NET ZERO BUILDINGS Highlighting the Path Toward Net Zero Building Design

HVAC: VARIABLE REFRIGERENT FLOW

POWER: BOTH SIDES OF THE NET
WATER: DIVIDING LIQUID ASSETS

NET ZERO BUILDINGS

September 2013

Volume 2, Number 3

solar skin

As designers and owners contemplate how to integrate renewable

power sources, such as solar, into their projects, theyre realizing it often
takes more square footage than is available on many roofs. One option
integrating PV into the curtainwall.

40
22
47

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JOHN MESENBRINK

| NZB: HVAC |

New Kid on the Block

Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning systems provide one of the most exible, cost-eective
and environmentally friendly HVAC options in commercial construction today. A relative
newcomer, VRF systems are estimated to achieve nearly 34% and higher energy cost savings.

John Mesenbrink has

been covering the building and construction
industry for more than
15 years, focusing his
eorts on the plumbing
and HVAC industries
including the launch
of his website, which
focuses on the installation side of mechanical
systems.

s far as innovations in HVAC , variable

The variable in VRF refers to the ability of

refrigerant ow (VRF) technology is a

relative newbie when compared to traditional ducted systems. With adjectives

the system to control the amount of refrigerant owing to the multiple evaporators (indoor
units), enabling the use of many evaporators

like space saving, energy ecient, environmentally friendlywords that are music to a
designers earsits no wonder that VRF is get-

VRF zoning systems allow

architects and engineers
to design according to
aesthetic rather than
designing spaces around
HVAC equipment.

of diering capacities and congurations connected to a single condensing unit. The systems
are small, modular and can be installed without

ting a closer look from building and construction professionals, especially when considering
net zero. The architectural and engineering

the use of a crane.

community is adopting a balanced design

method of providing precise comfort control

approach that considers energy and water

consumption, repetitive maintenance costs, the

to indoor environments, and it is these zoning

systems that are designed to help buildings

impact of development on the environment, and

the buildings initial cost as equally impor-

earn green building certication, including

net zero status. Th is method is ideal for a wide

tant factors in developing high-performance,

variety of new construction or retrot applica-

sustainable buildings that will increase building

value. VRF systems help achieve points for
sustainability programs, says Lorie Quillin

tions, including large commercial buildings with

multiple oors and areas that require individual
comfort control, says Mike Smith, senior mar-

Bell, director Go-to-Markets for Commercial Air

Conditioning, LG Electronics.

keting managercommercial products, Mitsubishi Electric U.S. Cooling & Heating Division.

VRF zoning technology is an energy-ecient

42 X

According to the EPA, at least 45% of energy

use in commercial buildings is attributable
to cooling and heating expenses, and it has

DATAPOINT

been estimated that fan and duct losses of a

conventional system can add up to 30% to the
total energy consumption of a particular commercial building.

According to the EPA, at

least 45% of energy use
in commercial buildings is
attributable to cooling and
heating expenses.

45%
Heating & Cooling
Expenses

Invented in Japan more than 20 years ago, VRF

it,
technology employs an outdoor condensing unit,
typically located on the roof, and multiple indoorr
fan coil units. Instead of utilizing bulky ducts to
g
move air, exible small-diameter copper tubing
is used to move refrigerant from the outdoor
condenser. The system is capable of simultaneously cooling one area while heating another,
d
and can transfer heat from spaces being cooled
to spaces being heated, and vice versa.

40 | 09.13 | NET ZERO BUILDINGS

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Introducing

Simplifying the Specication of

Stone Wool for Commercial Projects
 The Latest Product Information
 Individual Product Specifications
 Case Studies & Projects
 Continuing Education
 Technical Information
 Custom Virtual Portfolio

www.rspec.com
CIRCLE 35

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CASE STUDY

SFPUC HEADQUARTERS
San Francisco, Calif.

The San Francisco Public

Utilities Commission
(SFPUC) headquarters
at 525 Golden Gate
called the greenest
oce building in North
Americaopened to
widespread acclaim
for its sustainability
and energy savings.
Compared to similar
13-story oce buildings, 525 Golden Gate
produces 50% less of
a carbon footprint and
uses 32% less energy
and 60% less water.
After factory certied testing to AHRI
Standard 550/590 for
water-cooled chillers,
two Daikin McQuay
Magnitude chillers were
selectedone 500-ton
and one 250-ton unit.
With their magnetic
bearing, oil-less compressors and integral
variable frequency
drives, these chillers
are 40% more energy
ecient than traditional
centrifugal compressor
chillers.
Th e buildings HVAC
system design is
based on a traditional
four-pipe system
and includes the two
chillers, two rooftop
cooling towers for the
chilled water system,
two large variable
air volume (VAV)
customer air handling
units, heat exchangers and an under oor
air distribution system
that conserves building
space and minimizes
ductwork and uses
personal control of
air ow.

