Design for Energy Efficiency

Lee Eng Lock

Technical Consultant
Trane Distribution Pte Ltd

1
Common Issues & Barriers to Energy
Efficiency

• Gross Oversizing
• Can Afford poor efficiency on grossly oversize plant,
can’t afford right sized high efficiency plant
• Lack of transparency in the system
• One person can spread hysteria thoughout
organisation, stop good ideas
• Lack of access to real operating sites and data to train
operators, engineers, management
• Lack of simple data which exists in many govt
repositories eg electrical maximum demand vs
installed transformer capacity (hospitals must now
publish their rates for common procedures)
2
Important issues for Owners
and Engineers

• An engineer is someone who can do for 50

cents what any fool can do for $1.00
• Lifetime and spares/maintenance of equipment
• Noise and Vibration issues
• Minimum space and infrastructure used
• Practical environmental issues of concern to
the country and the planet eg Global Warming
• Accurate data to support conclusions, not
hand waving and sales talk

3
50 years of continuous operation……..

4
UWC Tampines:
An Example of Low pressure engineering

• Design already finished, Tender awarded

• Owner wanted Very High Efficiency HVAC at no increase in
cost
• Main Civil construction already started
• Detailed design of air and water side, with heat load
calculations
• Interesting negotiations with appointed contractor for new
design
• UWC prepared to open the site and all data for benefit of
Singapore architects, engineers, students, authorities
• Capital and Operating/maintenance Cost tightly controlled
• UWC is long term owner/tenant

5
From report for Seattle campus…..

6
 Installed Capacity vs Cooling Load
UWC
(original slide by NEA)

12,000 0.70

0.60
10,000

0.50
8,000

0.40
6,000
IHL 0.30

4,000 CBD
0.20

2,000
0.10

0 0.00
7
Installed capacity Cooling Load %
 Chiller Plant
kW/t 1.02 0.82 1.34 1.27 1.58 1.52 0.85 1.45 3.86 1.30 1.34 135 1.17 1.92 0.74
100%

80%
% Energy Consumption

60%

40%

20%

0%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Chillers Chilled Water Pumps Condenser Water Pumps Cooling Tower Fans
8
 Plant Efficiency

3,500

0.74
3,000 3.86

2,500 1.92

1.35
2,000 1.17
kW

1.34
1,500 1.30
1.45
1.52
1,000
1.58 1.27 0.85
500 1.34
1.02
0.82
-
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500

RT

9
Typical overkill is educational…..

Cooling Tower Cooling Tower Cooling Tower

CWP CHWP CWP CHWP CWP CHWP

Chiller 300 RT Chiller 300 RT Chiller 300 RT

Transformer 1,000 KVA Transformer 1,000 KVA Transformer 1,000 KVA

Total Electrical: 3000KVA
Total Cooling: 900RT (Actual Use= 250RT)
10
Electric Use: 350KVA (Best Practice= 200KVA)
Air Conditioning is Expensive

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Good Copy

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 ASHRAE--Chiller Plant Efficiency

New Technology High-efficiency Conventional Chiller Plants with

Older Chiller
All-Variable Speed Optimized Code Based Correctable Design or
Plants
Chiller Plants Chiller Plants Chiller Plants Operational Problems

EXCELLENT GOOD FAIR NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

kW/ton 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2

C.O.P. (7.0) (5.9) (5.0) (4.4) (3.9) (3.5) (3.2) (2.9)
AVERAGE ANNUAL CHILLER PLANT EFFICIENCY IN KW/TON (C.O.P.)
(Input energy includes chillers, condenser pumps, tower fans and chilled water pumping)

Based on electrically driven centrifugal chiller plants in comfort conditioning applications with
42F (5.6C) nominal chilled water supply temperature and open cooling towers sized for 85F
(29.4C) maximum entering condenser water temperature and 20% excess capacity.
Local Climate adjustment for North American climates is +/- 0.05 kW/ton

18
 Comparison of System kW (Before & After)
System kW

System kW (Before – 25th Nov to 19th Dec 2006)

Savings in kW

System kW (After – 1st May 2007 to 14th May 2006)

19
Chilled Water Ton
 Singapore Post Centre
System Efficiency (kW/Ton) – Daily/Weekly Analysis

35,000
For the week: 15-June-2007 to 21-June 2007 0.6000

0.5900
30,000
0.5800

25,000 0.5700

0.5600
20,000
Ton-hr
0.5500 kW-hr
kW/ton
15,000

0.5745 kW/Ton
0.5753 kW/Ton

0.5758 kW/Ton

0.5840 kW/Ton

0.5830 kW/Ton

0.5688 kW/Ton

0.5670 kW/Ton
0.5400

10,000 0.5300

0.5200
5,000
0.5100

0 0.5000
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu
15-Jun-07 16-Jun-07 17-Jun-07 18-Jun-07 19-Jun-07 20-Jun-07 21-Jun-07 Average
Ton-hr 28,652 20,811 15,133 28,707 28,071 27,379 27,404 25,165
kW-hr 16,483 11,982 8,838 16,736 15,968 15,525 15,744 14,468
kW/ton 0.5753 0.5758 0.5840 0.5830 0.5688 0.5670 0.5745 0.5755
20
System kW/RT
SingPost 18~20 Feb 2008

