Equipment Operation and Efficiency: Religious Institutions

Monitor the boiler-water quality. Boiler waterside scale acts as an insulator thereby preventing heat transfer from the fire to waterside. As little as 1/32 inches of scale increases fuel consumption by as much as 7 percent.

Products of combustion on the boiler’s fireside surfaces adversely affect the unit’s efficiency and can result in higher fuel costs. Heavy deposits may increase fuel costs by 5 percent or more. A properly tuned burner will help minimize soot, improving overall efficiency.

Monitoring stack temperature helps identify adverse trends. Typically a 40° F increase in stack temperature (all other conditions being equal) correlates to a 1 percent drop in efficiency and a corresponding increase in fuel consumption.

Boilers that cycle on and off excessively are energy wasters. Stored energy in the boiler is lost up the stack during purge cycles before and after firing. Check pressure control set points, or if multiple boilers are used, review the sequence of operation.

Leaking steam traps waste a lot of energy. Repairing the trap will help decrease fuel consumption. Leaking steam traps also waste water and result in additional water treatment expenses.

Lack of insulation usually results in lost energy, an increase in the boiler load, and higher fuel usage. Don’t forget the insulation after repairs are made.

An Energy Management System can reduce energy usage 10 to 30 percent. This reduction is achieved by limiting air conditioning operation during unoccupied hours.

Repairing leaks and refrigerant recharging will help restore the system to its design rating. This can improve efficiency by as much as 15 percent.

Systems operating with dirty coils may reduce cooling capacity by 7 percent and increase power consumption by 10 percent. Keep coils clean and free of dust and contamination.

Pre-Season start up inspections can help to identify many maintenance needs, which if neglected, would result in increased electrical energy usage. This can also minimize unscheduled repairs.

Aging air conditioning units become expensive to maintain and operate. Newer designs, with improved SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) ratings, can deliver the same amount of cool air using considerably less electrical energy.

When installing new equipment, it is always good engineering practice to have qualified air conditioning/(HVAC) design firms verify that units are neither over or undersized. Oversized units can result in frequent on/off cycling, increasing the energy usage.

Replace fluorescent T-12 fixture/lamps (1.5” diameter) with T-8 fluorescent fixtures/lamps (1” diameter). T-8 lamps typically use 40 percent fewer watts and produce 40 percent less heat. This is important in warmer months when air conditioning is needed.

Make sure all emergency exit signs use Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights. Many older exit signs consume over 350 kilowatt-hours (kWh) and cost $28 each year to operate. LED exit signs use approximately 44 kWh of electricity annually, costing less than $4 a year to operate.

Turn off lights when not in use or when natural daylight can be used. Install occupancy sensor controls in places where lights are often left on, but the space is unoccupied.

Replace all remaining incandescent lamps with Compact Fluorescent Lamps(CFL) or LED lamps with equivalent lumens. Some ENERGY STAR® bulbs use 75 percent less energy, and save about $6 per bulb per year.

Don’t forget about the exterior site lighting. These fixtures are higher wattage compared to interior fixtures. Many exterior lamps are 400 watts each or higher. Make sure parking lot and building perimeter lighting are controlled properly using astronomical time-clocks or photocells. This will prevent energy waste from turning site lighting on too early as the seasons change.

Consider implementing a “group-relamping” program for each area or room of the building. Group relamping schedules the replacement of lamps at their maximum economic value, saving time and money when compared to changing bulbs as they fail. Group relamping also allows for cleaning the fixture reflectors at the same time, providing more light in the room for the same energy input.

Inspect all hot water lines and tanks to be sure that they are insulated.

System water leaks mean lost energy and can result in higher energy and water usage and costs. Repair leaks and save money.

Install faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads. They may reduce your hot water consumption by half.

If main water heaters are a long distance from the point of use, consider using smaller, instantaneous water heaters near the point of use. Make sure these units are sized properly to ensure sufficient hot water.

