This chiller plant retrofit team encountered challenging existing conditions and an-swered with savvy choices for piping and valves as well as the chillers. Good communication, accurate documentation, and a creative bidding idea you might want to borrow also contributed to bringing the mechanical work in effectively and on budget.
Pumps, flues, valves, sizing, maintenance ... there’s a lot more to consider than just the boiler. Keep the car metaphor in mind, and your next replacement might not drive you to despair.
Pressure independent control valves proved to be a key in wringing the benefits out of smartly managed chilled water temperature, but that wasn’t all. Airside energy recovery, desiccant dehumidification to eliminate reheat in operating room environments, and upgrading to ECM fan systems have all contributed to this hospital’s fiscal wellness.
For a building program to be successful and sustainable, it must include an operating budget as well as a construction budget. Fifteen to 20% of the total cost of a building is first cost, and that remaining 80% or more is in the operation of the building over its life.
A pharmaceutical company looked to its new 350,000-sq-ft world headquarters as a place to further improve sustainability and reduce energy consumption.
Although it’s only 25% complete, the Central Ohio Transit Authority’s (COTA) ongoing $75 million conversion to compressed natural gas (CNG) fueled buses is already saving more than 2.5 million gallons of diesel fuel and emitting 100 tons less bus emission contaminants annually in the greater Columbus, Ohio, area.
Whether low-cost adjustments, targeted replacements, or a substantial retrofit when large equipment has run its course, you almost always have a good move available to conserve energy and expense.