For over 40 years Camfil have pursued the goal of producing the best possible indoor air quality (IAQ) at the lowest possible running cost.  To do this, continuous investment in Research and Development has become a way of life.  Camfil maintain a leadership position in the production of air filters for a wide range of applications at the lowest possible operating average pressure drop.  These are called “low energy air filters”.

In order to evaluate the expected savings of operating a low energy air filter without time consuming trials, Camfil have, for many years tested and approved (by Eurovent) a method of calculating the annual savings in terms of filter cost , energy cost , labour , waste disposal and co2 . This is called Life Cycle Cost.

By providing operating time data, labour cost, waste disposal cost and fan efficiency data we can offer a free Opportunity Assessment Survey (OAS) to evaluate the potential savings on your plant. This involves a site visit to evaluate a representative air handling unit assessing the current state and configuration, and reporting on the other aspects of the air handling unit. A report is issued within 5 working days which provides data on current spend and proposed spend. By using Life Cycle Cost analysis huge savings can be identified in energy consumption, labour, waste disposal and co2. This is then simulated across your whole plant to identify the whole site life cycle costs and thereby the expected savings.

We have completed several hundred of these in the United Kingdom and realistic savings are identified as between 20% and 50% of whole life cycle costs.

Camfil always provide a an optimum solution based on best possible low energy air filters for the current configuration of the air handling unit , and this invariably provides an initial upfront investment in better quality and low energy air filters and a very quick payback of 3 to 5 months. If clients require lowest total life cycle costs then sometimes capital works are needed in re-framing and paybacks are longer but usually are provided within 12 months. Most companies can absorb these within their annual maintenance budget without applying for capital expenditure approval.

For current examples of this please visit Camfil website www.camfilfarr.co.uk or low energy air filter blog www.lowenergyairfilter.co.uk

An example of just the energy saving

An air handling unit situated in commercial building a central capital city location, continuously running and cleaning the air to the prescribed Eurovent norm of minimum F7 grade air filtration.

Currently using commodity style filters of G3 pre filter and F7 short synthetic secondary filter.

Input data;

Outdoor Air Quality (ODI) – Capital City location = ODI 1

Indoor Air Quality – Eurovent = IDA 4

Design air flow = 10m3/sec

Fan (VSD) Efficiency = 50%

Running Time = 8760 hours

Cost of Energy = 10 pence per KwH

Consumes 54,000 KwH per year at 10 pence per Kwh = £5400 per year

This is for an air handling unit that contains 10 off 2 stage filter sets

The cost of the energy dwarfs the cost of the filters by a factor of between 8 and 10 times

By changing to low energy air filters this air handling unit

Consumes 38,000 KwH per year at 10 pence per Kwh = £3800 per year

A saving of £1600 or 30% per year and every year if you always install low energy air filters

OTHER SAVINGS in commercial cost and the environment

Labour is reduced by 50% as less filters means less changes

Waste is reduced by 50% as less filters means less changes

Co2 savings of 16000 KwH / 2325 = 6.9 tonnes

Less raw material and energy used in manufacture

Less transport used in distribution

For more details visit website www.camfilfarr.co.uk and download sustainability report.

If you use low energy air filters then “Less is More”

Download the Astra Zeneca Progressive Energy Reduction Strategy Case Study here

Subscribe to the Low Energy Air Filter Blog here

If you are interested in AC Inspections, visit www.ac-inspections.co.uk

The implementation of ISO 16001 Energy Management Standard is a significant milestone in Camfil Farr’s evolution. As a company that has always promoted green air filter systems through continuous development of low energy air filter solutions by design and using application knowledge for over 40 years, we need to embrace the standard within our own manufacturing activities and strive to promote it in our supplier and customer base.

Background

Camfil Farr is the world leader in the production and development of air filters and clean air solutions. As global air filtration specialists we operate out of 22 production plants and 4 R&D centres in the Americas, Europe and the Asia Pacific region.  We are a Swedish based group formed over 40 years ago and currently employ over 2700 employees generating sales approaching 5 billion SEK (400m GBP)

We operate in markets as diverse as Commercial Buildings through Automotive, Rail, Facilities Management, Gas Turbine, Hospitals, Pharmaceutical, Food and Beverage, Safety Cabinets, Microelectronics and Nuclear.

Energy management at Camfil Farr , Haslingden  UK

Camfil has operated a lean culture throughout its operations in the UK for several years . This involves the whole business operation including manufacturing , logistics , services and external sales. A natural part or extension to this embraced energy management over last two years and has already made significant reductions in energy consumption .  The process of accreditation will document , resource and create a forward strategy in energy management , further reducing our energy impact  and the inherent co₂ savings that ensue.

