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Sustainability, quite the buzzword in business today, is defined as a development that seeks to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. But the concept is not a 21st Century phenomenon.
Interestingly, this idea was expressed in the 1700s in one of the laws of the Iroquois Nation in North America which stated, “In every deliberation we must consider the impact on the seventh generation.” (If only society followed that creed for the next three centuries!)
Another way of expressing sustainability is to view it as three overlapping circles representing decisions relating to social, economic growth and environmental objectives. Where these three circles overlap is called the sustainability “sweet spot.” That sweet spot is what corporations should strive to achieve.
With this article we hope to share some of the methods that the Moisture Control Services (MCS) Division of Munters has initiated to find the sustainability “sweet spot.” Such an overview may help provide those in our industry and other disciplines some guidance in achieving sustainability success.
A recent test determined how much energy was saved using the ExactAire for a tank coating project in Washington State. Two 9,000 cfm dehumidifiers, one with the ExactAire control feature and one without it, were used.
To maintain conditions in the tank, the unit with ExactAire operated only 25 percent of the time compared to the one without it. The dehumidifier that ran 24 hours a day throughout the two month project consumed 5,300 gallons of propane while the dehumidifier with ExactAire only consumed 1,300 gallons. The ExactAire unit netted $8,000 in propane fuel savings plus saved 144,800 pounds of CO2 gas from being burned and released into the environment.
Achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for ExactAire is another goal. A system under development will have the capability of switching between a tank mode for monitoring coating projects, and a building mode for monitoring conditions inside a structure under construction. In both cases, dehumidifiers will be regulated based on customers’ desires and LEED credits received in the process.
One is the Humidity Control Unit (HCU), a patented product. It uniquely takes waste heat from the condenser circuit of the refrigeration and uses the heat to regenerate a desiccant wheel. The user receives dehumidified air and cool air and, in essence, receives the dehumidification for free. Versus a traditional cooling system, an HCU is 30 percent more efficient than alternative technologies such as DX (direct expansion) or a commercial air conditioner and desiccant wheel. With a total of 75 units ranging from 3000 and 6000 cfm, the HCU is the workforce of the fleet and has really changed how we approach jobs. These units are powered by diesel or plugged into house power, if available, and have their own generator aboard.
Another patented Munters technology is the PowerPurge unit, an energy recovery option that improves performance by delivering air at drier levels, while using significantly less energy than traditional active desiccant dehumidification systems. There are 50 Purge units in the Munters fleet with a cfm range of 600 to 12,500.
Desiccants work on principle absorption. PowerPurge optimizes the cooling leg of the absorption triangle — taking waste heat from the cooling of the desiccant and using that to heat up the air before regenerating the desiccant. In a nutshell, the system takes waste heat from the absorption process and captures that to help regenerate the desiccant.
The units with PowerPurge are 10 to 40 percent more efficient than a conventional desiccant unit, depending on the inlet conditions of the dehumidifier. These units respond very well to air that is being re-circulated and has relatively low moisture content but needs to be further dried. For example, in a situation where one takes 100 percent outside air on a summer day the unit will be 10 percent more efficient. In situations where the system is circulating air from a facility such as a poultry plant, they are 40 percent more energy-efficient.
We’ve also developed efficiencies to our traditional desiccant systems. Many manufacturers use a desiccant wheel that is 200 mm deep but our design features a 400 mm deep wheel. The deeper wheel facilitates more drying and spins at slower speeds. Customers save energy because the 400 mm takes less energy to heat the wheel to remove the moisture compared to a 200 mm wheel. MCS’ traditional desiccant technologies are typically 10 percent more efficient than a similar unit.
We also help customers achieve LEED credits when purging completed buildings before occupancy. This process typically consists of flushing out VOC’s by performing six air changes per hour for a minimum of three days at a given temperature and humidity. We typically utilize the HCU and bring 100 percent outside air into the building and then exhaust it.
