Cut HVAC energy costs by as much as 20% using a new technology to eliminate the #1 energy waster in commerical buildings

1. Significantly Reducing Your Facility’s
Operating Costs – New Technologies
Offer New Strategies
Neal Walsh
Senior VP, Aeroseal LLC

2. Learning Objectives:
1. Review significant impact that duct leakage can
have on their overall operating expenses
2. Learn how to identify evidence of duct leakage in
their own buildings and how to determine the
cost savings they could realize
3. Learn about the pros and cons of various duct
sealing methods including the latest
breakthrough technologies developed by the DOE
4. Review examples of where effective duct sealing
methods were used to reduce energy costs and
solve other problems associated with duct
leakage

3. Commercial buildings
Duct Leakage:
• 74% of contractors find that most U.S.
buildings have significant duct leakage (BCA)
• 75% of commercial buildings do not meet the
latest standards for proper ventilation (ASHRAE /
EPA)
• On Average, 10%-30% of air provided by
HVAC supply systems does not reach the
intended occupied space (LBNL)
PERVASIVE

4. Commercial buildings
Duct Leakage:
• Duct leakage is typically the single biggest
factor in building energy waste (McKinsey Study
2009)
• On Average, 10%-30% of air provided by
HVAC supply systems does not reach the
intended occupied space (LBNL)
• The U.S. loses about $25 billion dollars
annually in wasted energy lost through duct
leakage (DOE)
CONSEQUENTIAL

5. Commercial buildings
Duct Leakage:
Internal Leaks – A Triple Threat
1. Increased fan use:
- 20% increase in fan speed =
a 73% jump in energy use.

6. Commercial buildings
Duct Leakage:
Internal Leaks – A Triple Threat
2. Generates internal heat:
- 1Kw of fan power =
3/10 Kw of heat
- AC now has to work
even harder

7. Commercial buildings
Duct Leakage:
Internal Leaks – A Triple Threat
3. Pulls in more outside air:
More air = more treatment
= more energy

8. Commercial buildings
Duct Leakage:
Internal Leaks – A Triple Threat
1. Increased fan use
2. Increased internal heat
3. Increased outside air

9. Ubiquitous problem…
few fixes.
Accessing leaky ducts require demolition
Tradition sealing:
• Heavy demolition
• Costly
• Time-intensive
• Labor-intensive
• Disruptive
Result:
• Increase fan speed
• Heavier equipment
• High energy costs
• Unbalanced systems
More often than not, the problem was simply ignored.

10. Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory:
Mission: Find a duct sealing
alternative:
• Access entire duct system
• Non destructive
• Fast cost-effective
• Safe in all environments
• Effective

11. Aerosol-based duct sealing
• Registers temporarily blocked
• Access ducts through rooftop fans
• Sealant blown into individual shafts
• Sealant particles solidify around leaks only (doesn’t
coat ductwork)
• Computer controlled – immediate results
• Computer generated pre/post results report
NO DEMOLITION – NO INTERRUPTIONS

12. Aerosol-based duct sealing
NO DEMOLITION – NO INTERRUPTIONS

13. • Washington State
• 3-story / 35,000 sq.ft.
• Renovation
Install 70 HVAC Units;
Use existing ducts
Skagit County Admin Building
Aerosol-based duct sealing
• Lower costs
• Reduce disruption
• Eliminate demolition
• Lessen project time
Mission:

14. Skagit County Admin Building
Aerosol-based duct sealing
Sealed four primary duct systems
serving 70 new VAV units.

15. Result:
• Before aerosealing: 15,414 CFM of leakage
• After aerosealing: 1,600 CFM
90% reduction
$3,500 annual savings
4-year payback
70 VAV units / 4 duct systems / 4 days work

16. Result:
Licking Heights Elementary School
Columbus, OH
Reduced duct leakage by
27,350+ CFM
Reduced energy bill by
$45,000/year
Eliminated uneven
heating issues

17. Result:
International Monetary Fund (IMF) HQ
Washington, D.C.
Reduced leakage 83%
Improved air flow 28%
Reduced energy costs by
$102k/year

18. Result:
New York State Medical Center
Elmira, NY
Reduced leakage 97%
Reduced energy costs by
$27,697/annually

19. Result:
• 90% reduction in duct leakage
• Replaced 25 300-watt roof exhaust fans w/140-watt units
Improved Indoor Air Quality,
Eliminated mold problems and
Removed noise issues
Saved $7,000/annually with fan
optimization
Saved $19,000/annually in
reduced gas therms
Carlyle Towers Apartment Complex
New Jersey

20. Result:
Since the successful of the Carlyle Towers project, more than 300
similar New York-area multi-family apartments and office buildings
with central ventilation have been similarly retrofitted.

21. OTHER EXAMPLES:
Hyundai US HQ
Los Angeles
Needed to meet 5% code
Before leak rate: 20%
After leakage rate: 1.1%
Capital Plaza Hotel
Frankfort, Kentucky
Wanted to reduce energy use
Sealing reduced leaks by 90%
Savings: $24,000/annually
Princeton University
Physics lab: Princeton, NJ
Balancing after renovation
Before leak rate: 533 CFM
After leak rate: 8 CFM
System balanced; improved
ventilation
Condell Medical Center
Libertyville, IL
Meet pharmacy ventilation code
Before: 400+ CFM of leakage
After: 20 CFM of leakage
Met strict USP 797 specs
Reduced energy costs by 17%
Florida State Capitol
Tallahassee, FL
Objective: Improve exhaust
Before: 592 CFM of leakage
After: 97 CFM of leakage
Met retrofit code compliance
Improved exhaust
Buildings By Daman
Dubai Intern. Financial
Center
Dubai, UAE
Objective: Energy efficiency
Before: Avg. 1,000 CFM/leakage
After: Avg. 50 CFM/leakage
Building serves as a model of
energy efficiency

22. Significantly Reducing Your Facility’s
Operating Costs – New Technologies
Offer New Strategies
Neal Walsh
Senior VP, Aeroseal LLC
937-428-9300
www.aeroseal.com
Thank You!