Side-by-Side Comparison Proves GlowCore Energy Savings
Bethesda Lutheran Youth Services facility near Meadville, PA, has
been receiving the benefits of a GlowCore multiple-boiler system for some time and has
reported energy savings of almost fifty percent. Jones Plumbing and Heating of
Meadville installed five high-efficiency GB090 boilers in the fall of 1987 to replace a
large cast-iron steam boiler and installed all new baseboard radiation to replace the
existing one-pipe system.
Bethesda's board of directors looked at various options to
replace the aging, inefficient system. They chose the GlowCore multiple boiler
system because of the expected fuel savings of the high-efficiency, 89% AFUE boilers and
because the back-up provided by spreading the load over five boiler instead of relying on
a single boiler.
Two essentially identical buildings are side-by-side on the
campus of the youth services facility and presented an unusually good application for
gathering comparisons between the old and new systems. The one building not
retrofitted with the new boilers is heated with an identical system to the one removed for
the retrofit. Individual gas meters were installed by the National Fuel Gas Co., the
gas supplier, to monitor the performance of both boilers and make meaningful
comparisons. Since both units were to be operated during the same cold season and
weather, condition would be identical for both buildings. No error could occur as is
possible when interpreting weather conditions for one season to the next.
During the winter of 1986-1987, National Fuel Gas Co. calculated
that fuel savings amounted to 46%, even better the savings of 33% projected by Gary
Jones who uses Cornerstone's E-valuator computer program to do heat loss and energy
consumption projections.
Cornerstone's software for IBM-PC compatible computers is
available through GlowCore as one of the many support service offered to GlowCore
dealers.
Bethesda's board of directors has indicated their intention to
retrofit the remainder of their buildings with GlowCore systems as soon as their budget
allows. With energy savings like those seen in the first building, Bethesda's staff
is enthusiastic in their praise of the GlowCore system and of the installation and service
expertise of Jones Plumbing and Heating.
Dealer: Jones Plumbing & Heating
Location: Meadville, PA.
Old System: Cast Iron
Type: Steam Boiler
BTU: 900,000
AFUE: 50%±
GlowCore System: 5 x GB090 Boilers
BTU: 90,000
Total Input: 450,000
AFUE: 89%
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