21
600 RT Chiller at 110 % Capacity

65659 RT

77.55 C

22
System kW/RT for 1 x 600 RT

0.70

0.60

0.55 kWkW/RT

0.50

23
Heat Balance for 1 x 600 RT

+6%

+2%

-2%

-6%

24
0.450

25
26
27
Air + Water Side System
Efficiency

28
 Improved Air Distribution System
Current CHWS Temperature and CHW T
oC
Better air side system performance at
low CHWST, higher CHW T

6oC Current CHWST set point: 5.5oC

10oC
8oC Normal day load: High CHW T
6oC
4oC
Night load: CHW T ~4-6oC

4-Apr,2013 5-Apr 6-Apr

29
 Improved Air Distribution System
Average System Efficiency for Individual Blocks
kW/RT

Block B

Block A
0.25 kW/RT

Block C 0.15 – 0.25

kW/RT
0.15 kW/RT

Block D

30
 Improved Air Distribution System
Average System Efficiency <0.20 kW/RT
0.250
Air side system efficiency (kW/RT)

0.202
0.200

0.154
0.146
0.154
0.150
0.113
0.100

0.050

0.000
Block A Block B Block C Block D Average

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 Improved Air Distribution System
>50% Better than baseline as per GM-ENRB V3.0
BCA Green Mark for Existing Non-Residential Buildings (Version 3.0)
0.800 0.740
0.700
Additional improvement of ~70%!
0.600
W/CMH

0.500 0.470
0.400 Additional improvement of ~50%!
0.300
0.227
0.200
0.100 FULL GM SCORE FOR THIS SECTION: 8 POINTS!!
0.000
Constant volume Variable volume Average for MBC
Notes:
Baseline as per GM-ENRB v3.0 – Fan power limitation in air conditioning system
(allowable nameplate motor power); The factor of 400 CFM/RT is used for conversion of
air side system efficiency from kW/RT  W/CMH 32
The Shoemaker’s children
are barefoot..

• Which ministry is least green? The one that runs climate

change
• Whitehall is criticised for its carbon footprint as an energy
efficiency report on 267 government offices shows that
one in three has lowest rating……
One in three government buildings has the lowest possible
rating for energy efficiency, according to official figures
seen by the Observer, which show the Department for
Energy and Climate Change is one of the worst offenders
•
• guardian.co.uk,17May2009

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Performance metric : 9.58 secs/100 meters
36
MEWR HQ Retrofit

Target 0.60 kW/RT at

+- 0% tolerance @ 6.7degC

~ 800 RT centrifugal

Refrigerant R-123a

Real-time one-minute web

access to key parameters for
qualified engineers and
institutions?

Duplicate/Triplicate sensors for

high accuracy long term
studies?

37
 IDEAS SOUGHT FOR BETTER
DESALINATION – Aug 2007
Business Times, Singapore

• The Environment and Water Resources Ministry is looking for

better ways to make clean water out of seawater.
• Its Environment and Water Industry Development Council is
asking all local and overseas institutes of higher learning, research
institutes and private sector companies to submit proposals for
technologies which can desalinate seawater using a total energy
consumption of not more than 1.5 kWh per m3 of water produced -
less than half the energy now used by other technologies.
• The closing date is Nov 2. For more information. go to
www.mewr.gov.sg/ewi .

38
Cheaper way found to make sea water
drinkable—Straits Times, 24June2008

…...Siemens Water Technologies team yesterday bagged a

S$4 million grant from the Environment and Water Industry
Development Council (EWI)…. used electricity instead of
high pressure or heat to remove salt from sea water, and
produced a cubic metre of pure drinking water on 1.5
kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power.
.
….PUB technology director Harry Seah described the novel
approach as one which 'blows convention away'.
….Prof Lui …. 'This is what we call disruptive technology - and
it's exactly what we're looking for.'
News of this new technology is a prelude to the cutting-edge
technologies that will be on show at the Singapore
International Water Week, which officially opens today.

39
 Latest NEA guidelines for energy
audits in Singapore—June 2009

– Chilled water plant system performance

• System performance measurement error shall not exceed
±5%. This implies the use of high accuracy thermometry and
calorimetry.
• Detailed method statement explaining how the required
degree of accuracy was achieved with the instruments and
data acquisition hardware employed.
• Data required to establish system performance must be
sampled and acquired simultaneously and continuously for a
minimum of 1 week at one-minute intervals.

