What our customers think!

Air conditioning is a significant contributor to peak electricity demand.¹ The increasing use of air conditioning is placing a strain on power systems resulting in the need for investment in power system upgrades to avoid compromising the quality and reliability of electricity supply to certain areas.

Barossa Warehousing, based in South Australia, operates a group of identical warehouses for the storage of bottled wine. When storing wine, it is essential that the warehouses maintain a consistent and regular temperature, particularly as the summer temperatures in the Barossa Valley can regularly reach over 40 degrees Celsius. After installing air conditioning using electric chillers in two identical 2,000 square metre warehouses, the company was faced with an additional upfront cost of $70,000 to run an upgraded power line to enable them to cool a third identical warehouse with another electric chiller.

The solution

The application of Gas Powered Air Conditioning (GPAC) at Barossa Warehousing solved the challenging issue of power constraints at the site. To remove the need to pay $70,000 to run an upgraded power line to the third warehouse, Barossa Warehousing installed three 84kW Yanmar Gas Powered Air Conditioners, using Variable Refrigerant Flow condenser technology, which became operational in January 2008.

This resulted in a saving to Barossa Warehousing as the cost of the GPAC systems was less than the combined cost of the power upgrade and additional electric chiller.

Gas Powered Air Conditioning performance

A data logging exercise was undertaken at Barossa Warehousing over the full 08/09 summer period to compare the performance of the Yanmar GPAC condensers to the electric chillers. This exercise demonstrated that when all three warehouses were kept at the same temperature, the Yanmar GPAC condensers demonstrated an energy cost saving of approximately 32% versus the average energy cost per electric chiller.²

The GPAC condensers also emitted slightly less CO2 emissions than the electric chillers and an observation was made that the Yanmar systems were considerably quieter than the electric chillers.

The facts

• Barossa Warehousing Angaston required cooling for three identical 2,000 sq metre warehouses for the storage of bottled wine.
• Each warehouse required 200kW of cooling capacity to maintain the required 18 degree maximum internal temperature.
• Two warehouses were cooled with electric chillers and Barossa Warehousing was faced with a power upgrade cost of $70,000 to install a third electric chiller system.

The results

• To remove the need to pay $70,000 to run an upgraded power line to the third warehouse, Barossa Warehousing installed three 84kW Yanmar Gas Powered Air Conditioners.
• This resulted in a saving to Barossa Warehousing as the cost of the GPAC systems was less than the combined cost of the power upgrade and additional electric chiller system.
• The Yanmar condensers demonstrated an energy cost saving of approximately 32% versus the average energy cost per electric chiller.

The University of NSW (UNSW) has close to 40,000 students, with the main campus located on a 38-hectare site at Kensington, seven kilometres from the centre of Sydney.

Currently, UNSW has approximately a dozen gas powered air conditioning units installed throughout the campus. Ray Filetti, University Engineer, explains how they came to use the gas powered air conditioning units and their experience to date.

"We were initially introduced to the concept of gas powered air conditioning at a trade fair. We were fortunate enough to be offered a demonstration model on a trial basis,” explains Ray. "The system delivered all the benefits promised and we were so impressed that we went on to purchase close to a dozen additional units, purely based on the practical benefits they deliver."

Site power problems experienced by UNSW were the main motivation for upgrading their systems. However, a key appeal was also the lower energy costs the gas units provided. “We have saved on electricity costs and have avoided upgrading our electricity supply, which would have been a necessary and expensive exercise if we had gone with electric units instead," said Ray. "Although not a key deciding factor, knowing that we are doing our bit for the environment by lowering our CO₂ emissions is a nice bonus too."

UNSW have found the systems to be reliable in the hot and cold. "We have found the systems to be of excellent quality, they are a highly developed piece of equipment. Based on our positive experience with the Gas Powered Air Conditioning units, we are very comfortable recommending them to other organisations needing to upgrade their reverse cycle air conditioning systems. In fact, we recently had the University of Wollongong come and inspect our units, based on our recommendations."

Trinity Grammar School, located in the Victorian suburb of Kew, installed two gas powered air conditioning units at their Junior Campus in early 2009.

Hamish McGlashan, Property Manager at Trinity Grammar, explains that the key reason for choosing the gas powered units was the lower CO₂ emissions they delivered due to lower overall fuel consumption. The lower energy costs were also a benefit, although not a main factor in the decision making process.

"The gas powered systems have absolutely lived up to all our expectations and we could not be happier with the choice," tells Hamish.

"The system has worked magnificently in the hot and cold weather. We had the system installed just before the extreme heat wave experienced in Victoria over the summer of 2009. Despite temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, the rooms cooled by the gas powered system remained at a comfortable 20 degrees. What a test – and they coped without blinking an eye!"

