Testing and commissioning processes ensure optimal performance of HVAC units

Raghuveer Singh, Senior Director of Colo/Cloud Thermal Solutions, Vertiv, explains that the integration of machine learning, IoT, and automation has enhanced the operational efficiency of HVAC systems, leading to reduced energy usage and associated costs.

How do you evaluate energy-efficient technologies for HVAC systems?
Vertiv conducts a comprehensive analysis of HVAC systems to assess energy-efficient technologies suitable for data centre applications. They provide a range of thermal management solutions designed to efficiently remove heat and cool data centres of various sizes and complexities. These technologies are intended to outperform traditional cooling systems available in the market in terms of energy and water conservation. Vertiv also offers thorough services to uphold these thermal management systems’ performance, availability, and energy efficiency in critical sectors like telecom, IT/ITES, banking, finance, textiles, and industrial segments.

The company is dedicated to investigating, evaluating, and piloting emerging technologies that display the potential to aid customers in decreasing energy usage, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and align with their climate-related goals. This focus has increased the emphasis on energy-efficient and alternative energy technologies.

How does Vertiv’s comprehensive range of solutions contribute to optimising efficiency and scalability for businesses?
Vertiv provides digital infrastructure, seamlessly integrating hardware, software, analytics, and ongoing services to ensure uninterrupted operations, optimal performance, and adaptable growth for its clients’ essential applications. By addressing crucial challenges encountered by data centres, communication networks, and commercial/industrial facilities, Vertiv offers a diverse selection of power, cooling, and IT infrastructure solutions and services, from cloud environments to the network edge. The company caters to various industries, including telecommunications, data centres, healthcare, finance, etc.

Vertiv’s offerings encompass power management solutions like uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), power distribution units (PDUs), and transfer switches. It also includes thermal management solutions, including CRAC, CRAH, large customised fan wall units, chiller systems, thermal management software, and rack cooling solutions. Additionally, the company provides IT management solutions, such as infrastructure management software, racks, and cabinets. We assist businesses in optimising efficiency, ensuring flexibility, and facilitating scalability through pre-tested and integrated data centres, simplifying the expansion of core data centres and critical facilities. On a global scale, the company pioneers edge possibilities by crafting scalable, tailored data centres that expedite deployment, mitigate risk and manage expenses. Noteworthy brands within the Vertiv portfolio include Alber™, Avocent®, Geist™, Liebert®, and NetSure™, among others.

How does IoT and automation integration into HVAC systems impact energy efficiency?
Integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) and automation into heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems has fundamentally transformed the approach to managing energy consumption in buildings. The integration of machine learning, IoT, and automation has enhanced HVAC systems’ operational efficiency, leading to reduced energy usage and associated costs. Businesses can remotely manage their equipment through IoT, 5G networks, and barcode technologies and proactively take measures to prevent issues. Automation technologies optimise heating and cooling systems, system operation speed, and equipment runtime, improving performance. This technology implementation boosts the efficiency of HVAC systems and curtails repair expenses, downtime, and unforeseen malfunctions.

The future is expected to witness a greater adoption of software and hardware embedded with artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. These solutions will capture unit behaviours and target specific application requirements. Powered by IoT technologies, these solutions will contribute towards achieving energy optimisation for entire facilities.

How do smart monitoring and control of HVAC equipment in data centre building help conserve energy?
Choosing appropriate solutions and intelligent control systems, such as Vertiv’s Liebert® iCOM®-S, allows it to effectively preserve energy in data centre cooling. Advanced controls like Liebert® iCOM®-S can monitor and manage the real-time performance of different cooling systems within the data centre environment. This information can be assessed to detect energy wastage, optimise energy consumption, and implement strategies to cut costs.

The Liebert iCOM-S control system is a central point for gathering data from cooling units and sensors. Through machine-to-machine communication, it synchronises and enhances the performance of the thermal system throughout the data centre, preventing conflicting operations among units. This cohesive approach allows the entire system to adapt to changes in data centre capacities, ultimately improving availability and energy efficiency. The control system is conveniently operated via an all-in-one touch-screen panel. It can be mounted flexibly within the data centre, control room, or other suitable locations. This arrangement ensures swift access to actionable data, system diagnostics, and performance trends.

