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Case Studies Sustainable Building Authority Walks the Walk When Promoting Energy-Saving Green Products Car Wash Upgrades with Three, High-Efficiency Boilers, Cutting Gas Consumption by 33%+ Extra! Extra! Newspaper Plant Cuts Fuel Costs In Half with New, High-Efficiency Boiler System
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continued from above... That was the case not long ago at the Hydro-Spray Car Wash, a six-bay operation, in Columbus, Ohio. The owner was grappling with skyrocketing energy bills, stemming from an inefficient 1.2 million BTU copper fin-tube boiler with a 14-inch flue that begged for replacement. The Problem: The copper fin-tube boiler ran either on or off with no in-between. Circulating hot water into two, 120-gallon storage tanks, the unit was set to cycle on with every 10°F drop in tank temperature. But because the boiler was “way oversized to the load, it suffered from a chronic, short-cycling syndrome,” recalls contractor Jeff Persons, president of Geo Source One Inc. in Plain City, Ohio. Persons holds a master’s degree in geology and is a ground-water hydro-geologist with over 30 years of experience in the hydronics and geothermal fields, including both residential and commercial applications. Continuous, efficient operation of the fin-tube boiler was possible only when all six wash bays were in use, so that the hot water flow rose to 30 gallons per minute. “But such conditions occurred less than five percent of the time,” estimates Persons, who adds that, under low-usage conditions, the “on” cycle rarely spanned more than two minutes. “Standby heat losses up that 14-inch flue also contributed to the boiler’s poor efficiency, which averaged the mid-50-percent range.” The Solution: R.A. McGovern Equipment Company, a Columbus-based manufacturer’s sales agent, suggested that Hydro-Spray could reap substantial savings in energy costs by replacing the copper fin-tube boiler with Munchkin Stainless Steel High-Efficiency Boilers, manufactured by Heat Transfer Products. Made of 316L stainless steel, Munchkin boilers couple condensing technology with modulating burners to achieve an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating of 95.1%. Although new to the Heat Transfer brand and modulating-condensing technology, the owner of Hydro-Spray Car Wash at that time was sold on the Munchkin’s higher efficiency rating and the happy prospect of lower gas bills. Geo Source One was subsequently recruited to design and install the three-boiler replacement system that McGovern had recommended: two Munchkin 399VWH models and one Munchkin 199VWH unit. Despite replacing one boiler with three, Hydro-Spray still saved 12 square feet of floor space, thanks to the Munchkins’ compact footprint and the elimination of one of the 120-gallon water storage tanks. Measuring 30 inches wide and 58 inches deep, the completed Munchkin assembly stands only 92.5 inches high. No Missed Business, Please: There was one caveat to the changeover: All installation work had to be done without shutting down the facility. To save time, Geo Source One installers designed and prefabricated a modular piping harness, made from Pro-Press Fittings, at their shop. This rack would facilitate quick changeovers of the three boilers, a particular attraction in cold weather: If one unit went down, the other pair would continue functioning while repairs were made. In addition, all boiler assemblies were CAD-designed and fitted to allow future removal and replacement – again, without interrupting or shutting down the car wash. Within one afternoon, the old boiler was removed and the three new boilers were hooked up to the pre-assembled piping harness. The installers also removed the old 14-inch flue pipe and replaced it with three pairs of four-inch PVC intake and exhaust lines. “All wiring and venting were then completed,” Persons recalls, “and we had the system running by noon on the third day. Work was done during warm weather, so the car wash did not need a lot of hot water, even while staying busy throughout the changeover.” The new boilers as well as all the automated equipment in the mechanical room at Hydro-Spray Car Wash are monitored by video and PLC controllers that allow remote observation and reporting of all conditions. “What a neat way to control operations and costs,” says Persons. “This certainly is not your grandfather’s boiler room.” Documented Savings: The car wash owners – both the original proprietors who had the Munchkins installed and the new ownership who later acquired the facility – have not been disappointed by the actual energy savings achieved to date. Total natural gas consumption at Hydro-Spray Car Wash during the 12-month period after the Munchkins were installed declined 33% over the prior 12 months. With their load-matching, modulating burners, the three Munchkins are programmed to fire with gas inputs as low as 50,000 Btu per hour to a peak of 997,000 Btu/h – depending on how much hot water is needed by the car wash. This ability to match firing to ever-changing demand is key to saving energy. “The modulating Munchkins allow the car wash to track the water heating load at efficiencies of 92 to 96 percent without short-cycling,” says Geo Source One’s Persons. Note: The 33% savings in gas-consumption includes usage by a second, standard-efficiency copper fin-tube boiler that was not replaced. This piece of equipment is dedicated to snow-melting on the property, according to Persons, who calculated that it accounted for approximately 47 percent of the natural gas used during the winter months. “If you subtract that usage,” he comments, “the savings in energy over that 12-month period were likely greater than 33 percent.” One More Upgrade: Hot-water consumption at Hydro-Spray is actually higher during the snowy winter months, as customers flock to the facility to rid their vehicles of salt and calcium chloride residue from the region’s roads and highways. The busiest times are sunny days when the roads have dried off and temperatures are above freezing. But when outdoor temperatures fall below 15°F, the facility is closed to avoid equipment damage. That’s when the snow-melt operation kicks in, keeping the wash bays thawed during these periods. As a result, the next step in boosting efficiency will be replacing the snow-melt boiler with a plate-frame heat exchanger hooked to the Munchkin trio, which will carry the snow-melting load during those periods when the car wash is closed, says Persons. “Utilizing the full capacity of the three modulating boilers will further cut overall gas consumption and provide an even better return on investment for the owners.” # # # HEAT TRANSFER: Founded in 1974, Heat Transfer is a designer and manufacturer of advanced heating and hot water systems. Product categories include high efficiency boilers and advanced boiler control systems, high efficiency gas-fired water heaters, oil-fired and electric water heaters, indirect water heaters, and marine and pool heaters. For more information about these products, visit Heat Transfer at www.htproducts.com. Or call toll-free: 800-323-9651 (508-763-8071 if calling from Massachusetts). For editorial assistance, contact John O’Reilly c/o LNC Communications:
[CONTRIBUTORS] Jeff Persons
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