Breakthrough Discovery for Optimizing HVAC & Refrigeration Compressors by Implementing VRF Algorithms to Reduce Energy by 20-30%

Emre Schveighoffer
Username
Emre Schveighoffer
Proposer First Name
Emre
Proposer Email
emrejs@nrminc.com
Proposer Last Name
Schveighoffer
Proposer Company/Organization
National Resource Management, Inc.
Proposer Phone
(781) 828-8877 x101
Proposer Job Title
President
Proposer Additional Info
Founded company in the basement in 1992 and then developed refrigeration control system that has been implemented in over 50,000 systems.
Proposed Session Description
VRF is mentioned in every technical magazine, by utility programs as it is the new cooling system technology everyone is talking about and promoting implementation as VRF systems have very high SEER ratings. These systems have proven that through complex control strategies and hardware users can realize up to 50% reduction in energy use. Now consider the many millions of existing HVAC and refrigeration systems with compressors operating at fixed speeds regardless of the load where it is not cost effective to replace with new VRF systems. What if using simple temperature sensing technology, contractors can install a controller and mated VFD that can safely regulate speed to closely match the actual cooling load. This new controller can regulate both existing scroll and reciprocal compressors in either HVAC or refrigeration applications resulting in huge efficiency gains. All this at a fraction of the cost of new VRF systems and the complexity of maintenance that comes with VRF. With LED technology being so prominent and reaching near saturation in some markets, we feel it is time to focus on mechanical solutions that are easy to implement and produce proven energy savings. Having installed web-based refrigeration controls in many thousands of systems, we have documented operation characteristics to identify what systems would yield the best ROI by implementing compressor speed controls.

Comments

Mike Simons Mon, 11/15/2021 - 2:31 pm

Round 1: NoThis seems much more like a pitch for their solutions versus a topic the majority of stakeholders would find applicable. Maybe a table or a booth would be more appropriate.

Fred Davis Tue, 11/16/2021 - 8:30 am

Round 1: YES. I do not have particular expertise in this realm. However, it's great to see this proposal from an old colleague. Over decades, Emre has had a huge impact on the efficiency of regrigeration. I hear his excitement about the enormity of this current opportunity for energy efficiency in HVAC. It reminds me of the early moments of mini-splits, when BE sessions excitedly investigated an unlikely, strange, brand-new technology, how it works, how to apply, who was (were) the (few) manufacturer(s). In this case, it sounds like Emre is offering essentially a training, which could be just-right. I would hope that Content Committee includes (or seeks) some expertise to evaluate further. Certainly Emre could be asked to explain how unique this (Falkonair?) is, and whether some paneling might be good to apply here. Panels could either be a few competitors (products? / approaches?), OR perhaps someone going back-and-forth with Emre to help draw out the technology and the opportunities.

Ben Sachs-Hamilton Thu, 11/18/2021 - 12:06 pm

R1 Discussion:Question: Is this relevant to stake holders of conference attendees. More ASHRAE? What about combining with Steam session if true because of its potential impact. Would want to see if rigorously tested. Fred: Reminds me of early moments of mini-splits, so lets look at.

Clay Tilton Mon, 12/13/2021 - 7:58 pm

Round 2: Maybe (No)I'm not entirely sure if I'm allowed to give maybe votes for round 2 but this proposal showed a lot of merit, although the scope seemed narrow. The main concerns from the round 1 discussion included this proposals relevance to the conference stakeholders, equipment testing and whether this session could be merged into another format. Emre was very knowledgeable on the topic and could clearly answer my questions. He was able to show me live data from a number of different institutions using his technique and product. The data and short presentation he gave to me all showed he had a very deep knoweldge of the subject, but our discussion tended to meander into very technical areas at times. The savings from this product are very significant but I don't know if the wider audience at NESEA would gain much from a full 60 minute session on this topic. Refrigeration is a small part of building science, that is still important but would probably not affect the daily lives of many in the industry. That being said, there was a lot of promise as it seemed various electric utility companies were in talks with Emre regarding implementing his system. There is a small scalability issue as this technology is still rather new and has some select applications. A topic with such a technical and specific field might have some issues implementing the theme as well, though we discussed some potential ways to tackle it.Overall, this might have a better spot as a booth or maybe merged with another session since the data seems very promising, but the general feel of the session is that it won't be applicable to the majority of the attendees of this conference.

Fred Davis Mon, 12/13/2021 - 11:23 pm

An enthusiastic push for YES:Clay -- looks like you did due-diligence, great! I would add perspective on the question of 'relevance.' No one of these sessions has to attract even a majority of conference-goers. If Emre says this is a huge new development, then we should be all over the opportunity to introduce it / showcase it here at BE. Think how many buildings have refrigerated cases of one kind or another -- certainly zillions in retail. I have a decade of experience helping to foster lighting sessions at BE -- another 'specialized niche' in the field -- but everyone one of them was plenty popular. Looks like a great opportunity here.

Diversity and Inclusiveness
N/A
Learning Objectives
Attendees will 1) appreciate the simplicity of how to safely apply the solution;
2) gain a reasonably high level of confidence in how to evaluate opportunities to achieve savings and have a deeper understanding of how savings can be achieved;
3) with minimal technical training engineers can begin adding this solution to their current arsenal of energy saving tools;
4) be able to make good judgement calls for when NOT to use this technology that could harm equipment.
Has this session been presented before?
No
Additional Comments
The technology has only recently been commercially available and only presented to a few utility engineers.
Session Format
Presentation followed by facilitated discussion or breakout groups
Session Format Details
Presenting the technology in PowerPoint form followed by Q&A session would work best
Recommended Length
60-minute session
Comments about your speaker roster
Product page https://www.FALKONAIR.com
Anything else you'd like to tell us about your session proposal?
The timing for this technology couldn't be better as utilities are struggling to find solutions that area easy to implement and that have significant impact on meeting energy savings goals.
Reviewer 1
Davis, Fred
Reviewer 2
Tilton, Clay
Proposal #
171
Committee Decision
Being Considered

Presenters

Full Description
In the past engineers were always hesitant to consider speed control for compressors in cooling applications as there have been many storied of people damaging compressors because they impacted needed lubrication. The problem addressed is that there are many millions of opportunities for carbon reduction by applying Smart Compressor Control for HVAC and refrigeration systems. Many in the energy efficiency industry have been so focused on lighting and LEDs and it is time that they began to consider technologies that are a bit more complex than cookie-cutter lighting but still not that big of a challenge to work implement almost cookie-cutter compressor controls.