Implementation of commercial energy saving controls in the home environment.

Prepared for:
Christopher McCulloch
MSTM 4060 Instructor
Memorial University of Newfoundland

Prepared by:
Ray Bursey
Student number: 200207546
Due: July 24, 2011

Prepared in partial fulfillment of the requirements of
MSTM 4060: Advanced Technical Communications

31 Concord Rd
Conception Bay South, NL, A1X 2C1

July 24, 2011

Mr. Christopher McCulloch
Instructor, Advanced Technical Communications
Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland
PO BOX ???
St. John's, NL, A1C5R3
Dear Mr. McCulloch,
In response to your request during April 2011, I have prepared the following report entitled Implementation of Commercial Energy Saving Controls in the Home
Environment.
As the title of the report suggests, energy saving controls commonly used in the commercial sector are possible and can prove very beneficial. Home automation is a growing field in which research is being conducted at an increasing rate. This report concerning the home automation field makes reference to industry specific and moderately technical terms; therefore to assist with information presented, a glossary has been included in Appendix A.
I have enjoyed working on this report and look forward to presenting the findings in the upcoming PowerPoint presentation portion of the course the week of July 25th, 2011. In the meantime, should there be any questions about the report you can contact me at (709)727-2326, or at Raymond.bursey@honeywell.com. I look forward to your feedback and resulting grade for this assignment.

Sincerely,

R. Bursey
Ray Bursey

iii
Executive Summary

The objective of this report is to present the results from a study on the feasibility of installing commercial energy saving control systems in a residential setting. This report is in response to MSTM4060 course requirements for the 2010-2011 spring semester at the
Marine Institute (Memorial University) Distance Education Campus.

The automation sector has grown a large amount over the past two decades. Driven by commercial enterprises in search of ways to keep costs down (often energy expenses are likely to account for more than 25 percent of total operating costs), the automation sector allows for large savings in energy costs by utilizing a variety of sensors, meters, and motors. The growth of the commercial automation sector has recently spurred growth in the residential controls market. While commercial and residential systems are very different there are still similarities that allow for commercial systems to apply in a residential setting.

This report required no direct costs; however resources in the form of people, time, and equipment were used in developing it.

Automation is often achieved through the use of a variety of sensors, programmable logic controllers, and items that accept voltage to change their state (ie: relay or motor). When tied together in the correct manner these items can save energy and maintain both comfort and efficiency. These systems often have the ability to incorporate networking

iv technologies to enable an organization to view many areas of information and energy use from a remote location.

Residential automation technologies are not as common as commercial, but they are becoming more commonplace. Currently there isn’t much available that provides the same abilities and configurability as in commercial automation, but the market is growing. Common technologies seen for the residential market allow control of lighting, heating, ventilation, and entertainment. Some high end systems even allow for the control of window blinds.

Construction costs vary among both commercial and residential automation jobs depending on size, but commercial construction jobs are usually much more expensive than their residential counterparts. Small commercial automation jobs can start at $5000 and run into the millions for larger jobs. Residential jobs can range from a small retrofit costing a few hundred to a complete household system ranging from $5000 to $15000.

When comparing the average energy expenditures of household appliances to the energy expenditure of those appliances under control there are some striking differences. The average heat recovery unit can draw approximately $11 in electricity a month, whereas if controlled it can be cut in half. The average water heater however would not realize these same savings as they are so well insulated that they do not lose heat readily and thus do not cycle on and off as older models would. Automated lighting, like a HRV can save a large amount of energy when compared to the average lighting system. For example

v keeping a 60 watt light-bulb on for 6 hours would cost about 3.7 cents. Such costs can be lowered through automation. Automating baseboard heat can also provide substantial savings through incorporation of programmable thermostats. These thermostats allow for tighter temperature control and energy savings by turning set-points down when unoccupied just as with automated lighting.

While the architecture of a commercial system can be vastly different than that of a residential system, many concepts still apply. While many concepts may apply they are not all justifiable based on cost savings. Research conducted through the course of this report recommends that to offset home energy costs the following is preferred:
-

Starting/stopping HRV with a programmed schedule using a digital controller

-

Insulating hot water boiler and lines

-

Installation of programmable thermostats

-

Installation of occupancy sensor or lighting timer on commonly used lighting.

