Daily Archives: May 8, 2021

Don’t Just Replace; ‘Right-Size’ Your Equipment

You have equipment that is old and perhaps no longer functioning well. It is time to replace it. It is common to make things easy and just procure and install the latest, even most energy-efficient model of the same equipment to take its place. That is good, but here is an idea that is better. Invest a little time to determine whether that equipment was right for the job. Take the time before buying new equipment (which presumably will be in place for many years) to determine what its right size should be for current applications or looking ahead into the future.

This is particularly true of HVAC and other equipment that uses a lot of energy. Many existing buildings are decades old and were designed when energy was rarely a consideration in design of equipment and when energy was cheap. Perhaps that HVAC firm calculated that a particular air conditioning system needed to produce 20 tons of cooling to properly cool a given space. It was common decades ago to include in the design a unit for 25, even 30 tons, to “ensure” that sufficient cooling would be achieved. There is an energy penalty for operating a larger system (more kWh of electricity must be used), but that was not a big deal decades ago, as energy costs were cheap. Well, now, decades later, perhaps that piece of equipment needs to be replaced. Electricity is not cheap anymore and will not be in the future; it is likely to grow in cost faster than inflation. Therefore, when planning to replace that air conditioning unit or boiler, it is important to re-assess and see if you still need that 25 or 30 tons of maximum cooling. Maybe you can still comfortably cool your tenants with 20 tons of cooling. This will reduce capital costs and monthly electricity costs, too, for many years to come.

This is not only true of HVAC, but other equipment, too. Pumps have historically been overdesigned “to be sure” it pumps the material necessary fast. But modern pumps can be designed with variable frequency drives (VFDs) to maintain the amount of movement that is needed, whether maximum or not. New motors with VFDs can significantly reduce energy costs, too.

And take the time to look into the future and estimate what your future needs will be and “right size” equipment for that. What new functions may occur? Perhaps the building has aged such that you need more heating or cooling. Or perhaps the tenant mix and needs have changed over time (especially, with the potential of fewer staff in a space generating heat). Invest in what is truly needed in the future.

Yes, you certainly don’t want to under-design equipment (you want your tenants to be happy and your operations to function reliably), but you also don’t want to needlessly overdesign either, as the costs for doing that could be great.

CCES has the technical experts to help you assess your equipment needs, particularly when it comes to energy efficiency and air emissions. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

It’s That Time of the Year – Begin Your Preventative Maintenance Program Now

The harsh winter is over or maybe summer slowdowns are starting or maybe you’re getting back into gear as demand rises in our pandemic “return to normal”. In any case, your viability as a company is dependent on the reliable operation of your equipment. So, don’t just turn them on and take them for granted. Perform the important steps of preventative maintenance and do them thoroughly and properly. Yes, if it costs money to do it, spend the money.

There are so many benefits:

• Increase the life of your equipment. This means not only peace of mind that your equipment will continue to operate successfully and reliably, but this also will reduce your capital outlays significantly in the long-term and reduce your disruptions from replacing equipment.

• Reduce the risk of breakdowns.  Properly maintained equipment will have a lower chance of breaking down, leaving you potentially unable to operate and produce product altogether. And fewer breakdowns means fewer desperate calls to fix equipment, which may take critical time and cost a lot of money.

• Save on energy costs.  Properly maintained equipment will not only operate satisfactorily, but will do so more efficiently, reducing energy usage as it is operating. This will save you costs now. With energy rates rising faster than inflation, this is something to seriously consider.

• Reduce environmental impacts. You very possibly operate your equipment under some sort of air and/or wastewater permit, limiting your discharges, based on normal operation. Equipment not well maintained may be operating sub-optimally, emitting pollutants in excess of your limits, which could result in a violation leading to fines, other punishments, and extra work and testing to prove to the agency that you are back in compliance. And lead to a bad reputation, too.

• Safety.  Equipment that is not operating as designed may be a potential safety hazard, leading to workplace injury or worse, leading to very high costs to resolve the problems and OSHA enforcement issues. It is certainly in your interest to have your workers operating in a safe environment.

• Reduced need of spare parts.  Well-maintained equipment requires fewer spare parts around compared to equipment at greater risk of breaking down. Needing to store fewer spare parts frees up space, which, in many instances, is very valuable, and enables better organization.

How do you do this? First, develop an inventory of your equipment. Then simply follow manufacturer’s directions for each. If you cannot find them, contact the manufacturer or dealer. They want your repeat business, so they should cooperate and let you know they’re on your side. Make sure procedures are accessible. Spend some quality time training staff on what needs to be done and how often. Make sure the right people have time to understand the procedures and are properly trained to do them properly. If nothing else, it is good to keep equipment clean, such as by changing filters regularly.

Good luck, establish a preventative maintenance program, and reap the benefits.

CCES has the technical experts to help you maintain and optimize equipment in different areas, including in being more energy efficient. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.