Energy Corp Becomes Energy Efficient with MeeFog System
Humidification for Public SpacesAlliant Energy Corporation Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Alliant Energy Corporation provides regulated electric and natural gas service to approximately 1 million electric and 420,000 natural gas customers in the states of Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Located in the heart of the Midwest in Madison, Wisconsin, the company employs nearly 5,000 people and annual operating revenues in excess of $3.3 billion. The headquarters in Madison, conditioned by seven air handlers using electric steam humidifiers, decided to upgrade to more energy-efficient MeeFog humidification systems.
The utilities’ head quarters building in Madison is conditioned by seven air handlers utilizing electric steam humidifiers for employee comfort and well being, and to reduce static electricity during the winter months. Because of their involvement in energy rebate programs in all of their service areas, the decision was made to upgrade the head quarters humidification systems to a more energy efficient technology. An active sponsor of energy reduction technologies, Alliant Energy would not have benefited from the incentive programs because the projected project payback was less than two years for the installation of the energy efficient Mee Fog humidification systems.
Challenge:
To reduce static electricity and ensure employee comfort during winter, replace energy-intensive electric steam humidifiers with a more energy-efficient technology to lower operating costs and maintenance while qualifying for energy rebate programs.
Solution:
MeeFog’s high-pressure systems, which atomize water into super fine droplets using 1/10 of the energy required by electric steam humidifiers. Two high-pressure MeeFog pump systems providing 1000 psi water to nozzle headers, and featuring dedicated water treatment systems for dissolved solids removal.
The MeeFog system provided us with significant energy savings and reduced our maintenance costs. The transition was smooth, and the efficiency gains were immediate.– Gordon Kensgaard, Facilities Manager, Alliant Energy Madison HQ
The Installation:
Gordon Kensgaard, facilities manager for the Madison HQ facility, contacted the Best Group to assist him in selecting the new humidification system. The Best Group works with steam and adiabatic humidification systems, and recommended Alliant investigate the Mee Fog high pressure systems. The Mee Fog systems utilize high pressure to atomize the water into billions of super fine droplets for quick absorption. The energy required to atomize the water is 1/100 of that required by electric steam humidifiers. The building has seven air handlers, with a total of 228,000 cfm operating on air side economizer cycle. The units are served by two high pressure Mee Fog pump systems that provide 1000 psi water to the nozzle headers via staging solenoids. Each pump system has a dedicated water treatment system to remove all of the dissolved solids from the water before it is introduced into the air stream. Capacity of each system is controlled by the building control system through staging solenoids. The BAS determines how many nozzles are needed to match the humidity load under all weather conditions, and energizes the correct sequence of high pressure valves. The humidity is introduced into each air handler between the pre-heat coil and the cooling coil. Any moisture that is not absorbed in this section is collected on a droplet filter and drained.
Cost-Benefit Analysis:
The installed capacity in all seven air handlers is 2,832 #/hr. The electrical load for the Mee system is 4.5 kW. Annual energy savings, as compared to electric steam generating humidifiers, is in excess of $300,000, with a further reduction of $15,000 in annual maintenance costs.
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