Be a part of NADCA's Next Energy Study!

Posted on 04/27/2021

If you attended the 32nd Annual Meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, you were given a sneak peek into the results of NADCA's recent energy study in Pearl, Mississippi, and had the opportunity to hear from the study's academic advisor, Dr. Mark Hernandez. We're excited to continue our work with Dr. Hernandez and move closer to officially publicizing the excellent findings but need to first complete a third study of a commercial system. The ideal building will be in the Southwestern region, in a warm, dry climate.

We are seeking two dirty HVAC systems, about 10-ton units with approximately 100 feet of duct or at least enough ductwork so that we can measure the impact of cleaning. One system will be cleaned by the NADCA member and NADCA will pay for that cost, not the client. Each system will have sensors installed on the power lines of the fan and condenser coil to measure energy use before and after cleaning. Other sensors will be installed to measure things like temperature, humidity, and particle counts. All sensors will be removed at the end of the study.

The project will start on approximately June 15 and cleaning will be done in about 7 stages so we can monitor energy changes after each stage of the cleaning. Each stage will be 1 to 2 weeks apart. We will also take air volume readings at the register after most of the stages. Each stage should take about a day or less. Because of so many trips, it is best if the job site is less than an hour from the NADCA member's workplace.  

More data is below. We need to select a site immediately for preparation in June. 

Criteria for Candidate HVAC System

  • Must be 5-10 tons, possibly a little larger
  • Must have sufficient number and length of ducts with some turns to reflect a typical duct system
  • Blueprints or simple drawing of system
  • Must not have variable speed fan or, if it does, one that can be put in fixed speed for the study
  • Must be an independent system, not joined with other systems, on a multi-unit chiller system, etc.
  • We need a duplicate or similar system in same area with similar occupant load to use as a control
  • Must be fairly typical, without too many added variables such as many reheat coils or other inline restrictions
  • Must be in a reliable area so system is fully accessible through all scheduled phases of study
  • Must be able to wet wash evaporator coil, blower, and condenser coil
  • Must have permission of system owner to monitor system up to three months
  • It needs to be dirty, verified by duct cam and/or photos of ducts and coils

If you have a potential site please contact Dan Stradford, the NADCA Scientific Committee chairman, at 626-676-0817 or dan.s@actionduct.com.

NADCA members, click here for a sample email to send to your customers.