Texas Utility Innovations

A discussion on
HVACs Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF)
Technology & IEER Efficiency Metrics
Steve Jones - Southwest Business Unit Commercial Manager
Mitsubishi Electric
Nick Conklin LEED AP, PE, CEM Application Engineering
Manager Mitsubishi Electric

EEIP Guidelines to Address

Why is Ductless Heat Pump (DHP) / Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) a

Commercially-ready new technology or existing underutilized technology?

Overview of the DHP/VRF for EECM(s) A description of the technology, target

market with market potential, and estimated installed/implementation costs

Why Verifiable peak demand savings (kW) and/or energy savings (kWh) is
achievable?

Energy Modeling using IEER metrics

Energy Saving Case Studies Sacramento Drill Tower

Applicability in Texas Utility Market

Measurement and Verification (M&V) SMUD and PG&E utility savings

SOP
MTP

What are Texas PUC needs for Energy Efficiency Conservation Measures
and/or the Energy Efficiency Goal 25.181? How do we get VRF and IEER
metrics in place for utility programs?

US HVAC Industry Overview

Commercial/Industrial HVAC
Choices:

Package Systems

Split Systems

VRF Systems
Light Commercial/Residential
HVAC Types:

PTACs

Unitary

Window units

Wall-mounted units

Radiant

Ductless (DHP)

*Room AC not included in analysis

Source: AHRI and BRSI, September 2012

US Vertical Market Opportunities

31% HVAC Unit Growth
Vertical Market
Education

Government/ Military

Health Care

Lodging

Multi-Family

Office Building

Source: FMI 2008 U.S. Market Construction Overview

Year

Market Size (Units)

2007

190,000

2012

300,000

2007

84,000

2012

97,000

2007

79,000

2012

145,000

2007

40,000

2012

54,000

2007

270,000

2012

317,000

2007

74,000

2012

104,000

Ductless Heat Pumps for Single Zones

(30+ Years HVAC Market Success)
Highly Efficient
26 SEER
10.6 HSPF
No ductwork = No duct
losses
Individual Room Control
Extremely Quiet
19 38 dB
Cold Climate Capable
100% capacity at 5 F.
82% capacity at -13 F.

VRF for Commercial Buildings

Up to 50 indoor units per
outdoor
72,000 360,000 BTUH
Simultaneous heating and
cooling
Energy reclaim
IEER up to 23.9
COP up to 4.87

What is VRF Technology?

SETPOINT

VRF

VRF
CONVENTIONAL

VR
F

Room Temperature

INVERTER-driven Compressor

Enables capacity operation as low as 4%

Sizing flexibility with variable capacity
Enables long runtimes
Reduces compressor cycling
Improves temperature control

Time

High Starting Current

Traditional HVAC System without
Inverter Technology

Diversity

Solar Load

Occupant Load

Building Use

VRF Heat Recovery Technology

Simultaneous cooling and heating

VRF Integrated Controls

Easy to install and operate

2-wire DDC (Direct Control) system

16ga stranded and shielded, non-polar

Daisy-chain connection

Customizable control scheme with web

access
Individual room controls
Color touch screen centralized control
Integration into building management
system via BACnet and Lonworks
Third-party equipment control
Tenant billing capability

VRF Energy-Efficiency and

Environmental Impact

Demand Response Tool

VRF Integrated Control Systems can allow:
Load shedding by automatically reducing compressor
frequency/hertz (speed).
On/Off Sequencing between zones to minimize
temperature discomfort
Turn off indoor units in several zones and allow
temperature/humidity drift
Sequential starting of outdoor units to minimize
demand power spikes

Utilizing VRF with LEED

Energy and Atmosphere: VRF

Can achieve up to 21 points
Environmental Quality: VRF can
achieve up to seven points

LEED NC 3.0

Certified: 40-49 points

Silver: 50-59 points
Gold: 60-79 points
Platinum: 80 + points

Energy and Atmosphere Credits

Eac1 Optimize Energy Usage

Total energy usage of building

Verified by modeling versus base building

EAc5 Measurement and Verification

Verify actual building operation

Monitor equipment operation through integrated software

VRF Systems and Energy Modeling

Energy usage and cost for VRF

systems can be modeled using
EnergyPro

EnergyPro uses DOE2.1e to

model and compare VRF to
other HVAC system

EnergyPro is approved use with

LEED EAc1

EAC1 - Energy Cost Savings

VRF Total Energy Cost Savings

Overview of System Standards

AHRI 1230
Covers multi-split air conditioners and multi-split heat pumps with
distributed refrigerant technology

