F
supply air temperature in a blow-thru
fan application, with 50F chilled water
supply and 65F to 70F chilled water
return temperatures will cure many ills,
and promote efficient system
operation.
8 row, 12 fin per inch coils with a 300 to 350 feet per
minute face velocity will typically meet these needs,
while reducing water carry off from the coils and the
biological remediation issues that result from water
carry-off.

The use of 50F CHWS temperatures and
a 15F to 20F temperature differential
allows the chillers to be piped in series.
The combination of using a 50F CHWS
temperature and a 15F to 20F TD will
improve the peak day system efficiency by
25% to 30%, and the annual efficiency by
an equal or greater amount.
Importance of Coil Selection and

Fan Orientation
8 row 12 fin per inch 300 to 350 FPM cooling
coils are desired for peak system efficiency
in most cases.
Blow through coil design to increase CHW
system TD and reduce peak loads due to
reduction in over-dehumidification.
Blow thru coils can increase CHW

system TD by 34% to 65%+ and
decrease peak day cooling loads by 5%
or more.
Subcooling the air due

to fan heat added
downstream of the coil
occurs with this design
Typical AHU Design
High air and water

pressure drops
Typical coil size 4 to 6
row, 550 FPM face
velocity
Fixed, or poorly reset,
setpoints for static and
temperature. 1.5 to 2
and 55F are typical
AHU setpoints.
High pressure drop 2way or 3-way valves
No subcooling of air due to

fan heat added upstream of
the coil
Optimized AHU Design
CHW TD increased by over

165% (24 vs. 9)
Desired Coil Size 8 row, 350
FPM face velocity
Low air and water DPs
Belt drive shown, we

prefer direct drive fans
Static and temperature

setpoints continually reset
based on the loads
(LOBOS)
Low pressure drop 2-way
valves
Allows chillers in series and
substantial pumping
savings
Strategy to Increase Chilled Water

System Temperature differential
Many facilities are plagued by low chilled water system
temperature differentials.
This is commonly referred to as the Low Delta T
Syndrome
This hurts energy performance, whether or not the
system has TES installed.
If the system is equipped with properly selected twoway throttling type cooling coil control valves, and
the chilled water supply temperature and differential
pressure are properly controlled, the most likely
culprit for low system temperature differentials is
undersized or worn-out cooling coils.
Cooling Coil Performance

Comparisons
The following pages compare blow thru
and draw thru cooling coil selections.
Normal design coils are compared to
coils that reduce air and water pressure
drop, increase chilled water system
temperature differentials and reduce
AHHU, chiller and pumping system energy
consumption.
Draw Thru 6 R 550 FPM Coil vs.

Blow Thru 8 R 350 FPM Coil
6R 550 FPM Draw thru vs Blow thru and

8R 550 FPM Draw thru vs Blow thru
6R 350 FPM Draw thru vs Blow thru and

8R 350 FPM Draw thru vs Blow thru
Draw Thru 6 R 550 FPM vs.

Blow Thru 8 R 350 FPM
for 100% OSA system
TES Optimized Cooling Coil

32 Degree TD 200% of Typical TES System Designs
Doubles the Capacity of Most Installed TES Systems
30 Degree + TDs are Possible!

We have many systems that operate
with 26F to 32F chilled water system
temperature differentials.
It can be done, and it is not that big of a
deal to make it happen.
Big coils allow lots of leeway for energy
conservation, and also allow loads to
change without having to spend $$$ to
upgrade the HVAC system.
Summary
To reduce energy consumption, you need to
improve heat transfer efficiency:
Utilize large face area cooling and heating/reheat
coils to maximize system temperature
differentials and minimize air and water pressure
losses.
Large cooling coils reduce air pressure drops and
allow the use of high chilled water supply
temperatures, while still dehumidifying, raising
chiller system efficiency.
Large face area heating and/or reheat coils reduce
air pressure drops and allow the use of low hot
water supply temperatures. This can allow the
effective use of low quality reclaimed heat, and/or
highly efficient condensing boilers.
Use the Right Equipment

