Hospitals and health care facilities are under increasing pressure to save costs by improving their energy performance. Implementing a plan to check, correct, and optimize their facility Direct Digital Control (DDC) systems can generate significant energy savings for very little cost. This webinar, presented by Pulse Energy and Nancy Myers, Energy Manager for the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA), was on generating savings in health care facilities DDC system optimization. Nancy’s presentation covered: - her team's plan and process for investigating and optimizing DDC systems - examples of energy wasting problems that can occur in hospital DDCs - an action plan to maintain the savings going forward

1. How to Optimize DDC Systems to Save
Energy in Hospitals
Nancy Myers
Technical Services/Energy Manager
Vancouver Island Health Authority

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3. Agenda
• Introduction to Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA)
• Overview of BC Hydro’s Continuous Optimization Program
• Starting a DDC optimization program with on-site staff
• Strategy and Sequence of Operations
• Identifying Problems and Anomalies in the DDC System
• Keys to Success
• Q&A

4. Vancouver Island Health Authority
• 34 facilities, 392,734 sq
meters across the island
• Total electrical consumption
within VIHA is 74,632,191
Kw/hrs for 2009, Gas
consumption 425,000 Gj
• 12 facilities in the COP
program, 8 of which are
being done internally

5. Continuous Optimization Program
• Available to buildings of at least 50,000 sq. ft.
• Helps BC Hydro’s largest customers save energy
and maintain savings
• Participating buildings start with a 12 month
baseline period

6. Getting Started
• Coordinated with key personnel:
– Pulse Energy and site staff for
meter installation
– Site supervisors for selection of key
staff for project
– Pulse Energy for staff training
• Set up site schedules for
seasonal site visits
• Coaching started at the
beginning of program and
continued throughout

7. Pulse Energy Management Software

8. Start up Meeting
• Ensured staff understand the
objectives and guidelines of the
Continuous Optimization Program
• Ensured buy-in from staff
• Trained staff on how to use Pulse
Energy Management Software
(EMS) to identify loads in facilities

9. On-site strategy
• Review site documentation
– Sequence of operations
– DDC controls drawings and points lists
• Check Pulse EMS for energy use
anomalies
• Perform end to end checks through
the DDC controls system
• Identify problems found in the DDC
controls system and then identify
them in Pulse

10. Sequence of Operations
• Review the original sequence of
operations and understand how
the system was supposed to be
working.
• Review the control systems to
ensure that the basic principals
were put in place from the original
specifications:
– schedules
– reset schedules
– set-points and control strategies
• Use Pulse EMS software to help
identify control strategies

11. Finding Energy Anomalies in Pulse EMS
Identifying loads

12. Identified Problems
Night set back-faulty temperature sensors

13. Identified Problems
Compressor taken out of service

14. End to ends
• Look for opportunities to
optimize the programming
and schedules
• Check all inputs and outputs
• Check set points

15. Problems Found in the DDC System and
Identified Through Pulse EMS
• Examples of findings:
 Bad temperature sensors -13.9
 Temperatures sensors in manual
 Bad calibration on outside air sensors
 Outputs in manual
 Schedules in manual
 Duct leakage
 Automatic reset set points in manual

16. Problem

17. Fixed

18. Identified

19. Other Examples

20. Other Examples

21. Key to Success
• Staff buy in and coordination
• Coaching from beginning to end
• Understanding the systems
• End to End checks
• Using Pulse energy management software for identifying
loads
• Identifying areas that can be optimized
• Lowering DDC password levels
• Logging DDC changes

22. Pulse Energy Management Software

23. Pulse Energy Management Software

24. Pulse Energy Management Software

25. Pulse Energy Management Software

26. Q&A

27. Q&A

28. Pulse Energy Management Software

29. Q&A

30. Q&A

31. Start up Meeting
• Ensured staff understand the
objectives and guidelines of the
Continuous Optimization Program
• Ensured buy-in from staff
• Trained staff on how to use Pulse
Energy Management Software
(EMS) to identify loads in facilities

32. Q&A

33. Vancouver Island Health Authority
• 34 facilities, 392,734 sq
meters across the island
• Total electrical consumption
within VIHA is 74,632,191
Kw/hrs for 2009, Gas
consumption 425,000 Gj
• 12 facilities in the COP
program, 8 of which are
being done internally

34. Q&A

35. Pulse Energy Management Software

36. Q&A

37. Q&A

38. Start up Meeting
• Ensured staff understand the
objectives and guidelines of the
Continuous Optimization Program
• Ensured buy-in from staff
• Trained staff on how to use Pulse
Energy Management Software
(EMS) to identify loads in facilities

39. Q&A

40. Vancouver Island Health Authority
• 34 facilities, 392,734 sq
meters across the island
• Total electrical consumption
within VIHA is 74,632,191
Kw/hrs for 2009, Gas
consumption 425,000 Gj
• 12 facilities in the COP
program, 8 of which are
being done internally

41. Thank you!
 Additional questions?
 Contact Pulse Energy at: 1-877-331-0530 or at
info@pulseenergy.com
 Contact Nancy Myers at 1-250-739-5788 ext 54864
or at Nancy.Myers@viha.ca
 Look for future and archived webinars on our website:
www.pulseenergy.com/resources/webinars