Jamal Lootah

DUBAI, UAE, 12 September 2019: Imdaad was able to achieve 27% energy savings in Manzeli, the company’s staff accommodation, following the installation of an Energy Control Management system (ECM) for HVAC systems and the use of insights from real-time data to optimise operations, said Jamal Lootah, Group CEO, Imdaad. The project was detailed in a comprehensive case study, which Lootah said showcases the company’s commitment to test its own energy-saving solutions within its operations before administering it to clients to ensure its positive impact on the overall operating cost. “We make 100% sure that it will not affect people and, second, that the machines will not be affected,” he said.

According to the study, the ECM for the accommodation’s HVAC setup integrated all existing control systems within the building into one central location and that in addition to monitoring the performance of individual pieces of equipment, Imdaad was able to realise energy savings through effective monitoring of energy expenditure and setting control strategies.

One way in which ECMs can reduce energy waste within the context of HVAC systems is by matching real-time data to occupancy, the study said. Providing an example, the study noted that if a room is being unnecessarily and aggressively cooled during off-peak times then this can be identified and rectified through the ECM, with potential savings being both forecast and then verified after the change has been made.

The study said that in the case of a staff accommodation building, such as Manzeli, occupancy is much higher at night or during peak shift timings, when compared to an office building, where such a pattern is likely to be reversed. The study said that Imdaad places great emphasis on the importance of real-time granular data and that data that is viewed over days or weeks will fail to address intra-day volatility in occupancy and equipment performance, which is key to making improvements.

Sharing insights from the company’s analysis of its data, Lootah said: “We found out that the ACs should be switched off from 2am to 4am, where no one will feel the difference. We put a sensor to measure heat and temperature.” The study said that through the use of permanent metering, electricity usage was documented against baseline numbers in order to demonstrate the ECM’s effect. The unmetered aspects of the project were, and still are, measured by confirmation of key parameters and verification that key equipment is operating as specified, said the study.

According to the study, the project had a total investment of AED 500,000, with estimated annual savings of AED 260,000 for a simple payback of 1.9 years. The study noted that the project took one year to complete, including a four-month construction period and that although an internal project, there was still a guaranteed energy cost saving of 16% identified and committed to between business units, which was exceeded, with a total saving of 27%.

Hannah Jo Uy is Assistant Editor at Climate Control Middle East magazine. She may be contacted at hannah@cpi-industry.com