Growing energy demand confronts all of us with enormous challenges. Energy consumption through heating, ventilation, and air conditioning is a significant portion of energy usage globally. The U.S. Small Business Administration notes that HVAC equipment accounts for 40 percent of energy usage in commercial buildings. Both new and existing buildings can make a significant contribution to a more sustainable future. 

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Those seeking comfort will find it at Assisi Heights in Rochester, Minnesota. For many years, that wasn’t the case. The Sisters of St. Francis of Rochester and others who lived, worked, and taught at the historical convent, did so without air conditioning and a very outdated steam heating system. Many of the pneumatic actuators throughout the steam system were in disrepair.

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Indoor air quality (IAQ) and its effect on occupant well-being and comfort are essential. Many issues such as sick building syndrome, indoor air quality thermal comfort, visual comfort, and acoustic comfort are a part of the indoor environment. Good indoor air quality requires attention to the building's HVAC system, measure and monitoring, healthy indoor air, air filtration, and pollutant source management. Some good practices in these areas have also been highlighted.

Tags: Technical Tips, Sensors

Valve Flow Coefficient (Cv) is the flow capability of a control valve at fully open conditions relative to the pressure drop across the valve. It is defined as the volume of water (GPM in the US) at 60°F that will flow through a fully open valve with a pressure differential of 1 psi across the valve. It is useful to know how to calculate Cv because it is the standardized valve sizing and selection method for control valves used throughout the HVAC industry.

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Many commercial facilities require different levels of heating and cooling in various areas of a building. A zoning system is appropriate for facilities where areas of the building are divided into heating and cooling zones based on specific needs. Hotels, hospitals, and apartments typically have different zones.

Tags: Actuators

Motorized valves control and adjust water flow in a hydronic heating and cooling system. The flow through pressure dependent valves varies as the pressure (∆P) across the valve orifice changes. Typical pressure dependent valves include globe valves, zone valves, characterized control valves,  standard ball valves, and butterfly valves. When pressure varies in a system, the flow will have an identical response. As the pressure drop decreases across a pressure dependent control valve, flow decreases, starving the coil or branch. When pressure drop increases across a pressure dependent control valve, flow increases, flooding the coil or branch. Overflowing the coil usually causes what we call low Delta T syndrome. This syndrome typically increases the energy consumption of chilled water pumps, decreases system overall operating efficiency, undermines occupant comfort, and increases overall operation cost. 

Tags: Pressure Independent Valves, Green Building Technology

Airside Economizing is a great way to reduce operating costs; it also provides the correct ratio of outside air and return air to deliver the proper indoor air quality (IAQ) to meet the codes and provide occupant comfort. Many commercial building owners are paying too much for utility bills and are looking at ways to cut costs. HVAC economizer can make a difference in energy costs.

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On average, we spend approximately 90% of our lives indoors and take about 20,000 breaths a day. We assume the air is "clean" in the buildings and will not affect our health. It is surprising how little we know about the importance of indoor air quality.

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For nearly four decades, the Dunn Building in Berkeley County, West Virginia, operated as a woolen sock mill. Since then, it has been used for various purposes, including a shopping center and technical college. Today, it serves as administrative offices for Berkeley County.

Tags: Pressure Independent Valves, Green Building Technology, Featured Case Studies

HVAC systems' operation is a critical requirement for reopening and maintaining adequate safe indoor air quality (IAQ). An HVAC system has so many vital components – one being sensors. Sensors verify operation and accuracy to improve system performance and ensure occupant health, safety, comfort, and productivity.

Tags: Technical Tips, Sensors