HPAC Engineering

Contemporary and Alternative Existing-Building Commissioning

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

By CHRISTOPHER M. MORALES, LEED AP O+M; SSRCx; Nashville, Tenn.

Typical savings and paybacks of contemporary existing-building commissioning and a more targeted alternative approach for sensitive budgets

The Great Recession, as the last five-plus years have come to be known, has been tough on building owners and operations-and-maintenance staffs. As they face mounting pressure to maximize net operating income, they increasingly are turning to existing-building commissioning (EBCx) to keep maintenance and utility costs down. This article defines contemporary EBCx, describes the contemporary EBCx process, and discusses associated energy and cost savings. It also discusses a more targeted approach to EBCx for tight operation budgets.

Ideas to Advance Building Industry Shared During Capitol Hill Briefing

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:17:00 +0000

Recommendations implementable in the near term that can serve as the basis of a national buildings policy were shared during a briefing on Capitol Hill hosted by the High-Performance Buildings Caucus of the U.S. Congress to kick off High Performance Building Week May 13.

EPA Rules for Boilers in Effect

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:04:00 +0000

First deadline for major-source facilities May 31

The deadline for facilities to submit an Initial Notification of Applicability to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's finalized regulations for boilers (known as Boiler MACT or BMACT) is May 31, 2013, for major-source boilers and Jan. 20, 2014, for area-source boilers.

RSES Publishes Geothermal-Systems Guide

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:12:00 +0000

A best-practices guide for the design, installation, and maintenance of geothermal systems is available from RSES, the education, training, and certification association for HVACR professionals.

Power-Plant Reliability, Availability, Maintainability

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:06:00 +0000

By BRIAN WODKA, PE, CEM, LEED AP; RMF Engineering Inc.; Baltimore, Md.

Military protocol being adapted for power plants

Asked to name the most important trait of a power plant—reliability, availability, or maintainability—most building owners and operators would say reliability. But is it really?

Registration for WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Expo Open

Wed, 15 May 2013 03:00:00 +0000

Early-bird rate good through June 1

Registration for the sixth annual WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Exposition, to be held Oct. 2-4 at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas, is open.

GSA Advisory Committee Recommends LEED for Federal Buildings

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:37:00 +0000

As part of the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA’s) quinquennial review of third-party green-building certification systems, the GSA's Green Building Advisory Committee recently recommended that the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) be used for all federal new-construction and major-modernization projects.

Sustainability-Tools Maker Shares Tips for Reducing Office Energy Use

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:18:00 +0000

With the U.S. Energy Information Administration reporting offices and office buildings account for nearly 20 percent of all energy use in the United States, Stephen Ashkin, chief executive officer of Sustainability Dashboard Tools LLC, developer of a cloud-based system that tracks, measures, and monitors sustainability, prepared a list of six steps facility owners/managers can take to reduce building energy use and operating costs.

ASHRAE Sets Technical Program for Annual Conference

Wed, 08 May 2013 01:56:00 +0000

ASHRAE will hold its 2013 Annual Conference June 22-26 in Denver.

Survey of Data-Center Users Shows Growing Concern Over Heat Density

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:32:00 +0000

Heat density once again is a top concern of data-center managers, a survey sponsored by Emerson Network Power reveals.

Proposed Systems-Manual Guideline Open for Public Review

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:54:00 +0000

A proposed guideline establishing a uniform procedure for producing systems manuals for building owners and operators is open for public comment until June 2.

Couplings Maintain Strong Joints With Rigid Seals for Prefabricated Plumbing

Fri, 03 May 2013 18:44:00 +0000

By ANACO

Withstand movement en route to stadium job site

While there are significant advantages to off-site prefabrication of plumbing, system integrity upon arrival at a project site can be an issue. The ability to withstand transportation movement is imperative.

Can You Protect Your BAS Networks From Hackers?

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:22:00 +0000

By J. CHRISTOPHER LARRY, PE, CXA, CEM, CEP, CIPE, LEED AP

How safe are your HVAC building-control networks from attacks by "hackers"? Here are six steps you can take to keep your networks secure.

Thermal-Energy Storage Helps Transform High-Rise Into Virtual Power Plant

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:15:00 +0000

By CALMAC Manufacturing Corp.

