Commercial HVAC Units, Energy Efficiency, & Variable-Frequency Drives (VFD)

Leveraging energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective ways for property managers and business owners to reduce operating expenses and help tenants control costs. With energy being the largest controllable operating expense for a commercial building, lowering energy consumption significantly impacts the bottom line and profitability. One way to improve energy efficiency in a heating and air conditioning system is to install variable frequency drives (VFDs).

Building HVAC System Design

Most commercial HVAC units are designed to operate fans and pumps at a constant speed, satisfying cooling requirements at peak load conditions. However, building loads are anything but constant and peak load conditions actually occur less than 5% of the total operational hours of a facility. Because of this, most commercial HVAC units use more energy than is necessary during times of small demand, with motors and pumps running at full speed.

HVAC Energy Savings

Installing VFDs can significantly reduce energy consumption. A VFD is a type of adjustable-speed drive used to control air conditioner motor speed and torque by varying motor input frequency and voltage. Motors can run at lower speeds when full operating capacity is not required. This allows operators to match system capacity to the actual load conditions, reducing a facility’s energy consumption. Energy savings can be as high as 30-50% when compared to conventional constant speed applications.

VFDs have been used for more than 20 years on fan and pump motors. Today, VFDs, which are capable of handling motors up to 500 horsepower, can be installed in practically any HVAC application in commercial facilities.

Additional benefits of VFDs include:

1. Reduced wear and tear on motors and pumps.
2. Extended motor and pump life.
3. More control over a wide range of flow rates.

To learn more about Variable-Frequency Drives (VFD), please contact Crockett Facilities Services Inc. (CFSI), a mechanical services contractor, by calling 202.600.2787 or email sales@crockett-facilities.com. CFSI provides 24/7 commercial mechanical and HVAC services throughout Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. So give us a call today to find out how our MSCA GreenSTAR certified service technicians can improve your HVAC performance and energy efficiency.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, July 25th, 2013 at . Both comments and pings are currently closed.