This is another in a long line of third-party studies that validate our claim that the CATALYST will reduce RTU energy use by 25-50%.“
Kent, WA (PRWEB) February 26, 2015
As published in an Energy Central article on February 4, 2015, 'Add-On-Variable Speed Controls for Roof Top Units', Transformative Wave’s CATALYST was part of a Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) field test at an electronics manufacturing site that showed electrical energy savings ranging from 32% to 58%, with an average energy savings of 39%. The test was conducted on four 20-ton rooftop packaged units (RTUs) at the facility. The test period spanned 10 months beginning in January 2014 and ending in October of 2014.
The SMUD field study was conducted at the site in Rancho Cordova, CA utilizing Transformative Wave’s CATALYST with eIQ Platform solution. The applied product solution combines the CATALYST, a comprehensive HVAC energy efficiency upgrade that converts RTUs into dynamic part load systems, with web-based visualization and management of RTU efficiency via the eIQ Platform. Unit performance data was collected over the 10 month period using an alternating control methodology in which the RTUs cycle their operation with and then without the CATALYST control sequence. Multiple variable linear regression models of unit power as a function of NOAA weather data and occupancy information were created and applied to Typical Meteorological Year (TMY3) weather data in order to predict typical annual energy savings.
Danny Miller, President of Transformative Wave, comments, “SMUD was actually one of the very first utilities in the nation to appreciate the potential impact the CATALYST can have on reducing commercial HVAC energy use. We have worked closely with SMUD’s emerging technology point man, Bruce Baccei, over the last few years. He has been a leading voice for RTU retrofit and did a great job on both the SMUD technical report and his article published by Energy Central. This is another in a long line of third-party studies that validate our claim that the CATALYST will reduce RTU energy use by 25-50%.“
The SMUD report concluded that HVAC systems are typically sized for design conditions and are oversized, “just to be on the safe side.” The equipment rarely operates at peak conditions and design days rarely occur. Single speed RTU’s, as designed, operate at full force, full speed anytime heating or cooling is called for. When the CATALYST is applied to the equipment the fan is modulated and advanced economization result in lower electric energy use. The report further concludes that the CATALYST can be an effective energy saving device for HVAC applications where baseline ventilation fans are simply toggled 100% on or off, and economizer control strategies are either not implemented or are very simple. Read the full CATALYST RTU Controller Study Report.
--------
About Transformative Wave
Transformative Wave is one of the country’s leading energy efficiency innovators, developing and bringing to market a growing line of game-changing efficiency solutions that are transforming the commercial building energy landscape. For more information about the CATALYST and eIQ Platform visit http://transformativewave.com.