These recommendations will be presented with supporting material to an audience the week of July 25th in the form of a PowerPoint presentation to detail the findings of the report. vi

1.0

Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1

1.1

Purpose ................................................................................................................ 1

1.2

Background ......................................................................................................... 1

1.3

Scope ................................................................................................................... 3

1.4

Methodology ....................................................................................................... 4

1.5

Project Resources ................................................................................................ 4

2.0

Overview of Automation Technology ..................................................................... 6

2.1

Commercial Automation Technology ................................................................. 6

2.2

Home Automation Technology ........................................................................... 8

3.0

Construction Costs ................................................................................................ 10

4.0

Comparative Analysis of Energy Costs ..................................................................11

4.1

Average HRU Costs VS Controlled HRU Costs................................................11

4.2

Average Water Heater Costs VS Controlled Water Heater Costs ..................... 13

4.3

Lighting Costs VS Controlled Lighting Costs .................................................. 14

4.4 Baseboard Heating Costs VS Controlled Baseboard Heating Costs ....................... 15
5.0

Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 16

6.0

Recommendations ................................................................................................. 17

References ......................................................................................................................... 18
Appendix A: Glossary ....................................................................................................... 21
Appendix B: Interviews .................................................................................................... 23

vii
List of Illustrations

Tables
Table 1: Human Resource Breakdown……………………………………………5

1

1.0

1.1

Introduction

Purpose

This project will provide a feasibility study on incorporating environmental control measures often applied in commercial settings in a residential setting. This project is intended to justify the incorporation of a home automation system from an economical and a practical point of view.

1.2

Background

To compete in the global economy and keep up with an environmentally friendly society, businesses strive to conserve both energy and costs. This is achieved through control technologies meant to shed energy load during peak hours and reduce energy consumption when unnecessary (thus giving such systems the name “energy management system). These technologies are usually a combination of meters, sensors and controls which can respond to changes in the external environment (Green & Marvin, 1994).
Known in the construction world as “automation” or “controls”, this field of work entails the control of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning as well as the control of lighting systems and other powered appliances.

With ever increasing home energy costs, this paper attempts to explore the idea of incorporating cutting edge commercial controls into a residential setting. The

2 incorporation of a home automation system is not a new idea, however such systems are usually only seen in higher end homes as they can be expensive to implement and are usually only employed in new construction. While the installation of a home automation system may cost more initially, these extra costs would be offset by the potential savings brought forward by the system.

The more common energy saving features in residential settings include:
•

installation of better insulation/windows and

•

programmable thermostats.

Common energy saving features in commercial settings include:
•

Installation of better insulation

•

Programmable thermostats

•

Controlling heating and cooling through a combination of related tasks (ie: increasing fan speed and lowering blinds while turning off baseboard heat to cool a room).

•

Turning off or cycling power to appliances during off hours

•

Turning lighting off when unoccupied

•

Remote connectivity and control

Home owners require an alternative to their current energy saving solutions that takes into account not only residential equipment, but the lives of the occupants as well. The alternative solutions must be easily implemented and operated, while providing superior

3 savings. By assessing the costs of installing a home automation system from the initial construction phase and the potential power savings resulting in having an automated system, one can determine if savings from such systems would warrant potential costs.

1.3

Scope

The intended audience for this technical report is Christopher McCulloch, the instructor for MSTM 4060.

The scope of this project will focus on the energy and cost savings that can be realized through installation of commercial energy saving controls in a residential setting. Such control systems are common in commercial and industrial settings; however they are only now making their way into the residential markets (and only to higher end construction projects). Major topics that will be discussed and evaluated throughout this report are:

•

Construction costs of a normal house versus an automated house

•

Typical energy costs vs controlled energy costs

There are constraints placed on this project regarding the time frame as the due date for the technical report is July 24, 2011.

4
1.4

Methodology

Information required for this report has been obtained through a combination of primary and secondary research. Primary research includes interviews with experienced automation technicians to obtain knowledge on energy saving ideas common in their industry and how they could apply in the residential world. Secondary research consists of calculations based on current rates at Newfoundland Power, comparisons of current studies on home automation, and additional online sources regarding current and future trends. Sources researched as of the date of this submission can be found in the reference section of this proposal with digital copies attached.

1.5

Project Resources

While there were no direct costs in this project, resources were used in the form of people, time, and equipment.

Material used throughout the course of this project is obtained free of charge on loan from
Honeywell Ltd. In addition to material on loan from Honeywell, there will have to be a small amount of electrical wire used in wiring devices for testing.

5
Several people resources were used throughout the course of the project including the time researching information for the project, interviewing Tony Price and Ernest Mallay, conducting experiments and writing the report. The proceeding presentation remains a budgeted time expense and will be updated for the presentation.

Table 1 (see below) summarizes the total cost/resources for this report including budgeted expenses for the presentation.

Table 1: Human Resource Breakdown

In Depth
Research
(Including
Interviews)
Human
Resources
(Hours)

Report
Preparation

Report
Submission

Presentation
Preparation

Presentation
Delivery

Total

42

20

1

6

1

70

6
2.0

Overview of Automation Technology

The current state of automation technology is vastly different when comparing commercial and residential settings. Current studies regarding residential automation are showing that the field is growing and are incorporating technologies from commercial automation. 2.1

Commercial Automation Technology

Despite the size of the commercial business (small, medium, or large), energy expenses are likely to account for more than 25 percent of that businesses total operating costs
(Honeywell Energy Management Systems, n.d.). With increased competition and pressure to cut costs and increase profits, many commercial enterprises are turning to energy management services to reduce such costs through the use of automation technology. In most cases the application of automation technology refers to controlling the HVAC
(heating, ventilation, and cooling), mechanical, and lighting within a building.

Automation is achieved through the use of a variety of sensors (temperature, pressure, smoke, etc.), programmable digital controllers and items that accept voltage to change their state (ie: relay’s, variable frequency drives, actuators, etc.). When used correctly, such items can detect a condition change (ie: low temperature in a room, calculate how to correct the change (ie: increase heat output) and then output the desired voltage to enable

7 the change (ie: turn on a SCR, or open a heating valve). This example, while relatively simple, is the basis of the automation process.

If a building is not in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, then typically nighttime energy use should only be about 10% of the total daytime use (Harris, 2011). It is a common sight to see lighting systems with both timers and occupancy sensors installed to reduce reliance on staff/employees to manually adjust lighting when an area is unoccupied, thus reducing energy bills. The same idea is used when dealing with the
HVAC system(s). Quite often, air handling units, fans, pumps, chillers, and heating devices are operated on controlled schedules (ie: occupied hours) to reduce energy consumption. For example if an office is unoccupied after 6pm and nobody is in the area until 8 am the next morning, it is a huge waste of energy to keep heating (or cooling) the space during such times. So quite often you will find heaters and/or chillers will be turned off during these unoccupied hours to save on energy consumption.

Commercial automation also relies on the use of networking and internet technologies to allow for remotely connecting to a system and viewing/commanding items such as temperature or temperature set-points. This enables an organization to view their energy expenditures or view potential issues. It also enables an organization to take corrective measures (Price, 2011). For example the Government of Canada can view the temperature of the office of a team leader in St. John’s, Newfoundland and see that it is too warm and something may be wrong. They can then call the appropriate service organization to resolve the issue.

8
Combined the above aspects save companies a countless amount in energy costs and allow them to be more environmentally friendly. In addition, automation enables a company to increase the comfort and efficiency of the workplace.

2.2

Home Automation Technology

Home automation covers a broad field of “intelligent” electronic or mechanical devices in the home (domestic) environment (Van der Viles & Van Bronswijk, 2009). It (home automation) attempts to answer the same energy saving issues as in construction/commercial automation. While not as common as in the commercial world, it is gaining popularity in residential settings. According to George West, senior analyst at
West Technology Research Solutions, home builders are installing high end ($10,000 and up) systems, while everyday hobbyists are installing lower end systems (Dodge, 2006).
Research shows there isn’t much available to the middle ground that comes close to giving the same abilities and configurability as in commercial automation (Bursey, 2011).
Few doubt the market is growing, but home automation is falling short of its vast potential (Dodge, 2006).

