With boilers, chillers, and pumps there is an efficiency concern that needs to be dealt with. If an ideal amount of heat energy is not being transferred then you are not only wasting energy but also putting unnecessary wear and tear on your those expensive units. You see, in order to compensate these units are going to have to work much harder when it comes to maintaining space setpoints and before you know it your energy bill is going through the roof. This is where the Belimo energy valve comes into play. In today’s article we are going to talk about what a Belimo energy valve is, what it does, and answer a few questions that we anticipated which you might have regarding this little tech marvel. Let’s talk about the Belimo energy valve!
What is a Belimo energy valve?
A Belimo energy valve is a two-way control valve that is pressure independent which is designed with the optimization of water coil performance. One of the ways that it does this is to minimize Delta T (a scenario where water is returned to the chiller at lower temperatures than the designer intended) and by eliminating system overflow. This results in a much more efficiently run chiller, boiler, or pump, providing management at the level of the coils. It can do more than this, however, addressing the following issues:
- Coils that are improperly sized
- Degradation issues from scale and fouling
- Minimize impact from changes made elsewhere among the interactive circuits
- Inadequate valve authority in underflow or overflow scenarios
Aside from these direct benefits, other pluses of using the Belimo energy valve which its users enjoy are as follows:
- Small equipment footprint – The Belimo energy valve is tiny and as such, you won’t need to install larger, ungainly equipment into your buildings to maximize the efficiency of your existing equipment.
- ‘Green’ friendly – Data from these units contributes towards the EAc5 : Measurement and Verification under the LEED.
- Expanded control – With individual data readings from all coils outfitted with the Belimo more advanced control strategies may be implemented for saving energy and achieving maximum efficiency of operation.
- Maintenance advantages – As the Belimo can keep your maintenance team abreast of coil developments before they become a problem this energy valve means that you can implement a more proactive preventative maintenance without wasting money.
- Enhanced energy saving features – Options may be used such as variable flow pumping without the risk of upsetting the building’s occupants.
You mentioned network connectivity.. Does the Belimo provide metrics? 
Yes! The Belimo energy valve produces quite a lot of useable data that you can readily access. Cloud analytics are utilized to provide a visual representation of flow setpoints as well as Delta T readings, allowing you both current and historical data readings when it comes to those readings, as well as energy savings, error logging, and warnings when issues arise that could threaten proper operation. Safe operations can also be maximized through the use of Glycol monitoring, as the sensors within the Belimo energy valve work together with advanced algorithms and ultrasonic technology in order to
“This helps to reduce costs by improving efficiency”
assure that your Glycol concentrations are optimal for your performance needs. This helps to reduce costs by improving efficiency when it comes to overall heat transfer and you can enjoy the savings.
How does it work?
The Belimo energy valve is able to multitask when it comes to energy saving due to its proprietary combination of components. These consist of:
- EFS / Electromagnetic flow sensor
- Water temperature sensors for both the return and supply reservoirs
- IP network connectivity
- Delta T manager control set
- Belio Characterized Control Valve
Some commonly asked q1uestions about the Belimo energy valve
As with any technology, there is always a lot to cover that is hard to gather in the initial sweep. With that in mind we’ve collected some of the most common questions so that we might address them in advance should you be considering implementing a Belimo into your own systems.
- Are Belimo energy valves produced in a 3 way configuration? – At current the Belimo energy valve is only available in 2 way configurations.
- Is this the same as a VAV box in air conditioners? – Actually, they are quite similar, with the clear distinction that the Belimo has temperature sensors which function in both directions.
- Is the Belimo a globe valve? – Actually, the Belimo is currently available only as a ball valve.
- Can you use this valve for all of the AHUs in the building? – Yes, the Belimo energy valve may be used for all of the AHUs in the building.
- Does the Belimo energy valve have any advantages over AFDs? – The two actually compliment each other in performance, allowing your VFD to run at lower speeds so that you can realize greater energy savings.
- Does the Belimo require any special calibration on my part? – Nope. Belimo energy valves ship fully calibrated and need no further calibration after this.
- What sort of bolt patterns do these units have? – The Belimo has a standard ANSI 125 installation configuration.
- How does it work with a variable volume hydronic system? – These systems come with a VFD onboard, which is relatively slow to deal with variable pressure changes which can occur quickly and without warning. The Belimo energy valve is able to deal with these immediately.
In Closing
In this article we have discussed the Belimo Energy valve in order to apprise you of the many benefits that it can contribute to your chillers, boilers, and pumps when it comes to energy-conservation and ultimately, savings. Much like a VAV box, but with multidirectional (upstream and downstream) sensors, these valves can enhance the performance of your units and will work symbiotically with any systems utilizing VFD. We haven’t the space in this article to cover everything, however, if you would like more information on these units we recommend visiting www.belimo.com where you can obtain informational PDFs that can cover any additional questions which you need addressed!
