Recirculation of In-Plant Air at General Motors

Abstract

The cost of doing business has been increasing at an alarming rate, especially energy-related costs. GM's yearly energy costs have surpassed the one billion dollar mark and are well on their way toward the two billion dollar level. Of these costs, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is the single largest energy user amounting to approximately 28% of the total.

As a result of these increased costs, the established concepts of doing business have changed. New or revised HVAC systems should be flexible enough to adapt to the demands of the future, especially in the energy conservation field.

This paper will briefly summarize some of the methods and systems that GM is using to clean and recirculate in-plant air to both save energy and provide a clean workplace environment for our employees.