A variable speed chiller used for heat recovery
would be OK, if heat recovery mode was only
enabled when there was a large need for heat,
rather than continuously.
Raising the head pressure for heat recovery
duty on a VFD chiller wastes substantial energy.
A small dedicated HR chiller or Water-Sourced
Heat Pump and a HW storage tank is a better
solution for heat recovery, in most cases.
Summary
Energy Conservation = water
conservation.
If a cooling system is water cooled, saving
energy will reduce the amount of heat that
has to be rejected by evaporating water, so
water savings will result.
It may be possible to capture and reuse condensed moisture off of the

cooling coils.
Put the VFD on the Biggest Chiller!

VFD chiller performance is related to refrigerant lift
and relative load.
Refrigerant lift is related to chilled and condenser water

temperatures and refrigerant approach temperatures.
Refrigerant approach temperatures are related to relative load
and heat transfer surface area.
Relative load and heat transfer surface area are related to the
size of the chiller.
The bigger the chiller, the lower the relative load will be and the
greater the heat transfer surface area will be.
The lower the relative load and the greater the heat transfer
surface area, the closer the approach temperatures can be.
The closer the approach temperatures can be, the lower the lift
can be.
The lower the lift, the more efficient the chiller can be (within
limits).
Fully Loaded VFD chiller @ 0.35 kW/Ton VFD

Chiller Efficiency is more related to lift than to load
2040 Main Street

(VSE/LOBOS lite)
Put the VFD on the biggest Chiller you have!
750 ton VFD chiller at 6.3% load (47 tons) total plant efficiency = 0.42 kW/ton.
250 ton CS chiller at 20% load (49 tons) total plant efficiency = 1.62 kW/ton.
WAKE UP! Time to go

to the next presentation!
Thank you for giving me the
opportunity to help you help
our troops, and help our
Country. It is an honor to work
with you.
Scot M. Duncan, P.E.

VFD On Condenser Pump

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International Energy Agency Energy Conservation in

Buildings and Community Systems (ECBCS) Programme

Use Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) for the

A VFD allows the equipment speed to be controlled to match the

Primary Pump VFD Energy Curve

Primary Pump Energy Use - Variable Speed

J.2 Use Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)

A VFD allows the equipment speed to be controlled to match the

CDWP VFD Energy Savings

Condenser Pump VFD Energy Curve

J.3 Cooling Load Based

Most operating engineers dont have

Control system strategies that cannot

6/30/07 Peak OSA

Sample VSE/LOBOS Design

Chiller, Approx 0.35

degree approach temperature

Chiller Plant Snapshot

Complete day performance:

Control to the Loads

The Basics Dont Change

Load Based Optimization on AHU 56F at 0.49 INWC @ 10th

75% load on plant

Total Plant @ 0.33 kW/Ton and

55% plant load

Total Plant Efficiency @ 0.38 kW/T Total

33% plant load

Dont just look at kW per ton! It can be extremely misleading!

While this looks impressive from a kW/ton basis, the dehumidification

J.3 Cooling Load Based

Cooling load based optimization strategies should be

Load Based Optimization System

Load Based Optimization System

Load Based Optimization System

Load Based Optimization System

Load Based Optimization System

Load Based Optimization System

Load Based Optimization System

LOBOS On, then turned off

Notes for previous page

Condenser water return temperature

Condenser water supply temperature

Chilled water return

Chilled water supply temperature

Discussion of Previous Page

J4. LOBOS Control Screens - Plant

J4. LOBOS Control Screens - AHU

J4. LOBOS Control Screens - AHU

AHU Setup Screen

This screen lets you set

J4. LOBOS Control Screens

J.5 Use High Efficiency

When air handling units are being replaced, or where there is a

J.5 Use High Efficiency

J.5 Use High Efficiency

When design dehumidification loads exist, there is typically the

Supplying nearly saturated 55 F air into a humid space results

D.2.2.8 Inefficient Dehumidification

High Efficiency Dehumidification

High Efficiency Dehumidification

Supply air temperature is 10F above the dewpoint temperature.

High Efficiency Dehumidification

Normal AHU System