Know how to reduce the energy consumption of your HVAC system

Buildings

This client figures among Canada’s major telecommunications companies that provide mobility and residential services (Internet access, voice, video and satellite television). A few years ago, the company approached Multitel with a specific objective: reducing the energy consumption of their HVAC system. They wanted to be able to benchmark their site consumption and environmental behavior. They also wanted to explore new avenues of savings and finding a functional and flexible intelligent cooling solution.

 

This led them to the FUSION.

 

 

CHALLENGES

 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

It was during a focus group, when different departments across the business unit sat together to look at specific problems, that the issue was raised : Were all the equipment (network, radio and HVAC) across the board driving energy efficiency? How could they have a holistic view of the site environmental control?

 

HVAC EQUIPMENT

It appeared that the HVAC equipment were not as efficient as they could be. Therefore, it was imperative for the client to look for a way to reduce this energy consumption. It is how Multitel and another vendor were invited to accept the company’s challenge and find a solution. Both vendors worked on a product for the HVAC control. Two months later, Multitel came back and proposed a solution based on the FUSION. To the client’s great surprise, the FUSION met all their requirements, and that is why Multitel was preferred to the other vendor.

SOLUTIONS

 

FLEXIBILITY

The FUSION properly controls the HVAC system and gives the client the flexibility to build any algorithm they want. They are not limited to work in a certain way predetermined by the vendor, because other vendors had solutions to offer, but they were not willing to change anything. They thought their product was answering the needs sufficiently, and that’s all they offer. However, with Multitel, it was a step forward. The client could do and change anything in the FUSION.

CAPABILITY

The client had an existing DC fan they were using, but that was no longer efficient. It required mechanical dampers, sequence protection for the compressors, safeties based on feedback from HVAC contractors and the industry, custom alarm tables, custom HMI (user interface), etc. The company wanted a new design, but they also wanted to reuse the actual fan unit they had on their site. Multitel built a new customized design to the required specifications, as well as a procedure for the installation, and everything was delivered as expected, and even better.

CUSTOMIZATION

The FUSION was designed and manufactured with a certain type of alarm, but it was not compatible with what the client wanted. « So, Multitel redesigned the circuit just for us and now, everybody buying their product can get these benefits. »

RESULTS

 

The client’s first main goal was to have a standard HVAC system controller. In addition to this, the FUSION is now used as their main alarming box for door and site entries, AC power fails, rectifier alarms, etc. It is now a dual purpose unit: They use the FUSION twice as much they first thought
they would.

 

SAVINGS & ROI

The client saved money on energy consumption and call-outs for HVAC contractors.

Yearly Savings (per 10kW site, per year):

  • 750$ in free cooling
  • 150$ in preventable OT call-outs (alarming)
  • 175$ in efficiency gains
  • 125$ in maintenance and repairs (for 150 new 10kW sites)
  • 500$ in automated battery testing
  • 450$ in energy incentives

Because the client was impressed by the ROI for the new sites, they even suggested integrating Multitel FIRMSuite as a national standard to get added benefits like DC power planning, battery monitoring and real-time generator control.

VISION AND STRATEGY

This client is transitioning to a 0 truck role scenario, so they don’t want people to drive to sites anymore. If they need any information from a site (power environment, alarms, BTS, transport) they want to have these measurements available remotely and at anytime. It is where Multitel’s expertise in remote management is absolutely required. If you are looking for new avenues of savings like this client, you might want to follow the experience described here and go for a flexible and customized solution that provides impressive money savings and ROI.

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