SETTY, a leader in the field of high performing buildings, was recently chosen
by the General Services Administration(GSA) to provide MEP design, controls integration, and commissioning services
for an innovative 12-month comparison study of competing chiller
technologies. This effort is part of the
GSA's Green Proving Ground (GPG)
program, which is evaluating emerging building technologies in real-world
settings and providing recommendations for their deployment across GSA's nationwide
real estate portfolio. The study site is
the 5 story, 133-year-old Sidney Yates Building, located near the National Mall
in Washington, D.C.
A joint effort between SETTY, Maryn Construction, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, this
ongoing study is evaluating the technical performance and cost effectiveness of
a variable-speed screw chiller compressor,
one of only nine emerging technologies selected in 2014 for GPG
evaluation. The baseline for comparison
is being provided by a magneticlevitation (Maglev) chiller compressor, a proven technology that was the
subject of a 2013 GPG study. Two chiller
units—one variable-speed screw and one Maglev, both having identical
capacity—are being installed side by side in the Yates building, and
performance metrics for both units will be carefully monitored for the duration
of the study.
Setty's engineers and commissioning experts are leveraging their
expertise in high performing building design to ensure that the two competing
chillers are installed in a manner that allows for a fair performance
comparison and that efficiently serves the cooling needs of the approximately 200,000 sf Yates building. From field survey to design of new water pumps,
variable frequency drives, a new advanced energy metering system, and a new
central plant BAS, our engineers are customizing the installations to allow
each chiller to operate at optimal efficiency.
Once installation is complete, Oak Ridge will
monitor and verify the study results.
Due to the variable-speed screw chiller compressor's ability to operate
with high efficiency at partial cooling loads, the new technology is expected
to outperform current ASHRAE
efficiency standards by as much as 44%.
Other anticipated advantages include simplified operations and
maintenance, and a short payback period—as low as 3 years according to
manufacturer estimates. The performance
of the variable-speed screw chiller is expected to compare favorably with that
of the Maglev chiller. Study results are
expected in 2016.
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