Ratioservice System-EKG

In thousands of analyses we have identified energy savings of 10% to 30% and the opportunity to substantially help the environment.

Data collection

The collection of order information as well as the building and heating/cooling system is done with the TOPKO and MIT (Measurement Information Toolbox) softwares. Using TOPKO we gather information about the business, such as address, contact information, customer requests, and general building and system data.

After all the necessary information is collected and we have full approval to proceed, the order is assigned to a measurement center. A technician can then download the information from TOPKO onto their laptop and use the MIT program to process the order onsite.

When the technician arrives they will do a walk-through of the heating/cooling system, verify the data, fill in anything that is missing, take photos of relevant modules, and create a hydraulic schema drawing using the HYDRA software program.

Measurement

The measurement data acquisition is performed using a mobile measuring unit. At the beginning of the measurement the unit is set up and started by the technician. The next day the unit is un-assembled and the data is collected. This is done without any modification to the heating or cooling system. During the 24 hour measurement period we collect, in 12 second intervals, exhaust gas values, flow rates, and outgoing and return temperatures of energy consumers. In fuel-based heating systems, the data acquisition is done with an exhaust measuring unit, the Testo energy monitor. In district heating systems or for heat pumps we measure with an ultrasonic flow sensor from Flexim. All temperatures are measured with sensors from Testo.

Determining the number and location of sensors depends on the system complexity and the goals of the analysis. Aside from the system parameters for heat generation/cooling, distribution and transfer, we also capture the temperature outside and for a reference room, as well as the humidity of the reference room.

Expert analysis

The measurement values are analysed with the interactive expert system software to identify mistakes and misconfigurations in your heating/cooling system. The expert system is capable of automatically identifying 120+ different mistakes. The following image is an example of a heat distribution system with poor controls. The outgoing temperatures of the heating circuit have the same pattern as the outgoing temperature of the heat generator even though there are different consumers that are being supplied.

In this image a domestic hot water system is shown with a water tank that holds more than 400 liters. The outgoing hot water temperature and the outgoing temperature of the circulation do not meet federal regulations, which can cause the formation of germs.

In this image are the temperatures of the heat exchanger. We can see that the temperatures are sufficient, the cause of the problem is not here.

The automatically detected mistakes are verified by an expert, and are explained in detail. Each mistake is then evaluated in regards to potential energy savings. We provide heating system specific recommendations for optimization, which we categorize by level of investment required to fix the problem.

Not only does the expert analysis provide information about the actual heating system parameters, the hydraulic schema, and the heat load and/or the connected load, but it also provides the settings for the correct heating curve and the overall efficiency of the system.

By comparing the energy consumption values before and after optimization we forecast the possible energy savings according to the German draft standard DIN EN 15378. Based on this information the customer can follow through on the recommendations and make the necessary changes in order to realize the potential energy savings.

System diagnosis

The results of the analysis are documented in our "Expert analysis report". The report is split up into an economic section and a technical section. Depending on the complexity of the system and the number of mistakes identified the report will be about 35-40 pages long.

The report has a cover letter and a management summary, which lists the problems and energy savings that can be immediately realized. It also indicates federal compliance, and a one page checklist of the results.

The economic section of the expert analysis begins with information about the measurement and then the potential energy savings. The savings are differentiated by measures requiring a small investment (< 1 €/m²), a medium investment (1 bis 6 €/m²) and a large investment (> 6 €/m²). For district heating systems the required connected load is given, otherwise for fuel-based heating systems we give the necessary total burner capacity. Comparing those values with the installed connected load / burner capacity shows the optimization potential of your heating system.

The technical section of the expert analysis is divided into the following categories: Data of the evaluated building, energy consumption data for the reference period, CO²-emissions in the reference period, data of the investigated system, conditions and operating status during the 24 hour measurement, a representation of the operating behavior of the system during the 24 hour measurement, an evaluation of the energy quality of the building, the subject-specific analysis, and recommendations to reduce costs and improve efficiency.