The drive for energy management and sustainability in commercial and industrial HVAC and building automation is no longer a trend – it’s a necessity industry-wide. Facility and building managers are under increasing pressure to reduce energy consumption, minimize environmental impact, and optimize operational costs. While sophisticated control algorithms and advanced equipment play a significant role, the foundation of effective energy management lies in accurate measurement and monitoring.

Today, we’re going to explore how Kele’s SIP Series Natural Gas Flow Meters and CS/SCS Series Current Switches are indispensable tools, providing the critical data and operational support needed to achieve sustainability and energy management goals.

Understanding the Energy Landscape in HVAC & Building Automation

Commercial and industrial buildings consume a substantial amount of energy, with HVAC systems often being the largest contributor. Natural gas is a common fuel source for heating, boilers, and other processes within these facilities. Meanwhile, electricity powers motors, pumps, fans, chillers, and various control systems. Optimizing the consumption of both these energy sources is critical within the landscape of sustainability and energy efficiency.

Kele’s SIP Series Natural Gas Flow Meters: Precision Fuel Measurement for Efficiency

The SIP Series natural gas flow meters from Kele are designed for accurate and reliable measurement of natural gas consumption. On a technical level, these meters employ various principles to determine flow rate, often utilizing:

• Thermal Mass Flow Measurement: This technology directly measures the mass flow rate of the gas by sensing the heat transfer to the flowing gas stream. A heated sensor and a reference sensor are exposed to the gas flow. The temperature difference between the sensors is directly proportional to the mass flow rate. This method is advantageous as it is largely independent of gas density, pressure, and temperature variations within reasonable operating ranges, providing a more accurate representation of the energy consumed.

*Provided by Sage Metering, Inc.

• Ultrasonic Flow Measurement: Some SIP series meters utilize ultrasonic technology, transmitting ultrasonic pulses through the gas stream. The time difference between pulses traveling upstream and downstream is proportional to the gas velocity, which can then be used to calculate the volumetric or mass flow rate. This method offers minimal pressure drop and can handle a wide range of flow rates.

How SIP Series Meters Contribute to Energy Management & Sustainability:

• Precise Fuel Consumption Monitoring: By accurately measuring the natural gas used by boilers, furnaces, and other gas-fired equipment, facility managers gain a clear understanding of fuel consumption patterns. This granular data allows for:

• • Baseline Establishment: Establishing a baseline of natural gas usage is the first step towards identifying areas for improvement.
  • Performance Evaluation: The efficiency of gas-fired equipment can be directly evaluated by comparing fuel consumption to output (e.g., BTU/hour per unit of heating).
  • Leak Detection: Unexpected increases in gas consumption can indicate leaks in the system, allowing for prompt repair and the prevention of energy waste and potential safety hazards.

• Optimizing Combustion Efficiency: Data from SIP Series meters can be integrated with combustion control systems. By monitoring fuel input, these systems can adjust air-to-fuel ratios as needed, ensuring optimal combustion and minimizing wasted fuel. This not only reduces energy consumption but also lowers emissions of pollutants like NOx and CO.
• Cost Allocation and Billing: For multi-tenant buildings or facilities with distinct operational units, accurate gas flow measurement enables fair and transparent allocation of energy costs. This promotes accountability and incentivizes energy conservation among different users.
• Integration with Building Management Systems (BMS): The SIP Series meters often provide analog (e.g., 4-20mA) or digital (e.g., Modbus) outputs, allowing seamless integration with BMS or other data acquisition systems. This centralized data collection facilitates comprehensive energy monitoring, reporting, and analysis across the entire facility.
• Verification of Energy Savings Initiatives: After implementing energy-saving measures related to gas-fired equipment (e.g., boiler upgrades, insulation improvements), SIP Series meters provide the data to verify the actual reduction in fuel consumption and the return on investment.