42 | 09.13 | NET ZERO BUILDINGS

As far as zones, theyre single- or multiple-

systems than conventional HVAC systems. VRF

room spaces that, according to the function or

preferences of each space, are conditioned to
a set temperature and are operated indepen-

systems are also engineered to save on the cost

of ducts, distribution fans, water pumps and
water piping. VRF systems have a lower life

dently from other rooms. As far as up-front

costs, once contractors and architects get a
solid footing on the technology, it becomes clear

cycle costs than any other technology on the

market today, adds Bell.

that the solution is not cost-prohibitive at all.

Th row in the fact that, depending on the style of

the building, VRF zoning systems tend to have
fewer components than conventional HVAC

Although the technology may have higher

initial costs than older technologies, the ROI for

Using VRF systems, he says, provides com-

systems, reducing equipment costs, complexity and installation time. Although VRF zoning
technology is advanced, the system is relatively

mercial businesses more precise climate

simple to install and maintain. The system

control, eliminating excessive energy usage.

These eciencies, combined with the ease of

components are small, resulting in less labor,

fewer materials, easier installation and a lower

design, installation and ease of maintenance,

lead to a very favorable total cost of ownership,
and often contribute to a higher ROI with VRF

operating cost, says Smith.

building owners is tremendous, says Bell.

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VRF 101

ADVANCES

TWO PIPE HEAT SYSTEM

Cooling Mode

Split-type air-conditioning systems are

one-to-one systems consisting of one

Creating energy ecient

buildings with VRF systems
oer architects and building
owners the opportunity
to design and install HVAC
units that arent limited by
ductwork runs.

evaporator (fan coil) unit connected to an

TWO PIPE HEAT SYSTEM

Heating Mode
Heat is exchanged intelligently between zones to
meet the diverse comfort
requirements of each
individual zone.

external condensing unit. Both the indoor

and outdoor units are connected through
copper tubing and electrical cabling. The
indoor part (the evaporator) pulls heat out
from the surrounding air while the outdoor
condensing unit transfers the heat into the
environment.
A multi-type air-conditioning system operates on the same principles; however, in this
case, there are multiple evaporator units
connected to one external condensing unit.
The use of optimized scroll compressors,

THREE PIPE HEAT SYSTEM

Simultaneous
Cooling & Heating
VRF systems are capable of
simultaneously cooling one
area while heating another,
and can transfer heat from
spaces being cooled to
spaces being heated, and
vice versa.
Illustration: Johnson Controls

special heat exchangers, with inverter technology to a low part load condition minimizes
energy consumption to levels previously
unattainable by non-VRF systems. The
modular design oers comfort on demand
allowing the choice to use the system only
in the zones where it is needed further
promoting reduced energy consumption. The
greatest contributor to system-wide energy
eciency is the employment of an inverterdriven compressor, a highly responsive,
highly ecient component that ensures the

Inside the Technology

VRF systems increase eciency by providing
cooling or heating only to the individual zones
where comfort conditioning is required. VRF

system adjusts to temperature uctuations.

Power consumption is reduced because the
system operates only at the levels needed
to maintain a constant, comfortable indoor
44X
environment.

PACKAGED AIR
Modine has expanded
its Atherion commercial
packaged ventilation
line with the introduction of the 7- to
15-ton B-cabinet. The
expansion gives the
full Atherion line eight
models ranging from 7to 30-tons. Designed to
meet ASHRAE 189.1 and
62.1 standards for IEER
eciency and indoor
air quality, the Atherion
features optional higheciency gas heating
and best-in-class
MERV16 air ltration. Its
Energy Recovery Module (ERM) option makes
the Atherion a high e ciency, 100% dedicated
outside air unit. With
an airow range of 1,111
to 6,000 cfm, Modines
B-Cabinet line includes
7-, 10-, 13- and 15-ton
sizes, and oers single
(7-ton only) and tandem
set modulating digital
scroll compressors and
a gas heat range of 150
to 400 MBH at 80%
eciency, or, 175, 225
or 310 MBH furnace
options producing heat
at 94% eciency.
Modine Mfg. Co.
www.modinehvac.com
CIRCLE 297

zoning systems oer on-demand cooling and

heating for individual zoneswhich reduces
energy consumptionand consists of a type of
direct expansion (DX) multi-split system that
incorporates a variable capacity compressor
with a network of multiple indoor fan coil units.
Every feature from a VRF system, from the
compressor speeds, the expansion valve setting and the fan speed, has been optimized to
produce the greatest eciency, says Brendan
Casey, commercial product manager, Fujitsu
General America, Inc.

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NET ZERO BUILDINGS | 09.13 | 43

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CASE STUDY

MILE HIGH MUSEUM

Denver, Colo.

