Use of EMCS recorded data to identify potential savings due to improved HVAC operations and maintenance
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In most chiller and boiler central plants, the energy management and control systems (EMCS) continuously monitor and record key operation parameters and energy production. A method was developed to identify potential operations and maintenance (O&M) savings by using the EMCS-recorded data. This method was applied to a central plant that supplied heating and cooling to a university campus with a total building floor area of 3.5 million ft2 (325,000 m2). It was found that the potential savings from improved O&M were $2,651,000 per year, which included $1,934,000 per year from improved operation of air-handling units (AHU) on the campus, $673,000 per year from improved chiller operation, and $44,000 per year from improved boiler operation. The improved AHU operation was fully or partially implemented in a number of buildings. The measured O&M savings ($610,000, per year, or 22.5%) were consistent with predicted savings in five buildings where both the pre-O&M and the post-O&M energy consumption were measured on an hourly basis.