USING INFRARED TECHNOLOGY TO DEFINE ENERGY SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES. James L. Park Energy Conservation Specialist I-Star Energy Solutions

Transcription

1 USING INFRARED TECHNOLOGY TO DEFINE ENERGY SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES James L. Park Energy Conservation Specialist I-Star Energy Solutions Facilities are inundated with people selling devices and technology to go green, to promote sustainability and install energy saving technologies. Many facilities are installing PVA s, LEDs, and amazing HVAC control systems. Much of the time, these systems help us manage energy usage but don t do enough to save or make things more efficient. The tools for maintenance today have reached strongly into the high tech world. Many facilities are using Infrared and Ultrasonic tools for preventative and predictive maintenance. It is not uncommon to have a $10,000 Infrared camera in the maintenance arsenal. Electricians use infrared to survey electrical systems. FIGURE1- Electrical surveys identify areas of concern like loose connections and overheated components due to increased resistance.

2 USING INFRARED TECHNOLOGY TO DEFINE ENERGY SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES James L. Park Energy Conservation Specialist I-Star Energy Solutions Do these electrical surveys lead to energy savings? Of course, the reduction of resistance reduces the heat and increases efficiency. How can this technology be used to define more energy saving opportunities? You can t deny that getting your hands on an infrared camera is a neat experience. Walking around your facility, I m sure you see a lot of things that are hot, sometimes in not so obvious places. FIGURE 3- Out of sight out of mind. This is not an unusual sight in a basement mechanical room. Notice the steam trap assembly and a lot of damaged insulation. Instinctively you know that if something is hot it is expending energy. When you are exchanging 100 watt light bulbs for 10 watt LEDs, not only are you saving the energy it takes to light the bulb, but you are also saving the energy that it takes to cool the air heated by the bulb. FIGURE 2- Steam trap assembly, close to the floor, in a dark area. In your home the priority for saving energy is certainly attic insulation. Everyone knows it would be stupid not to have adequate insulation installed in your attic. Installing insulation saves a lot of money. Without insulation you would soon be in the poor house. Opportunities for saving energy, in an industrial setting, are much greater. Energy savings are based on temperature differences. The greater the temperature difference the more energy is saved by adding insulation. When insulating your attic

3 the savings are based on a temperature difference of, maybe, 50. In an industrial setting the temperature differences can be easily over 100. Industry has process systems which include steam and condensate, hot water, hydronic heating systems, and materials that must be heat traced. Pipes, tanks, boilers and ducts all must be insulated. exercise. When you are walking around with your infrared camera looking at things, take note of all of the things that appear hot. Infrared images may appear hot but in reality you may be looking at things that are only hot relative to the surrounding area. When you see things those items they are opportunities to save energy. If you have a steam system you have a lot of steam traps. All of them are un-insulated. You will see them with your camera. Adjacent to the trap, there is also a couple of feet of pipe either side of the trap that is bare. FIGURE 4- Typical Valve/Strainer assemblies left uninsulated. Insulating these items can result in quick paybacks. Temperature differences can amount to as little as 110 to over 200. So why are a lot of these things left uninsulated? Have you told yourself we/someone should do something about that? Much of the time folks think that these items are supposed to be left un-insulated, they think it is normal. Have you been through Infrared School? International protocol requires at least a Level II certification to be able to interpret images. But that is not important for this FIGURE 5- This steam trap assembly in un-insulated. The infrared analysis shows the trap has failed and steam is leaking through. When was the last time you had a steam trap function survey. Steam flowing through a defective trap may waste as much as $50 a day in steam costs. Also an insulation cover on the trap can pay for itself in as little as 2 or 3 years. If a Smart Jacket is installed, it can notify a manager by when the trap has failed. This results

4 in almost an instant payback. (TD-Thermal Dynamic traps cannot be insulated but all others can) Do you have a hydronic heating system or process piping? Those temps typically reach over 180. Are your pumps insulated? I ll bet not. FIGURE 6- Hydronic Heating pumps valves and accessories, almost always left un-insulated. How about the condensate receiver? It's also probably not covered.

5 FIGURE 7- The condensate receiver tanks and condensate pre-heaters are not insulated. An unwritten rule is if it is painted don t insulate it FIGURE 8- Outdoor piping is often neglected. These valves are, and the open ends allow moisture to wick into the insulation. Valves, flanges and unions are all bare. Like a dripping faucet, one at a time they are very little but, just like the faucet, if you add them all together, the energy savings are huge. Once that money is recovered it can be used to fund other projects like the PVAs. In addition to energy savings, adding insulation increases the efficiency of manufacturing processes. Chilled systems are also an opportunity for energy savings. It is very unusual for these systems to be left without insulation. Chilled systems are always dripping water from condensation. This dripping may cause slippery conditions, and/or discolored ceilings, which are often interpreted as leaking pipes.

