Need for speed

In this second instalment of four special blogs posted throughout April, Steve Browning, Partner & End Customer Marketing Communications Manager at Trend Control Systems, explains why it is also a good time to make sure Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) are working as efficiently as possible. 

With the warmer months approaching it's a good time to look at how technologies can be implemented to make a difference to overall operating efficiency. This will help prepare for the following winter, where real savings on heating expenditure can be realised.

Well worth considering is the use of variable speed drives (VSDs), as the energy cost savings as a result of installing these devices can be significant. A centrifugal pump or fan running at 80 per cent speed consumes only half of the energy of one running at full speed - this means that an investment can often pay for itself within a matter of months.

It is also possible to provide evidence of these savings. Under a range of environmental conditions - for example, running one week on and one week off - recorded energy values can automatically logged in the BEMS and then periodically uploaded to an online reporting system. Tabulated reports can then be used to provide the financial justification and payback analysis.

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