You are on page 1of 68

Pumped Up

Whether you’re an OEM pump manufacturer, a pump • Unmatched Quality


assembler or a maintenance and repair professional,
there’s a Baldor•Reliance® motor designed and
manufactured for your specific motor-driven pump
system application.
• Superior Reliability
With low and medium voltage horsepower ratings to
15,000 in single or three phase designs including
explosion-proof, close-coupled, vertical P-base,
submersible and immersible, no other motor • Global Sales and Support
manufacturer offers more choices, quality or pumped
up reliability than Baldor•Reliance.

baldor.com 479-646-4711 • Stock and Custom Orders

©2017 Baldor Electric Company

input #1 at www.csemag.com/information
Experts you trust.
Excellence you count on.
Our engineers and factory experts live and breathe
the latest power technologies.

You may not deal with power generation every day. We do. Cummins application
engineers and factory experts — our technical gurus — know the ins and outs of power
generation like no one else in the industry. Every day we create and apply innovative
and proven solutions for all your needs, no matter the scale or complexity.

Need a guru for your power needs? Contact your local Cummins distributor or
learn more at power.cummins.com/expertsyoutrust.

© 2017 Cummins Inc. All rights reserved. Cummins is a registered trademark of Cummins Inc.

input #2 at www.csemag.com/information
Trying to satisfy efficiency regs
and customer demands?

Here’s a solution everyone


will be comfortable with.

New industry regulations don’t have to mean new headaches. Our Copeland
Scroll™ two-stage compressors for 6-10 HP meet both new stricter efficiency
standards and your customers’ demands for comfort and affordability.
With system IEER improvements of up to 15 percent, it's a combination of
performance and efficiency that your customers are going to love. Of course,
with its easy installation and the proven reliability found in every one of the
125 million Copeland Scroll compressors we’ve manufactured, chances are,
you’re going to love it too. Find out more at emerson.com/two-stage

See our award winning


Copeland Scroll two-stage at
AHR Expo 2018 booth 5310.

The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2017 Emerson Electric Co.

input #3 at www.csemag.com/information
Vol. 55, Number 1

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

17 | BUILDING SOLUTIONS
18 | Sizing domestic water pipes
Engineers should pay close attention to local code,
available water pressure, fixtures, and a host of
other factors.

24 | Top ten overlooked


ASHRAE 90.1-2013 requirements
As energy efficiency is a growing concern, under-
standing ASHRAE 90.1 requirements for energy-
efficient buildings is vital.

26 | Achieving compliance
with ASHRAE 90.1
The 2016 edition hasn’t been adopted by all juris-
dictions, however, engineers should understand the
key elements of this important standard.

18 32 | Can data centers become


energy producers?
COVER This domestic-water heating system
ON THE COVER: Recovering “waste” heat from servers in data cen-
for a hospital shows recirculation pumps and a thermo- ters opens the door to innovation and efficiency.
static mixing valve in the foreground. Courtesy: Dewberry
38 | Adopting NFPA 101
in health care buildings
5| NEWS&BUSINESS Explore the top 10 things to know about the
2012 edition of NFPA 101 for hospitals and health
9 | Viewpoint care facilities.
New Year’s habits

11 | Research 43 | ENGINEERING INSIGHTS


This highlights five engineering and design findings
as they relate to data center projects. 44 | Designing visually appealing,
efficient office buildings
13 | Career Smart Office buildings can be highly complex, with com-
How parental leave policies can benefit your
plicated features and advanced technology. Expe-
bottom line
rienced engineers share advice on how to handle
15 | Future of Engineering these structures and identify trends impacting such
Addressing the growth in the energy-management structures now and in the future.
industry
51 | New Products for Engineers

CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER (ISSN 0892-5046, Vol. 55, No. 1, GST #123397457) is published 11x per year, monthly except in February, by CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland
Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher/Co-Founder; Steve Rourke CEO/COO/Co-Founder. CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER copyright 2018 by CFE Media, LLC. All
rights reserved. CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER is a registered trademark of CFE Media, LLC used under license. Periodicals postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional mailing offices. Circulation re-
cords are maintained at CFE Media, LLC, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Telephone: 630-571-4070. E-mail: customerservice@cfemedia.com. Postmaster: send address changes to
CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40685520. Return undeliverable Canadian ad-
dresses to: 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Email: customerservice@cfemedia.com. Rates for nonqualified subscriptions, including all issues: USA, $145/yr; Canada,
$180/yr (includes 7% GST, GST#123397457); Mexico, $172/yr; International air delivery $318/yr. Except for special issues where price changes are indicated, single copies are available for $30 US and $35 foreign. Please address
all subscription mail to CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER, 3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 Downers Grove, IL 60515. Printed in the USA. CFE Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person
for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident or any other cause whatsoever.

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 3


®
Introducing MegaPress XL .
The unfair advantage.

viega.us/UnfairAdvantage

Gain the edge with a revolutionary press fitting system for up to 4" pipe. We all want the
advantage in our favor. That extra inch. That “secret weapon.” A competitive edge that is so
far superior, it’s almost unfair. For pipefitters specializing in carbon steel, that unfair advantage
is finally here with MegaPress XL. Gain the edge today with the newly innovated, meticulously
engineered, revolutionary press fitting system designed for 2½" – 4" diameter pipe. Only
MegaPress XL makes installation faster, provides more control at less cost, and gives pipefitters
the smart, reliable connection they need to stay ahead. Viega. Connected in quality.

Visit us at AHR, booth 2149 and register to win a $500 gift card or a 340 tool set with jaws.
input #4 at www.csemag.com/information
NEWS&BUSINESS

CAREER SMART
How parental leave
VIEWPOINT 13 policies can benefit
your bottom line
9 New Year’s habits
Though Jan. 1 has come and gone,
Promoting a healthy work-life
balance aids recruiting and retention for
it’s never too late to start a habit
architecture and engineering firms.
that will benefit you in upcoming
Michelle M. DeCarlo
months.
Amara Rozgus

FUTURE OF ENGINEERING
LIFE SAFETY Addressing the
growth in the
53% of mission critical facility projects 15 energy-management
over the next 12 months are expected to industry
Meeting energy-management demands calls for
need emergency communication/mass training and continuing education.
notification systems. Robert Knoedler, PE, EMP, CxA
Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer
2016 Fire & Life Safety Study

Discipline impact on data center fire,


life safety design
M More
RESOURCES
Local AHJ or local
Find more research results at www.csemag.com/research
fire officials
79%
• Eighty-one percent of engineers involved with lighting
Owner 53% design or specifying lighting products have been affected
Architect 46%
by changes to energy efficiency and consumption
requests or requirements over the past 12 to 18 months.
Electrical engineer 40% Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2017 Lighting &
Lighting Controls Study
Mechanical engineer 38%
• Four in 10 engineers are experiencing difficulty with
Contractors
27% designing energy-efficient lighting systems. Source:
(electrical, HVAC, etc.)

Facility manager 27%


Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2017 Lighting & Lighting
Controls Study

RESEARCH
2016 Fire, life safety ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES
11 in data centers Use the icons to identify topics of interest.
This highlights five engineering and design findings AUTOMATION & CONTROLS HVAC
as they relate to data center projects. COMMUNICATIONS LIGHTING
Amanda Pelliccione ELECTRICAL PLUMBING
FIRE, SECURITY & LIFE SAFETY

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 5


Elegant views of efficiency

Access, configure, and control the comfort and energy performance


of your space with the MACH-ProView™ LCD from Reliable Controls.
NOW with TRENDview, this combination BACnet® building controller
(B-BC) and BACnet operator display (B-OD) resides on Ethernet,
Power over Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or RS-485 topologies. Backed by a
nation-wide network of certified Authorized Dealers, the MACH-ProView
LCD will elevate your perspective on building performance.

