Chiller vs VRF system

LG Electronics Inc.
LGEHQ CAC Team
1/14 Copyright ⓒ 2008 All rights reserved LG Electronics Inc.
 1. Design Comparison System concept

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

VRF is very simplified refrigerant piping system. More flexible than water piping.

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

System • Chiller • Cooling tower • Outdoor unit (air-cooled type)

composition • FCU (Fan Coil Unit) • Water piping, Duct working • Indoor unit
• AHU (Air Handling Unit) • Water pumps • Refrigerant piping

Chiller

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 1. Design Comparison Network design

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

Easy network wiring

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

Network • Complicated wiring • Simple wiring

ACP

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 1. Design Comparison Total management

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

(For VRF) Manufacturer provide all equipment

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

• Complicated control structure, additional

• Simple control structure
control manager in the system needed,
Control No additional control provider
increasing cost
system • Central control and energy monitoring with
• Third part control provider needed,
low cost available
interconnectivity problems.

VAV boxes
supplier
[Manufacturer]

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 2. Operation Comparison Individual operation

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

After office hours operation, VRF could be operated for the user demands.

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

• The systems commonly condition the entire building • The systems condition only the
Capacity
at predetermined times, with no regard to user demands. necessary rooms with regard
control
(very hot midnight, weekend, holiday etc) to user demands.

Operating Area

< Limited operation> <Better Capacity operation>

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 2. Operation Comparison Temp. control

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

Precise temperature control

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

Temperature Require Very precise

control 1℃ or 2℃ ± 0.5℃

Cooling
MULTI V system
Chiller system
30
 0.5 0 C from set point
Room temp.

25

20

15

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 MIN.

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 3. Installation Comparison Space (Duct working)

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

VRF system doesn’t need a duct space.

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

Space
• Large duct space • Small refrigerant space
Efficiency

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 3. Installation Comparison Installation space

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

VRF system is no need for a machine room.

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

Installation
• Need a machine room • No need a machine room
space

Pump
(Machine room drawing)

Chiller (Rooftop drawing)

Boiler

Cooling Outdoor
tower Unit

(On the rooftop)

(On the rooftop)

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 3. Installation Comparison Space (Pipe shaft)

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

Efficient use of space is possible for VRF system

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

Space
• Large pipe shaft is needed for water piping • Small pipe shaft is needed
Efficiency

CHILLER SYSTEM VRF System

1/3

P P

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 3. Installation Comparison System expansion

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

VRF system expansion is very easy with extra outdoor & indoor unit.

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

• Capacity addition is difficult

System
as additional mechanical room, pump, cooling tower, • System Expansion is Easy
Expansion
panel and piping is required.

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 4. Commissioning Comparison NO. of commissioning point

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

There are a lot of commissioning points for the chiller system

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

Commissioning • 6 Steps Commissioning • 1 Step Commissioning

(4)

6 steps Commissioning 1 step Commissioning

Water cooled chiller (3)

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 5. Maintenance Comparison Maintenance list

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

Maintenance costs for a Multi V is lower than chilled water systems.

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

• Filter cleaning
• Pump • Filter cleaning
• Duct cleaning
Maintenance • Water treatment • Heat exchanger cleaning
• Water pipe – maintenance
• Periodical oil change, overhaul • Cooling tower cleaning • Cycle check by notebook (LG MV)

(4)

Water cooled chiller (3)

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 5. Maintenance Comparison Water treatment

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

(For Chiller Water treatment is required for clean water)

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

Water • Water treatment is required

• No water treatment is needed
treatment (deficient service can cause legionary disease in the system)

<Polluted Cooling Tower>

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 5. Maintenance Comparison Scale cleaning

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

(For Chiller) Maintenance & cleaning periodically by exclusive company

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

Scale • Need to clean the water pipes

• No water pipes : No scale (use refrigerant)
cleaning System efficiency drop & origin of germs
Energy Loss

Unit : %

Unit : mm

thickness of scale

After 2~3year After 5~6year After 7~8year < The system is consist of refrigerant pipes >
10% 25~30% 35~40%
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 5. Maintenance Comparison Maintenance Staff

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

(For Chiller) Certified maintenance staff is needed

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

• The system requires certified maintenance
Maintenance staff not only for chillers but also pumps, • No need special maintenance staff.
Staff boilers, cooling towers etc. • Economic and easy maintenance
• More expensive maintenance cost.