New HVAC system prepares building for smart grid

Built in 1929, 1500 Walnut Street is a 22-story, 270,000-sq-ft commercial building in Philadelphia. When SSH Real Estate purchased the property in 2005, it was faced with a failing HVAC system.

The Role of Fan Efficiency in Reducing Energy Use

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:39:00 +0000

By MICHAEL BRENDEL, PhD; Lau Industries; Dayton, Ohio

How the new fan-efficiency requirement in ASHRAE 90.1-2013 will work with the standard’s fan-power limitation

Expected in the fall, the 2013 version of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, will include a new fan-efficiency requirement based on ANSI/AMCA Standard 205-12, Energy Efficiency Classification for Fans. This article explores the role fan efficiency plays in Standard 90.1, with specific attention paid to how the new fan-efficiency requirement will work with the standard’s fan-power limitation.

For the Mechanical Systems Engineer: Clean Technology is All About the Data

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:02:00 +0000

Combining energy technology with the Internet is the hottest sector in clean tech

In the HVAC mechanical systems world, smart meters and the data they collect and communicate may be the reason this country achieves its energy and sustainability goals.

May 2013

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

May 2013 issue of HPAC Engineering

The Future of BIM The Role of Fan Efficiency in Reducing Energy Use Shale-Gas Production Trumps Market Disrupters

Carbon-Dioxide-Sensor Option

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:52:00 +0000

An integrated carbon-dioxide sensor enhances the SMART-Sensor LCD's all-in-one packaging.

Enhanced Web-Based Monitoring

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:39:00 +0000

An enhanced version of the HOBOlink Web-enabled software platform enables automatic delivery of building-performance and weather data via e-mail or FTP.

BACnet International Board of Directors to Begin New Term

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:26:00 +0000

The 2013 BACnet board of directors will be comprised of seven executives focused on expanding the use of the BACnet building-automation protocol.

EnOcean Alliance Developing 2.5 Version of Equipment Profiles

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:08:00 +0000

More than 100 product profiles are now available

The EnOcean Alliance's Equipment Profiles are being expanded to help engineers develop energy-harvesting wireless solutions.

Survey: Building Owners Want Smart Technologies

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:52:00 +0000

Half of 291 survey respondents already use smart-building technologies; another 33 percent plan to in the next year

Will 2013 be remembered as the "tipping point" for the adoption of smart-building technologies?

Shale-Gas Production Trumps Market Disrupters

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:06:00 +0000

By TOD W. SHERMAN, TYBEC ENERGY, LITIZ, PA.

Natural-gas prices are likely to remain stable into the foreseeable future

If you are planning an HVAC-system retrofit for a customer this summer, your life-cycle analyses will have one more constant than in years past: the price of natural gas.

New Products: May 2013

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:33:00 +0000

Wind-driven-rain louver, boiler-reset control, flow sensor, and more!

Product Spotlight: Software and Apps (May 2013)

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:28:00 +0000

Using the right software or latest app can improve HVAC system designs, building performance, and customer satisfaction.

ASHRAE Expands Jobs Board

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:41:00 +0000

At a time when employers are reporting difficulties finding qualified candidates for open positions, ASHRAE, in partnership with BirdDog, provider of cloud-based recruitment and applicant-tracking software, has expanded its jobs board, www.ashraejobs.com.

The Future of BIM

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:37:00 +0000

By SAM ROBINS, Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, Calif.

How digital infrastructure, big data, and emerging markets are shaping building information modeling and redefining the way engineers work

According to a McGraw-Hill Construction report, building-information-modeling (BIM) adoption among architecture, engineering, and construction firms rose from 17 percent in 2007 to 71 percent in 2012. Where BIM goes from here will be determined by three key technological movements that are redefining the way mechanical engineers and contractors work: digital infrastructure, big data, and emerging markets.

Dreaming of a Pashmina-Free World

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:24:00 +0000

Pashminas are shawls used to ward off the chill indoors. Why are they still so necessary in this age of advanced HVAC technology?

Ron's Ramblings

Titus HVAC Introduces Weekly Video Podcasts

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:24:00 +0000

Titus HVAC, provider of air-management products and design tools, recently announced the Titus Timeout series of weekly video podcasts.

Guide to Financing Energy Upgrades for K-12 School Districts Released

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:29:00 +0000

Planning and financing comprehensive energy upgrades for K-12 school districts is the subject of a free guide from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.