No hot air about VFDs

Rebate levels vary widely within the U.S., but the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) estimates that rebates usually cover from 15 to 35% of installed cost. However, the ACEEE warns that utility and government-funded rebates are not guaranteed. Such rebates often depend on the accessibility of funding and are often doled out based on a competitive ranking system. Because of the energy market's volatility, the ACEEE suggests applying for rebates in the planning stages of construction or upgrades, but to keep potential rebates out of the installation budget.

Although each utility can have its own variations, rebate programs generally contain similar standard features. For example, Austin Energy (www.austinenergy.com) offers rebates of 20% for qualified VFD use in HVAC applications. These levels are typical of those available from other utilities.

ENERGY CONSUMED AS A PERCENTAGE OF UNRESTRICTED FULL-FLOW ENERGY CONSUMPTION

DIFFERENT FAN FLOW CONTROLS

VFDs really show their worth in air moving applications that sometimes only use a small percentage of total available air flow.

Resources

American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, www.ACEEE.org

Austin Energy, www.austinenergy.com

Yaskawa Electric VFD calculator, http://bit.ly/4hN8ip

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, www.dsireusa.org