< Maintenance Staff> <NO Maintenance Staff>

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 6. Reliability Comparison Pipe Erosion

Design Operation Installation Commissioning Maintenance Reliability

(For Chiller) Certified maintenance staff is needed

Feature Chiller system MULTI V Plus Ⅱ (VRF)

• Pipe erosion can cause leakage.
Pipe • System capacity reduction. • Refrigerant does not cause corrosion therefore
Erosion • Brines use increase corrosion, anti corrosion no pipe damage occurred
additives needed

< Water pipe leakage > <Cooper Pipe>

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 7. Economic analysis MULTI V vs Chiller

Initial Cost Running Cost Maintenance Cost Total cost

 Equipments & Installation cost

• Type of Building: Shopping Mall

• Total area 9,000 m2 : 6 storey Building :1,500 m2/floor •April 2008
• Actual cooling area : 1,500 m2 * 80 % * 6 Floor = 7,200 m2 •Cooling Only
• Cooling Load (Tr) / m2 : 700 Tr *12000 Btu/Hr = 1,166 Btu/m2 •Air Duct Included

• Equipment : Water cooled chiller /Multi V unit Initial Cost Initial Cost
- Water Cooled Chiller :Trane Water cooled chiller Category Product
(USD) (USD)Total
350 Tr x 2 set =700 Tr + 300 Back up
Pump’s =400 Tr x 2 set
Chiller Price 355,484
AHU = 8000 CFM x 36 set
Cooling Tower =1200 Gpm x 3 +3 Back up Water AHU / Cooling T
- VRF System :LG Multi V Plus II Cooled C ower / Pump, Pr 148,065 877,097
48 Hp x 19 set=912 Hp 726 Tr hiller ice
Installation 383,871
• Air conditioning time : Operation
- 13 hour a day (09:00 ~ 22:00) Multi V 874,498
VRV 1,109,660
- 30 days a month Installation 235,161
- average load by month

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 7. Economic analysis MULTI V vs Chiller

Initial Cost Running Cost Maintenance Cost Total cost

 Electrical cost

Multi V running cost is 65 % compare to chiller

Running $400k
Chiller
Category Product Cost Chiller
(USD)Tota $300k Multi V
l Multi V
Chiller Price $200k

Water Running cost

Cooled C AHU / Coolin 308,697 $100k
Savings up to
hiller g Tower / Pu 15th yr : 35%
mp, Price
$0k

Multi V Price 200,158

th

th

th
d

h
ar

2n

4t

6t

8t

10

12

14
ye

•Based on KW data chiller/Multi V

•Based on, Thailand electrical standard
•ARI-Air conditioning & Refrigeration Institute

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 7. Economic analysis MULTI V vs Chiller

Initial Cost Running Cost Maintenance Cost Total cost

 Maintenance cost

Multi V maintenance cost is 24 % compare to chiller

Maintenance
$400k Chiller
Chiller
Category Price Cost Multi V
$300k
(USD)Total Multi V

Chiller Price $200k

Water Maintenance
Cooled C AHU / Cooling 32,177 $100k Cost savings
hiller Tower / Pump, Up to 15th yr
Price : 66%
$0k

th

th

th
d

h
Multi V Price 11,468 ar

2n

4t

6t

8t

10

12

14
ye

•Maintenance breakdown
•Chiller system -31 USD / Rt / yr.- 6 times/yr
•Multi V- 48 USD / Indoor / yr.- 6 times/yr
- 145 USD / Outdoor / yr.- 6 times/yr

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7. Economic analysis

Initial Cost Running Cost Maintenance Cost Total cost

Category Chiller system VRF system Remarks

Initial cost (USD) 877,097 927,057

Running cost
308,698 200,158
(USD)
Economic Maintenace cost Shopping
Analysis 32,177 11,468 mall
(USD)
6F,
Total cost (USD) 1,217,972 1,138,683 9,000㎡

BEP - 1.7 years

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 8. LCC

LCC (Life Cycle Cost for 15 years) : Chiller 5.99 M$ > Multi V 4.27 M$ (71%)
BEP (Break Even Point) : 1.7 Years

LCC (15 years) BEP

+70K$

$7000k Cost savings

: 29%
$6000k Chiller
Multi V +40K$
$5000k

$4000k BEP :
1.7 Years
$3000k
+10K$
$2000k

$1000k

$0k BEP :
2nd
3rd
4th

5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
1st
year

1.7 Years
- 20K$
1st year 2nd year 3rd year 4th year

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 8. LCC

Initial Cost (1st year) LCC (15 years)

( K US$ )

1,228 5,992
7% 1,321 35% 4,274

Electrical Fee 308 200 Electrical Fee

11 77% 73%
Maintenance 32

1,109
Product & Maintenance 4%
877 8%
Installation
Product & 23%
15%
Installation

