Thomas Heine, sales and market manager for EC Upgrades, the retrofit arm of global provider of air movement solutions, ebm-papst A&NZ, discusses the retrofitting of high-efficiency fans to existing HVAC equipment to ‘drastically reduce energy consumption’.
Air-conditioning and ventilation systems (HVAC) account for 47% of the energy consumed in Australian hospitals,1 and fans are the major contributor to this. The specification of high-efficiency fans and fan upgrade projects thus provide a huge opportunity to significantly reduce energy consumption. This paper discusses the retrofit of high-efficiency fans in existing HVAC equipment to drastically reduce energy consumption. It further outlines additional benefits gained by upgrading fans, such as the ability to easily control speed. The effectiveness and benefits resulting from high-efficiency air movement systems are highlighted and summarised, using examples from the field. The paper concludes by setting out a best practice method for selecting and specifying highefficiency fans for HVAC applications.
Improving existing HVAC equipment’s efficiency and performance
Most energy efficiency upgrades in HVAC systems involve updates to control strategies, or the installation of variable speed drives (VSD) to existing motors. While these measures reduce energy consumption, the actual fan – the most energy-hungry part of the system – is not replaced; hence these upgrades miss out on a huge potential savings opportunity.
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