ATLANTA — A new textbook designed to double as a reference manual that allows engineers to build on their knowledge of HVAC design procedures and methods has been published by ASHRAE.

Principles of Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning builds on much of the basic information in the 2009 ASHRAE Handbook — Fundamentals and contains the most current ASHRAE procedures and definitive, yet easy to understand, treatment of building HVAC systems, from basic principles through design and operation.

The book may be used for/by:

• undergraduate engineering courses in the general field of HVAC
• similar courses at technical institutes
• continuing education and refresher short courses for engineers
• adult education courses for non-engineers.

There are several significant changes in the new edition, including new values for climatic design information; new values of heating, wind and cooling and dehumidifying design conditions; improved values of thermal conductivity and resistance for common building and insulating materials; and an extensively revised chapter on residential heating and cooling load calculations.

Additionally, the chapters on system design and equipment have been significantly revised to reflect recent changes and concepts in current heating and air-conditioning system practices

Also available is Principles of HVAC Solutions Manual, which contains revised solutions to most of the problems in the Principles book.
      
Co-authors are Ronald Howell, Ph.D., P.E., William Coad and the late Harry Sauer Jr., Ph.D., P.E.

To order, contact ASHRAE Customer Service at 1-800-527-4723 (United States and Canada) or 404-636-8400 (worldwide), fax 404-321-5478, by mail at 1791 Tullie Circle NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, or visit the ASHRAE.org Bookstore. 

MILWAUKEE, WI — A new white paper from Rockwell Automation details how facility managers and owners can reduce energy consumption and maximize savings with HVAC control upgrade technology. The paper outlines a new option to help convert constant volume HVAC systems to variable air volume (VAV) control while avoiding the cost and complexity typically associated with changing mechanical or building automation control systems.

The white paper, "Leveraging the Power of Intelligent Motor Control to Maximize HVAC System Efficiency," describes the technology behind this upgrade option, outlines the cost-saving benefits, and breaks down a leading food manufacturer's payback as an example. By adjusting fan speeds, the upgrade option helps facility managers reduce energy consumption and building owners reap payback in a relatively short time — often less than a year. The new upgrade option helps building owners avoid costly redesign and capital investments associated with new systems.

Designed as a self-contained unit for easy installation, the integrated control solution delivers more energy savings at a fraction of the cost of a traditional hardware retrofit. The unit includes temperature and carbon dioxide sensors, a microcontroller, a high-performance variable frequency drive, and a touch-screen operator interface. Rather than cycling between constant speed and off, HVAC fans controlled by the variable frequency drive automatically adjust in response to heating or cooling needs.

"HVAC systems typically constitute a large amount of a building's operating costs, so it makes business sense to upgrade HVAC systems as efficiently as possible, without being forced to reconfigure an existing system," said Jenalea Howell, market analyst, IMS Research. "A new energy-saving solution comprising intelligent motor control technology allows building owners and facility managers to take better control of their energy use and gain greater insight into the bottom line."

The white paper, "Leveraging the Power of Intelligent Motor Control to Maximize HVAC System Efficiency," is available at the Rockwell Automation Literature Library.

For more information on intelligent motor control, visit www.rockwellautomation.com/solutions/intelligentcontrol/.

MISSISSAUGA, ON — Walmart Canada opened its first high-efficiency (HE) prototype in late September in the community of Waterdown, Ontario. The Supercentre is expected to use 30 per cent less energy and will integrate industry-leading heating, cooling and refrigeration systems to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The high-efficiency prototype will become the norm for all future Walmart stores nationwide.

The Waterdown Supercentre will also be Walmart Canada's first high waste-diversion store, incorporating a number of waste programs including, but not limited to paper, plastic, organics, polystyrene, wood, and metal recycling and diversion. Ultimately, the company intends to operate the entire facility waste free.

"As we design and build new stores, our goal is to be the greenest business on the block," said David Cheesewright, president and CEO for Walmart Canada. "We continue to pilot new technologies, drive innovation and experiment with new prototypes to create some of the most sustainable stores in retail. With our new sustainable prototypes, we are on track to achieve our environmental goals, which include using less energy, and producing less waste."

The HE store includes the following energy efficient operations and features:

• Waste heat from refrigeration captured and reused to heat store.
• Environmentally preferable glycol refrigeration system.
• Energy-saving, motion-activated LED lights in refrigerators and freezers reduce energy use.
• LED lights in various applications, like store-front signs that use 90 per cent less energy.
• Low-wattage parking lot lights.
• Cutting energy used to light sales floors by 20 per cent.
• Low-flow water fixtures such as toilets, urinals and sinks.
• Energy recovery ventilation systems and CO2 sensor controls.
• White roof membrane deflects sunlight by an estimated 85 per cent to reduce heat gain in summer and demand on the electrical grid.
• Increased roof insulation to reduce heat and cooling loss.

Other sustainable features of the store include concrete floors for chemical-free clean up and hundreds of environmentally preferable products ranging from organic produce, dry groceries and dairy to environmentally preferable cleaning products and paper products.