40
Simple Guide to retrofit success

• Ask for 1 minute trend data for chiller plant parameter eg tons,
kw/ton, flow rates, kw, pressures, temperatures, ambient temp and
wet bulbs for 3 months in spreadsheet format
• Ask for previous performance contract examples with bank
guarantees
• Ask for online internet access to previous projects
• Ask for ARI-550 accuracy of +-5% for chiller plant efficiency, using
as guides ASHRAE 14P & 22.
• Ask for 0.60 kW/RT or better for chiller plant

41
The Evolution of truth…
• All truth passes through three stages.
• First, it is ridiculed.
• Second, it is violently opposed.
• Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer
German philosopher (1788 - 1860)

"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to
truth; not going all the way, and not starting." -- Buddha

42
43
Guaranteed Energy Savings Performance (GESP) Contract

Ministry of the Environment & Water Resources (MEWR) at

The Environment Building
40 Scott Road Singapore

Project showcase:
Retrofit of Centralized Water-Cooled Chiller Plant

Company Confidential
44
Contents

• Objective and scope of GESP

• Background of the Environment Building and water-
cooled chiller plant
• Overview of water-cooled chiller plant before and after
retrofit works
• Case Studies:
– Performance review of MEWR’s water-cooled chiller
plant before and after retrofit works
– High performance of air side distribution system
• Guaranteed chilled water plant system efficiency of
0.60 kW/RT at zero tolerance

45
Objective and Scope of GESP

• Provision of investment grade energy assessment for

water-cooled chiller plant for energy and water
conservation
• Design and install capital improvements for water-
cooled chiller plant that reduces energy and water
consumption and related costs
• Project commissioning
• Measurement and verification of the post-retrofit
operations of the improvements
• Guarantee level of system efficiency

46
The Environment Building
Background of the Water-cooled Chiller Plant
• Year of completion: 1984
• Primary building usage: Office
• Total GFA: 49,021 m2
• Total air-conditioned space: 30,300 m2
• Existing chiller plant room since retrofits in 2006
– 3 x 500 RT water-cooled chillers in 2005
– Primary & secondary chilled water pumping system
– Variable condenser water pumping system
– Variable speed cooling tower fans
– Chiller plant room system efficiency of 0.848 kW/RT
(based on energy audit data in 2011)

47
The Environment Building
Strategy of Achieving Efficient Chiller Plant System
• Use of high efficiency chiller
• Primary only variable chilled water pumping system
• Low pressure chilled water and condenser water
distribution system
• Deployment of high accuracy instruments for long term
measurement & verification (M&V) of energy efficiency &
energy savings
• Optimization of chiller plant control system with web-
based system integration solution Tracer XT

48
 Energy Impact
Water-cooled chiller plant only
Annual Energy Consumption (kWh)

1,600,000
540 MWh savings
1,400,000

1,200,000 Additional
0.848 kW/RT 110 MWh savings
1,000,000

800,000

0.60 kW/RT

0.52 kW/RT
600,000

400,000

200,000

0
Baseline Audit Guaranteed Actual system
2011 system efficiency efficiency*
* The annual chiller plant energy consumption of actual system efficiency is
projected based on latest chiller plant data in Feb & March, 2013 49
 Financial Impact
Water-cooled chiller plant only
500,000
Annual Energy Consumption (S$)

Actual:
~30% savings
Overall ~40% savings
400,000
S$115k savings
0.848 kW/RT
kW/RT
300,000 Additional S$30k savings

0.60 kW/RT

kW/RT
0.52 kW/RT
200,000
0.848

100,000

0.52
0
Baseline Audit Guaranteed system Actual system
2011 efficiency efficiency*
* Based on latest electricity tariff at S$0.2670 per kWh
50
 Equivalent Impact
Water-cooled chiller plant only

250,000 kg reduction in
CO2 emission annually

Power for 165

3-room HDB
flats

50 cars off the road annually 6,450 trees planted

51
 THE ENVIRONMENT BUILDING

Overview of Water-cooled Chiller Plant

before Retrofit Works

June, 2012

52
 June, 2012…
Before retrofit works start
3 x 500 RT water-cooled chillers

Balancing
valve -
high P

Sharp chiller CW pipe nozzle connection 53

June, 2012…
Before retrofit works start
3 x primary chilled water pumps

Balancing
valve -
high P

Many pipe bends and turns – high

frictional loss chilled water distribution
system 54
June, 2012…
Before retrofit works start
3 x secondary chilled water pumps

55
June, 2012…
Before retrofit works start
3 x condenser water pumps

Many pipe bends and turns

– high frictional loss
condenser water distribution
system 56
 June, 2012…
Hot air & Before retrofit works start
exhaust air
Cooling tower – Part I

Restricted air flow – hot air

re-circulation

Exhaust fan

Located within limited air flow area57

June, 2012…
Before retrofit works start
Cooling towers – Part II

4 individual condenser water piping

branches for 4 sets of cooling towers 58
THE ENVIRONMENT BUILDING

Project Works in Progress

July, 2012

59
July, 2012…
Retrofit works in progress
Delivery & hoisting of new 800 RT water-cooled chiller (Part I)

60
 July, 2012…
Retrofit works in progress

Delivery of new pumps

Delivery & hoisting of new 800 RT
water-cooled chiller (Part II)

61
July, 2012…
Retrofit works in progress

Removal of balancing valves at

both chilled water and
condenser water sides 62
THE ENVIRONMENT BUILDING

Completion of Retrofit Works

December, 2012

63
December, 2012…
Completion of retrofit works

HIGH EFFICIENCY R123

CENTRIFUGAL WATER-
COOLED CHILLER 64
 December, 2012…
Completion of retrofit works
PRIMARY VARIABLE PUMPING
SYSTEM

CHWS directly being New CHWP-4

discharged from new
CHWP to CHW riser
CHWR from riser
directly piped to the
new chiller Relocation of old PCHWP-3 65
December, 2012…
Completion of retrofit works

New
staircase
platform for
easy site
access with
proper sign
labeling

66
December, 2012…
Completion of retrofit works

SMOOTHER CW PIPE
CONNECTION FOR NEW CWP

67
December, 2012…
Completion of retrofit works

STRAIGHT CW PIPE
CONNECTION TO CHILLER
CWS PIPE NOZZLE
68
 December, 2012…
Completion of retrofit works
VSD FOR NEW CHWP

MAGNETIC FLOW METERS

• At new chiller CHW & CW pipes

• At 4 x individual CW header pipes
• At existing secondary CHW header pipe

VSD FOR NEW CWP 69

 CASE STUDY #1:

Performance Review of Water-cooled

Chiller Plant at
The Environment Building

70
 Measured Chilled Water Tonnage
New Chiller Operating Capacity
9000 Pre-retrofit (Baseline Audit) Post-retrofit PreNorm PostNorm 0.006

8000 Mean: 638 RT Mean: 778 RT

0.005
7000
Frequency

6000 0.004

5000
0.003
Lots of CAPACITY
4000
beyond nominal!
3000 0.002

2000
0.001
1000
0 0
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
950
1000
1050
1100
1150
1200
Chilled Water Tonnage (RT)
71
 Improvement of System Performance
Total system efficiency
kW/RT

1.00 Average system efficiency:

0.848 kW/RT

0.80 Pre-retrofit
(Baseline)

0.60
0.50
Post-retrofit
0.40 Average system efficiency:
0.521 kW/RT

500 600 700 800 900

RT

72
 System Efficiency versus CHWS Temperature
Pre-retrofit Baseline Data
kW/RT, oC
1.00 kW/RT

System kW/RT
0.70 kW/RT
10oC
8oC CHWST

6oC
4oC CHW T

RT

73
 System Efficiency versus CHWS Temperature
Post-retrofit Data
kW/RT, oC

CHWST = 8.0oC
8oC

7oC
0.60 kW/RT CHWST = 6.7oC

0.50 kW/RT System kW/RT

@CHWST = 6.7oC @CHWST = 8.0oC

RT

74
 System Efficiency versus CHWS Temperature
Post-retrofit Data
kW/RT, oC

7oC
6oC CHW T

0.60 kW/RT
0.50 kW/RT System kW/RT

@CHWST = 6.7oC @CHWST = 8.0oC

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 High Accuracy of Instruments
For Measurement & Verification (M&V)
INDIVIDUAL MAGNETIC
FLOW METER AT 4
INDIVIDUAL CW HEADER!

High accuracy temperature

sensor at individual CW
header with additional
spare thermowell

76
 Improvement of System Heat Balance
Within ±5%
%

+5%

February, 2013
+2%

March, 2013
-2%

-5%

08:00 17:00
77
Chiller Plant Control System
Web-based system integration solution

78
Summary

• Improvement of chiller plant system efficiency from 0.848

kW/RT to below contracted 0.60 kW/RT at 6.7 degC
CHWS
• Better than 0.521 kW/RT for actual operating chiller plant
system at 8 degC!
• This translates into 30% or more reduction in energy
consumption of chiller plant (plus water savings)
• Chiller plant energy consumption saving of approximately
500,000 kWh per year or more
• Further fine tuning will bring us to 0.50 and better

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