Hamish goes on to tell, "Interestingly, in the past the rooms cooled by the split systems were the most requested, now it is the gas powered rooms." This speaks volumes.

"We would certainly recommend the gas powered system to other organisations who may be looking to upgrade their reverse cycle air conditioning system." Trinity Grammar carefully looked into four different systems before deciding on this option. "This system required a greater capital outlay upfront, but delivers greater cost savings throughout the lifecycle of the unit. Plus, if the carbon tax is introduced in the future, it will deliver even greater cost savings."

Penrith Mazda, located in Penrith NSW, installed gas powered air conditioning units in three of their site buildings in late 2008.

Jim Kalamiotis, Dealer Principal of Penrith Mazda, explains that his choice of gas air conditioning was not based on one particular reason, but on the many benefits the system has to offer. "The site was already pushed when it came to power, so a system that used less power was appealing to me. I am also mindful of environmental impacts and as the gas system produces lower CO₂ emission this appealed to me too. But the prospect of lower energy costs was also attractive. It was this combination of benefits that lead me to gas," said Jim.

"The units have performed to an excellent standard in the hot, and although still early days seems to also be performing just as well in the cold. I've found it to be very efficient, we've not had any dramas, and I have been surprised at just how quiet it is.

"I would not hesitate in recommending the gas powered air conditioning units to other organisations who are also looking to upgrade their reverse cycle air conditioning system."

Tokyo Kasei* University is a large private institution with approximately 77,000 students. The university’s Saitama campus is home to a literature department and liberal studies course, while the Tokyo campus is the site of a home economics department, as well as a junior college department, high school, junior high school and kindergarten.

Mr. H. Asao, the university’s Standing and Financial Director, explains the background leading to the installation of the GHP systems: "We initially adopted gas heat source AC systems at our Saitama campus 22 years ago. The campus is located near the Iruma Base of the Japan Self-Defence Forces and we received federal funding from the governmental facilities administration agency. It was this money that we used to purchase the GHP systems.

After using the GHP units, we were able to confirm both their safety and reliability. At this point, we are also planning to install the systems at our Tokyo campus. We have a large number of students of varying ages, and it is important to create a comfortable environment for all of them."

77 Percent Yanmar
After using its first GHP systems in daily operation, Kasei University found they offered comparably lower running costs than electric heat pump equipment. This led the school to adopt many more GHP units. Fully 77 percent of these units have been supplied by GHP industry leader, Yanmar Energy System. As Mr. Asao notes, "Cost cutting is a critical point in the administration of a school, so it makes sense to use a system that can lower energy bills. We installed 20 GHP units in 1990 and 1991, 92 units in 1992, 95 units in 1993 and 33 units in 1995. We now have 341 units with a total capacity of 2,934 HP. Yanmar Energy System maintains a large market share and this gives us confidence in the reliability of both its product quality and after-sales service."

No Fuel Oil Charges
Initially, Kasei only used its GHP systems for cooling, opting to continue with its oil-type system for heating. However, according to Mr. Asao, "To use the heating system, we needed licensed full-time employees and also had to pay a user charge. This convinced us to change over to GHP systems for heating as well as cooling."

The user charge in this case is a contribution that must be paid to Japan’s Air Pollution Control Association. The amount paid depends on the volume of oil used, making the charge similar to a green tax based on environmental impact. "It became clear that we should replace our heating system with GHP units that discharge less pollution," comments Mr. Asao.

Effective Eco Education
Kasei has changed over to GHP for both heating and cooling. This is essentially a green purchase program. Mr. Asao explains again: "Our home economics department includes an environmental education section and our junior and senior high schools also teach environmental programs.

After beginning to install GHP systems, I specifically asked lecturers in the environmental education section to produce materials that show how GHP reduces impact. From an educational point of view, if students are learning about environmental preservation, schools should be using equipment that lowers environmental burden."

Precise Controls for Energy Savings
"After using the GHP systems in day-to-day operation, we have found the main benefits to be their precise control and lower environmental impact," concludes Mr. Asao. "Our students are able to use the wired remote controls in their classrooms to set temperatures ranging from 22 degrees Celsius for heating to 28 degrees Celsius for cooling. They know overheating and overcooling negatively affect energy consumption.

From a management perspective, the greatest benefit is the ease with which the GHP units can be maintained. With the oil heating system, we had to hire one full-time and three part-time staff. The high cost of employing four workers was a serious problem." Yanmar's GHP systems have created a win/win situation at Kasei University, effectively reducing labour costs as well as environmental impact.

Excerpt from 16th July 2004, Japan educational press.

* Kasei means home economics in Japanese.