Exemplifying this approach is Abbotsford Regional Hospital, Canada’s first full-scale hospital built to environmentally-friendly LEED Silver Standards. The fact that we didn’t use the facility’s mechanical systems during construction allowed them to receive LEED credits. Working with the construction firm, we developed a strategic plan that called for deploying high capacity desiccant dehumidifiers on the hospital’s rooftop and then delivering the conditioned dry air through the facility’s mechanical exhaust ventilation system.
This plan ensured comprehensive air distribution throughout the structure, without affecting the supply or return ductwork on the permanent HVAC system. As an added benefit, the design did not require messy and labor intensive propane heaters, or temporary ducting or heating lines that could potentially obstruct the 450 construction personnel working inside and outside the facility.
The size and scope of the project also provided an opportunity to unveil a completely new, technologically-advanced line of desiccant dehumidifiers — the DHI-125-ESU, a 9,000-cfm system that operates on both natural gas and electric power and utilizes the new PowerPurge technology.
We’re also experimenting with alternative energy sources. In most cases, propane is used to power equipment because it has the highest heating value — 2300 BTUs per cubic foot of gas — than any of the fuels commercially available.
However, in one project, a first for us, we took methane gas from a water treatment facility that the client was going to burn and used that waste gas to regenerate the desiccant. The client captured the gas, funneled it for use and we burned the recycled methane from the digestors to regenerate a 2,250 cfm desiccant dehumidifier. Through this process we were able to achieve free dehumidification. We’re also researching other possible sources such as steam regeneration and natural gas.
All these efficient technologies translate to savings related to the sizing or fuel consumption of a generator. This becomes apparent when you compare the HCU to a conventional system. An MCS generator is often half the size that is needed and a smaller generator means less fuel consumption, leading to gallons per hour of fuel savings for customers.
For example, the new DHI 125 PowerPurge unit uses about 1.4 gallons per hour less fuel compared to a traditional 9,000 cfm dehumidifier. In a 24-hour period, that’s 36 less gallons, translating to more than $100 in savings per day.
The current fleet releases approximately 12 to 14 tons of carbon monoxide per vehicle annually. Our initial goal is to reduce our carbon monoxide footprint — the amount of pollutant released to the atmosphere — by 10 percent within a year. To accomplish this, we are converting our traditional vehicles to hybrids or decreasing the vehicle size.
Sustainability is a long-term goal of Munters to optimize operations while seeking to protect, support and enhance the human and natural resources. Our 2006 Annual Report contained our first reporting on sustainability initiatives and will be expanded for the 2007 report. For more on Munters sustainability initiatives, please visit www.Munters.com.
Interestingly, this idea was expressed in the 1700s in one of the laws of the Iroquois Nation in North America which stated, “In every deliberation we must consider the impact on the seventh generation.” (If only society followed that creed for the next three centuries!)
Another way of expressing sustainability is to view it as three overlapping circles representing decisions relating to social, economic growth and environmental objectives. Where these three circles overlap is called the sustainability “sweet spot.” That sweet spot is what corporations should strive to achieve.
With this article we hope to share some of the methods that the Moisture Control Services (MCS) Division of Munters has initiated to find the sustainability “sweet spot.” Such an overview may help provide those in our industry and other disciplines some guidance in achieving sustainability success.
Making Sustainability a Corporate Value
Sustainability has been a Munters value for many years and within the MCS Division since it was formed in the early 1980s. We have an advantage, admittedly. Just the very nature of our business — as a complete service provider for water and fire damage restoration and remediation, and for temporary climate control in construction, industrial, surface preparation and coating, and preservation applications — fosters sustainability. For example, we work with customers to:
- Dry out water-damaged buildings and materials, rather than replacing and removing them, thus reducing environmental and economic waste
- Stabilize the indoor environment quickly after damage events in order to reduce the potential for future air quality issues
- Maintain environments inside industrial tanks and vessels during blasting and coating operations that reduce chemical usage and extend coatings life
- Detect leaks in buildings that waste resources
Beginning in 2003, MCS began expressly stating its support for many aspects of sustainability through various policies and initiatives that include measurement criteria. We published formal policies related to Corporate Social Responsibility, stated support for the UN Global Compact and implemented other environmental policies. In 2006, a team of sustainability managers was appointed to oversee the plan. One of the key stakeholders for Munters MCS is our customers and part of our value proposition is to provide equipment and services that are environmentally friendly. Following are examples of MCS technologies and practices that illustrate this effect.
