Globally, ductless heat pumps are the standard method of heating and cooling residential and commercial buildings. In North America the post-war building boom favoured ducted systems but we since realized there are advantages to ductless systems, especially to cool.

For commercial applications, Variable Refrigerant Volume (or Flow) systems are quickly becoming an option of choice in North America. In Japan where VRV/F was invented in 1982 half of all small commercial buildings use this ductless system.

If you are in Ontario contact me at ductlessontario@gmail.com for design, pricing, selection, installation, or technical assistance. Posts here are provided for information purposes only and not necessarily endorsed.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Variable Refrigerant Flow



Preliminary Technology Assessment

What is This Technology?

Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems were invented in Japan more than 20 years ago, but new to the American market. VRF uses refrigerant as the cooling / heating medium, and allows one outdoor condensing unit to be connected to multiple indoor evaporators, each individually controllable by its user, while modulating the amount of refrigerant being sent to each evaporator.
 

Why is GSA Interested?

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY.  By operating at varying speeds, VRF units work only at the needed rate. Heat recovery VRF technology allows individual indoor units to heat or cool as required, while the compressor load benefits from the internal heat recovery. Energy savings of up to 55% are predicted over comparable unitary equipment.
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COST EFFECTIVENESS.  This product is new to the North American market, and most HVAC designers and installers are not familiar with the technology. Current estimates show an initial cost 20 to 40 percent higher than a traditional split/heat pump HVAC system, but with a payback that should be life cycle cost effective.
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OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.  VRF requires operations and maintenance consistent with other unitary equipment. VRF provides a greater degree of occupant control, which should improve occupant satisfaction with thermal conditions, typically the leading source of complaint.
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APPLICABILITY.  VRF systems are designed to be modular, making them applicable to a wide variety of facilities as an alternative to other unitary equipment. VRF technology holds particular promise for GSA’s historic buildings because it relies on refrigerant piping, which requires fewer and smaller penetrations than other HVAC options, and enables the use of a large variety and configuration of inconspicuous indoor fan coil units.
 
Adapted from report by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
 

If you have questions or need additional information, contact the Green Proving Ground Program at GPG@gsa.gov.

The Green Proving Ground program leverages GSA’s real estate portfolio to evaluate innovative sustainable building technologies.
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