What advancements in sustainable cooling solutions can improve the overall efficiency of HVAC systems?
Progress in cooling technology has played a crucial role in enhancing HVAC systems’ effectiveness and environmental impact. Integrating innovative technologies enables HVAC systems to function with greater efficiency, leading to decreased energy usage and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases.

Especially within the context of the data centre sector, it’s anticipated that India will witness a two-fold increase in its megawatt consumption within the upcoming 2 to 3 years. In light of this, it becomes imperative to prioritise adopting approaches that aim for net-zero energy consumption and carbon neutrality.

Several advancements that have the potential to enhance the overall efficiency of HVAC systems are- 

• Smart monitoring and control: Advanced control mechanisms and building automation technologies optimise the performance of HVAC systems by utilising real-time data, load patterns, and weather conditions.
• Sustainable Technology Integration: Linking HVAC systems to renewable energy sources, such as solar panels or geothermal systems, facilitates environmentally sustainable cooling. Geothermal heat pumps harness the Earth’s natural warmth for efficient building cooling and heating, reducing electricity demand.
• High water and high air temperatures in data centres: Capitalising on higher water and air temperatures within data centres can yield energy savings. Operating chilled water systems at elevated temperatures proves more energy-efficient than lower-temperature systems. Additionally, these conditions create opportunities for employing cost-effective free cooling methods.
• Predictive maintenance: Utilising data and analytics, predictive maintenance forecasts potential equipment malfunctions, allowing for timely and cost-effective scheduled maintenance.

• Moreover, given the significant greenhouse gas impact of many refrigerants, opting for refrigerants with low global warming potential (GWP) is a strategy to minimise the environmental impact of refrigeration systems on global warming.

How can HVAC solutions customise to specific environments to help save costs and improve efficiency?
Customising the HVAC system ensures accurate sizing and configuration that aligns with the particular environment, avoiding energy waste from oversizing or under-sizing. Customised solutions are crafted per the distinct demands of each project, allowing the freedom to choose efficient components that meet the data centre’s power usage effectiveness (PUE) requirements. This approach enables minimising power consumption during both peak and partial loads. Such systems can also be deployed as unique solutions across similar data centre locations, capitalising on fast deployment and streamlined supply chains. This strategy ultimately leads to reduced costs and energy consumption.

What initiatives and measures can be adopted to accelerate energy efficiency in the HVAC industry?
Based on the age, design characteristics, and arrangement of their existing HVAC systems, property owners and data centre facility managers have the potential to improve the energy efficiency of their HVAC systems significantly. This improvement can decrease energy consumption, lower operational expenses, and reduce environmental impact. Several initiatives and measures can be adopted to enhance the efficiency of cooling systems: 

• Optimum design choices: Designers must exercise careful equipment selection, avoiding the pitfalls of oversizing or under-sizing equipment ratings.
• Full load and Part load operation: During system design, emphasis should be placed on choosing equipment that can operate efficiently under both full and partial load conditions.
• Testing and Commissioning: Thorough testing and commissioning processes are crucial to ensure optimal performance and output from the HVAC units.
• Comprehensive maintenance: Furthermore, implementing comprehensive maintenance programs for HVAC systems can greatly expedite the achievement of energy efficiency:
  • Regular assessments, cleansing, and adjustments to ensure equipment operates at its peak efficiency.
  • Maintenance schedules involve replacing clogged filters that force HVAC systems to work harder due to airflow restrictions. These filters lead to elevated operating costs, diminished indoor air quality, and increased commercial HVAC maintenance expenses. To tackle this, inspecting and maintaining HVAC filters quarterly and seeking assistance from an HVAC professional for routine evaluations can be beneficial.
  • Utilising smart control programming to automatically regulate building temperatures based on occupancy and data centre load, as well as weather conditions, can effectively curtail energy consumption. Employing centralised control systems such as Liebert iCOM-S can optimise overall energy usage in data centres.
  • Retrofitting older HVAC systems with features like variable speed motors, intelligent controls, and adaptable capacity compressors can be advantageous. Alternatively, replacing outdated units with new, energy-efficient models is a viable solution for ageing equipment.
  • Sealing air leaks around windows, doors, and other openings that allow conditioned air to escape is crucial in preventing energy waste. Enhancing insulation also contributes to enhanced energy efficiency.
  • Continuous monitoring and analysing HVAC system performance through data analytics and building management systems ensures optimal operation and energy use.