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Measurement & Verification /

Long-Term NRA Approach for Adjusting the Condenser Approach of a District Cooling Plant in DIP

Our technical expertise has led to the development of a new NRA approach for adjusting the condenser approach during the operation of a retrofitted district cooling plant in DIP

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Background Story


The client is recognized as one of the leading district cooling providers in the United Arab Emirates. They have an extensive portfolio of District Cooling Plants (DCPs) and are keen on pursuing substantial opportunities to expand their operations throughout the Gulf region's dynamic property development market. The client was interested in enhancing the efficiency of their plants and reducing their energy consumption costs. As a result, they reached out to Ark Energy. The specific project in question was centered around one of the client's DCPs. After implementing the energy efficiency retrofit, the ESCO commenced the measurement and verification (M&V) reporting process. It was observed that the application of multiple Non-Routine Adjustments (NRAs) by the ESCO, triggered by operating condenser at high approach.

Challenge

The issue stems from the ESCO implementing numerous non-routine adjustments (NRAs) in response to changes in condenser approach made by the district cooling plant operator. While the ESCO is entitled to claim for NRAs upon adjusting the condenser approach, it must clearly inform the client about the impact of manually overriding the condenser operating conditions and specify whether the adjustment was made by the operator or the ESCO. This frequent claiming of NRAs for condenser approach negatively affects overall savings, undermining stakeholders' trust and confidence in the reported savings figures.


Main Objective


The primary objective is to develop an NRA approach for manually overriding the condenser approach that minimizes and accurately reflects the impact of non-routine adjustments, avoiding adverse effects on both the ESCO and the client. This approach aims to accurately reflect the actual savings and achieved energy efficiency as per the investment-grade audit.


Approach

 
The Ark Energy team, serving as a client consultant, collaborated with both the Client and the ESCO to develop strategic mitigation measures as per the IPMVP aimed at minimizing non-routine adjustments (NRAs) within the Measurement and Verification (M&V) reports. These measures have been carefully crafted to enhance the accuracy and reliability of energy efficiency assessments, with a primary focus on streamlining processes to yield more consistent results. Some of the key measures that were utilized include the following:
  • Developing a tailored operational incident log to facilitate the tracking of any changes in condenser approach, including the date of the override, the responsible party (ESCO or client), and whether the plant was in automatic or manual operation
  • Creating guidelines to facilitate the calculation of Non-Routine Adjustments (NRAs) of condenser approach in accordance with the chosen Measurement and Verification (M&V) option, including the development of pre-agreed operating thresholds and condition
  • Developing a new calculation methodology for high condenser approach as per IPMVP, which accurately reflects the impact of adjusting condenser approach on energy consumption

Results

The results that were generated from the project include the following:
  • Reducing the NRAs by 25%
  • Reflecting accurately the energy savings (AED)
  • Reducing the time for reviewing the NRAs by 45%

​


 

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