The use of phase change
materials is picking up interest across America as a strategy to reduce energy
costs that is in line with a lighting retrofit and utilization of a building
automation controls system. With its nearest
competitors about three years away from the gains enjoyed today by the North
Carolina-based Phase Change Energy Solutions, this team is poised for a banner
year in 2014. As we rely more and more
on our Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems to maintain
building comfort, using Phase Change's BioPCM product is a logical step to
reduce HVAC utilization and maintenance of those mechanical systems.
Depending on the
internal loads, orientation and controls strategy, BioPCM can significantly reduce cooling. For example, a zone
with BioPCM properly designed into it might have a 35% reduction in peak
cooling load and a 26% reduction of peak heating load. An engineer could
actually downsize equipment accordingly and still meet American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
guidelines. By "right sizing"
HVAC design based on the calculated loads with BioPCM, not only will a building
owner save on energy operating costs, but also on the initial HVAC capital
costs.
According to the
ASHRAE owning and operating costs database, the average building HVAC
maintenance cost is $0.50 per square foot. Considering that the average
building spends $0.46 on HVAC energy per square foot annually, the cost of HVAC
maintenance is on par with the cost of HVAC energy usage itself. BioPCM reduces
HVAC run-time. This reduced HVAC system
run time will not eliminate HVAC maintenance costs, but can reduce them
significantly. As an initial estimate,
it can be assumed that the reduction in HVAC maintenance costs will be directly
proportional to the reduction of HVAC system run-time. For example, if a 68,000 square foot office
building has an annual HVAC maintenance cost of $34,000 ($0.50/Square foot/Year)
and BioPCM reduced HVAC run-time by an average of 23%, then the use of BioPCM
would reduce annual HVAC maintenance costs by an estimated $7,800.
It is pretty clear
that BioPCM reduces both peak cooling and heating design loads as well as
reduces HVAC system run time. The reduction of peak design loads provides opportunity
for designers to reduce capacities or in some cases entirely remove cooling and
or heating systems. Reduced HVAC system run time reduces maintenance and
extends system lifetime.
Want to try this in
your building? To find out more about
how GET, LLC through, our metal building partner MCR Guam Inc.-and licensed
Phase Change Energy Solutions partner, can help you get this thermal mass
product give us a call at 671-483-0789 or our website at www.get-guam.com for
more information. By the way-get up to 19 LEED Points with Phase Change BioPCM
in your next project.