Ventilation/IAQ
Fan Selection and Energy Savings
HVAC design engineers face many choices throughout the planning process, perhaps few as crucial as that of fan equipment, a principal consumer of energy. This article will discuss options for improving energy efficiency when designing an HVAC system and selecting a fan....
Low-Cost Dedicated Outdoor-Air Systems
The concept is straightforward: Condition and deliver fresh ventilation with a dedicated outdoor-air system (DOAS) to treat outdoor air and space latent loads efficiently. ...
The Benefits of Ice-Based Thermal Energy Storage
Is ice-based thermal-energy storage (TES) really green? Although the success of ice-based TES in reducing energy costs has been substantiated, there are differing opinions within the HVAC community regarding whether TES is a green technology....
Test Tool and Power Logger Help Make the Case for Law-School HVAC Upgrade
In Columbus, Ohio, a six-story law-school building requires cooling year-round. "A lot of buildings we can cool with outside air," Mike Klingler, service manager for HVACR contractor Farber Corp., said. "When we get down to 50 to 52°F and below, we can just draw that outside air in and use it for free cooling. But because of the setup of the law-school building, they had to run one of the chillers even when it was 20 to 25°F outside. Because of the duct distribution system, we couldn't rely on outside air in certain areas of the building." ...
Large-Diameter, Low-Speed Fan Solves Air-Movement Problems in Housing Office
Located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Tonopah Residence Complex is a six-story residence building and home to the Office of Housing Services. In the lobby, air-circulation problems were making conditions uncomfortable for the dozen employees who work there and the continuous stream of students who pass through to pay bills or make housing inquiries....
The Case for Increased Ventilation
Facilities managers have at their disposal a proven and effective means of helping to contain employer health costs: increasing ventilation. This article will discuss how increased ventilation can prevent the spread of disease among workers in commercial and government office buildings....
School District Betters Indoor-Air Quality While Reducing Outside-Air Requirements
At a recently rebuilt three-story high school in the North East Independent School District (NEISD) in San Antonio, the outdoor-air-supply duct serving...
Pressurization Control in Large Commercial Buildings
In many large commercial buildings, central-station air handlers are used to maintain occupant comfort. Often, these units include return fans, which...
European Technology Taking Hold in the U.S.: Chilled Beams
The last five years have seen a steady increase in the rate of adoption of chilled beams in the United States, as designers and facility owners have become...
Energy-Recovery Units Help Florida Resort Balance Ventilation and Moisture Control
For the new Ocean Towers at Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Fla., the owner and engineer wanted equipment that would provide uncompromised comfort...
Preventing Mold With Fiberglass
Employing moisture-management tactics in commercial-building wall-assembly design to increase thermal efficiency and minimize the potential for indoor-air-quality-...
Engineering Firm Proves Its Point With Upfront Computational Fluid Dynamics
As part of a plan to reduce the energy consumption of the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., to 25 to 30 percent below the criteria set forth in ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, Genesys Engineering was hired to conduct an energy audit. ...
Codes & Standards
ASHRAE The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recently announced that Addendum r to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard...
Controlling Outside Airflow in VAV Systems
Much has been written about controlling the minimum-outside-air quantity in variable-air-volume (VAV) air-handling systems. However, instead of debating the merits of various control methods, this article will discuss how to apply the mixed-air-plenum pressure method and why it works. ...
Energy-Recovery Ventilating Units Help Beat Efficiency, Comfort Expectations
Having completed Florida's first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction and Major Renovations (LEED-NC) Gold-certified commercial...
Sustainable Ventilation in High-Rise Office Buildings
Building improvements are straightforward when the owner of a facility also is the occupant. The same cannot be said when, as in the case of many high-rise office buildings, the owner simply is the landlord, with dozens of tenants and spaces in various states and stages of occupancy. When it comes to energy, the tendency is for owners of these structures to charge tenants for all consumption and make no improvements. ...
Multiparameter Demand-Controlled Ventilation
Long known to correlate with human metabolic activity, carbon-dioxide (CO2) levels are a reliable indicator of indoor pollution originating from building...
Ventilation Through Time
The importance of clean air for human respiration was recognized even in ancient Rome. Vitruvius Pollio, the earliest architect whose written records...
Other LEED O&M Points
Following are other opportunities related to ventilation to earn points under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (O&M)...
Health-Care-Infrastructure Space Planning
Expanding a health-care provider's services invariably requires the modification of an existing structure or the construction of a new one. Because engineers...
Evaluating Airflow-Measuring Devices
Airflow-measurement-device selection is critical to the performance of today's state-of-the-art HVAC control systems, as accuracy and repeatability can...
Regenerative Dual Duct: An Overview
The energy crisis of the 1970s led industry experts and legislators to conclude that buildings needed more insulation, infiltration required additional...
AMCA International Votes Down Scheduled Assessment Increase
The Air Movement and Control Association International Inc. (AMCA International) Board of Directors has reviewed the current dues structure and decided there will be no cap-assessment increase on July 1, 2009....
Large Fans Increase Thermal Comfort, Reduce Energy Costs for University
In remodeling and expanding the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life (LBC) on its Uptown campus, Tulane University forewent the installation of a traditional HVAC system, opting instead for passive cooling techniques — most noticeably, three 10-ft-diameter fans from Big Ass Fans ...
AMCA International Event Calendar
AMCA International Event Calendar...
Recent Comments