Sabien Technology has supplied 111 M2G intelligent boiler load optimisers to HMS Sultan, the home of the Defence School of Marine Engineering (DSMarE) and the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival School (RNAESS). CUSUM (cumulative sum) analysis of energy consumption data indicates a 12% energy saving, with a return on investment within 1.4 years.

Installation of the M2G units was part of a wider ranging programme of energy conservation measures carried out at HMS Sultan by facilities management company Babcock International Group, which has delivered cost savings of over £2 million. Glenn Chatwood, Environment and Energy Manager, explained: “We had been aware of the potential savings from controlling boiler dry cycling for some time. Consequently, when funds became available we worked with Sabien on assessing our boiler plant and building a business case”.

Measurement and verification

“Initially we evaluated the performance of M2G on the three boilers in the JRAC building, as these had high gas consumption. Once these results had proved the savings we rolled the solution out to the remaining 108 boilers on the HMS Sultan estate,” he continued.

M2G units were installed in the JRAC building in January 2012 and gas consumption data for the four months post-installation was compared with data for 12 months pre-installation. These results were corrected using degree data, to take account of weather variation, and subsequent CUSUM analysis showed a 12% reduction in energy consumption. Across the estate this will equate to annual cost savings of £126,000 with an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of 1m kg.

Project management

“Once the details of the project had been finalised we were able to leave the day-to-day management of the project to Sabien, so there was very little pressure on our own resources. They provided a very high level of project management and we are very pleased with the results,” Glenn Chatwood added.

BMS integration

A number of the buildings across the HMS Sultan have existing BMS controls in place. “The M2G’s ability to work in harmony with our existing BMS and any future BMS upgrades and deployments was a prerequisite for us and it has been proven since the installation of M2G,” he continued.

M2G integrates and complements any BMS system, including controls such as weather compensation, boiler sequencing and optimum start control. By fine tuning each boiler to address boiler dry-cycling M2G delivers additional cost savings and carbon reductions over and above the existing building and boiler controls.