Hartford Business Journal

www.CtGreenGuide.com Summer 2014 • Connecticut Green Guide 25 "The cost benefit doesn't work," said Joe Cassidy, acting state building inspector. The heart of this problem facing Connecticut's old public and private buildings is a conflict between rules ensuring healthy indoor air quality and the desire of property owners to save money by limiting their energy consumption through various efficiency measures. Whenever a building system undergoes a major change, state code requires it to be brought up to current standards. For HVAC systems, this means the proper amount of outside air must be imported into the build- ing to guarantee ventilation and high quality indoor air. Updating older buildings requires bringing in significant- ly more outside air, which takes more energy to heat and cool to room temperature. Despite using more efficient air conditioners, boilers, and other HVAC systems, older build- ings can end up consuming more energy to meet the code. "Are you really going to be interested in approving an energy efficiency project if you are not saving any money, or even ending up spending more money?" said Stillman Jordan, engineering department manager for Encon in Stratford, which performs energy efficiency projects. "If the state's priority is that we have an energy crisis and the best way to address that is through energy efficiency, then they need to address how code compliance often leads to additional energy consumption." Jordan said Encon has had potential customers scale back or cancel planned energy efficiency upgrades because of the conflicts with the building code, particu- larly with the state having so many older buildings. Cassidy, who ultimately has the authority of interpret- ing and enforcing the state building code, said inspec- tors see the issue pop up during construction as well. Maximizing Boiler Efficiency For a boiler system to meet its maximum efficiency, the terminal units like radiators and air handlers must be controlled differently or potentially switched out, too. "you can't swap one boiler out for another and expect to get the highest advertised efficiency levels," Jordan said. Most older boilers are designed to supply hot water at 180-200 degrees, so the air handlers and radiators also were de- signed to handle hot water at 180-200 degrees. An older system like this will most likely operate at 65-80 percent efficiency. While newer condensing boilers might advertise 90-95 percent efficiency, these high efficiency levels are only achieved if the terminal units are designed to work at lower temperatures with the new boiler, Jordan said. New boilers operate on a condensing system that requires wa- ter coming back from the terminal units to be 120 degrees. If the terminal units are sending water back at closer to the 180-degree mark, then the boiler will be at 80-85 percent efficiency. The Bushnell performing arts center is expected to save $48,000 annually with a new boiler installed using financing provided by the C-PACE program. Photo | hbJ File Peter Corbett, president and CEO of InSports in Trumbull, worked with Encon to develop an efficienct building in compliance with state building code. PHOTO | STeve LaSCHeveR

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