The team at MKK

Consulting Engineers
was interested in nding a reliable, highperformance HVAC
system to protect the
200,000-sq.-ft. History
Colorado Center museums eight vital nerve
centersfour electrical
rooms containing large
transformers, switchgear, Cisco network
equipment, lighting and
breaker panels, and
four data closets loaded
with database servers,
IP phone connectivity,
ber optic equipment,
an analog phone network, security equipment and point-of-sale
equipment. With the
constant heat gain from
these eight centers,
MKK needed a bulletproof, mission-critical
system to keep the
temperature in these
rooms at the constant
76F required by the
State Oce of Information Technology (OIT).
The eight crucial nerve
systems in the History Colorado Center
needed to have reliable
temperature control
when Rocky Mountain
temperatures dipped
below 0F, as they often
do. The design team was
urged to consider specifying a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning
system from Mitsubishi
Electric equipped with
a Low Ambient Cooling
Kit, which guarantees
cooling operation down
to -10F.

Specifying Mitsubishi Electrics VRF zoning system

made better sense because
it serves up to 50 indoor
units with one outdoor
unit, greatly reducing the
number of condensing units
on the roof. Th is leads to
a reduction of electrical connections and roof
penetrations.

B EC AU S E V R F S YS TE M S U T I L I ZE R EFR I G ER A N T PIPIN G
TO DIS TR IBUTE C A PACIT Y, THER ES NO A IR LOSS
W H EN COM PA R ED TO D U C TED S YS TE M S .

W 43

To better understand the inverter-driven com-

single-speed compressor that starts and stops,

pressor concept, Mitsubishis Smith explains,

much like a car in city trac, consuming more

Lets compare its operation to a cars cruise

control. Just as a cars cruise control speed is
set by its driver, the rooms occupant chooses

energy and reducing compressor life.

the rooms temperature for the inverter-driven

compressor. While on long stretches of road, the
cars engine works automatically to maintain

VRF zoning systems give architects and engineers more options, allowing them to design
according to aesthetic rather than design-

the speed as you drive up and down hills and

ing spaces around HVAC. The systems allow

around curves. An inverter-driven compressor adjusts to maintain the desired set point.

architects to add up to 10% to interior spaces

by creating additional oor-to-ceiling height.

After it has been achieved, an inverter-driven

compressor works at a lower speed to maintain
the set point. The inverter compressor varies

Components of the system can be installed in

smaller indoor/outdoor spaces, requiring less
mechanical room space, says Smith.

The Design Space

its speed to match the temperature demand,

thereby consuming only the minimum energy
that is required. Compare this to a conventional

44 | 09.13 | NET ZERO BUILDINGS

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H VAC

VRF systems remove losses that are unavoidable in other ducted systems. And, because VRF

Compact outdoor units also oer greater design

exibility than traditional heat pumps. Avail-

systems utilize refrigerant piping to distribute

capacity, theres no air loss when compared to
ducted systems. Th is benet alone can contrib-

able in air- or water-source models with a wide

variety of capacities, these modular systems
are easy to install and can be tailored to almost

ute 30% to comparative energy savings.

any building design, including placement on

a rooftop. Compact units can be transported
to the oors or the roof via the elevator. VRF

A noisy air-conditioning system can be a

distraction for employees and lead to complaints from tenants. Operational sound levels
of VRF zoning systems are signicantly lower

systems are 31% lighter than chilled-water

than those of conventional central forced air

or boiler systems. Sound levels in the con-

tributed across an existing structure or avoided

by mounting on the ground. Because of the ease
of installation, VRF zoning systems are ideal for

densing units are greatly reduced because the

systems, so they are easier to handle and cost

less to transport. Moreover, the load can be dis-

inverter-driven compressor modulates up and

down smoothly. The compressor also is housed
in its own compartment surrounded by sound

retrotting older buildings with minimal disruption to the existing structure, says Smith.

insulation. The condenser fan rarely runs at full

speed and is designed for quiet performance.
Sound levels for the outdoor units range from

Its hard to imagine any commercial build-

19 dB(A) at low speed to 49 dB(A) at high speed

quieter than a refrigerator. Indoor units are

where noisy HVAC equipment is acceptable is

not a good application for VRF, says Casey. A

also extremely quiet, with sound ratings as low

truly comprehensive comparison of up-front

as 29 dB(A), essentially quieter than a human

whisper, adds Smith.

HVAC costs includes more than equipment. It

Designed to blend into their environments,

multiple styles of compact indoor units can be
installed in many dierent locations, including

costs, installation tooling, rigging and labor,

within the ceiling, high or low on walls or on the

oor. System congurations allow for architects
to design to the aesthetic vs. sacricing interior

outdoor and indoor equipment and controls

ing where VRF wouldnt be ideal. A very

large space with a single set temperature and

is important to keep in mind potential hidden

costs such as consulting/engineering design
potential electrical and/or structural modications in a building, complexity of connecting
integration.

design based on limitations of conventional

central ducted system.

