Maintenance, Support Key to Energy Efficiency

In theory and in practice, it has been proven that an adequate maintenance program, whether predictive, preventive or corrective, has a positive impact on the useful life of equipment and the improvement of performance. In addition, it saves energy through higher energy installation efficiency as a whole, reducing operating costs for support equipment that is not necessarily part of a company’s core business. It also improves a company’s carbon footprint and allows for detection of potential failures in its early stages.

To this end, Veolus has extensive experience offering operation and maintenance (O&M) services that focus on the client’s performance, safety and energy efficiency. The company performs O&M services that support equipment in buildings and covers an area over 2.5 million square meters. It has approximately 20,000 equipment pieces under contract, which covers the main technical areas related to buildings, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), electrical systems, vertical transport, refrigeration, hydro-sanitary installations, access control, CCTV, fire protection systems and civil works.

Veolus’ operational excellence program is based on three pillars: safety, quality compliance and customer satisfaction. By working with this excellence-based model, the company is able to apply international procedures and standards to areas related to the environment, health and safety. Combined with Veolus’ work culture, based on values such as honesty, transparency, commitment, compliance with procedures and results, its goal is to achieve complete customer satisfaction. As a result, the company has reached a prominent position in Mexico’s O&M and energy efficiency market.

A lack of, or an inadequate, O&M service leads to higher equipment energy consumption due to problems like deterioration, mechanical disparities, imbalances, vibrations, filters or dirty heat transfer surfaces, a loss in performance and efficiency, increased heat build-up and accumulation of crust, among others.

Facilities with suitable O&M practices can obtain energy savings between 8 and 15 percent compared to those that have not applied such practices. As shown in Figure 1, the value of such a facility remains at the same level over time. This is achieved by applying top-notch maintenance techniques and programs, with periodic updates.

As illustrated in the graph above, installations without maintenance undergo a rapid value deterioration. Nevertheless, by applying appropriate maintenance levels, a lesser decrease in value occurs. With adequate maintenance and periodic updates, it even becomes possible to maintain the installation’s value throughout the entire life cycle of the equipment. This allows Veolus’ clients to allocate their resources to activities related to their core business.

Veolus believes that comprehensive energy efficiency and management programs are essential to maintenance´s evolution. At their most complete and up-to-date versions, these programs include predictive, preventive and corrective maintenance services supported by automatic building management systems (BMS), energy management systems (EMS), as well as computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS). These systems are included in a global framework that have the ultimate objective of achieving energy savings and boosting efficiency to reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions. This leads to a company’s higher levels of sustainability, thus improving global profitability for customers and users. All of this is encapsulated in Veolus’ motto: “We make the world perform better.”

* Guide to saving costs and energy efficiency in hospitals. Energy Foundation of the Community of Madrid.