Reliable Controls makes


building automation easy.
Innovation
The customizable capacitive touch interface supports a
variety of elegant “views”, including trends, schedules,
alarms, color themes, language selection, and Internet
weather data. The freely programmable paradigm
supports up to 1536 objects which provides the flexibility SPACEview
for designers to implement virtually any application.

Value
Supported protocols include BACnet, Modbus, DHCP,
SMTP, SNTP, SMART-Net, I/O-Net, and Wi-Fi. Onboard
sensors include temperature, humidity, occupancy, and
carbon dioxide. The free myControl app supports iOS and
Android devices. The MACH-ProView LCD ships with the
industry-recognized, Reliable Controls 5 year warranty.

Impact LISTview
The simplicity, flexibility, and reliability of the MACH-ProView
LCD controller will empower you to engage with your
building automation system and help you to reduce your
greenhouse gas emissions and improve your energy efficiency.

Contact your local Authorized Dealer at:


www.reliablecontrols.com/sales/

STATview
TRE
ND
vie
w

input #5 at www.csemag.com/information
B&G
SOLVES
BUILDINGS

Each building is its own puzzle. By taking a holistic approach


to your entire hydronic system, the experienced team at
Bell & Gossett will help you solve for true energy efficiency.
Now’s the time to take advantage of the most complete
product range in the industry, including Bell & Gossett e-series
pumps which already surpass DOE 2020 compliance. Spec
your job today with the only integrated, online selection tool
at esp-systemwize.com.

bellgossett.com

input #6 at www.csemag.com/information
NEWS&BUSINESS
VIEWPOINT
CONTENT SPECIALISTS/EDITORIAL
AMARA ROZGUS, Editor-in-Chief/Content Strategy Leader
630-571-4070 x2211, ARozgus@CFEMedia.com
EMILY GUENTHER, Associate Content Manager
EGuenther@CFEMedia.com

New Year’s habits


AMANDA PELLICCIONE, Director of Research
APelliccione@CFEMedia.com
MICHAEL SMITH, Creative Director
MSmith@CFEmedia.com
SUSIE BAK, Production Coordinator
630-571-4070 x2213, SBak@CFEMedia.com
Though Jan. 1 has come and gone, it’s never too late to
start a habit that will benefit you in upcoming months.
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