ASHRAE 90.1
Minimum requirements for energy efficient building design
Higher standard for VRF system Integration Energy Efficiency
Ratio (IEER) in ASHRAE standard 90.1 (July 2012)

DOE
DOE to reference AHRI 1230 Standard and ASHRAE 90.1
minimum efficiency standards in Code of Federal Regulations part
10, section 431

How IEER Weighting Factors Developed

To Develop the four weighting factors for the IEER equation as well as
the ambient temperature schedule, a comprehensive model was
developed :
Weather Data Model For Cities From 15 US Climate Zones
Percentage of Time In The Four Load Bins 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%
Average Ambient For Each Load Bin

3 Buildings types Office (40%), Retail (30%), School (30%)

Each building type with its load profile vs. ambient schedule

Sales Volumes Percentage By Each Climate Zones

Helena MT

Duluth, MN

Houston Drybulb Temperature Profile - Retail

Burlington, VT

Boise, ID

660

700

Chicago, IL

600

563

557

497

Baltimore MD

San Francisco CA
Phoenix, AZ

Annual Hours

500

Salem, OR

Miami FL
Memphis TN

324

300

203
138

Houston, TX

69

29

51
5

0
100

Albuquerque, NM

264

253

200
100

El Paso, TX

402

400

95

90

85

80

75

70

65

Temperature

60

55

50

45

40

35

Sacramento Drill Tower

VRF Case Study

Owned by the City of Sacramento, CA

Concrete Building with Upper 1/3 being a
water tank
Approximately 2/3 of the first floor area are
offices and a training room, arranged like a
donut
Original HVAC was 4 pipe ducted fan coils,
with a natural draft gas boiler and 30 ton air
cooled chiller.
Equipment replaced with (2) 16 ton VRF heat
recovery type systems in 2008, with 4 ducted
fan coils each, and an ERV

Sacramento Drill Tower VRF Case Study

Significant reduction in Energy Consumption (kWh)

Metered Data From Drill Tower

MODULE 1: Designing with VRF

Metered Data From Drill Tower

MODULE 1: Designing with VRF

Metered Data From Drill Tower

Total Gas Cost

Total Electrical
Cost

Total Cost

Before CITY
MULTI - VRF
(2007)

$5,987.44

$19,456.78

$25,444.22

After CITY MULTI

- VRF (2009)

$455.03

$18,607.36

$19,062.39

Percent Savings

92.4%

4.4%

25.1%

*Based on Data Provided from SMUD and PGE Building is located in Sacramento

MODULE 1: Designing with VRF

Re-Cap: Benefits of VRF Systems

Space Utilization
Installation flexibility to meet building space requirements
Minimal impact to existing building architecture and structure
Occupant Comfort
Individual comfort control
Indoor unit flexibility to meet the needs of any space
Meets occupant ventilation air requirements
Quiet operation
Energy Savings
Inverter driven compressor
No waste heat
Meets requirements for LEED points

Texas Utility SOP / MTP Programs

In closing, I would like to ask the board to please support the development of
programs in the state that appropriately incentivize VRF systems. By adding a
VRF category to the Texas Energy Efficiency Goal 25.181 utilizing the appropriate
energy efficiency metric IEER, utilities will accurately capture the associated
energy savings and properly incentivize the technology.

Additional Information
Support Slides

Successful Utility Programs - West

Prescriptive VRF Incentive

$1,500/ton upstream rebate on up to 80 tons

for commercial applications

Calculating IEER

IE E R (0 . 0 2 0 1 0 . 9 2) (0 . 6 1 7 1 1 . 1 3) (0 . 2 3 8 10 . 3 5) (0
. 1 2 5 7. 3 9) 10 . 4 8

IEER Factors - Modeling Results

Weighting Factors

Bin-Average Ambient Values

.02 .617 .238 .125

Performance Incentives for Electric

Efficiency - Texas

Mitsubishi Stocking Distributors

139 distributor organizations

1,114 distributor branches

Mitsubishi Contractor Network

6,981 Contractors
1,030 Diamond Dealers

Mitsubishi Engineering Firms

6,495 architects and engineers

1,230 trained architects and engineers