6 FIGURE 9- This chilled water piping was torn apart because the staff thought there was a leak. The vapor barrier was compromised and water built up in the insulation. FIGURE10- This chilled piping is on the roof. The piping has been painted to reduce corrosion. Stainless bands and aluminum jacket appear cold but they are reflecting the sky which always appears cold in infrared. The temperature differences indoors are only It is for this condensation that we insulate these systems. In your infrared camera, these things show up darker than the background. It s when these systems are outdoors where the temperatures and much higher humidity affect the energy savings. Condensation is excessive but it drips on the ground so no-one notices. The un-insulated items get rusty, moisture accumulates under the insulation and corrosion may form.

7 FIGURE 11- Chilled water/glycol pumps are growing mold. The floor is wet with condensation making it slippery. Infrared can be used to check for moisture in the insulation because the insulation soaks up the condensation and becomes water logged. This can lead to corrosion under the insulation, a condition to be avoided. Often this will appear in the IR camera as dark spots on the underside of insulation jacket. Condensation on the outside of defective insulation contributes to mold growth leading to poor indoor air quality, not tolerated in most indoor environments. FIGURE 12- The insulation on this chiller is no longer effective. It is water soaked and growing vegetation. Installed at the factory, this insulation type and thickness is not adequate for the environmental conditions present in this facility. Not all energy savings are related to insulation. Infrared can identify energy losses through the building envelope. Your energy provider has rebates for home owner energy audits, much of which is related to building envelope. The flow of air in and out of a building carries, with it, the energy necessary to condition that air. This flow also brings in unwanted outside air into the building.

8 FIGURE 13- Opening in exterior. Infrared indicates the escape of conditioned air. Although not as significant as the savings from insulation, identifying areas of air infiltration and exfiltration can lead to more opportunities to save energy. FIGURE 14- Pipe penetration through the building exterior, infrared indicates the escape of heated air. The more complete the integrity of the facilities physical structure, the more efficiently the HVAC system will operate and as originally designed. In addition reducing drafts and air currents will result in greater occupant comfort. Less conditioned air will be lost through the building envelope and the Heating Equipment will not have to work as hard to maintain the set point of the conditioned space, which will decrease the energy consumed and save on energy costs. Depending on several things it is possible to identify these areas of energy loss with your IR camera. Under negative pressure heated summer air and winter cold air can be seen flowing through door seals, around window frames and pipe penetrations.

9 FIGURE 15- Cold air leaking under and around this door frame with failed weather seals. Even though the seals may look good they may no longer function due to wear and tear and other defects of age. The intersection of the roof and exterior wall often leaks. In multiple story buildings sealing the doors to stairwells reduce stack effect, a major contributor to energy loss. FIGURE 16- Infiltration at the roof wall intersection indicated in this negative pressure very cool Gymnasium. The big obstacle to getting items repaired is finding the financing. The assessment report is the perfect vehicle for justifying the expenses involved in these repairs. No one is going to spend the money without the data to back up the request. That is where an energy assessment is important. The auditor collects data from the facility manager so the calculations are site specific.

10 FIGURE17- This chart shows typical inputs for a Building Envelope assessment, It shows hours and days of occupancy, efficiency of the heating and cooling plants, thermostat set points and the cost of energy. An assessment can quantify the savings and the project can become a capital expense instead of coming out of the maintenance budget. Accurate calculations are possible for mechanical insulation systems, steam traps and building envelope. A universally recognized standard, the ASHRAE 90.1, crack method, is a simple method for calculating energy savings through openings. This method adds up all of the openings combining them into one large opening. The energy savings can then be calculated.

11 Insulation saving calculations can be performed using a DOE recognized program, developed by the National Insulation Association. Used for decades 3E Plus takes input from the user including ambient and process temperatures, type and cost of fuel, and hours of operation and system efficiencies, to calculate energy savings and economic replacement insulation thicknesses. Energy Savings ($): 31,856 Energy Reduction (Btus): 2.059E+09 CO2 Reduction (lbs): 422,952 NOx Reduction (lbs): 848 Carbon Equivalent Reduction (lbs): 115,245 Simple Payback (yrs): 2.39 Internal Rate of Return (%) Net Present Value ($): 219,182 FIGURE18- The above chart shows paybacks and energy reductions including environmental products of combustion In conclusion, while you are playing with your IR camera take note of all of the ways to define energy saving opportunities. Once the savings are calculated and put in a format that the financial people can read, you will, no doubt, be the hero of the day.