As a manufacturer that creates product that then has a purpose that affects the consumption of energy within air handling units the ultimate “Carbon footprint “ of the product is magnified by factor way in excess of its manufacturing footprint. So the biggest challenge is to promote, educate and ultimately influence the current protocols within the industry.

Energy management and the impact of “low energy air filters”

The functionality an air handling unit.

The air handling unit cleans heats and cools the air and delivers it to the air conditioned space. The energy consumed within the air handling unit is consumed through the fan motor. The components within the Air handling unit present a resistance to the fan motor which in turn consumes energy. These components are air filters, ducting, heating and cooling coils. As the fan motor pulls the air though these components it expends more energy than if it was an empty box. So it the resistance on these components could be reduced over their life cycle then energy consumption would be reduced. With the exception of air filters all the other components are fitted in manufacturing to last the life of the asset. Air filters however are designed to be changed and replaced at regular intervals; they also consume 30% of the systems energy and therefore are the least expensive method of improving energy efficiency without invasive capital cost.

An example of a typical Air handling Unit.

A typical air handling unit handling 10m/3 of air per second would have 10 air filter sets. The energy needed to drive the air through the air filters continuously running would be 50,000 KwH or £5000 or £500 per filter set. The next time air filters are changed to Low energy air filters the consumption would reduce to 35,000 KwH or £3500 or £350 per filter set. Typically the saving on energy is 10 times the cost of buying the low energy air filter and payback is in weeks.

Potential Scope for reducing consumption

There are estimated to be 1.2 million air filter sets installed in the London area, making a potential saving of 180 million pounds each year and every year by installing low energy air filters.

So when it comes to energy strategy less is more

• Reduce time equipment is on
• Install low energy air filters
• Use the savings to fund larger capital works
• Use the Energy Technology List
• Use Enhanced Capital Allowances

Mission statement

Camfil Farr will convert all air filtration systems to low energy air filters where it is practicably and commercially viable. This will save on the quantity of air filters manufactured, the energy consumed in running these within the air handling unit, the labour to undertake changes , the reduction in logistics and the waste disposal frequency.

Camfil Farr will record all life cycle cost products (low energy air filters) by product group and set annual targets to increase the penetration of the market. This will be recorded together with the consequential reduction in consumption against known customer criteria.

All relevant data, case studies and news relating to this will be posted on www.lowenergyairfilter.co.uk

Subscribe to the Low Energy Air Filter Blog here

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First there was the low-energy light bulb. Now, the low-energy air filter is becoming the ‘must-have’ for facilities managers looking to make quick energy savings and cut carbon emissions. Due to improved technology, meaning potential cost savings of 30% a year, plus a changing regulatory framework, many companies are already making the switch to low-energy air filters, and in the process, saving themselves millions of pounds in facilities running costs.

This translates into a sizeable cost saving – given that energy represents 70% of an air filter’s life cycle cost, and that air filters account for 30% of the total operating cost of a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) unit.

The key difference between conventional and low-energy air filters is the lower resistance they place on the fan motor of the air-handling unit (AHU), as Bill Wilkinson, Camfil Farr Managing Director, explains.

“A typical AHU handling 10m/3 per second of air would have 10 sets of air filters. The energy needed to drive the air through the filters continuously would be 50,000 KwH annually,” he explains.

“But as low-energy air filters are manufactured to maximise surface area , they place less resistance on the fan motor, meaning less energy is required; typically around 35,000 KwH per filter set each year, a 30% reduction.”

So what does this mean in energy costs? “The annual energy consumption of an air filter is usually around eight to 10 times the installation cost,” says Wilkinson. “Let’s say the tariff on energy is 10p per KwH. The AHU using conventional air filters would have annual energy costs of £5,000 or £500 per filter. By contrast, the annual cost for the AHU using low-energy would be just £3,500 or £350 per filter.”

Put in a wider context, such savings become even more significant.

“When you consider that there are around 1.2 million air filter sets installed in London alone, that £1,500 annual saving per filter translates into a potential saving of £180m each year across the capital simply by installing low energy air filters,” points out Wilkinson.

And that’s not including other, ‘incidental’ savings. Besides the reduction in energy costs, there are savings in labour of around 50% – because only half of as many filters need to be changed – and similar savings in waste disposal costs of old filters.

While the installation costs of a low-energy air filter are higher – as with low-energy light bulbs – the payback time is in months, or even weeks.

In any case, the upfront cost of switching is unlikely to cause facilities managers any financial headaches; because air filters are designed to be changed regularly, unlike other components within the AHU, upgrading to low-energy filters should not put extra pressure on capital budgets.

In addition to improved energy performance, Camfil Farr low-energy air filters also deliver better indoor air quality, because they trap smaller dust particles.

