Given the increasing energy costs, hotels are showing a growing inclination to invest in energy-management solutions
Air conditioning systems account for approximately 50-60% of the total energy borne by any hotel building. Increasing demand for energy not only adds to the bottom line, but also exerts adverse impact on the surrounding. To keep this in check, many hoteliers have started investing in energy-management solutions.
The specifications of a system depend on the usage of the area to be conditioned. Individual temperature control, ventilation and air supply, noise level, simplicity of controls and operating efficiency are basic considerations to be made while setting up a HVAC unit. “Chillers with magnetic bearings and VFDS providing best IKW/TR, and automatic tube cleaning systems along with mechanised chemical treatment of the condenser water are some of the new developments in the heating, ventilation and airconditioning (HVAC) technologies. Apart from this, chiller management system, building management system (BMS) and variable frequency drives (VFD) are being used widely to provide better automation and increased energy efficiency,” says Shankareswaran Jayaraj, director, RFM.
For new projects, it is critical that HVAC experts are involved at the design stage as they can provide clear insights on details like space required for equipments and associated work, sleeves for the piping and wiring, loading of slabs, etc. For existing structures, unless it is a straight replacement, a suit-to-site design has to be adopted to provide an optimal solution. Sunil Khatwani, VP and business head, system air conditioning at LG Electronics, shared, “In our low static ducted system, the height of a unit is 190 mm, ideally suited for hotel rooms. Hence, we ensure the design integrates the required height from the very beginning.” He also elaborated on one of the company’s flagship product, LG Hydrokit, which can provide water up to 80°C, when used with a Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system. With this kit, one can provide simultaneous heating, cooling and hot water generation. This also improves the efficiency of the VRF system since some part of the heat extracted, is carried away by the water.
It is extremely difficult to monitor and deliver efficient and smooth operation for an industry that runs 24×7. Rahul Prabhakar, chief engineer, ITC Maurya stated, “The Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) model is a platform that ensures the equipment data is being continuously monitored through the online data monitoring technologies and also raises an alarm and notifies the operations team at the incipient stage itself before the equipments break down. The performance metrics are clearly defined for the entire machine along with their Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) ratio. Hence, it is suggested that autonomous maintenance culture needs to be adopted by every organisation to warrant efficiency.”
Responding to these trends, Carrier recently introduced the new AquaEdgeTM 19DV centrifugal chiller with Greenspeed intelligence and PUREtec low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant. The system features advancements in refrigeration, mechanical design, aerodynamics and heat transfer to provide efficient improvements. “These new technologies work alongside new developments in areas such as IoT, which offers advanced connectivity of devices, systems and services that covers a variety of applications like predictive maintenance, energy monitoring and operations optimisation. This focus on creating an intelligent ecosystem is the aim of our AdvanTE3C Solutions Center, which takes a holistic approach and offers one-stop solutions to help clients see greater energy savings and operating efficiency than the individual products would have achieved separately,” explains Vineet Kashyap, senior director, marketing, strategy and communications, UTC Climate, Controls & Security (International).
Optimal energy consumption throughout the life cycle of a system can be controlled by meticulous planning from the very beginning across all phases of the project – design, layout, and equipment selection and optimised operations. Kashyap, shares, “Post installation services are equally important for the efficient and effective operation of an HVAC system. This leads to less maintenance and lower operational costs. Our customised solution platform, AdvanTE3C, enables sustainable, replicable, scalable and efficient building automation. It is a team of experts in efficiency who support our clients around the world in developing strategic, energy efficient and all custom-engineered integrated building solutions.”
Various factors control how the external environment would impact the internal functioning – older systems tend to be less energy-efficient; the operating hours and schedule of monitoring and maintenance also affect the total energy usage. This data helps in determining the suitable system that should be integrated with the HVAC design. Right system provides the building with the apt solution that can easily satisfy its complex requirements and at the same time diminish the intake of energy.
By combining the understanding of a customer’s requirement along with latest technology, BMS can reduce a building’s energy consumption by a tremendous percentage. An Energy Management System (EMS) will provide advanced and optimal control of the HVAC system, incorporating the use of Variable Speed Drive, primarily to save energy. The prerequisite of an EMS is to have a good BMS, which can incorporate advanced control, monitoring, and a reporting facility.