T
PETER ALSPACH, PE, LEED AP BD+C,
Principal, Mechanical Engineer, Arup, Seattle
he start of the year is often the night for many weeks, commit to
JERRY BAUERS, PE,
Vice President, NV5, Kansas City, Mo. seen as a time of renewal. authoring one short item each month
MICHAEL CHOW, PE, LEED AP BD+C, New Year’s resolutions—fre- for a couple of months. Then, work at
Principal, Metro CD Engineering LLC, Columbus, Ohio
quently tossed aside in just contributing two items each month.
TOM DIVINE, PE,
Senior Electrical Engineer, a few weeks—remind us of ways to The resolution then becomes a habit,
Smith Seckman Reid Inc., Houston improve, things to change, or other not a daunting goal.
CORY DUGGIN, PE, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP,
Energy Modeling Wizard, TLC Engineering for
ways to “start anew” an idea that was
Architecture Inc., Brentwood, Tenn. tossed aside for some reason. • Share your goals with others.
ROBERT J. GARRA JR., PE, CDT, Each January, we’re reminded that You are more likely to gain the sup-
Vice President, Electrical Engineer,
CannonDesign, Grand Island, N.Y. it’s time to save more money port of colleagues and co-
JASON GERKE, PE, LEED AP BD+C, C X A, for the future, eat fewer workers when you share
Mechanical Engineer, GRAEF, Milwaukee “bad” foods and more good your aspirations with them.
JOSHUA D. GREENE, PE,
Vice President, JENSEN HUGHES, Framingham, Mass.
ones, and improve ourselves Be clear with yourself and
RAYMOND GRILL, PE, FSFPE, by learning something new. others on what you plan
Principal, Arup, Washington, D.C. All of these ideas are great; to do, and use the motiva-
DANNA JENSEN, PE, LEED AP BD+C,
Senior Vice President, WSP, Dallas
however, we often resolve to tion of mentors, colleagues,
WILLIAM KOFFEL, PE, FSFPE,
add or subtract something and others to get closer to
President, Koffel Associates Inc., Columbia, Md. substantial in our daily lives. your goal. (In addition,
Amara Rozgus,
WILLIAM KOSIK, PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP, That’s hard to do, as we’re all building upon the article-
Senior Mechanical Engineer - Mission Critical, Editor-in-Chief
exp US Services Inc., Chicago creatures of habit. So how contribution example above,
KENNETH KUTSMEDA, PE, LEED AP, do we keep these promises forming relationships with
Engineering Manager, Jacobs, Philadelphia
and challenges going for more than your firm’s communications team and
JULIANNE LAUE, PE, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP,
Senior MEP Engineer, Center for Sustainable Energy, just a few weeks? respected publications will help you
Mortenson Construction, Minneapolis The average person cannot main- work your way up to becoming a trust-
DAVID LOWREY,
Chief Fire Marshal, Boulder (Colo.) Fire Rescue
tain their resolution much past a ed resource.)
BRIAN MARTIN, PE,
month. But according to experts and
Senior Electrical Engineer, Buildings and Places, a host of online resources, there are a • Don’t give up—if you don’t
AECOM, Portland, Ore.
few ways to make and keep changes immediately achieve your goals, try
DWAYNE G. MILLER, PE, RCDD, AEE CPQ,
Chief Executive Officer, NV5, Las Vegas going well into 2018 and beyond. again. A different perspective or a
RODNEY V. OATHOUT, PE, CEM, LEED AP, My favorite suggestions include: slight shift in the goal might enhance
Principal, Regional Engineering Leader,
DLR Group, Overland Park, Kan.
your willingness to achieve it. Also,
FREDDY PADILLA, PE, ATD, • Make the resolution something working with someone who motivates
Principal/Senior Electrical Engineer, Page, Austin, Texas that you can incorporate into your you, such as a published colleague or
GREGORY QUINN, PE, NCEES, LEED AP,
Principal, Health Care Market Leader,
life somewhat seamlessly. In other senior member of the team, can be a
Affiliated Engineers Inc., Madison, Wis. words, don’t tell yourself on Jan. 1 big help if you hit a brick wall.
BRIAN A. RENER, PE, LEED AP, that you’re going to write 12 articles
Associate, SmithGroupJJR, Chicago
for technical publications by July 1. If you’re like me, you’ve proba-
SUNONDO ROY, PE, LEED AP BD+C,
Vice President, CCJM Engineers Ltd., Chicago While improving your resume and bly already set some yearly objectives
RANDY SCHRECENGOST, PE, CEM, sharing your knowledge with the on Jan. 1. Here’s an easy resolution to
Austin Operations Group Manager and
Senior Mechanical Engineer,
industry is laudable, authoring that add to your list: Share your knowledge
Stanley Consultants, Austin, Texas many articles while working 40+ with others by authoring an article or
MARIO VECCHIARELLO, PE, CEM, GBE, hours a week is a big commitment. So two. Drop me a note about what you’d
Senior Vice President, CDM Smith Inc., Boston
RICHARD VEDVIK, PE,
instead of planning to write late into like to cover.
Senior Electrical Engineer and Acoustics Engineer,
IMEG Corp., Rock Island, Ill.
MIKE WALTERS, PE, LEED AP,
Campus Energy Market Leader, MEP Associates, Verona, Wis.
JOHN YOON, PE, LEED AP ID+C,
Lead Electrical Engineer, McGuire Engineers Inc., Chicago

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 9


LWAYS
PROTECT. NEVER COMPROMISE.

