Business Energy Efficiency

20/08/2013

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3E Energy Efficiency Forum

Business Energy Efficiency (Common Measures)

Presented by Anoop Gupta

www.steplight.com.au

Equipment types covered today

HVAC

Refrigeration

Hot Water Systems

Air Compressors

Office Equipment


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Heating, ventilation & air

conditioning (HVAC)

Keep HVAC systems regularly maintained

Keep fans, filters and coils clean, change worn belts & fans, repair refrigerant

insulation and pipe leakages.

Poorly maintained equipment can double energy costs in HVAC.


HVAC

Minimise heat-producing equipment

All electrical equipment generates heat, which works against air-conditioners in

summer.

Relocate office equipment, refrigerators, vending machines, water coolers etc to

naturally-cooled rooms to save on cooling costs.


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HVAC

Ensure thermostat temperatures are set

correctly

Summer settings should be around 24°C and

winter settings around 20°C. Every degree

cooler in summer and warmer in winter will

increase energy consumption by 10%.


HVAC

Use ceiling or floor fans when A/C units

are on.

Will enable you to raise the thermostat

setting a degree or two compared to

your normal setting. Fans will also help

to better circulate the cooled air.


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HVAC

Install window tinting or external

shading to block out direct sunlight.

Direct sunlight can cause rooms to

overheat and air-conditioning systems

to over-cycle. Solar tinting film and

shading can reduce heat gain through

windows by up to 80%, which will

reduce the need for air-conditioning.


Refrigeration

Keep refrigerator doors closed.

Cooled air is quickly lost when

refrigerator doors are open. Install

plastic strip curtains if doors need to

stay open for extended periods.


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Refrigeration

Check door seals regularly.

Poor door seals can go unnoticed for

long periods of time if the door is not

checked regularly. Replace worn or

damaged seals as soon as possible.


Refrigeration

Switch off drinks fridges at night.

(non-perishables only)

Non-perishable drinks need not be kept chilled overnight. A simple timer switch

can be used to power fridges off outside trading hours.


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Refrigeration

Ensure display fridges and under-bar fridges have self-closing doors.

Energy is wasted when display fridge doors are left open. Self-closing hinges

can be retrofitted. Choose models that have this feature when buying new

appliances.

Refrigeration

Install insulated covers on refrigerators,

cool rooms and freezers.

Insulated covers provide an extra layer

of insulation that can be tailor made to

fit existing cool rooms and displays.


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Hot Water Systems

Switch off hot water systems when

not in use.

Use a timer switch to turn off electric

storage systems after hours.

Switch to off-peak hot water for

larger storage systems when usage is

over 160L per day.

Peak tariff

Off-peak tariff

Hot Water Systems

Reduce hot water usage.

Install low-flow showerheads on showers

and flow regulators on taps and

dishwashing attachments. If hot water is

used for cleaning, fill buckets instead of

using hoses.


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Hot Water Systems

Reduce hot water temperature.

Many hot water systems are set at too

high a temperature. Water temperature

can be reduced to 60-65°C using a

thermostat. Any lower than this can pose

a health risk.


Hot Water Systems

Switch electric systems to gas, instant gas

or gas-boosted solar systems.

If gas is available, upgrade to a gas or gas-

boosted solar hot water system. If gas is

not available, install an electric-boosted

solar system. Instant water heaters

eliminate the need to keep reheating

stored water.


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Air Compressors

Regularly check for leaks in the system.

Check for leaks in pipes, connectors and

joints using a leak detector. A simpler

leak detection method is to apply soapy

water to suspected areas and watch for

bubbles. System leaks can easily add up

to 30% more energy cost.


Air Compressors

Keep intake air temperature cool.

Operating a compressor in hot areas

increases energy consumption. Move

the compressor outside, or duct the

outside air directly into the compressor

intake. A 10°C drop in intake air

temperature will reduce energy

consumption by 5%.

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Air Compressors

When replacing compressors, choose the

right type for the job.

•Screw compressor - constant loads

•Reciprocating (piston) compressor - small,

intermittent loads.

•Centrifugal compressor - larger applications.


Air Compressors

Install variable speed drives.

VSD’s can be used to good effect in air

compressors where running hours are long

with a high proportion of usage in the mid to

low-capacity range.

Up to 50% energy savings are possible.


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Office Equipment

Switch equipment off at the power point.

Many appliances use standby power even

when they are not being used for their

primary purpose. Switching off equipment at

the power point overnight and on weekends

can save up to 20% of total energy use. Remote-control switch


Office Equipment

Use energy saving settings on computers.

Monitors and hard disks can be

automatically switched to low power

modes after periods of inactivity. Most

monitors use 10% power in standby or

sleep mode, while most hard disks use

only 5%.


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Office Equipment

Switch to low resolution print

settings.

Printing at 300dpi instead of 600dpi

saves toner and environmental

waste.


Office Equipment

Build an energy efficient culture

Set good energy efficiency policy

then train staff, evaluate

performance and reward good

behaviour.


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Next steps…Measure and monitor energy use.

Great low-cost way to find out

where energy is being used in your

business.

Learning how to do this will help

you remain energy efficient for the

rest of your life.

Order these and other

products at


Next steps…

Register for a free workshop

&

a free energy audit

3eproject.org.au

Documents

Business Energy Efficiency