Retrofits

Today’s high cost of energy as well as the increasing level of environmental awareness and political measures, spiral the search for modern and more efficient solutions in the field of energy saving.
The environmentally friendly EC+ concept is the result of a close cooperation between Danfoss and NOVENCO and is the latest market response to growing demands for energy saving.
Existing AHUs that get the EC+ upgrade become considerably more energy efficient and move in many cases miles ahead of the competition. This is due to the unmatched EC+ total system efficiencies of up to 85%. The EC+ concept is specifically conceived to increase the efficiencies of HVAC systems and comprises the NOVENCO ZerAx® series of high-efficiency axial fans, high-efficiency IE4 and IE5 permanent magnet (PM) motors and the intelligent and high-efficiency Danfoss VLT® frequency drives.

ENERGY SAVINGS WITH ZERAX® AND EC+
• AT LEAST 20% COMPARED TO BEST-IN-CLASS EC FANS
• TYPICALLY, 40% BY RETROFIT OF OLD PLUG FANS
• TYPICALLY, 50% BY RETROFIT OF OLD CENTRIFUGAL FANS

 

 


EC+ system efficiency and compact AHU system design

In optimum configurations the motor and frequency drive efficiencies can reach above 95%, which together with the ZerAx fan efficiency of 92% brings the overall system efficiency to an impressing 85%. This is 20-25 percentage points better than alternative solutions, such as direct-driven centrifugal plug fans with EC motors. It is currently the highest possible total system efficiency for AHUs on the market. Because of the high efficiencies of the ZerAx, it is possible to design AHUs up to 30% shorter and 30% lighter and still have the same performance characteristics and hence cut expenditures. The ZerAx fans for AHUs are complete plug-and-play solutions to ensure easy and fast installation. The fan noise levels are notably and significantly lower than those from other fan manufacturers. The fan lifetimes are 20+ years, which contribute to sustainability and guarantee low maintenance costs.

 


Fast and easy EC+ upgrades

Non-EC+ fans installed in HVAC systems represent up to 60% of the total energy consumption. NOVENCO's complete plug-and-play solutions guarantee easy and fast retrofit of existing installations without unnecessary replacement of whole AHUs or HVAC systems. Upgrading to EC+ solutions with ZerAx® fans radically reduces energy consumption and maintenance costs, hence increases the efficiency of the whole HVAC system. Retrofit works are often completed in less than 10 hours. The steps from upgradeable candidate to an optimised and energy-efficient EC+ AHU system are outlined below.

 

STEP 1 – Site study
In the site study, the existing HVAC system installations are analysed and described to best understand the requirements. The study is free of charge and gives an indication of the number of achievable benefits, including potential savings and ROIs.

STEP 2 – Estimation
The findings from the site study go into a detailed estimation, which summarises the potential savings in energy consumption, the carbon footprint and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) that are achievable by, for example, retrofitting plug fans installed in existing AHUs with highly efficient ZerAx® axial fans. The estimates include an indication of the cost of the EC+ solution.

STEP 3 – Proof of concept
An external and independent consulting company conducts the Proof of Concept (PoC). The feasibility is verified in an initial trial installation to confirm the estimates. It includes the following.
- measurement and removal of the existing fans in the HVAC system
- installation of ZerAx® axial flow fans
- operation and measurement of the new fans
If the PoC cannot match the estimates, the trial is free of charge.

STEP 4 – Site upgrade
After completion of the PoC and with convincing results, a detailed plan for savings and cost of the entire retrofit-project is drawn up. The upgrade is usually completed in a single or few stages.

 

Examples of the EC+ upgrades

 

 

 

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NOVENCO Building & Industry
Oeverup Erhvervsvej 50-52
4700 Naestved
Denmark

Tel. +45 70 77 88 99
info@novenco-building.com
DK 16 92 66 47

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