AUTOCALL INTRODUCES THE POWER


OF ALWAYS TO FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY.
An unrelenting pursuit of fire detection innovation. An unwavering
commitment to protecting lives and property. Autocall solutions
embrace the power of always to deliver advanced fire detection
that’s reliable, scalable, and efficient.
autocall.com

input #7 at www.csemag.com/information
Specifying energy
recovery systems NEWS&BUSINESS
RESEARCH
Never Always

9%
16%
2016 FIRE & LIFE SAFETY STUDY
20%
Fire, life safety in data centers

T
he Consulting-Specifying Engi- life safety systems specifications (83%)
55% neer 2016 Fire & Life Safe- for data centers, followed by prescrip-
ty Study indicated that 44% of tive specifications (66%).
engineers specify, design, or 4. Challenges: When working on
make product selections for data cen- fire and life safety systems for data cen-
Rarely Frequently ters—and the majority of these engi- ters, engineers are having the most dif-
neers are responsible for determining ficulty with code authorities’ subjective
requirements/writing specifications for interpretation of regulations (75%),
Figure 1: Seventy-one percent of
these projects. From that 44%, below are insufficient funding for quality design
engineers frequently or always five fire and life safety findings as they (66%), and designing for interoperabil-
specify energy recovery systems for relate to data center projects: ity and integration of systems (64%).
the projects they are involved on. 1. Systems specified: The top three 5. Comparing products: Over-
Source: Consulting-Specifying Engi- fire and life safety systems being speci- all product quality is most impor-
neer 2017 HVAC & Building Auto- fied into data centers are fire, smoke, tant (73%) when selecting a fire and
mation Systems Study heat, and linear detection systems (88%); life safety systems for a data center,
smoke detection, control systems, damp- engineers also look at service support
ers, etc. (83%); and network and intelli- offerings (52%) and manufacturers’

24: Average number of years


an electrical engineer has worked
gent fire alarm control panels (68%).
2. Specified systems value: The aver-
age firm earns $2.64 million annually
reputations (50%). cse

in the current industry. Source: Con- from fire and life safety systems specified
sulting-Specifying Engineer 2016
Electrical & Power Study
into new and existing data centers, with
30% bringing in more than $3 million
each year from these projects.
M More
RESEARCH
View more information at www.csemag.
3. Specifications: Engineers are most com/2016FireLifeSafety. Amanda Pelliccione

17% of lighting engineers


specify halogen, organic LED, and/
frequently issuing performance fire and is the research director at CFE Media.

or sodium (high- or low-pressure) Discipline impact on data center fire,


fixtures for current projects. Source: life safety design
Consulting-Specifying Engineer
2017 Lighting & Lighting Controls Local AHJ or local
fire officials
79%
Study
Owner 53%

48% of fire protection engi-


neers specify, design, or make
Architect 46%

product selections for hospital and Electrical engineer 40%


health care facility projects. Source:
Consulting-Specifying Engineer Mechanical engineer 38%
2016 Fire & Life Safety Study
Contractors
27%
(electrical, HVAC, etc.)
More research
Consulting-Specifying Engineer Facility manager 27%
covers several research topics each
year. All reports are available at Figure 2: Local authorities having jurisdiction or local fire officials have the
www.csemag.com/research. most impact on data center fire and life safety design, followed by owners,
architects, and electrical engineers. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 11


input #8 at www.csemag.com/information
NEWS&BUSINESS
CAREER SMART

Michelle M. DeCarlo,
PE, LEED AP BD+C;
Jaros, Baum & Bolles, New York City

How parental leave policies


can benefit your bottom line
Promoting a healthy work-life balance aids recruiting and retention
for architecture and engineering firms.

