HVAC 360 - Episode 032 - FieldAware Software

HVAC 360 this week talks to Karl Schneider of FieldAware Software from the floor of the AHR Expo 2012 in Chicago.  FieldAware is a new software service that improves efficiency and effectiveness of field personnel.  With an asset management component being released in February 2012, they are off to a good start offering native mobile applications that can help HVAC companies increase their profitability.  For more information, a demo of their product, or a free trial, check out their website:

 www.fieldaware.com

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HVAC 360 - Episode 024 - Toilet Rooms: HVAC and Plumbing

In celebration of the World Toilet Organization's World Toilet Day, Saturday November 19th, I have decided to talk about toilet room design, covering both HVAC and Plumbing.  So often we forget in our professional lives that toilet rooms have a very emotional connection to us in our day to day lives.  I mention a study saying that a dirty toilet room can have a negative effect on the bottom line of consumer stores but I would extend that "negative impact" to dirty toilet rooms whereever you worked.  So the moral of my story is to take toilet room layout seriously, help architects avoid errors, and advocate for the owner.

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The new Green Standard - ASHRAE 189.1

Dusting off my notes from my January trip to Las Vegas for the ASHRAE Winter Meeting I came across a session with Past ASHRAE President Kent Peterson talking about Standard 189.1.  This is ASHRAE's Green Standard which has recently published it's user manual.

The big news about this standard is that it's written in a codified language, which means that it is enforceable by code officials, and it is meant for high performance buildings.  

Now before I go any futher let's back up two steps so that I can paint a broader picture.  ASHRAE's superstar standard has long been 90.1, which governs the minimum energy code compliance. It too is also written in codified language and has been updated on a three-year cycle (2001, 2004, 2007, 2010).  It wouldn't be stretch to say that this code is the least that an engineer could design to without breaking the law (a little food for thought). But ASHRAE has also been raising the bar on standard 90.1 with each new version.  

Now that we have talked about the minimum bar for all buildings let's move on to the minimum bar set for High Performance Buildings, Standard 189.1.

Today when people think about high performance buildings, they think green, they think LEED.  But the LEED process is no more than a guideline, a "paint-by-numbers" points system that doesn't always get you a high performance building. Enter Standard 189.1.  Those familiar with the LEED guidelines will look at this standard and do a double-take.  They look the same.  But be careful, they may have the same structure and some of the same goals, but the ASHRAE committee that developed this has taken a lot of care in structuring it into an enforceable language. One of the real keys that is in the standard is the requirement for high performance building operation.  Time and time again the operation of a building is reduced to the level of understanding of the building operators, but this standard has taken steps that this cycle is broken.  Specifically the steps include commissioning throughout the design and construction process, owner training that focuses on system operation not just equipment operation, and plans for operation that incorporate benchmarking, useage, and maintenance.

Putting 90.1 and 189.1 together you will see that they are not independent.  As standard 90.1 becomes more stringent so to will 189.1.  With the ultimate goal for standard 189.1 to become the net-zero standard for buildings.

Other tidbits from the session:

- Standard 189.1 now adopted as an optional path of compliance for the new Internation Green Construction Code

- Water comsumption is quickly becoming more of an issue than energy consumption for most buildings.

- Studies of existing buildings showing that US power consumption is leveling off, despite improvements in efficiencies.  This is primarily due to the fact that we are plugging more stuff in.

- Newest version of standard 62.1 (the ventilation standard) is coming out requiring less ventilation.

Attack of the 20-foot Maintenance Man!

Now it may be of some surprise to designers and engineers that HVAC rooftop equipment needs to be serviced, so I have come up with the solution: genetically-enhanced maintenance people that are 20 feet high.  Alright, so my solution has some flaws, like door handles being broken off the AC units by those giant hands, but seriously now, why such a drastic idea.  Two reasons and both reared their ugly heads recently on my projects, namely roof and equipment access.

Let’s talk about roof access first.  I know it’s not the engineer’s job to specify and layout roof access, but it should be at least reviewed by them.  Try to put yourself in the shoes of the maintenance staff when they go to service the equipment or when something goes wrong.  Typically this does not happen on a nice sunny Tuesday afternoon, it will usually occur in the middle of the night in a downpour or a blizzard.  And to add insult to injury, work has to be performed in those conditions on roofs that are made from that white, plastic, slicker-than-a-greased-pig roofing material.  All these conditions can quickly turn a simple situation into a worker’s compensation claim, with the maintenance or repair still left undone.

ACTION ITEM #1: In design, check all roof surfaces that have roof drains or HVAC equipment and make sure that you can reach all areas without carrying a ladder around.  Remember even a three foot elevation change can be dangerous in some weather conditions.  This check can be effectively done by checking the architectural roof plan and making sure that they have permanent ladders noted where you would require them.  Also, in addition to checking for changes in elevation look for access to the roof itself.  Man-doors are preferred, but a hatch and a ladder also work.

Second is the HVAC equipment access.  In the age of high-efficiency systems, I have seen my fair share of the heat-wheel type energy recovery units; these are my number one access offenders.  These AC units can be as tall as a double-decker bus, with a fan, motor, filters and possibly other components located on the top deck, and all of which require maintenance.  Add in that white roof and the inclement weather and your recipe for disaster shows up again!

ACTION ITEM #2:  Also in design, check the height on the rooftop HVAC air-handlers (cooling towers, chillers and anything else for that matter). If they require a ladder for proper service then consider adding a permanent catwalk system.  If that isn’t possible because of budget reasons, try to get good walk-way pads all around the unit that aren’t slippery and add some permanent ladder tie-off points to the equipment casing.  Other ideas may include removable or moveable scaffolding, but a lot depends on what can be easily moved to the roof and the available storage.  I would also check out what OSHA has to say about this as part of your due diligence.

These simple things are easy enough to gloss over in your efforts to get you designs out the door but if you want your design to stand the test of time, with consistently low energy consumption, it has to be maintained and for that to happen you have to make it easy for the people working on you equipment to properly access to it.