Holistic approach to designing, installing and operating central plants
ensures reduced energy and operational costs
Johnson Controls, an organisation that delivers products, services and
solutions that increase energy efficiency in buildings, has announced a new
offering to help reduce energy consumption in central chilled water plants
in buildings by up to 60 percent. Integral to achieving these savings is new
system-level automation software, Johnson Controls Central Plant
Optimisation 10 (CPO 10) and Central Plant Optimisation 30 (CPO 30), which
enables persistent peak performance and energy savings in central plants in
both new construction and existing buildings.
Depending on climate, region and equipment configurations, a central chilled
water plant can consume more than 30 percent of the power required to run a
building. To achieve peak efficiency performance, a facility's central plant
equipment and independent components can now be designed and operated as a
single integrated system with Johnson Controls Central Plant Optimisation
software.
"Building owners and operators have the biggest opportunity to realize
savings where the facility consumes the most energy-the central chilled
water plant," says Neil Cameron, GM of Johnson Controls Systems & Service
Africa. "A holistic approach to plant design and operations is necessary to
drive efficiencies that minimise operating costs, reduce environmental
impact and lead to a better return on investment."
Traditionally, energy efficiency in the heating, ventilation and
air-conditioning (HVAC) industry has been driven by the capabilities of
individual components. Central Plant Optimisation offers a holistic system
approach with the potential to achieve and sustain ongoing savings
throughout the entire lifecycle of an HVAC system.
Both CPO 10 and CPO 30 feature innovative control technologies that are
designed to provide system performance improvements based on real-time
building loads. When incorporated with a modern building automation system
and efficient HVAC equipment, CPO software solutions can help a chilled
water plant system achieve maximum energy savings.
Central Plant Optimisation 10 (CPO 10)
Johnson Controls CPO 10 maximises a facility's HVAC system and equipment
performance by selecting the most efficient combination of pumps, chillers
and cooling towers needed to meet building cooling load. Ideal for new
construction projects as well as upgrades to existing buildings, CPO 10
works with virtually all types of central plants and can achieve up to 15
percent in energy savings over a standard automation approach in an
otherwise identical plant.
. Powered by the Johnson Controls Metasys building management system,
CPO 10 leverages proven, tested and documented logic and standard programs
to control the sequencing of pumps, isolation valves and chilled water plant
equipment, while maintaining the timing delays for safe and stable
operation.
. To monitor plant operation, the Metasys Ready Access Portal provides
customised and easy-to-access plant operating information via standard
browsers and Apple iPhone and iPod Touch platforms.
. Metasys Energy Essentials reporting enables visibility of energy
use, including equipment runtime, starts and stops, energy consumption and
energy cost details, weather details and daily load profiles, helping to
monitor plant performance over time.
Central Plant Optimisation 30 (CPO 30)
Johnson Controls Central Plant Optimization 30 (CPO 30) powered by
optimumHVAC incorporates a software application from Optimum Energy that
continuously optimises central chilled water plant operation to achieve peak
energy efficiency and performance. Central to CPO 30 is patented relational
control technology that makes it possible to operate variable speed central
plants holistically based on the power relationships between each piece of
equipment and real-time cooling load conditions. When combined with CPO 30's
built-in measurement, verification and management services, CPO 30 is proven
to provide stable, reliable and persistent energy reductions of 20 to 60
percent in existing plants when coupled with plant upgrades.
. The CPO 30 software application is platform neutral for seamless
integration with virtually any building automation system (BAS), including
Metasys, Johnson Controls building management system.
. Every 30 seconds, the software automatically gathers current
operating and building load data from the BAS. The application then applies
relational control algorithms to calculate optimal system operation, and
directs control sequences back to the BAS for execution.
. Web-based measurement, verification and management services provide
system operators the information they need to sustain energy reductions.
Graphs and charts make it simple to track real-time energy use, manage
system operations and find and correct system faults as they occur.
"Optimum Energy's solutions are ideally suited to maximizing the efficiency
of high-performing plants such as those with York branded chillers and
Metasys building management systems from Johnson Controls," says Matthew
Frey, president and CEO, Optimum Energy. "We've focused our deep HVAC
expertise and enterprise computing knowledge squarely on optimisation, with
the result that our software applications are delivering significant,
predicted savings, project after project. By formalising our relationship
with Johnson Controls to offer CPO 30 powered by OptimumHVAC, customers will
now have the confidence that their solution is leveraging the expertise and
real-world experience of two industry leaders."