Earlier this year, Walmart Canada opened its first environmental demonstration store in Burlington, Ontario. The Burlington Walmart Supercentre features geothermal technology and energy-conserving lighting innovations, among other sustainable features.

For more information on Walmart Canada's greening efforts, visit www.forthegreenergood.ca.

AUSTIN, TX – Site Controls, a leading provider of enterprise energy management, facilities intelligence, and grid efficiency solutions, announced yesterday that Michaels Stores has successfully deployed its Site-Command Energy Management System (EMS) at more than 900 retail locations. To date, Michaels has seen energy usage drop by more than 25 percent at stores equipped with Site-Command. The solution helps chain retailers reduce energy and maintenance costs through equipment monitoring and control combined with web-based business intelligence.

Site-Command lowers energy consumption and maintenance costs in retail and restaurant facilities through a sophisticated on-site EMS unit which monitors and controls Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, interior and exterior lighting, store signage, refrigerators, trash compactors, solar panels and wind power.  In addition, enterprise-wide issue reporting and asset intelligence are provided through a hosted data center.  Besides lowering costs, Site-Command also improves customer comfort by ensuring corporate standards for temperature and lighting are consistently maintained across the chain. 

Michaels initially deployed the Site-Command system in early 2006, achieving immediate energy reductions of 17 per cent through schedule and set point compliance. By utilizing the platform’s above-site visibility to identify and remedy HVAC and lighting equipment issues, Michaels further reduced energy use over time, with sustained reductions now exceeding 25 per cent.

Besides lowering energy costs, Site Controls has helped significantly reduce Michaels’ carbon emissions.  By lowering electricity usage by 137 million kilowatt hours annually, Michaels has reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 192 million lbs. This is the equivalent of removing 17,400 cars from the road or powering over 12,900 households for a year.

“We are extremely pleased with the results we’ve seen from Site Controls in controlling our store-level energy expenses,” said Rob McClay, VP of Store Development and Construction for Michaels.  “Their enterprise tools help ensure we maintain and increase our savings over time.  Most importantly, they serve as a true partner on our energy management journey.”

“We are proud to count leading retailers such as Michaels among our partners,” said Dan Sharplin, CEO of Site Controls. “We look forward to working collaboratively to find additional ways to expand Michaels’ ROI from using the Site-Command platform.”

The Site-Command system also features Intelligent Load Management capabilities which allow Michaels to participate in utility-sponsored Demand Response programs to reduce electricity usage during peak periods.  As the leading demand response aggregator for retailers, Site Controls intelligently manages electrical loads during critical grid situations, allowing Michaels to implement load reductions with minimal impact to the consumer shopping experience.  By grouping hundreds of facilities together for Demand Response events, Site Controls can maximize the incentive payments retailers receive from utilities, while maintaining the store environment according to pre-defined business rules.

Montreal, QC – The Canadian GeoExchange Coalition (CGC) announced that it has entered into an agreement with the Heating, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) to offer the CGC GeoExchange Installers’ Course to a wider HVAC industry audience. The first course, to be delivered by HRAI’s SkillTech Academy, is scheduled for April 15-17, 2009 in Peterborough, ON.

 

Not too long ago, making decisions about a company’s energy management and sustainability was a fairly uncomplicated process for most facility managers: switching to fluorescent lighting, replacing the HVAC to a more efficient system or upgrading to a more integrated process controls architecture to streamline production. These and scores of other initiatives may have been undertaken to make a company more energy-efficient, productive and sustainable. But today it is different. For industrial and manufacturing companies with large campuses or multiple facilities, possibly operating with different production systems and scattered across various geographic locations, managing such a task can become a significant challenge. The importance of the problem is magnified even further for those facilities that have high energy usage, deal with hazardous materials or have sizable waste disposal issues.

This week the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is hosting its 3rd Annual National Conference at the recently renovated Vancouver Convention Centre. The event, which runs from June 8-10, is all about LEED and sustainable construction. BC Hydro’s Deputy CEO Bev Van Ruyven—named one of Canada’s most powerful women—is serving as Honourary Conference Chair, while green building expert Vivian Loftness is a keynote speaker.

Refrigerants escaping into the atmosphere from leaking heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) equipment are major contributors to global warming, and a significant drain on the efficiency of the equipment. And it's mind boggling how many pieces of HVAC/R equipment there are in commercial buildings.

In these tough economic times, it is becoming a requirement for facility managers to pay very close attention to their operation and maintenance budgets. Many are now focusing on energy conservation opportunities that can save thousands of dollars per year with relatively little capital investment. While capital expenditures on equipment may be hard to come by, it’s surprising how much you can free up financial resources through proper maintenance. Following is a helpful checklist of five key areas for inspection and the recommended tools to help you pinpoint potential areas.

When Eric Lange moved his transportation company into a 30-year-old, 70,000-square-foot office and warehouse space, he knew he’d need to make investments in upgrades. But it’s unlikely even he realized how much would need to be done, and how much he’d save in the process.