The HVAC system design should; NOT only meet the standard on energy front but beat the standard codes like Energy Conservation Building Codes (ECBC), India& American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards to achieve higher level of green building LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating.
It is important to use the right – size HVAC cooling and heating equipment. The old rule of thumb of 200-250 gross ft2/ton cooling load MAY NOT apply to sustainable / Green buildings. Recent high – performance building projects operate between 600 and 1000 GSF/ton. Set cooling equipment and system performance targets in terms of kW/ton, such as: Chiller (Water Cooled) 0.51 kW/ton, Cooling Tower 0.011 kW/ton, Chilled water pump 0.026 kW/ton, Condenser water pump 0.021 kW/ton, Air Handling Unit 0.05 kW/ton
Industry standards such as ECBC & ASHRAE (90.1) give minimum requirements for equipment efficiencies and system design and installation. Understand that these represent the least efficient end of the spectrum of energy – conserving buildings that should be built! To be considered green, a building must exceed these standards. GO GREEN …. GREEN MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE.