Autumn Care Mechanicsville

On 19 October 2023, Energy Efficient Technologies (EET) and Tri-S Technologies (Tri-S), began an HVAC performance improvement demonstration at the Autumn Care facility in Mechanicsville, VA. Oversight and logistical support were provided by the Saber Healthcare Group team (part of Omega Healthcare), Omega Healthcare Investors, and TRC (representing Dominion Energy). Detailed baseline and post measurements were taken of three (3) split system cooling units (CUs) of various sizes and one walk-in freezer unit serving the Autumn Care facility as shown below. The primary purpose of this exercise was to demonstrate the energy savings, increased efficiency, and carbon footprint reductions achieved by implementing the energy control measure (ECM) CRYOGENX4.

Two different testing methodologies were utilized during this pilot to illustrate the improvements brought on by CRYOGENX4. Each is described below and expanded upon in subsequent sections of this report.
1. IPMVP (international performance measurement and verification protocols) measurements of the 3 CUs and freezer in the baseline and post periods.
2. Continuous power meter monitoring of the 3 CUs and freezer before and after the introduction of the CRYOGENX4 ECM, recorded at 1 minute intervals.

Performance testing in the field first requires the minimization of external variables that may affect the results, positively or negatively. In this demo, the IPMVP readings in both the baseline and post were taken directly at the equipment when the outside air temperatures were identical and when the return air to the respective CU evaporators (located in the attic spaces) were also the same.
When comparing the energy logger data, the team captured and compared five full days of data (7,200 data points in each period recorded at 1-minute intervals) in both the baseline and post periods where the weather was very similar. Given this test was only a few weeks in duration, it is assumed that the occupancy of the facility did not change enough to affect the data. This similarity in weather and operational conditions means no adjustments were needed to the resulting IPMVP or power logger data. This information is listed in each of the charts in the respective equipment appendices as the following:
-Cooling Degree Days (CDD)
-Average High Temperature
-Average Humidity

The average key performance indicators (KPI’s) measured across all the equipment tested using the International Performance & Measurement Verification Protocols (IPMVP) are very consistent with our historical improvements for 11-year-old units such as the units tested, as well as the performance loses caused by oil fouling predicted by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

The average energy use reductions measured directly at each piece of equipment using data loggers is also very consistent on average with both our historical averages and the IPMVP results, thus corroborating both sets of data.