Current common home automation technologies allow for the control and automation of lighting, heating and ventilation as in most commercial settings. They also allow for the control of power, entertainment (video, cable, DVD, etc.), and even items such as blinds.
Research has shown that there are groups using existing computer and automation technologies to automate small appliances (ie: teakettle), or even to replace the aging

9 combination of the VCR and TV guide by using computer oriented solutions (Goodwin,
2010).

More recently home automation is aiding in the area of independent living. This area may be complicated as user requirements may vary on a person by person basis due to the degree of support each person may require (Nugent, Finlay, Fiorini, Tsumaki, & Prassler,
2008). Some examples can be deliverance of scheduled medication(s), muscle stimulators, or even opening doors/cupboards with the touch of a button.

10
3.0

Construction Costs

Construction costs vary regardless of the discipline. Within the commercial construction industry a job can range from as low as $5000 to several million dollars depending on the scale and complexity of the job. When calculating the cost of the automation and controls of a job items such as what devices and controllers are needed, how much wire is needed, and how many people hours are needed to complete the job (Mallay, 2011)

The typical residential construction job isn’t as large in scale as its commercial counterparts, and costs are not as high either. The typical home automation installation can range anywhere between $5000 and $15000 (Home Remodeling Guide, 2011).

The differences in price between commercial and residential jobs are not only due to the size and complexity of the job, but also in the cost of more specialized and complex equipment (Mallay, 2011).

11
4.0

Comparative Analysis of Energy Costs

When comparing energy costs for the purposes of this paper, there will be assumptions made to simplify calculations. The first assumption is that start-up current draw will be overlooked. The next assumption is that monthly charges will not be included in calculations as per power utility regulations. For the purposes of this report calculations will be power (WATTS/hr) x charge ($/WATT). Appliances and/or instrument power usages will be taken from commonly used appliances in homes reaching approximately
2000 square feet.

4.1

Average HRU Costs VS Controlled HRU Costs

A heat recovery unit (or heat recovery ventilator) is a ventilation system that allows for the transfer of heat from exhaust air to supply air to expel stale air and replenish an area with fresh, warm air (Price, 2011).

The Venmar EA1500 has an average power draw of 140 watts per hour (Venmar, 2011).
Units such as this typically run 24 hours a day for the life of the unit unless the user/home owner decides to turn it off manually (Price, 2011). While most have a high and low speed, the same approximate power is drawn. This particular unit would draw 3360 watts
(24 hours x 140 watts) in one day, and 100,800 watts in 30 days (3360 watts x 30 days).
Newfoundland Power charges its domestic service customers a rate of 10.407 centers per kWh (Newfoundland Power Inc., 2011). So when this charge of 10.407 cents per kWh is

12 applied to the total wattage used there is a monthly average of $10.49 (100800/1000 x
0.10407) applied to the customer’s bill for the use of their HRU.

When attempting to control the operation of a HRU it is important to schedule times to enable and disable the unit without taking away from the effectiveness of the unit. The basic premise behind the use of a HRU is that it exchanges stale air with fresh air while attempting to recover heat from the exhaust air for tempering the air entering the home
(HomeTips.com, 2011). When taking this into consideration, the time in which a HRU is least needed would be overnight while occupants are asleep. This does not mean the HRU has to be on throughout the day however, it can be cycled periodically. Reason would dictate that automation of a home HRU would be off for 1 hour out of every 4 during the day (between 7am and 11pm), and off for the majority of the night, turning on for a half hour every 3 hours (Price, 2011).

Given the above schedule the HRU would be off for 4 hours between 7am and 11pm, and it would also be off for 6.7 hours between 11pn and 7am. This gives a total run time of
13.3 hours per day. When extrapolated over a 30 day time period this accounts for 399 hours of operation for a cost of 5.81 per month (399 hours x 140 W / 1000 kW/W x
0.10407 cents = 5.8133502). This results in a savings of approximately 45% (4.68/10.49
= 0.4461).

