Saving energy with HVAC retrofits: The Infosys approach
Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) consumes a major portion of energy in a building. To address this, Infosys embarked upon an aggressive energy efficiency drive in 2008.
HVAC was the primary focus area for energy savings through system upgradation and optimization. Infosys optimized the operation pattern, replaced inefficient equipment, re-engineered chiller plants and added smart controls for demand-based operations.
A case study published by Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) showcases the new benchmarks that were created for air-conditioning at Infosys. The article maps the exact process and implementation that Infosys undertook.
The retrofit project in Mysore, which is the focus of the case study, was implemented in Global Education Center 1. The project was completed in the end of September 2011, and as of now, the energy data shows a reduction in energy consumption of about 30% when compared with the previous year.
With a payback period of less than two years, the project proves that major retrofits increase energy efficiency, result in energy and cost savings and are commercially viable.
This article was published in the April-June 2012 issue of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Journal, the magazine of ISHRAE (Indian Society of heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers)