Energy Efficiencies Through Remote Monitoring
Creative use of new technologies can optimize efficiencies and provide energy savings for customers. One example is the MCS ExactAire remote monitoring system. When coupled with a Munters dehumidifier, ExactAire allows remote monitoring of job site conditions, and enables customers to set desired parameters to cycle the equipment on and off to maintain and verify ideal conditions.A recent test determined how much energy was saved using the ExactAire for a tank coating project in Washington State. Two 9,000 cfm dehumidifiers, one with the ExactAire control feature and one without it, were used.
To maintain conditions in the tank, the unit with ExactAire operated only 25 percent of the time compared to the one without it. The dehumidifier that ran 24 hours a day throughout the two month project consumed 5,300 gallons of propane while the dehumidifier with ExactAire only consumed 1,300 gallons. The ExactAire unit netted $8,000 in propane fuel savings plus saved 144,800 pounds of CO2 gas from being burned and released into the environment.
Achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for ExactAire is another goal. A system under development will have the capability of switching between a tank mode for monitoring coating projects, and a building mode for monitoring conditions inside a structure under construction. In both cases, dehumidifiers will be regulated based on customers’ desires and LEED credits received in the process.
Optimizing Our Core System — the Dehumidifier
In the last few years, a relatively significant investment in MCS’ fleet of dehumidifiers optimized efficiencies and ultimately delivered a better result to customers. Several pieces of equipment now meet those goals.One is the Humidity Control Unit (HCU), a patented product. It uniquely takes waste heat from the condenser circuit of the refrigeration and uses the heat to regenerate a desiccant wheel. The user receives dehumidified air and cool air and, in essence, receives the dehumidification for free. Versus a traditional cooling system, an HCU is 30 percent more efficient than alternative technologies such as DX (direct expansion) or a commercial air conditioner and desiccant wheel. With a total of 75 units ranging from 3000 and 6000 cfm, the HCU is the workforce of the fleet and has really changed how we approach jobs. These units are powered by diesel or plugged into house power, if available, and have their own generator aboard.
Another patented Munters technology is the PowerPurge unit, an energy recovery option that improves performance by delivering air at drier levels, while using significantly less energy than traditional active desiccant dehumidification systems. There are 50 Purge units in the Munters fleet with a cfm range of 600 to 12,500.
Desiccants work on principle absorption. PowerPurge optimizes the cooling leg of the absorption triangle — taking waste heat from the cooling of the desiccant and using that to heat up the air before regenerating the desiccant. In a nutshell, the system takes waste heat from the absorption process and captures that to help regenerate the desiccant.
The units with PowerPurge are 10 to 40 percent more efficient than a conventional desiccant unit, depending on the inlet conditions of the dehumidifier. These units respond very well to air that is being re-circulated and has relatively low moisture content but needs to be further dried. For example, in a situation where one takes 100 percent outside air on a summer day the unit will be 10 percent more efficient. In situations where the system is circulating air from a facility such as a poultry plant, they are 40 percent more energy-efficient.
We’ve also developed efficiencies to our traditional desiccant systems. Many manufacturers use a desiccant wheel that is 200 mm deep but our design features a 400 mm deep wheel. The deeper wheel facilitates more drying and spins at slower speeds. Customers save energy because the 400 mm takes less energy to heat the wheel to remove the moisture compared to a 200 mm wheel. MCS’ traditional desiccant technologies are typically 10 percent more efficient than a similar unit.
