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Profile of Comfort Systems- Ron Boston
Technology in the heating market has evolved substantially in the
last two years. This is evident in many new products that incorporate
PI and PID logic, have digital interfaces and sophisticated operating
controls. Thus, as energy prices continue to rise to record levels,
heating contractors now have many more options to offer customers
looking to minimize energy consumption.
Thus, installing a high efficiency boiler is now a very popular
strategy for reducing energy consumption in both retro-fit and new
construction installations. According to Dick Barnett, ZCP Manufacturing
U.S. Sales Manager, "a conventional boiler would have an AFUE efficiency
rating of 81% where a high efficiency unit would carry and AFUE
rating of 92%. That could be even higher where the boiler is installed
in a low-temperature radiant system and runs with high Delta T's
and condenses efficiently". Barnett adds, "However, the boiler however
is only one part of the system. If the rest of the system is not
designed and installed to optimize efficiency, the system will not
be efficient".
In order to be able to measure and compare relative system efficiencies,
ASHRAE along with support from the DOE commissioned ANSI/ASHRAE
Standard 152, Method of Test for Determining the Design and Seasonal
Efficiencies of Residential Thermal Distribution Systems. This allows
for measurement and comparison of the ability to efficiently transfer
energy from point-of-production to the terminal units in a given
heating (or cooling) system. The existence of this standard brings
focus to bear on the need to design and install with a focus on
total system efficiency.
According to statistics from the US Department of Energy (DOE),
"An estimated 3.3 quadrillion Btu (quads) of energy can be saved
through continued improvements in component technologies. This savings
is equivalent to 1.6 million barrels of oil per day. Additional
improvements can be realized through improved systems approaches,
leading to more optimal integration of heating, cooling, and ventilation
functions within the whole building design".
The far right bar on the graph shows us the nationwide annual energy
savings that can be estimated by application of ASHRAE Standard
152. This presents a challenge however, where competing proprietary
technologies within products in a given system make compatibility
of those products in that system an issue. This presents opportunity
ZCP Manufacturing's engineering department.
Based on customer requests, the ZCP Manufacturing's Zone Control
Panel Engineering department began to research a new product development.
The concept was a new ZCP (Zone Control Panel) that would bridge
the technology gap between the new, more intuitive boilers and the
rest of the system components in a way that maximized system efficiency
without adding complicated and sometimes redundant system operating
controls as was necessary in the past. Then they went one step further
according Dick Barnett. "Many designers are still using pumps to
provide zone control in systems. We decided to use the proven performance
of Danfoss zone valves instead. The reasons, in addition to simplicity
and space savings, each zone valve will consume just 2 watts of
power as compared to a minimum of 90 watts of power for each pump
used in a system. As an example, in our ZCP Essential Hydronics
Training Seminar, we compare a typical combined high-temperature
hydronic/radiant system to one installed using ZCP's. In this sample
system there are three zones of radiant and two zones of high-temperature.
In the traditional system there are 13 pumps, compared to just 2
in the ZCP installation. Based on current average costs for electricity
nationwide, we estimate that it costs $3.00 to $5.00 per month to
operate each of these extra 11 pumps, this compared to operating
costs of just pennies per month for each of the 5 zone valves required".
 According
to Barnett, "With simplicity and system efficiency as the key considerations
of the ZCP Design Team, came the development of the ZCP Manufacturing's
CMB Zone Control Panel. Based on input from leading distributors
and manufacturers of condensing and/or modulating boilers, the CMB
simplifies both the control wiring and system piping previously
required to complete a condensing and/or modulating boiler installation.
This means that an installing contractor will save significant time
when using a CMB to complete an installation. This process of recognizing
a trend towards overall system efficiency, our desire to meet customer
needs for energy savings, and the foresight to seek design input
from manufacturers of non-competing and complimentary system components.
Moving from the design desk to the field, the old adage time is
money finds a home in the real world. Like many other contractors,
Ron Boston, owner of Comfort Systems, is often faced with trying
to juggle customer deadlines and demands, to complete the work on
time and on budget. In many cases this presents a real challenge
to maintaining profitability. His company is a medium sized HVAC
contracting firm, with 8 trucks and 13 employees serving the busy
residential and commercial construction markets in central Montana.
Mr. Boston's first impression of the CMB Zone Control Panel was
conflicted, in his words, "that it seemed to cost too much money,
however, I was impressed by the look of the unit and its compact
size". His exposure to the CMB came at a time when his company was
extremely busy, and he had just been awarded a job where he was
going to install a condensing/modulating boiler in a system similar
to many he had completed before. A closer look at the CMB panel
lead him to believe that there may be a significant time savings
to be had in trying it on this particular project, which he did.
The outcome was surprising, he not only met the customers' deadline,
he made more money than he expected to in doing it. Upon further
investigation, "Even though we had done several systems like this
one, I found out that in the past we were not capturing all of the
costs as we had anticipated in the site built systems. Further,
we were able to complete the job in less time. My net savings in
labour was 4 plus days compared to the way we had done them previously.
Taking into account an additional 20% in material costs based on
using the panel versus buying components, my net savings in dollars
would be equivalent to 2 plus days of labour. Things like filling
and purging the system through the panel were done in 1/3rd less
time than before, and we had no call-backs".
This offers proof that CMB users can bid more jobs and complete
them on-time without increasing overhead such as adding staff in
busy times. By increasing the fixed cost element of the job and
reducing the variable costs of field labour, contractors are more
likely to make the profits they expected from the job. Some companies
like Comfort Systems are now committed to the ZCP concept. Says
Boston, "On larger jobs where we are competing against 2 or 3 others,
they allow me to price competitively while maintaining higher profits.
This, and reaction from customers is good, they like the look of
the panels".
We at ZCP Manufacturing have a commitment to recognizing needs,
capitalizing on opportunity, and delivering real energy savings
and thus real value to customers.
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