Blog

November 5, 2013

Heating Plant Seasonal Commissioning

We have had an enjoyable fall as the weather has been warmer than normal, but it is starting to get cooler.  Boiler plants will be needed soon.  It is time to start planning for and scheduling seasonal commissioning of the heating systems.

At the end of the construction phase functional or performance testing is completed.  But it may not coincide with the heating (or cooling season).  It could quite possibly take place during the shoulder season when neither cooling nor heating is required.

It is during the heating and cooling seasons that the systems consume the most energy.  It is imperative that these systems be operating at their most optimal.  In the case of heating, there are many items to be checked and verified operational, everything from boiler modulation, to time of day scheduling, to accurate control of the terminal heating.

When considering the boiler modulation it is important to ensure the BAS signal matches the burner.  Although the burner may accept a 0 to 10 V signal from the BAS, it has been my experience that some burners may only need a 2.5 to 8V signal.  And this can vary even between burners from the same manufacturer.  When the BAS signal of 0 to 100% is set for 0 to 10 V and the burner range is 0 to 8 V, the control loop will wind up to 100% or 10V.  There will be energy wasted when the BAS starts to modulate the burner toward low fire. As the boiler will be at high fire longer than necessary and heating the boiler loop above the setpoint.

During seasonal commissioning there are many items to be verified in order to ensure your heating plant is running at optimal performance.  At CFMS, we are verifying our current projects, but should you have an existing building that has not previously been part of a commissioning program, or maybe wish to have your heating plant re-verified, please do not hesitate to give us a call.

Why Commissioning