Improving Indoor Air Quality
In an effort to improve indoor air quality, only electric or gas/diesel fired indirect heaters are offered instead of direct fired heaters. While an electric heater is nearly 100 percent efficient, indirect fired heaters ensure that contaminants and moisture are not introduced into customers’ spaces by keeping the combustion air stream separate from the supply air stream. Using indirect fired technology is a conscious decision to deliver the purest air to clients.We also help customers achieve LEED credits when purging completed buildings before occupancy. This process typically consists of flushing out VOC’s by performing six air changes per hour for a minimum of three days at a given temperature and humidity. We typically utilize the HCU and bring 100 percent outside air into the building and then exhaust it.
Exemplifying this approach is Abbotsford Regional Hospital, Canada’s first full-scale hospital built to environmentally-friendly LEED Silver Standards. The fact that we didn’t use the facility’s mechanical systems during construction allowed them to receive LEED credits. Working with the construction firm, we developed a strategic plan that called for deploying high capacity desiccant dehumidifiers on the hospital’s rooftop and then delivering the conditioned dry air through the facility’s mechanical exhaust ventilation system.
This plan ensured comprehensive air distribution throughout the structure, without affecting the supply or return ductwork on the permanent HVAC system. As an added benefit, the design did not require messy and labor intensive propane heaters, or temporary ducting or heating lines that could potentially obstruct the 450 construction personnel working inside and outside the facility.
The size and scope of the project also provided an opportunity to unveil a completely new, technologically-advanced line of desiccant dehumidifiers — the DHI-125-ESU, a 9,000-cfm system that operates on both natural gas and electric power and utilizes the new PowerPurge technology.
We’re also experimenting with alternative energy sources. In most cases, propane is used to power equipment because it has the highest heating value — 2300 BTUs per cubic foot of gas — than any of the fuels commercially available.
However, in one project, a first for us, we took methane gas from a water treatment facility that the client was going to burn and used that waste gas to regenerate the desiccant. The client captured the gas, funneled it for use and we burned the recycled methane from the digestors to regenerate a 2,250 cfm desiccant dehumidifier. Through this process we were able to achieve free dehumidification. We’re also researching other possible sources such as steam regeneration and natural gas.
Engineering the “Right†Job
We’ve made a significant investment in energy and dehumidification sizing software that allows us to "right size" the equipment for the application. Our field personnel are equipped with dehumidifier selection software, heat and cooling load calculators, and weather bin data to factor in the local climate during the project. Often, the customer seeks one air change but MCS can use these tools to engineer the precise heat moisture load required to maintain the space.All these efficient technologies translate to savings related to the sizing or fuel consumption of a generator. This becomes apparent when you compare the HCU to a conventional system. An MCS generator is often half the size that is needed and a smaller generator means less fuel consumption, leading to gallons per hour of fuel savings for customers.
For example, the new DHI 125 PowerPurge unit uses about 1.4 gallons per hour less fuel compared to a traditional 9,000 cfm dehumidifier. In a 24-hour period, that’s 36 less gallons, translating to more than $100 in savings per day.
Optimizing our Fleet of Vehicles
Another important sustainability component included reviewing MCS’ fleet of 135 vehicles to determine their environmental impact. We are making significant changes in the fleet to better manage our vehicles and are evaluating employee’s needs to determine what vehicle is most efficient for them.The current fleet releases approximately 12 to 14 tons of carbon monoxide per vehicle annually. Our initial goal is to reduce our carbon monoxide footprint — the amount of pollutant released to the atmosphere — by 10 percent within a year. To accomplish this, we are converting our traditional vehicles to hybrids or decreasing the vehicle size.
A Brighter Future
Organizations and industries around the world that recognize the value of demonstrating transparency and accountability beyond the traditional domain of financial performance will be steps ahead. Public expectations are increasing for organizations and industries to take responsibility for their non-financial impacts, including impacts on the environment and the community.Sustainability is a long-term goal of Munters to optimize operations while seeking to protect, support and enhance the human and natural resources. Our 2006 Annual Report contained our first reporting on sustainability initiatives and will be expanded for the 2007 report. For more on Munters sustainability initiatives, please visit www.Munters.com.
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