In this issue
		Energy Services Bulletin home page
		Online Key Account Tool Box supports public utility programs
		Fuel cell plant joins Alameda County renewable energy collection
		Revitalized communications promote efficiency, ease rate hikes
		New cooling technology aids South Dakota's pursuit of efficiency
		Fort Mojave tribal casino gets cooling system makeover
		Brigham City bike promotion raises energy efficiency awareness
		Lompoc LED light rebate promotes efficient holiday decorating
		Dairy, utilities learn from South Dakota's first digester
		Outreach programs help busy utilities educate consumers
		Energy Services seeks customer input
		Topics from the Power Line: Radiant heater a good choice for auto repair shop
		Energy shorts
		Technology spotlight: Low-mass, surface-mounted radiant heating panels in homes and offices
		Calendar of events

New cooling technology aids South Dakota's pursuit of efficiency

Project Engineer Rich Ivey, right, shows Energy Services Representative Greg Vaselaar the touch-screen controls on the new chiller in the South Dakota capitol building. (Photo by Michele Farris)

Cooling represents as much as one third of the electricity costs for commercial buildings, so why wait until summer when HVAC installers are really busy to think about controlling that load? The good news is that cooling technologies are getting more sophisticated, from modular systems designed and built off-site to the frictionless compressor chiller the state of South Dakota recently installed in its capitol building.

Affordable high-tech performance

It sounds like science fiction: magnetic bearing technology levitates the rotor of the shaft, resulting in a highly-efficient, super-quiet compressor. Without metal-to-metal contact, there are no high-friction losses, no oil to contaminate refrigerant and no oil-handling equipment to use energy or break down. "It eliminates all maintenance associated with oil migration" noted Rich Ivey, project engineer with the Office of the State Engineer.

Reduced maintenance, however, is only a fringe benefit of the technology. Significant avoided costs were the big motivation for replacing three existing chillers and seven rooftop air conditioners on the capital building with one frictionless chiller plant. "Generally, when you replace a rooftop unit with a chiller, you are going to improve efficiency," said Ivey.

Greater efficiency, so important in holding the line against volatile energy prices, did not come with the higher first costs usually associated with an advanced technology. The state looked at bids for conventional systems, as well as another system using magnetic bearing technology, and, Ivey observed, "The prices were comparable. If a new solution can significantly improve efficiency, especially at similar cost to a conventional system, we'll look for an opportunity to deploy it," he said.

Encouraging innovation

The Office of the State Engineer makes it a practice to encourage its architectural and engineering firms to think outside the mainstream. "We expect them to look at new strategies and it's always exciting to implement creative solutions," he added.

The frictionless chiller system, for example, is one of the first to be installed in South Dakota, Ivey said.

Another creative solution that is getting a lot of attention at the engineer's office is the geothermal heat pump. "The system has a lot of potential to maximize our facilities' energy budgets," said Ivey. "We're looking for suitable projects, particularly on a campus-wide scale."

The office is also pursuing retro-commissioning projects at state higher-education facilities. Most of the projects involve lighting, boiler and variable air volume systems, said State Energy Manager Michele Farris. "Evaluations on cost-effective energy-saving measures are conducted and those with the most potential rise to the top," she said.

Commitment to energy efficiency

Ivey praised Farris for her leadership on energy-efficiency projects. "South Dakota is a small state, so we have only one person in that position, instead of an office full of people," said Ivey.

The small staff may actually help the engineer's office keep its focus on energy efficiency, or maybe the state government's history of commitment to energy conservation is the secret. In 2003, Western gave the state energy team the prestigious Administrator's Award for developing a strategy for planning and funding energy efficiency improvements.

Then-State Energy Manager Tracy Thorne, who is now a Western's Upper Great Plains Field Representative, worked with the Board of Regents, Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services and the Capitol Complex on the plan. "Those agencies have shown the greatest interest in getting the most out of their operations budgets through efficiency improvements," acknowledged Farris.

Improvements may be made to lighting, heating, cooling or some other system; they may target a summer or winter load. At the South Dakota Office of the State Engineer, it is always the season for wise energy use.  "As energy costs continue to rise, facilities managers are evaluating energy-saving technologies," said Ivey.