T
he difficult hiring climate, average weekly wage (capped at 67% of one of the first of its kind in our busi-
combined with an emerging the state-average weekly wage) for 2021 ness community, that addresses these
workforce that highly values and beyond. issues in a more equitable manner. The
work-life balance, is driving goal is for this policy to serve as a model
the popularity of expanded Case study: JB&B’s new policy for other firms to implement.
paid family leave policies among pro- for parental leave
gressive companies. In March 2017, Jaros, Baum & Bolles Method for recruiting and
While critics argue that paid family (JB&B) implemented a new, forward- retaining employees
leave places an unfair burden on busi- thinking parental leave policy for full- The anticipated New York State fam-
nesses, the real-world experience of time employees who have been with the ily leave law is a momentous step in the
employers in California suggests other- company for at least 3 years. right direction, but it still falls short
wise. Eight years after California insti- With the goal of broadening access of adequately supporting professional
tuted paid family leave, the Center for to parental leave benefits by older par- architects and engineers. This is because
Economic and Policy Research con- ents and same-sex couples, the firm the wage caps included in the law will
ducted a survey and found that 91% included adoption and surrogacy in its likely limit their pay to an insufficient
of employers said the policy either policy. For example, a man or woman fraction of their normal rate.
increased profits or had no effect. in a same-sex relationship could quali- Firms should not wait for new family
The California survey also found fy for parental leave when adopting or leave laws to go into effect, nor should
that more than 95% of those who took using a surrogate. the industry accept their provisions as
family leave returned to work at the end JB&B now provides 4 weeks of full the absolute best that can be done. In
of the leave period. These results rein- salary for parental leave benefits. When the interest of hiring and retaining the
force the fact that paid parental leave combined with short-term disabili- most qualified and talented staff, every
promotes employee retention without ty, where applicable, the total parental firm should support new parents and
negative effects on a company’s finan- leave benefit equates to 7 weeks of full other employees facing a family hard-
cial performance. pay. When the New York State law takes ship by offering the financial and job
New York State recently passed a law effect in 2018, JB&B will extend its pol- security of a forward-looking family
that will mandate paid time off for par- icy by the new law’s terms, rather than leave policy.
ents to bond with a new child, including overlapping the two. Experience and data show that estab-
adopted and foster children. This new Unfortunately, JB&B is an exception lishing such a policy is the right move to
law also allows paid leave to either care when it comes to paid parental leave make. It is not only good for employees,
for a close relative with a serious health policies. The ASHRAE Women in Engi- but also for the firm’s bottom line. cse
condition or help relieve family pres- neering (WIE) Committee’s New York
sures when someone is called to active chapter queried other firms through
military service. an anonymous survey that included the Michelle M. DeCarlo is an associate
In 2018, the law’s first year, eligible question of parental leave. ASHRAE NY at Jaros, Baum & Bolles, a mechanical,
employees can receive up to 8 weeks discovered that parental leave policies electrical, plumbing, and building sys-
of paid leave at 50% of their average were largely nonexistent and that mater- tems engineering firm based in New York
weekly wage, albeit capped at 50% of nity leave was less than sufficient. Based City. She also serves as chairperson of the
the state-average weekly wage. This on these findings and JB&B’s internal ASHRAE New York Women in Engineer-
gradually rises to 12 weeks at 67% of policy goals, the firm crafted a policy, ing Committee.

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 13


HOSPITALS SCHOOLS

OFFICES

MANUFACTURING MULTIFAMILY
FACILITIES HOUSING

Model EQD

Think outside the box.


The new shape of mixed flow air.
Greenheck’s new direct drive, octagonal-shaped, mixed flow inline fan (Model EQD)
is more compact than our successful belt drive Model EQB. It features an
energy-saving, Vari-Green® EC motor mounted inside the housing for
better performance, quick fan speed adjustments and more installation options
in space-challenged buildings. The unique, patent pending, octagonal shape
not only contributes to the rugged stability and low first cost, but also reduces
turbulence and sound — and improves energy efficiency.

Learn more at greenheck.com/4EQD | 715-359-6171


© 2018 Greenheck

ENERGY PACKAGED MAKE-UP KITCHEN LAB


FANS DAMPERS LOUVERS COILS
RECOVERY VENTILATION AIR VENTILATION EXHAUST
input #9 at www.csemag.com/information
NEWS&BUSINESS
FUTURE OF ENGINEERING

Robert Knoedler, PE, EMP, CxA


Hanson Professional Services Inc.,
Raleigh, N.C.

Addressing growth in the


energy-management industry
Meeting energy-management demands calls for training
and continuing education.