Chiller Multi V Chiller Multi V

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 App. Cost estimation

Type of building : Shopping mall

Water cooled Chiller :350 TR x 2 set=700 Tr + 300Tr (back up)
VRF system:48 Hp x 19 set = 912 Hp (726TR)
Commercial Building : (Shopping Mall - 9,000㎡ Total Area) - 6 storey building:1500 ㎡ per floor
Actual cooling area : 1,500㎡ * 80% * 6F = 7,200㎡
Cooling load(TR) / ㎡ : 700TR * 12,000Btu/h/TR 7,200 ㎡ = 1167 Btu/㎡
Classification Capacity Price EA Sub total (THB) % Sub total (USD)
Chiller (screw type) 350 RT 3,960,000 2 7,920,000 255,484
back up chiller (screw type) 300 RT 3,100,000 1 3,100,000 100,000
Cooling tower (open type) 400 RT 500,000 2 1,000,000 32,258
back up cooling tower (open type) 400 RT 500,000 1 500,000 16,129
Product
Pump (Condenser) + 1 back up 1200 GPM 100,000 3 300,000 9,677
Water Cooled Pump (Evaporator) + 1 back up 840 GPM 90,000 3 270,000 8,710
Chiller AHU 8,000 CFM 70,000 36 2,520,000 81,290
(Screw Sub total 15,610,000 57% 503,548
type) Pipe & Insulation
Valve & Acc.
Installation Power & Control 9,000,000 33% 290,323
Duct working 2,900,000 11% 93,548
Sub total 11,900,000 43% 383,871
Total (Product + Installation) 27,510,000 100% 887,419
Outdoor unit 48 Hp 957,000 19 18,183,000 586,548
Indoor unit ceiling duct 10 Hp 91,355 90 8,221,950 265,224
Wired remote controller 2,915 90 262,350 8,463
Centrol controller (ACP) 81,125 1 81,125 2,617
Product
Centrol control software (AC Manager) 141,570 1 141,570 4,567
Y branch 1,650 57 94,050 3,034
ODU joint 3,300 38 125,400 4,045
VRF Sub total 27,109,445 79% 874,498
Outdoor unit
I lot 45,000 90 4,050,000 130,645
Indoor unit ceiling duct
Installation
piping & electrical work
duct work 36,000 90 3,240,000 104,516
Sub total 7,290,000 21% 235,161
Total (Product + Installation) 34,399,445 100% 1,109,660

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 App. Actual running cost

Energy Total
consumption energy
Category EA
/ unit consumption
(kW) (kW) ■ Chiller system
Chiller-350 Tr 271 2 542 Power consumption under partial load
Water
Cooled Cooling tower-1260 GPM 14.9 2 29.84 Load 100% 75% 50% 25%
Chiller Pump-50 Hp 55.2 6 331.2 Chillier 542 179 84 47
(Screw AHU-10 tr 2.35 48 112.8 Others 474 474 474 474
type)
Total 1015.84 Total 1016 653 558 521
Outdoor Unit 48 HP-R410a 42 19 798 ■ VRF system
VRF Indoor Unit 10 HP CCD 0.8 90 72 Load 100% 75% 50% 25%
Total 870.0 VRF 870 609 287 165

operating time / day (hours) 13 Chiller

operating day / month 30 Power consumption
Load
Cooling load portion IPLV 100% kW portion
100% cooling load 1% 100% 542 100% Used by Schedule 4.2.2 condition
75% cooling load 42% 75% 179.2 33% electrical charge in Thailand
50% cooling load 45% 50% 83.9 15% THB / month USD
25% cooling load 12% 25% 47.2 9% VRF 517,076 16,680
Chiller 797,469 25,725
VRF (MULTI V system) Chiller system Gap 280,393 9,045
Operation Operation
kWh / day kWh / month kWh / day kWh / month
hours hours
0.1 113.1 3,393.0 0.1 132.06 3,961.78
5.5 3,325.1 99,754.2 5.5 3,565.60 106,967.95 VRF operating cost 1 200,158
5.9 1,679.5 50,386.1 5.9 3,262.78 97,883.37 Chiller year 308,698
1.6 257.9 7,736.0 1.6 812.82 24,384.67
13.0 5,375.6 161,269.3 13.0 7,773.3 233,197.8

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 App. Maintenance cost

Maintenance cost Maintenance

Category Capacity EA A note
cost / year
Cost Unit
Chiller (Screw type) 350 RT 105,000 Baht/unit 2 210,000
Cooling tower 400 RT 60,000 Baht/unit 2 120,000
Chiller Pump 1200 GPM 15,600 Baht/unit 6 93,600
(Screw
type) AHU 15 RT 2,000 Baht/unit 70 140,000
Control engineer 2 persons 20,000 Baht/unit 12 240,000
Total 803,600
Indoor unit 840 Hp 3,000 Baht/unit 90 270,000
VRF Outdoor unit 4,500 19 85,500
Total 355,500

THB USD Remarks

Chiller 950 THB / RT, year 997,500 32,177 6 times / year
1500 THB / indoor unit, year 270,000 6 times / year
VRF 4500 THB / ODU module, year 85,500 6 times / year
Total 355,500 11,468

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App. Energy efficiency (IPLV)

ARI Released The New Standard in 2003

Available through Portion by cooling load (%)

the ARI web site:
WWW.ARI.ORG kW / kW (ARI Part load weighting factors)

1
IPLV
OR =
APLV 0.01 + 0.42 + 0.45 + 0.12
A B C D

ARI550/590-2003

WEIGHTED (%) 1% 42% 45% 12%

Cooling Load 100% 75% 50% 25%

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