Tag: Sustainability

Maximizing Energy Efficiency with Air and Water-Side Economizers This Fall

Posted on by 360 Engineering

It’s that time of year again – the season of pumpkin spice everything, football games filling our weekends, and a prime opportunity to save on energy costs using air and water-side economizers. As temperatures drop during cool fall mornings (typically between 45-55°F), facilities have an excellent chance to leverage natural cooling to reduce mechanical refrigeration needs. Implementing and maintaining these economizer systems can result in substantial energy savings while also extending the life of HVAC equipment. Let’s dive into how economizers work and explore additional tips to optimize them this season.

Image Credit: EnergyStar.gov

Understanding Air-Side Economizers

Air-side economizers take advantage of the cool outside air to provide free cooling for buildings, significantly cutting down on the use of traditional air conditioning. When outside air temperatures are lower than the desired indoor temperature, air-side economizers allow fresh air to be brought in, mixed with the return air, and circulated throughout the building, reducing the need for mechanical cooling.

Here are a few maintenance tasks and checks to ensure your air-side economizer operates at peak performance:
  1. Inspect Outside Air Dampers: Verify that the outside air dampers open and close properly according to control commands.
  2. Check Relief/Exhaust Dampers: Just as the intake dampers need to work properly, relief or exhaust dampers must also function smoothly to maintain the building’s pressure balance.
  3. Calibrate Sensors: Temperature and humidity sensors are vital for economizer operation, as they determine when to open the economizer dampers.
  4. Control Sequence Verification: Ensure the economizer control sequences are properly set up and functioning.

Leveraging Water-Side Economizers

Water-side economizers provide another energy-saving opportunity, especially for facilities equipped with cooling towers. As outside temperatures drop, cooling towers can cool water to lower temperatures without the need to operate chillers. Water-side economizers typically work by using the cooling tower water to precool the chilled water supply or to bypass the chiller altogether under the right conditions.

To maximize the benefits of water-side economizers, keep these tips in mind:
  1. Monitor Condenser Water Temperatures: Cooler outdoor temperatures should result in lower condenser water temperatures.
  2. Clean Cooling Towers and Strainers: Cooling towers can collect leaves and debris during the fall season, which can reduce their efficiency.
  3. Use Variable Speed Drives on Pumps and Fans: Adjusting the speed of pumps and fans can significantly reduce energy consumption.
  4. Take Advantage of Integrated Controls: Many modern systems have integrated control capabilities that allow both air and water-side economizers to work together seamlessly.

Additional Tips for Optimizing Economizer Performance

  1. Conduct a Fall Maintenance Check: As temperatures begin to drop, schedule a thorough inspection of your HVAC system, including both air and water-side economizers.
  2. Install Economizer Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD): Economizer FDD systems can automatically detect common issues like sensor failures, damper malfunctions, or improper control sequences.
  3. Implement Night Purge Strategies: In addition to standard economizer use, consider implementing a night purge strategy during fall and spring when temperature swings are common.
  4. Regularly Review Trend Data: Take advantage of building automation systems to track economizer performance data over time.

Fall is an ideal time to optimize your economizer systems, taking advantage of cooler temperatures to reduce reliance on mechanical cooling and save energy. Whether you are using air-side or water-side economizers, regular maintenance, proper control setup, and monitoring can make a substantial difference in energy efficiency. By following these tips, you can ensure your economizers are operating at peak performance.

Sustainability Meets a New Era of Learning: Welcome to DPS RASA

Posted on by 360 Engineering

New School Year, New School

Denver Public Schools (DPS) pushed the design envelope with this over 60,000-square-foot ground-up new school. The current design houses grades ECE through 5th grade with a future Phase 2 expansion to bring it up through 8th grade and just shy of 80,000 square feet. Phase 1 was designed with Phase 2 in mind, from mechanical loads and water heater capacity down to sanitary sewer piping depth. As the architect, DLR Group led the design team in which 360 Engineering provided mechanical and plumbing engineering and consulting. Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy FNE (RASA) hosted its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, August 2, 2024, just in time for the new school year!

The RASA approach is built on a culturally sustaining, community-responsive foundation that respects all learners. It aims to foster a lifelong love of learning through creative and critical thinking, project-based learning, and the discovery of students’ talents. The model emphasizes the Arts as essential to learning, integrating them across subjects to promote higher-order thinking. Historically, students in Far Northeast Denver have lacked access to robust arts education, but RASA seeks to change this by valuing emotional education alongside logic and reasoning, creating a more holistic human experience.