If you have an electric water heater, install a timer that automatically turns the hot water off at night and on in the morning. A simple timer can pay for itself in less than a year.

Drain a quart of water from your hot water tank every three months to remove sediment that prevents heat transfer and lowers the unit’s efficiency.

Periodically inspect ducts to verify that all insulation is intact and adequate. A tight and well insulated duct system can easily prevent 20-25 percent energy waste.

A high-quality filter maintenance program will help to minimize dirt and dust deposits on fans and coils, and more importantly, is critical to controlling the indoor air quality.

Keep the condenser and evaporator coils clean. Dirt and dust are great insulators. Even a fine coating of dust on a coil can result in a reduced heat exchange, causing the system to run longer to meet heating or cooling needs.

Meeting indoor air quality requirements also means fresh make-up air needs to be supplemented. Monitoring the carbon dioxide in the air and providing fresh air based on those levels can ensure excess outside air is not brought in, requiring cooling and dehumidifying.

Electric motors are the prime electrical energy consumer in a ventilation system. If a replacement is required, consider the purchase of a premium efficiency rated motor. It can save up to 8 percent energy compared to a standard motor. For belt driven applications, only install “cogged” or “synchronous” belts operating with reduced slippage to save additional electrical energy.

Large ventilation systems incorporate dampers and diffusers to deliver the correct amount of air to a space. Over time control settings may change, mechanical parts wear out or the space may be used for a different purpose. Testing Adjusting and Balancing (TAB) for older systems, will ensure the efficient use of conditioned air.

Computers and other electronic equipment use electricity around the clock, even when not in use. Encourage employees to turn off all office equipment after hours and on weekends. Turn off lights, computers, monitors, printers and copiers at the end of each working day and ensure they’re not just in sleep mode.

Help reduce phantom loads by plugging office equipment into power strips. This makes it easier to turn them all off when not in use. Better yet, purchase a smart power strip, which senses when a product is not in use and eliminates its standby power consumption.

Screen savers save computer screens, not energy. Your monitor uses almost full power when the screen saver appears. Automatic switching to sleep mode or manually turning monitors off is always the better energy-saving strategy.

Use plug-in timers to automatically turn printers, copiers, and fax machines off at the power source.

Flow-generating equipment like fans, pumps and compressors are often used without speed control. Because HVAC systems rarely require maximum flow, a system operating without speed control wastes significant energy over most of its operating time. Using Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) to control the motor speed can provide significant energy savings.

Heat loss resulting from loose or corroded electrical connections can also mean reduced operating efficiency and corresponding increased energy costs. These conditions can lead to a breakdown, failure, or even cause a fire. An infrared survey of the entire electrical system should be performed at least every three years.

Repairing leaks and refrigerant recharging will help restore the system to its design rating. This can improve efficiency by as much as 15 percent.

Obstructed condenser coils may reduce cooling capacity by 7 percent, while increasing power consumption by 10 percent. Layers of dirt, dust, or other debris on condenser coils can reduce the amount of heat the refrigerator / freezer can transfer to the surroundings.

Evaporator coils should be clean and also free of ice build-up. Ice is an insulator. In freezers, an ice build-up greater than 4mm can reduce efficiency. Make sure cyclic defrost type freezers remain frost-free by regularly defrosting any ice build-up.

Range hoods and filters that are free of grease and residue work more efficiently. Clean exhaust fans will also reduce cooking odors and the likelihood of fan vibration or a fire.

Only operate hood fans when the stoves are in use. The fan draws large volumes of air that has been air-conditioned or heated and exhausts it outside. Unnecessary operation of fans can send energy bills through the roof.

When possible, delay turning on appliances such as ovens, vent hoods, warmers, and mixers until you need to use them. Likewise, promptly turn completely off when finished. You can reduce energy consumption by as much as 60 percent by minimizing the operating time of kitchen appliances.