The performance of 67 Albert Avenue, in Chatswood has improved significantly in the last couple of months. A facilities manager that understands and uses the BMS has now an upgraded tool, with improved control logic that are taking the building’s performance to a higher level, as shown by the daily REF messages. Keep reading to learn more about the building, what has been done there and results achieved.
Building Bio
- A-grade commercial office tower
- NLA: 15,047m2
- 15 floors
- Built 1989
- Chatswood, NSW
- Owner: CorVal
- Commenced with Buildings Alive REF service: June 2015
Making a good use of a good BMS
Continuously monitoring building and system operation and making changes when needed is a key part of effectively leveraging a BMS platform investment. At 67 Albert Avenue, the facility manager actively uses the BMS on a daily basis to proactively identify opportunities to gain efficiencies, rather reactively and sporadically to investigate issues raised. The results of regular attention can be clearly seen on this building’s daily messages – where the building’s performance beats its daily target on a regular basis:
“Wow! Yesterday 67 Albert Avenue used an incredible 34% less electricity than the baseline expectation
and beat its target for the conditions by 16%.
Strategies for Success
A series of improvements in effective HVAC control has taken place at 67 Albert Avenue:
- VAV operation: Flow sensors were introduced on the VAV controls, giving flexibility to a more efficient duct pressure control.
- AHUs supply static pressure reset: With pressure independent VAV control, this important strategy can be fine-tuned and improve the system efficiency.
- AHUs supply temperature reset: This control logic has also been fine-tuned, making a better use of the chilled water.
- Chilled water temperature reset: The chilled water temperature setpoint is now controlled by the BMS, which can reduce the chiller energy consumption in low load conditions.
- Pumps control: Variable pressure differential reset on the tenants condenser water loop, and variable chilled water flow on the chiller to improve pumps efficiency.
- Economy damper operation: Now interlocked with ambient temperature and dewpoint.
- Optimum start / stop: At floor level.
The combination of new control strategies available in the upgraded BMS, together with close monitoring by the facilities manager, is delivering great results. Using the period from 1 July 2016 to 1 July 2017 for a measurement and verification (M&V) exercise, the building has achieved savings on average of 20% per day, with standout performance on some days of more than 30% compared to pre-upgrade performance:
