By working with owners who are ready to make the chiller-replacement plunge, Los Angeles- area contractors can cash in on energy rebate programs too.
“There are a bunch of large buildings in downtown L.A. with chillers that are 20 to 30 years old,” says Trane sales engineer Brett Gaviglio. “According to my own survey, 75% of the machines are an average of 15 years old or older.”
“Currently, the average chiller out there is running between .80 and .90,” says Lockett. “New Title 24 standards will really influence the market.”
As of the end of November, the DWP had 120 large commercial buildings under contract for the rebate program — totaling some $7.8 million in incentives. Thus far, the program has shown 38 megawatts (MW) of peak demand load reductions. The aggregate reduction for all rebate programs (see sidebar) currently stands at an impressive 90 MW.
“This reduction is so huge, so dramatic,” says Lockett. “It’s the largest megawatt-reduction program ever in the nation. It far exceeds our original target of a 40-MW reduction.
“Title 24 has three chiller ranges — less than 150 tons, 150 to 300 tons, and more than 300 tons. My focus has been on the larger chillers, because that’s where we find the biggest bang for the buck, but I don’t want to discourage anyone.”
The price of the three chillers totaled $600,000, plus installation. Combined with additional rebates totaling another $150,000, the utilities paid approximately 40% of the purchase price.
“What we’ve found is that, generally, owners don’t buy the high-efficiency machines because they’re too expensive,” says Gaviglio. “But with the rebate program, they’re actually paying less for a more-efficient machine than they would have paid if they’d kept their old, less-efficient machine.
“Looking at the efficiencies alone, you have an advantage when you replace a 300-ton chiller. By the time you’re looking at a 1,000-ton machine, it’s an unstoppable advantage. And with a 1,500-ton machine, it’s a no-brainer.”
The rebate program has definitely made some projects happen that would not have gotten over the cost-deterrent hump in previous years. Though many building owners have done studies to determine that they need to replace their old chillers and though they have wanted to go with more-efficient machines, it took the DWP’s rebate programs — as well as those offered by the gas company — to push them into action.
Gaviglio is confident that more and more owners will see the sense in replacing chillers. Some may not be ready this year because of the inconvenience of the change-out. “It takes two to four months to get a chiller and the building is without chiller capacity for one to two weeks during installation,” he says. “Unless you’ve got a lot of redundancy, it requires creativity and timing to retrofit.”
Other owners may be taking a wait-and-see attitude, assuming that if the DWP has this rebate program, it will have others. It’s not in the budget for this year, but may be added to next year’s or the year after’s wish list.
“Rebates will influence the majority of owners,” says Gaviglio. “The ones who aren’t yet ready for it this year will be ready in the next couple of years.”
“The energy-savings issue isn’t new,” says sales manager Pat McGuire of Azusa, CA-based Centrifugal Technologies, Inc. “In the last 12 years, the operational efficiency of centrifugal chillers has been improving. Owners have known that ‘Gee whiz! If I change out a .85 or .9 rush kW/ton chiller to .55 in kW/ton yield, I’ll have 35-45% energy savings.’ The arithmetic is very simple. But not many people are making the capital budget allocations to do it. This rebate program gives them a little boost.”
“The life cycle return on the investment is so high and the risk is so low, that it would be foolish not to change.”
Chiller Efficiency Program: Chillers installed by December 31, 2001, are eligible for up to $850 per kW reduced beyond Title 24 standards, depending upon when the installation occurs. In addition to this incentive, use of a new, high-efficiency chiller can result in electricity savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the chiller’s operating lifetime.
Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Program: The TES program offers incentives of up to $600 per kW of peak demand shifted for commercial and industrial customers who install TES systems that shift building cooling load from peak to off-peak. Tanks store ice or chilled water produced at night to be used for cooling during the day. In some cases, the DWP also pays the cost of feasibility studies — up to $10,000. In the long term, TES reduces building peak demand and thereby utility costs, and can also lower cooling equipment capacity requirements and initial capital costs with the downsizing of the chiller.
Hvac Incentives Program: Both commercial and residential customers are eligible for cash incentives to tune-up or replace hvac equipment. For the a/c tune-up option, the DWP picks up all but a modest co-payment: no more than $60 for commercial units and no more than $40 for residential units. Tune-ups include, but are not limited to:
Commercial Lighting Efficiency Offer (CLEO): For small and medium-sized business customers, the DWP offers cash incentives for the installation of qualifying lighting and reduced electricity costs for improved workplace lighting, as well as reduced maintenance costs.
For all comercial/industrial customers, the DWP offers cash incentives of up to $600 for every peak-period kW reduced with lighting retrofits, as well as those reduced below existing Title 24 standards for new construction.
Publication date: 12/24/2001