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What does a Swimming Pool and Load Creep Have in Common?

Written by: Eric A. Woodroof

Article Overview: This article explains the concept of “load creep” and depreciation via a simple “abstract” example.

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What does a Swimming Pool and Load Creep Have in Common?

Background
After spending a year abroad in South America, we just moved back to the US. Our new home has a swimming pool and since moving in- I have “battling” the algae. The pool guy tells me I must run the pool pumps 10 hours/day to keep the algae gone. I followed his advice for about 1 month, but I was constantly thinking there must be a better way, even if our home is powered by renewable energy.

Why am I bothering to think about this? Because I am concerned about the “wear and tear” on the motor and the degradation of the pump’s impellers as well as the other systems. Everyone knows that these systems will never be as efficient as when they were new. With every hour they run, they lose a little bit of efficiency. However, when I run them that “hard”, they degrade in an accelerated fashion. As these parts degrade, it takes more energy to clean the pool (which causes further degradation)… and the “downward spiral” accelerates.

After one month, I asked another pool expert about my problem and he explained that with a change in the chemistry- I could practically eliminate the food source for the algae. Under his plan, I would use less chlorine and less system run time, which is good for several reasons . This makes me happy because beyond the chemical and energy savings, I know the equipment should last longer with reduced run times.

My Point is…
We usually don’t have a choice with buildings- they are constantly degrading and using more energy as wires, pumps, fans, lights and other systems get older. In addition, more energy is being consumed due to:
• “Plug-in loads” (cell phones, computers, printers, TVs, digital equipment, etc.) and coming soon: “plug-in hybrid vehicles”,
• Increased hours of building occupancy,
• Additional cooling to combat global warming (temperatures have been higher outside over the past decade).

All of these factors contribute to “load creep” and it is a “silent killer” of energy savings . Some buildings can have load creep that results in a 1% to 5% (per year) increase in a facility’s energy consumption. A study done by the Department of Energy found a 2.5% increase in load creep per year .

What can be done about Load Creep?
It is hard to combat the effects of aging on a building, equipment and systems. However, by monitoring the conditions, you will be more aware and possibly able to avert disaster. Here is an example:

While writing this article, my pool pump began to leak and was “flicking” chlorinated water into the motor and causing more problems. Now I will have to replace the pump and motor. Although this is “bad news early”… it is better than “bad news late”. What if we didn’t notice the leak and the motor continued to deteriorate? The inefficiency would have caused greater energy bills. Even worse, the motor could fail unexpectedly- perhaps while I am traveling, which would allow the algae to dominate the pool. Then I would have to spend more on chemicals/cleaning to get it back under control. Another possibility is that the pump breaks before a pool party and my guests can’t swim in the pool, or I have to pay emergency repair rates to fix the problem… I could go on and on, but my point remains… When you are able to monitor the situation, you can make better decisions and you have a better chance of optimizing costs.

Conclusion
Facility managers should incorporate load creep into their analyses for avoided costs. We are dealing with systems that are always getting older and degrading in performance. If you can keep energy consumption constant… you are actually making progress (considering natural degradation). It is not just about energy costs though… you have asset replacement and other costs that are avoided when you keep an eye on maintenance.

When you have success (or avoid failure), document it because it makes a difference. For example, when I told my wife about the pool pump, I told her that my delay probably ruined the pool pump (fortunately- she hasn’t fired me). I also pointed out that by finding and fixing the problem, we would reap the benefits of reliability, and the energy savings as well as an improvement in efficiency of the whole system (because of the new motor and pump), which will lead to reduced run times… that is until degradation “creeps” up on us again.

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Article Tags: abstract example, creep, depreciation, swimming pool

About the Author: Eric A. Woodroof
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Eric A. Woodroof, Ph.D., C.E.M., is the Chairman of the Board for the Certified Carbon Reduction Manager program and he has been a Board Member of the Certified Energy Manager Program since 1999. He shows clients how to make more money and simultaneously help the environment. During the past 15 years, he has helped over 250 organizations improve profits with energy-environmental solutions. He has written over 25 professional journal publications and his work has appeared in hundreds of articles. Dr. Woodroof has advised clients such as the U.S. Public Health Service, IBM, Pepsi, Ford, GM, Verizon, Hertz, Visteon, JPMorgan-Chase, Universities, Airports, Utilities and Cities. He is friends with many of the top minds in energy, environment, finance and marketing. He is also a columnist for several industry magazines, a corporate trainer and a keynote speaker. Eric is the founder of ProfitableGreenSolutions.com. See what Clients say about Eric's programs.

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