*In-Situ Calibration Verification—Loosen, Lift, and Look

Kele’s CS/SCS Series Current Switches: Monitoring Electrical Consumption for Optimization

Kele’s CS and SCS Series current switches are designed to monitor the electrical current flowing through conductors. These devices typically operate on the principle of detecting the magnetic field generated by the current.

• Non-Intrusive Sensing: Many CS/SCS series switches utilize inductive current sensing, where the switch is placed around the conductor without requiring direct electrical connection. This simplifies installation and avoids disrupting the circuit.
• Threshold Detection: These switches are often used to detect whether a motor, pump, or other electrical load is running or not. They can be configured to trigger an output (e.g., relay contact) when the current exceeds or falls below a predefined threshold.
• Analog Output for Proportional Monitoring: Some advanced CS/SCS models offer analog outputs (e.g., 4-20mA) that are proportional to the measured current. This allows for continuous monitoring of electrical consumption.

How CS/SCS Series Current Switches Contribute to Energy Management & Sustainability

• Monitoring Equipment Runtime & Load: By detecting the on/off status of motors, pumps, and fans, CS/SCS switches provide valuable insights into equipment runtime. This data can be used to:
  • Identify Inefficient Operation: Equipment running unnecessarily consumes energy. Monitoring runtime can highlight opportunities for optimizing schedules and implementing demand-based control.
  • Detect Equipment Issues: Abnormally high or low current draw can indicate malfunctions in equipment, such as motor inefficiencies, pump cavitation, or clogged filters. Addressing these issues quickly improves efficiency and prevents equipment failure.
• Verifying Equipment Operation and Control Strategies: Current switches can be used to verify that control strategies are functioning as intended. For example, confirming that a pump is indeed shutting off when a certain temperature is reached.
• Load Shedding and Demand Management: In facilities with peak demand charges, CS/SCS switches can be integrated into load-shedding systems. By monitoring the current draw of various loads, the system can selectively shed non-critical loads during peak periods to reduce overall energy consumption and costs.
• Energy Consumption Profiling: When equipped with analog outputs, CS/SCS switches allow for the creation of detailed electrical consumption profiles for individual pieces of equipment or entire systems. This data is crucial for:
  • Pinpointing equipment with disproportionately high energy consumption.
  • Ensuring that motors and other equipment are appropriately sized for their loads. (Oversized equipment often operates inefficiently.)
• Integration with BMS for Comprehensive Energy Monitoring: Similar to gas flow meters, CS/SCS switches can be integrated with BMS to provide a holistic view of energy consumption across the facility.

Combining SIP Series and CS/SCS Series

The true power of these Kele products lies in their combined application. By simultaneously monitoring both fuel (natural gas) and electricity consumption, facility and building managers gain a comprehensive understanding of the energy balance within their HVAC and building automation systems. This allows for:

• Comparing the energy input (natural gas) to the energy output (heating/cooling) while also accounting for electrical consumption of auxiliary equipment (pumps, fans, etc.) provides a true reading of system efficiency.
• In systems utilizing both gas and electricity, the data from these devices allows for fine-tuning the operation of different components to minimize overall energy costs, potentially shifting loads to the more cost-effective energy source at different times.
• Reliable data from both gas and electricity metering enables the development of accurate EPIs, which are crucial for tracking progress towards sustainability goals and benchmarking against industry standards.

Kele’s SIP Series Natural Gas Flow Meters and CS/SCS Series Current Switches are more than just measurement devices; they are critical enablers of energy management and sustainability in commercial and industrial HVAC and building automation. By providing accurate and specific data on fuel and electricity consumption, these products empower engineers and facility managers to optimize system performance, reduce energy waste, lower operating costs, and minimize environmental impact. Investing in these technologies is a fundamental step towards building a more sustainable and efficient future for our built environment.

Looking to get started on integrating both products into your next job? Browse products below or call The Kele Team for help—Kele’s got you covered!

CS/SCS Series Current Switches