When calculated over a year, automating the home HRU has the potential to save up to
$56.16 (125.88-69.72) based on Newfoundland Power Inc. rates.

13
4.2

Average Water Heater Costs VS Controlled Water Heater Costs

In the United States domestic water heating is estimated to account for approximately
15% of electricity usage (Anguilar, C., White, D.J., & Ryan, D., 2005). While there are many models with varying degrees of power usage, the average newer model containing dual elements draws 6000 watts per hour (Price, 2011).

Unlike the HRU the domestic hot water heater is not always running,. As a result it is not possible to accurately calculate the average power draw on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis. The elements only draw power when either the water in the boiler has cooled below a certain temperature or the hot water that was in the tank has been used. Newer model hot water heaters are extremely well insulated so the likelihood that there will be much power consumption due to the boiler losing heat is extremely low. With that known, the most effective cost saving measure would to insulate the tank further.

There are other possible cost saving measures that could be implemented, although they would not be considered automation and thus are not included for the purpose of this report. 14
4.3

Lighting Costs VS Controlled Lighting Costs

The operation of lighting within the house can have a profound impact on one’s electric bill, just as in a commercial building. While lighting fixtures and types may be different, there are still mass amounts of energy required to operate them.

Common control techniques of commercial lighting are the use of photocells (which detect the presence of light thus turning off an artificial light and/or fixture) and occupancy sensors. Occupancy sensors are usually standalone devices that act as their own controller. When triggered, these sensors allow current to flow to the light thus turning it on. When the room is not occupied for any lengthy period of time (ie: 30 minutes), the sensor breaks the circuit thereby turning off the light(s). This same control can easily be installed in the home and are available online and at local hardware stores.

To give a quantifiable value to the amount of savings such a device can provide it is as simple as multiplying the wattage of the light bulb (ie: 0.060 kilo-watts) by the length of time it is on (ie: 6 hours) and the price per watt-hour (0.10407) giving you the cost of using that light source for that amount of time (ie: 3.7 cents). When this is calculated for all the lights in a home that are in operation the cost can be substantial.

As with other aspects of home automation, the market is growing to include programming and automation of even the lights in a home (Dodge, 2006). Such products can even allow for remotely turning lights on and off when away.

15
4.4

Baseboard Heating Costs VS Controlled Baseboard Heating Costs

Baseboard heat can account for a large amount of energy expenditure in both a residential and a commercial setting. Quite often people tend to “set and forget” their thermostats to a comfortable temperature, leaving their heat on even when not home.

Just as with lighting in the home, baseboard heat can account for a large percentage of one’s energy costs. Baseboard heat however cannot be calculated as easily as a lighting fixture. Heat loss and retention play a large role in how often a heater is forced to come on and draw power. However when on, a heater can draw as little as 250 watts per hour or
3000 watts or more per hour (depending on the size of heater and area it is installed).

To combat this, both commercial and residential settings make use of programmable thermostats. These thermostats allow for control of heat in a room to +/- 0.5 degrees
Celsius (TakeChargeNL, 2011) and can be programmed to come on at certain times (ie when getting home from work) and turn off when not occupied or asleep.

Just as with new lighting systems available, newer heating systems also can allow for remotely enabling and disabling while improving control for further savings and increased convenience.

16
5.0

Conclusion

The system architecture of commercial systems is quite different than that of a residential system. This is mainly due to the size and complexity of their systems. Aside from the size and complexity however, the amount of energy (thus money) that can be reclaimed through automation in commercial settings has driven the commercial automation sector to improve its technologies while the residential sector has remained stagnant. Recent developments and increased interest has made residential automation a possibility that is open to nearly all people, while systems that rival that of a commercial setting are usually only available to the wealthy. During the past six weeks, research and evaluation of home automation methods has been conducted; the recommendations resulting from this research and evaluation are summarized below.

