by Shane Henson — May 22, 2013—The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently announced the release of three new reports as part of its Green Proving Ground program, which tests building technologies in real-world situations to evaluate their potential to save energy and water, and to reduce utility costs.
The three studies include condensing boilers, variable refrigerant flow, and photovoltaic system performance, and all were found to help reduce energy costs while improving the efficiency of building systems.
Condensing Boilers are highly efficient water heaters that recycle waste heat to preheat the cold water entering the boiler. Heating accounts for 35 percent of energy use in commercial buildings in the United States, and boilers are the most common source of heating. GSA tested condensing boilers in the Peachtree Summit Federal Building in Atlanta, Georgia and found a 14 percent reduction in the building’s natural gas consumption. Application of this technology across GSA’s buildings could help save approximately 1 percent of the nation’s total annual energy consumption. Due to low operating and maintenance costs and a relatively short payback period, this technology can be easily deployed as older boilers are replaced, says the GSA.
Variable Refrigerant Flow is a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) technology that can simultaneously heat and cool different spaces in a facility and allow for greater temperature control while conserving energy. The GSA research team evaluated this technology at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts. This technology has the potential to achieve 34 percent energy savings compared to older systems. The GSA says it will be taking a closer look at variable refrigerant flow and its potential for further installations in federal buildings.
Photovoltaic Systems use photovoltaic cells to directly convert sunlight into electricity. This technology was tested on a commercial-scale system and four smaller laboratory systems at the Bean Federal Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. All solar panels reportedly worked just as well in the cloudy, Midwestern climate as they do in other parts of the country. The commercial-scale photovoltaic system generated nearly eight percent of the overall facility’s energy needs. The study also found that the return on investment was within the lifespan of the technology.
The GSA says it is currently studying 22 technologies as part of the program. Results from these evaluations will continue to increase performance of GSA’s buildings by reducing operational costs and assisting industry in deploying new technologies and practices into the broader market. As a result of previous Green Proving Ground studies, GSA is now working to install cost-saving advanced power strips and wireless sensors for data centers in its facilities.