T
here has been a lot of reflec- potential consequences associated with commissioning-based energy management
tion on how far we have growing energy dependence and consum- and new energy efficiency technologies.
come and where we are going ing an increasing amount of our natu-
in the energy-management ral resources, professional organizations Global energy management gains
industry. Two distinct themes and governmental entities continue to The U.S. has achieved remarkable
have emerged: energy dependence and develop (and tighten) standards, bench- gains in efficiency and productivity. The
diversification of the industry. marking ordinances, and auditing/com- American Council for an Energy-Ef-
With respect to dependence, ener- missioning criteria governing energy ef- ficient Economy report, “Energy Effi-
gy has become a form of vital econom- ficiency in buildings and building systems. ciency in the United States: 35 Years and
ic and social sustenance. Because energy Coupled with the need to reduce depen- Counting,” found that while U.S. energy
is conveniently available via plug, switch, dency on fossil fuels for climatic and polit- use increased by 26% between 1980 and
or valve, few people consider how critical ical reasons, many companies, institutions, 2014, gross domestic product increased
it is. The federal government has identi- and municipalities are pledging to be net by 149% during that same period.
fied energy as the most critical infrastruc- zero and use 100% renewable energy with- Global interest and investment in en-
ture in the United States, further noting in two decades. Meeting these demands ergy efficiency and renewable energy are
that all of the other critical infrastructures will require leadership and innovation. on the rise. The 2017 Johnson Controls
rely on energy. As society and technology For example, the Energy Manage- Energy Efficiency Indicator survey of
have evolved, the dependence on energy ment Association (EMA) has adopted a more than 1,500 facility and management
has increased exponentially. Thus, when commissioning-based approach to en- executives revealed that 70% of organiza-
interrupted by natural disasters, restor- ergy management. This is designed to tions are paying more attention to energy
ing these services is a paramount concern. assist building owners and tenants in efficiency than a year ago, with 58% ex-
achieving energy savings while main- pect to increase investments next year.
Energy management opportunities taining optimum system performance. This is a golden age for energy man-
However, challenges brought by en- The method is data-driven as opposed agement. It is at the nexus of techno-
ergy dependence also come opportuni- to making assumptions and calcula- logical advancement, innovation, and
ties. Foremost are increased jobs and ad- tions based on unreliable information. service to the well-being of the en-
vanced careers in energy management and The EMA’s Energy Management Profes- vironment and its inhabitants. cse
related fields of production and environ- sional (EMP) certification is preparing for
mental management (the U.S. Department the future by completing the process for Robert Knoedler is a vice president of
of Energy (DOE) estimates U.S. energy- ANSI accreditation, which will lead to ob- Hanson Professional Services Inc. He is a
related employment tops 7.58 million). taining recognition under the DOE’s Better professional engineer, energy-management
These related fields encompass a wide Buildings Workforce Guidelines program. professional, and certified commissioning
variety of tasks and responsibilities. While Future challenges and opportunities in authority. He also is currently president of
consulting engineers often equate energy energy fields need to be met by tomor- the board of directors of the Energy Man-
management to assisting clients with au- row’s energy managers, and EMA is com- agement Association.
dits and studies to reduce demand and mitted to training them. The technical-
consumption, other professionals have program portion of CxEnergy Conference
related roles in monitoring, generation,
distribution, research, sustainability, and/
or financing of various energy-related
& Expo (presented jointly by EMA, the
Associated Air Balance Council (AABC),
and AABC Commissioning Group)
M More
INFORMATION
Go to www.csemag.com to access a video
services. Recognizing the limits and features many presentations based on library of CxEnergy presentations.