Energy Modeling and Mechanical Systems

The design team was tasked with designing a highly energy-efficient building. Energy modeling was used to compare three mechanical systems:

  1. Packaged Heat Pump Roof Top Units (RTUs) with downstream Variable Air Volume (VAV) boxes with electric zone heating.
  2. A geothermal heat pump system.
  3. Chilled beam cooling with radiant heating flooring.

Each system has pros and cons, which were discussed in detail with 360’s input and guidance. The biggest decision points were identified as installation cost, energy efficiency (measured in Energy Use Intensity or EUI, given as a measure of energy use per square foot per year), maintenance requirements, and operational costs. The VAV RTU system was chosen as it provided the best efficiency with the lowest installation cost and a familiar system for the District’s facilities maintenance team to work with. This system also included air-side economizers and energy recovery wheels to further increase efficiency and make use of the dry Colorado air. Additionally, the controls systems monitor CO2 levels in the various spaces and modulate the outdoor air intakes to provide the right amount of ventilation (known as Demand Control Ventilation), providing the right balance between energy savings—less outdoor air to heat or cool—and indoor air quality, keeping CO2 levels down and enough fresh air coming in to keep learning minds active and alert!

All Electric

With RASA’s successful grand opening, the design team immediately began designing the Phase 2 expansion. We are excited to see the school we have designed realize its potential as a safe, energy-efficient facility that will foster growth in the next generation.

With a mindset for the future, the school was designed to be all-electric: the mechanical system is powered using heat pump technology, domestic water heating is electric, and all kitchen appliances are electric—even the ranges and ovens are induction-type! This is the District’s first all-electric school.

Spencer Rioux to Present at USGBC Green Schools Summit

Posted on by 360 Engineering

Join us for the USGBC Mountain Region Green Schools Summit on December 1st, 12:40-1:40 pm, which will be held virtually. Based on our electrification design efforts for the new Denver Public Schools Ceylon, learn about establishing sustainability and efficiency goals, control strategies for energy savings and indoor air quality, the relationship between system operations and environmental sustainability, and ways to implement these strategies in architectural and mechanical design. 360 Engineering Project Manager, Spencer Rioux, will be joined by Molly Blakley, DLR Group, and Adam West, Denver Public Schools.

You can register here: http://ow.ly/UCNN50LGgux

Announcement: 360 Engineering Project Engineer Spencer Rioux Earns LEED AP BD+C

Posted on by 360 Engineering

360 Engineering is thrilled to have another USGBC LEED Accredited Professional.  Project Engineer, Spencer Rioux, recently earned his LEED AP BD+C through the U.S. Green Building Council.  Sustainability is at the forefront of our mechanical engineering consulting and design work, which makes certifications such as LEED so important.  Short for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”, LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.  The LEED for Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) rating system covers a large range of project types including new construction, major renovations, core and shell development, schools, retail, data centers, warehouses, hospitality, and healthcare.  This certification fits perfectly with the types of projects 360 Engineering works on daily.

Additional sustainability-focused certifications held by 360 Engineering team members include ASHRAE High-Performance Building Design and International WELL Building Institute WELL AP.

Announcement: 360 Engineering Project Manager Taylor Reese Earns WELL AP

Posted on by 360 Engineering

360 Engineering is proud to announce project manager Taylor Reese, PE recently earned his WELL Building Standard Professional Accreditation. As a WELL AP, Taylor joins a select group of industry professionals, becoming only the 12th member of Colorado’s WELL community to hold this designation! Delivered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the WELL Building Standard is a relatively new building rating system, similar to the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED program. In addition to concentrating on the environmental impact of a building, WELL focuses on the health and well-being of the building occupants. The WELL concepts include Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort, and Mind.

Some examples of features that may be found in a WELL certified space are:
  • Thermal gradients across open offices, allowing employees to work at a space temperature they find comfortable
  • Continual testing and treatment of potable water to maximize quality and taste, promoting better occupant hydration and mitigating the health effects of contaminants
  • Real-time air quality monitoring with occupant displays showing concentrations of airborne particulate, carbon dioxide, and ozone
  • Prominently located stairs with natural light and art in low-rise buildings, advocating active interior occupant circulation rather than elevator use
  • Melanopic lighting to encourage healthy circadian rhythms, helping employees get their recommended quality and quantity of sleep

Although the health and well-being of occupants is main goal of the WELL Building Standard, ancillary benefits may include increased property value and rent for building owners, and higher productivity, reduced sick days, and increased worker satisfaction for employers. WELL certification applies to new and existing buildings, new and existing tenant interiors, and core and shell for offices, multi-family residential, educational facilities, retail, restaurants, and commercial kitchens. If you are interested in exploring the possibility of pursuing WELL certification for your next project, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for a discussion.