17
6.0

Recommendations

Many commercial automation technologies are applicable to the residential world, however some are more cost efficient and provide more benefit than others. The following are recommended actions based on return on investment:
-

Starting and stopping a HRV based on a programmed schedule using a digital controller and remote starter/relay. Installation can cost between $50 to $200 and save approximately $100 a year.

-

Insulating hot water boiler and lines. To improve boiler efficiency

-

Installation of programmable thermostats at a cost of $30 to $100 to aid in temperature control and to allow for power savings when heat is not needed.

-

Installation of occupancy sensor or lighting timer on commonly used lights (ie: outdoor lights, living areas) to reduce wasted energy from lights being on when not required or wanted.

These recommendations and supporting material will be presented to an audience the week of July 25th with a view to detailing findings of this report. Any issues or questions will be addressed during this presentation.

18
References

Anguilar, C., White, D.J., & Ryan, D. (2005). Domestic Water Heating and Water
Heater Energy Consumption in Canada. Canadian Building Energy End-Use
Data and analysis Centre. CBEEDAC-2005-RP-02.

Bursey, R. (April-July, 2011). Automation Technician, Honeywell Ltd, St. John’s, NL.
Personal Observations.

Dodge, J. (2006, July). Home Beep Home. Electronic Business. 42-5

Goodwin, S. (2010). Smart Home Automation with Linux. New York, NY: APress.

Green, J. & Marvin, S. (1994). Energy efficiency and home automation. University of
Newcastle, Center for Urban Technology.

Harris, E. (April 2011). Money-Saving Lessons in Energy Management. Integrated
Solutions for Retailers.

Home Remodeling Guide. (2011). How home automation can help cut costs and save energy. Retrieved from http://www.homeremodelingguide.ca/how-homeautomation-can-help-cut-costs-and-save-energy

19
HomeTips.com. (2011). How A Heat Recovery Ventilator Works. Retrieved from http://www.hometips.com/how-it-works/heat-recovery-ventilator-hrv.html Honeywell (n.d.). Energy Management Systems. Retrieved from https://buildingsolutions.honeywell.com/Cultures/enUS/ServicesSolutions/MaintenanceUpgradesRenovations/EnergyManagement Services/

Mallay, E. (July 7, 2011). Project Manager, Honeywell Ltd, St. John’s, NL. Personal
Communication.

Nugent, C., Finlay, D., Fiorini, P., Tsumaki, Y., & Prassler, E. (2008). Home
Automation as a Means of Independent Living. IEEE Transactions on
Automation Science and Engineering. 5(1).

Price, T. (June-July, 2011). Senior Automation Technician, Honeywell Ltd, St. John’s,
NL. Personal Communication.

TakeChargeNL. (2011). Take Charge NL Thermostat Rebate Program [Brochure].

20
Van der Viles, R., & Van Bronswijk, J. (2009, September). Home automation as an example of construction innovation. Paper presented at the Global Innovation in Construction Conference, Loughborough University, UK.

Venmar Inc. (2011). EA 1500 Product Specifications. Retrieved from http://www.venmar.ca/AfficherProduit.aspx?id=1&langue=en 21

Appendix A: Glossary

22
Glossary

Home Automation: Home automation (also called domotics) is the residential extension of "building automation". It is automation of the home, housework or household activity

HRV (HRU): Heat Recovery Venilator (or Heat Recovery Unit), is a machine that brings fresh air into a home through a process that preheats the air so it has less impact on your utility bill.

Energy Management: A program of well-planned actions aimed at reducing energy use, recurrent energy costs and detrimental greenhouse gas emissions

Programmable Controllers: A programmable logic controller (PLC) or programmable controller is a digital computer used for automation of electromechanical processes, such as control of machinery on factory assembly lines, amusement rides, or lighting fixtures.
PLCs are used in many industries and machines

SCR: Silicon Controlled Rectifier -- a three-electrode solid-state device which permits current to flow in one direction only, and does this only when a suitable potential is applied to the third electrode, called the gate. Used in HVAC applications to provide heating by sending high voltage through the SCR to raise temperature.

