Chicago’s Iconic Willis Tower Undergoes Historic Transition
Gary Michon, Willis Tower’s general manager, discusses his approach to improving efficiencies at the iconic Chicago building.
variable frequency drives
Willis Tower Becomes Largest Office Building To Earn Energy Star Certification
Chicago’s iconic Willis Tower has earned Energy Star certification, becoming the largest office building and the third largest building overall to have the designation, according to property manager Equity Office. Willis Tower, previously known as the Sears Tower, was originally constructed in 1973. Owned by the Blackstone Group, the building ... Read more »
The Changing Face of HVAC Motor Control
The drive toward energy efficiency is changing just about everything a facility manager has to track – including HVAC motor controls. The use of variable frequency drives (VFDs) to control motors are a common approach to powering HVAC systems. A VFD, according to VFD.com, is a motor controller that uses frequency and ... Read more »
Mitsubishi Variable Frequency Drives Save Energy in HVAC
Mitsubishi Electric Automation introduced the F800 Series variable frequency drive (VFD) for precise motor speed control to improve efficiency of air movement through HVAC systems. While the F800 is especially suitable for HVAC applications, including air handlers, cooling towers and pumps, this multi-functional F800 is also appropriate for pumps and ... Read more »
Optimizing Set Points, Equipment Controls Saves 6% in Energy
SmartWatt Energy completed an energy upgrade project for wire rope manufacturer Bridon American at its Hanover, Pennsylvania, facility. Prior to the energy efficiency project, the manufacturer’s facilities consumed over 13 million kWh per year. After the installation of an energy management system and program to optimize set points, sequences and ... Read more »
Waste Management Replaces Data Center Chillers
As part of a facility upgrade, Waste Management, headquartered in Houston, Texas, replaced its chiller plants to serve its data center facility in Austin, one of two data centers the company operates. Over time, it had become clear that the two original air-cooled chiller plants in the 2002-built facility needed ... Read more »
Schneider Receives Certification for Variable Frequency Drives
Schneider Electric received certification from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) for performance criteria established in Standard 1210. Certified products include the Altivar 212, Altivar 61, S-Flex and E-Flex variable frequency drives (VFDs) offered by Schneider Electric. Schneider Electric is the first manufacturer to be listed in the AHRI VFD ... Read more »
Eaton, American Society for Healthcare Engineering Work on Power Management Challenges
Eaton is collaborating with the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) on critical power management solutions for the healthcare industry. Eaton experts will develop technical content focused on advancing energy efficiency and power resiliency through lighting, critical power and building efficiency for healthcare environments. As part of the collaboration, Eaton will ... Read more »
Great Lakes Aquarium Cuts Energy by 10%
The Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, Minn., is improving the energy efficiency of its 64,000-sq-foot facility with the goal of reducing its electrical consumption by 30 percent by 2016. A 30 percent reduction would cut $2,000 off its average monthly utility bills. Since the aquarium launched its energy efficiency effort ... Read more »
Brewer Recommends ‘Diverse Approach to Green Power’
Sierra Nevada Brewing, based in Chico, Calif., has been an EPA Green Power Partner since 2007. The company recently told the EPA: “Our green energy strategy first began with energy efficiency to make sure we were using our electricity as efficiently as possible. We implemented this through lighting upgrades, installing ... Read more »