June 2020
Program Updates
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Thank you to all Participating Contractors for adhering to the Program’s COVID-19 Safety Guidelines as you return to completing on-site services for your customers. To continue to prioritize Contractor, Property Management, and Program Staff safety, the Program will launch a Virtual Assessment procedure to limit on-site visits related to the completion of the Program Intake Form. Your Account Manager will provide more details.
Increased Incentive Reminder:
As announced on June 10, 2020, projects not located in Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) will receive up to 60% of the total project cost. This increased incentive is permanent and is being offered in an effort to help Property Owners and Participating Contractors with recovery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Properties located in DACs will continue to receive up to 75% of the total project cost.
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New Website Feature: Program Resources and Listed Participating Contractors
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To streamline access to Program documentation, marketing materials, and other resources, the SoCalREN Multifamily Program has developed a password-protected Program Resources section on the SoCalREN website. Participating Contractors were sent login credentials via email. If you did not receive login credentials, please reach out to your Account Manager.
Key areas of this section will include:
- Program Resources: Access Program processing and marketing documents, training information, and links to online tools.
- Request Marketing Materials: Limited printed marketing materials will be available to Participating Contractors. Account Managers will review all requests before fulfillment.
- Contractor Newsletter Archive: Access archived newsletters from the Program and keep up with Program updates from recent newsletters.
Your company’s contact information is now listed on the SoCalREN website so potential multifamily customers can find and contact a Contractor who has met Program requirements and is eligible to complete projects through the Program. Please take a moment to review your company’s information, listed
here
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Technical Tips: All About Pool Pumps
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A pool pump circulates water through a filtration system to remove debris, such as algae and microorganisms and distribute disinfectants required for sanitization. Filtration is the primary task of a pool pump but requires only a fraction of the flow rate and power requirements of secondary tasks such as backwashing the filter, operating a chlorinator, and circulating water through the heater. A pool pump is often oversized to meet the secondary task requirements which account for roughly 10% of the pool pump’s operation time. This means the remaining 90% of the time, the pool pump is providing more circulation than required and therefore is wasting energy.
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Variable-speed drive (VSD) pumps can modulate pump speed as needed for the task at hand, and significantly reduce energy and power consumption. A 50% reduction in pump speed reduces close to 87% of pump power. In addition, VSD pumps are packaged with electronically commuted motors (ECMs) which have a higher motor efficiency than the common shaded pole or permanent split capacity motor. Replacing a typical single-speed pump serving a swimming pool or spa with a
VSD pump can result in a 30% to 56% reduction in total annual energy consumption and 8% to 73% reduction in kW demand.
These pumps can also be programmed to run during off-peak electric demand hours which further reduces operating cost if the meter associated with the pump is on a time of use rate. In addition to energy and demand savings, VSD pool pumps are quieter and require less maintenance because the lower speeds extend pump and filter life.
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As per California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title-24 2019), while performing the filtration tasks, the pumps should be programmed so that the flow rate is no more than what is required to maintain a pool turnover (transfer of the entire pool volume through filtration) of either six hours or 36 GPM, whichever is greater. The code also requires that the pump should be set or programmed to run only during off-peak electric demand periods. Local or State jurisdictions provide the turnover and water cleanliness levels that need to be maintained. LA County Public Health follows the California Association of Environmental Health Administrators’ required turnover of pool water within six hours for multifamily pools and one hour or less for wading pools and spa pools. When the pool is closed for use, the VSD setting can typically be configured to 50% speed to maintain the local health code requirements.
Pool or spa filtration pumps in multifamily properties are typically between 1 to 3 horsepower with a rated speed of 3,450 rotations per minute (RPM). Assuming a pool is 20,000 gallons, the following table provides an example of determining the flow rate required to achieve a 6-hour turnover. Per Title 24, the pump would then be sized to provide 55.5 GPM using the manufacturer’s pump curves or sizing methodology.
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Program energy savings estimates for variable speed pool pumps are governed by Southern California Edison’s VSD Pool and Spa Pump workpaper (SWRE002-01) which has been approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The energy and demand savings from this workpaper are shown in the table below. The cost savings are calculated using a typical residential electricity rate structure and paybacks are calculated using the VSD pool pump costs from the workpaper.
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General Eligibility Requirements for this measure:
- Only the main filtration pumps are eligible. Booster pumps used solely for spa jets or secondary pumps not used for filtration are not eligible.
- The existing pump must be either single-speed or two-speed.
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SoCalREN Energy Efficiency Learning Center
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As a reminder, the
SoCalREN Energy Efficiency Learning Center (EELC)
is now available for you and your staff to take e-learning courses at your convenience from the comfort and safety of your home or office. The EELC offers a growing catalog of courses in a variety of categories, including HVAC, Sales and Marketing, and Commercial Energy Efficiency. In addition, Building Performance Institute (BPI), Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), and North American Technician Excellence (NATE) Continuing Education Unit (CEU)-accredited courses are currently housed in the EELC. Currently, there are more than 80 active courses available.
The SoCalREN EELC is available to you at no cost as a Participating Contractor. To access these courses, please
email the SoCalREN team
, and we will create a login for you and any staff members interested in taking advantage of this SoCalREN Program benefit.
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SoCalREN Multifamily Case Studies
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The Multifamily Program has completed its first case study with Rancho Vista Apartments in Ontario, CA, completed by Optima Energy, Inc. View the Rancho Vista Apartments case study on the SoCalREN website
here
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