23

Appendix B: Interviews

24
Interview: Tony Price

Ray Bursey: Tony, could you please tell me your title and role at Honeywell Ltd.?
Tony Price: Sure, I’m a senior construction technician.
Ray Bursey: How long have you worked at Honeywell?
Tony Price: Over 20 years.
Ray Bursey: What are your main duties at Honeywell Ltd.?
Tony Price: I mainly deal with highly technical aspects when it comes to customer IT and front end equipment.
Ray Bursey: What do you mean, “front end”?
Tony Price: A “front end” is essentially a computer or station where the customer can log in and view any aspect of their organization in real time. Whether it be the temperature and set-point in a room to security camera in a parking lot, the front end allows for a more control of a building or campus.
Ray Bursey: What do you know of the Venmar units that are typically in a new home?
Tony Price: They’re actually called Heat Recovery Units, Venmar is just a brand name.
Because new homes are so well sealed from the outside, these units allow for fresh air to be brought into a home but allow this fresh air to be tempered from the exhaust air, thereby cooling the air entering in the summer and warming the air entering in the winter.
They typically run for 24 hours a day to provide this fresh air to the home, although depending on how the control module is set it could deliver more or less outside air.
Ray Bursey: How could someone save money with their HRU?

25
Tony Price: Well you would have to turn off the system entirely during unoccupied hours, just as we would in a large building air handler. But seeing as the air inside a home could get stale and moisture could build up, you would only want to cycle the power off every so often to keep some minimum fresh air. Throughout the day it would be fine to turn it off for an hour every 3 or 4 hours because it would more than likely be occupied, but overnight when people are sleeping thus requiring less oxygen you could have it turn off for the majority of the night. I would only have it on for a half hour to a hour every 3 or 4 hours, just enough to refresh the air and turn off again.
Ray Bursey: What do you know about domestic water heaters?
Tony Price: Typically water heaters keep a set amount of hot water available at all times.
As water is used or heat is lost, the element(s) inside the unit turn on to heat the water again. Newer boilers have a dual element setup, each being about 3000 watts. This heats the water very fast when needed. You would think that this would be a large use of electricity, but newer boilers are so well insulated that they may only lose a couple of degrees throughout the day and may not need to heat water until the hot water is used from the tank. So the boilers only really draw that power when hot water is used, and it doesn’t draw it for long. You can buy these “water heater blankets” that are often used to further insulate a water heater. They range in price but are effective in insulating the boilers. Ray Bursey: Thanks for your time, Tony.
Tony Price: You’re welcome.

26
Interview Ernest Mallay

Ray Bursey: Ernest, could you please tell me your title and role at Honeywell Ltd.?
Ernest Mallay: Certainly, I’m Project Manager in charge of new construction.
Ray Bursey: How long have you worked at Honeywell?
Ernest Mallay: I’ve been at Honeywell for over 20 years.
Ray Bursey: What are your duties as Project Manager?
Ernest Mallay: To ensure projects are delivered on time while still meeting the objectives of scope, quality, and cost.
Ray Bursey: Speaking of cost, what are typical costs for automation in construction?
Answer: Costs always vary from job to job. Sometimes a job can be controlling HVAC to a small area such as 1 or 2 rooms, other times it could be 100’s. In terms of cost, could be
$5000, $5,000,000, or more depending on the scope of the project and what products are used. Ray Bursey: You mentioned cost can be changed by depending on the type of products being used. Could you elaborate? What other items could drive cost?
Ernest Mallay: Certainly, Depending on the size and complexity, there are different models or versions of controllers, sensors, and actuators. Some are meant to be in harsher environments than others for instance. Some can handle more inputs and outputs and are better suited to larger jobs than a smaller one. There are also differences concerning the communication protocols and networking options. Honeywell has their own proprietary system called XL5000 which only Honeywell employees can work on, and then there are open source systems which anyone can work on. It all factors into how a job is designed

27 and how much it could cost. Other than just products, job costs vary depending on how many people are working on that job, and how long they are working for. If it is a small job it may require a few hours of programming, a few hours of wiring, and a few for testing. A larger job may require months of programming, months of wiring, and a month or two testing.
Ray Bursey: Thanks for answering my questions Ernest.
Ernest Mallay: No problem, Ray