Already, many commercial buildings are feeling the benefits of installing low-energy air filters. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will save over £2m in running costs over the next five years at its 340-acre R&D campus in Sandwich, Kent, after upgrading to low energy air filters.

Pfizer initially appointed Camfil Farr to undertake an audit on several trial installations, which proved highly successful, with improved filter efficiency and reliability, meaning fewer maintenance interventions. This persuaded the pharmaceutical firm that it should replace the filter banks on AHUs in nine other key buildings.

Camfil Farr subsequently conducted a thorough assessment of the air handling plant in these buildings, which enabled it to accurately predict savings on filters, energy, labour and waste disposal.

The work carried out included filter framework modification and renewal, installation of new gauges, deep-cleaning of the AHUs, and fitting high efficiency/ low-energy F7 grade air filters that were manufactured at Camfil Farr’s Haslingden facility in Lancashire. (F7 is the minimum air filter efficiency standard required by European standard EN13779.)

According to David Mellon, capital projects manager at Pfizer’s Sandwich site, the project has cut air flow resistance – and therefore energy consumption – by 17%.

“Other benefits we can now see with this work,” he continues, “but that were not necessarily apparent until now, include reduced change frequency of the filters, and thus less waste disposal, reduced C02 emissions, and of course, reduced cost.”

The project has formed an important part of Pfizer’s site energy reduction initiatives.

Mellon adds: “Understanding the base criteria for running expensive HVAC plant is key to maintaining lean and agile facilities in the face of economic uncertainty and volatility in energy prices.”

So how quickly can we expect low-energy air filters to supplant their conventional counterparts?

From 1 September 2009 the conventional light bulb will not be manufactured; only the low-energy version will be available. It may not be long before the same is true of the low-energy air filter.

The changing regulatory framework will only encourage wider take-up of low-energy air filters.

In the UK, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive makes inspections of air conditioning systems, and the production of a detailed report on their performance, mandatory for compliance.

Additionally, EN13779 (the European standard for ventilation) advises that the minimum filter particulate efficiency level required is F7, which is considered to deliver ‘moderate’ indoor air quality, when compared to outside air. F9, the maximum, is considered ‘high’ quality.

EN13053 (the European standard for AHU manufacturers) reinforces this advice by saying that air filters fitted to any unit should be minimum F7 grade.

Compliance with this legislation may mean substantial retrofitting for older commercial buildings in the UK. According to Camfil Farr, early feedback from inspections of air-conditioning systems reveal many are not up to the required standard . This suggests that they fall well short of those required to deliver the acceptable levels of air quality with optimum energy efficiency. On a site survey of a typical 20-year-old office building, nearly all air filters were only F6 grade – considered ‘low’ quality air by EN 13779.

Subscribe to the Camfil Farr Low energy air filter blog for regular updates. www.lowenergyairfilter.co.uk

Download Camfil Whitepaper: Energy Savings in Buildings- Choosing Low Energy Air Filters

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Large systems (250kw +) must have had first inspection by January ‘09, thereafter every 5 years.

Anecdotal evidence suggests this has not been met any better than compliance requirement for Fire Safety Order.

As with FSO, you are a responsible person if it is deemed you control a building with a qualifying air conditioning system (note incidentally use of term air conditioning to refer to general extract and supply system).

Failure to comply renders liable to fine by Local Trading Standard Officer.

Inspections must be done by an accredited air conditioning assessor.

Where can I find an accredited Assessor?

Currently approved accreditation schemes for AC. inspection are run by:

• CIBSE
• Quidos
• RICS
• BESCA

Why AC inspections?

Air Conditioning can amount to 1/3rd of building’s annual electricity cost.  Poorly maintained systems use more energy and cost more to operate i.e. benefits for improvement are lower cost, lower carbon emissions.

The report and what it includes:

The inspector must provide a written report giving advice and guidance on how to improve the energy efficiency of the system as soon as practicable after the inspection.

The report should contain:

• The current efficiency of the equipment and suggestions for improvement including, where appropriate, its replacement.
• A list of any faults identified during the inspection and suggested remedial actions (e.g. condition and type of air filters, incorrectly functioning dampers, etc.)
• The adequacy of the equipment maintenance, frequency of maintenance and suggestions for improvement.
• The adequacy of the installed controls and control settings and suggestions for improvement.

It is claimed that energy consumption can increase by 60% as a result of poor maintenance and dirty components.

Example Guidance to NHS states:

Your maintenance checklist should include:

• Fans, filters and air ducts
• Condensers
• Refrigerant charge & leakage
• Pipework insulation
• Thermostat calibration

Source eeco2 HVAC Energy Efficiency Consultants

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