How they measure up

Not cool enough in summer. Not warm enough in winter. Guests staying at a prestigious country club in New York state complained regularly about the air conditioning and heating of their luxury suites and apartments. The geothermal heat exchange system serving this facility had never, in fact, been fully functional. The system’s maintenance staff had witnessed pump shutdowns as well, with the pumps simply, unexpectedly ceasing to work. Resetting the entire system seemed to be the only way to get them up and running again. Ultimately, a better solution was found. A balancing company was brought in to correct system efficiencies. Utilizing a clamp-on ultrasonic flow meter, company engineers were able to investigate the ground water loops, spot the sources of trouble, and make decisions that would save the country club more than $100,000 a year in utility bills. Clamp-on ultrasonic flow meters – portable or permanent – are valuable tools for helping district energy providflow meters) are also used in district energy applications, clamp-on ultrasonic flow meters are often an optimal solution. Externally mounted, and available in portable and permanent models, they are especially well-suited for use with existing hot or chilled-water distribution lines. In existing applications they are quick, easy and less expensive to install than other flow meter options because there is no need to cut the line, interrupt service or drain the pipe. They also ers, building owners and managers, and others measure and manage their system performance in a number of ways. These units provide the baseline and load profile information needed to effectively optimize system efficiency and reduce energy consumption – and costs.