Boiler retrofit burns off CT manufacturers’ gas consumption by 25%
In 2007, after nearly ten years in service, countless repairs, deteriorating efficiency, and four consecutive increases in annual natural gas consumption, OFS Fitel, LLC (OFS) needed to replace its five, one million Btuh copper-fin boilers or face the possibility of a total system failure. Installation of two AERCO Benchmark 2.0 Low NOx (BMK2.0LN) boilers has not only kept the facility operational, but it has enabled the Avon, CT-based fiber optic manufacturing company to reduce energy consumption by 25% in the first year. Monthly tracking by OFS reveals the role that the high turndown and condensing operation of the new system play in the energy savings.
While the decision to make a change was simple, other aspects of the project were challenging. The new boilers needed to fit into a very small space on an equipment mezzanine, there was a strict timeframe for installation, and the budget was tight. OFS management worked with its HVAC contractor Tradesmen of New England (TNE, Bloomfield, CT) and Ed Adajian of Adajian Engineering to aid with the solution.
