AC drives are installed on a daily basis in various heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and water-boosting applications in new and existing buildings and infrastructural systems all over the world. They enhance air quality and indoor comfort levels, improve control and energy-saving possibilities, ensure better asset protection, reduce maintenance costs and increase reliability.
The daily load variation in HVAC facilities is considerable. Variable speed control of electrical motors has proved to be one of the most effective cost-reducing measures available. By reducing the average speed of a motor in, for example, a pump or fan by 20%, energy savings of 50% can be achieved. Reducing the average speed by 50% increases the savings to 80%.
Lifetime energy costs have a major impact on total cost of ownership. Even small reductions in energy use can provide vast cost savings over a relatively short timeframe. Seen over its lifetime, the initial cost of an AC drive only amounts to 10% of the total cost of ownership; the remaining 90% covers energy consumption, service and maintenance.
Features, such as Automatic Motor Adaptation and Automatic Energy Optimization, ensure that your drive is always perfectly adapted to the attached motor and changing loads. And, with minimal maintenance requirements, Danfoss AC drives provide a fast return on your HVAC investment and significantly reduce your total cost of ownership.
VLT® Energy Box software calculates, as accurately as possible, the cost, savings and payback time of using Danfoss AC drives in HVAC fan and pump applications. The tool allows you to compare the energy consumption of HVAC fans and pumps driven by Danfoss drives with alternative methods of flow control.
HVAC systems regulate the heating and cooling units in a building to provide the highest levels of comfort. The conditions are controlled by several applications which all use AC drives. Here are some of the main HVAC-related applications:
Boiler forced and induced draft fans
Primary hot water pumps
Fan coils
Heat recovery systems
Air handling units, rooftop units, supply and extract fans
Variable/constant air volume ventilation systems
Smoke ventilation, fire control and stairway ventilation systems
Car park ventilation systems
Kitchen ventilation systems
Chilled water pumping systems
Primary/secondary pumps
Variable flow with primary pumps only
Fan coils
Heat recovery systems
Cooling tower fans, Condenser water pumps
Chiller compressor
Booster pumps
Single or parallel pumps