Fuel computer systems can save building owners money

Real Estate Weekly, August 22, 2001 by Elie Jabbour

Faced with escalating heating fuel prices, owners and managers of multifamily residences are more motivated than ever to reduce energy consumption. There are five criteria used to evaluate fuel-saving techniques -- they must (1) be capable of pinpointing the causes of excess fuel consumption; (2) be cost-effective; (3) show immediate results; (4) have a verifiable performance record; and (5) be implemented without reducing the comfort level of apartment occupants.

These criteria have led to the installation of fuel computer systems designed and supplied by U.S. Energy Controls for thousands of privately owned apartment buildings, co-ops, and condos in the greater New York area. At many of these properties, fuel consumption has been reduced by 40% or more after the systems have replaced the rudimentary thermostatic controls previously used to regulate boiler cycling. U.S. Energy provides a money-back guarantee that its fuel computers will produce savings of 15%.

The primary cause of fuel waste at many properties is the reliance on simple thermostatic controls to initiate boiler cycling whenever the outside temperature falls below a statutory level of 55 degrees F. As long as the outside temperature remains below that level, the boiler continues to cycle, even after apartments are adequately warm.

Even on pleasant spring or autumn days huge quantities of natural gas or heating oil are burned needlessly, while apartments are overheated. Occupants become so uncomfortable that they open their windows to get rid of the excess heat.

Some owners and managers have been astonished to find that tenants actually tear out their radiators in order to cool off the apartments. At a recent building owners' meeting, an owner told of a quite elderly tenant who consistently complained of not getting enough heat. Suspecting that there was a problem with the apartment, the owner asked to make an inspection, but was not allowed to enter.

When the apartment became vacant following the tenant's death, an inspection revealed that some of the radiators were shut off, others were non-working, and still others had been pulled out. In the absence of some type of computerized record of the heating systems' performance, there was no way of providing evidence to the tenant that the rest of the building was adequately heated, which might have motivated her to allow the owner to enter the apartment.

Fuel computer systems eliminate waste by monitoring temperatures around the clock. They initiate boiler cycling when outside temperatures fall below statutory levels, turn boilers off when interior temperatures rise to a preprogrammed level, and turn the boiler on again only when interior temperatures fall below the norm.

Input to the fuel computer is provided by an outdoor and indoor temperature sensors. To achieve a correct heat balance throughout a building, U.S. Energy installs indoor temperature sensors in every top floor apartment. When the sensors indicate that all of the

top floor apartments are adequately heated, the computer recognizes that all the apartments on the lower floors served by the same risers are also adequately heated.

Although excessive boiler cycling is one cause of fuel waste, it is not the only cause. Domestic hot water leaks from faucets or condensate return lines (which can waste thousands of gallons of water a day) not only waste costly water, but also waste the fuel needed to heat additional hot water and/or boiler makeup water. Recently, a 400-family building in Manhattan was found to have the condensate going directly to the sewer.

Another property had the toilet tied to the hot water coil. Fuel computers virtually eliminate this waste by monitoring the use of domestic water. Their Windows-based software is linked to a PC at the building manager's or owner's office. The PC prints out records of fuel and water consumption, pinpoints problems with heating and water systems, and indicates their probable causes. Consequently, there is no need for costly dismantling of boilers and plumbing to identify maintenance problems. The above-mentioned examples were identified by a fuel computer.

Fuel computer records are accepted by the courts when tenants sue for rent abatement, claiming insufficient heat. Recently, the Civil Court of New York dismissed a tenant's claim of insufficient heat and granted a judgment to the owner for the full rent for the prior five months. The owner was awarded legal fees and the management organization was delighted.

Building managers can also use PCs in their offices to program 24 set points on heat computers in the building to control heating and water systems. If they prefer to have this date analyzed by U.S. Energy, it can be downloaded by a U.S. Energy computer and the technical staff will recommend needed improvements.

At oil heated buildings, the U.S. Energy Fuel Sentry can be integrated with the fuel computer system to monitor the time and date of every delivery and the number of gallons delivered. The system also maintains an ongoing record of oil remaining in the tank, in inches and gallons.