CASE STUDY

SOHO RENOVATION
The Soho project
involved the careful
renovation of a historic
10-story building,
originally constructed
in 1927. One of the key
components of the
retro t was replacing an
outdated HVAC system
comprised of selfcontained vertical units
on each oor, including a
maintenance operations room.
In collaboration with
mechanical engineers
at Guth DeConzo
Consulting, the WeWork
construction team
determined that a VRF
system was the best
solution , while working
within the constraints
of the buildings historic
architecture.
LGs Multi V III Heat
Pump system was the
only solution that could
t within the limited
footprint on the rooftop
and oer both horizontal and vertical piping
distances required to
deliver custom temperature control to more
than 50 individual zones
on multiple oors.

Establishing WeWork
collaborative work environments often involves
retro ts of existing
buildings. In 2012, WeWork
identi ed a 75,000-sq.-ft.
space in New Yorks Hudson
Square/Soho West neighborhood to renovate for
shared o ce space, in addition to housing WeWork
Labs, the companys organization for start-ups.

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NET ZERO BUILDINGS | 09.13 | 45

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The retro t of the resorts

hot water system from
a traditional system to a
hybrid system was an easy
decision as beyond signicant energy savings, the
resort had to replace 1-2 hot
water tanks per year.

CASE STUDY

COVE AT YARMOUTH
West Yarmouth, Mass.

The Cove at Yarmouth,

a 229-suite resort, has
a high demand for hot
water. But it was throwing money down the
drain with its former hot
water heating system.
Within an eight to 10
year period, the resort
had been replacing
tanks at a rate of one to
two per year. Management decided it was
time to make a change.
Hybrid water heaters from Eternal were
recommended because
of the equipments
dependability, ease of
installation and mainly,
energy eciency.
Before the retro t, the
Cove had 23 standard
100-gallon, 199,000
BTU hot water tanks
that also served the
resorts restaurant,
athletic facilities,
laundry rooms, and
other common area
restrooms. Th e retro t
involved the installation
of 21 Eternal GU195S
water heaters and ve
storage tanks. The
unit provides endless
hot water, but unlike a
tankless system, it has
a small reserve tank
inside to maintain water
pressure and avoid
temperature uctuation. One of the storage
tanks, in this case, is 80
gallons, and the other
four are 120-gallon
tanks.
The system allows
installers to use a single
unit or multiple units
with additional storage to accommodate
large applications that
have an unpredictable high demand for

46 | 09.13 | NET ZERO BUILDINGS

hot water. Installation

of the system has led
to a 12% reduction in
the complexs energy
bill, roughly a $1,400 a
month savings.
It was a seamless
installation that went
smoothly, said Service
Manager Richard Toma
of Murphys Air Conditioning, Heating and
Plumbing, who attended
a training class on the
system. I felt Eternal
oered amazing tech
support, he said.
Eternal oers 98%
eciency, is lead free,
has close to zero carbon
emissions, and exceeds
Energy Star standards.

S TU D I E S H AV E FO U N D T H AT O FFI CE B U I L D I N GS
50,0 0 0 TO 10 0,0 0 0 -SQ. F T. DEMONS TR ATE THE BE S T
R E T U R N O N I N V E S TM EN T FO R I N T EG R ATED S YS TE M S .

IN THE NEWS

CABA Launches
Research Project
The Continental Automated Buildings Assn.
(CABA), through its
Intelligent & Integrated
Buildings Council, has
launched a collaborative
research study entitled
Life Cycle Costing and
Intelligent Buildings.
The core objective of
the project is to identify
what needs to be done,
and by whom, to make
life-cycle costing a
mainstream criteria for
building system evaluation. A previous CABA
assessment found
that o ce buildings of

50,000 to 100,000-sq.
ft. demonstrated the
best return on investment for integrated
systems, but that there
was a lack of tools to
evaluate life cycle costs.
CABAs new project
will identify barriers
to adopting life-cycle
costing and determine
what issues need to
be rectied in order
to make processes
more understandable.
The report will outline
the current state of
life-cycle cost adoption
in todays commercial
buildings market and
identify the key in uencers across the value

chain. The report will

also identify what are
the most eective lifecycle cost value propositions that resonate
with these decisionmakers. The research
will also be designed to
identify the challenges
and opportunities that
exist for broader adoption of life-cycle costs
techniques within the
value chain and identify
who is best positioned
to carry the value
proposition to decision
makers and develop
recommendations.
The study is expected to
be completed this fall.

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