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 15


input #10 at www.csemag.com/information
BUILDING SOLUTIONS

FEATURE
Can data centers become
32 energy producers?
Recovering “waste” heat from servers in data cen-
ters opens the door to innovation and efficiency.
Bill Kosik, PE, CEM, LEED AP, BEMP

COVER STORY
18 Sizing domestic water pipes
When sizing pipes in nonresidential buildings,
engineers should pay close attention to local
code, available water pressure, fixtures, and a
host of other factors.
Emmett Willis, PE

FEATURE
Top ten overlooked
24 ASHRAE 90.1-2013
requirements
As energy efficiency is a growing concern, CODES AND STANDARDS
understanding ASHRAE 90.1 requirements Adopting NFPA 101
for energy-efficient buildings is vital.
Cory Duggin, PE, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP
38 in health care buildings
Explore the top 10 things to know about the
2012 edition of NFPA 101 for hospitals and
health care facilities.
FEATURE Brandon Finzel, PE, and
Achieving compliance
26
Samuel Flibbert, EIT
with ASHRAE 90.1
ASHRAE Standard 90.1: Energy Standard for
Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES
is one of the main drivers used in any building Use the icons to identify topics of interest.
design. The 2016 edition hasn’t been adopted by
AUTOMATION & CONTROLS HVAC
all jurisdictions, however, engineers should under-
COMMUNICATIONS LIGHTING
stand the key elements of this important standard.
Jeff Boldt, PE, FASHRAE, LEED AP, HBDP; and ELECTRICAL PLUMBING

Michael Rosenberg, FASHRAE, CEM, LEED AP FIRE, SECURITY & LIFE SAFETY

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 17


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
COVER STORY
By Emmett Willis, PE, Dewberry, Raleigh, N.C.

Sizing domestic
water pipes
When sizing pipes in nonresidential buildings, engineers should pay
close attention to local code, available water pressure, fixtures, and a
host of other factors.

D
esign professionals should consider these components affect the level of pressure that is
several factors to dictate how water available to the end user; therefore, design always
piping is sized for nonresidential starts at the source.
buildings, including occupancy type,
pressure availability from the source, Water-source considerations
specialized equipment requirements, and building Domestic water is typically provided by a
layout. This article looks at sizing methods outlined municipal water system or well, and each source has
in the International Plumbing Code (IPC), as well its own operational criteria. The most common sys-
as explanations to determine when it tem (municipal) will be considered here.

L Learning is necessary to go above and beyond


code-minimum requirements. The
Municipal water supplies vary across the coun-
try, and design professionals need to work with
OBJECTIVES American Society of Plumbing Engi- local utilities to verify requirements regarding
• Know the various pipe-sizing neers (ASPE) and codes based on the meters and backflow prevention. Design profes-
methods outlined in plumbing Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) use a sionals also must find out what minimum pressure
codes, such as International
Plumbing Code. similar method. is available by local utilities. For example, water
The goal of any water system is to pressure available at the street may be 80 psi at the
• Understand the source of water
supplied to a nonresidential reliably deliver water to all fixtures in time of testing, but some public utilities only guar-
building, and what factors a building at the pressure and flow antee 20 psi. Variations in pressure need to be con-
influence design of the piping rate required for proper operation. It sidered in the design because the municipality’s
system based on this source. is the responsibility of the design pro- minimum pressure might not meet the minimum
• Learn how to calculate the size fessional to gather all information on required to operate fixtures properly. In this case, a
of pipes and related equipment. the types of fixtures and equipment booster pump would be required.
being connected to the water system. Establishing a baseline can be done with a flow
Components connected to the domestic water test at the street. Flow tests are either done by util-
system, such as flush-valve water closets and uri- ity companies or outside contractors. Since flow
nals, sterilizers, commercial dishwashing equip- tests often have to be performed for fire protec-
ment, and industrial equipment, often have tion design, contacting the fire protection design-
minimum pressure requirements to operate. All of er on record is a good place to start when verifying
whether the test has already been performed.
Table 1: Example office building fixtures The flow test will show the water-supply
Fixture type Count Fixture units
curve of the city main. This can be used to verify
that the utility’s water main can satisfy the build-
Water closets (flush valve) 40 400
ing’s demand. It is important to note that water
Urinals (0.75-in. flush valve) 8 40 demand for fire flow typically exceeds the demand
Lavatories 36 72 for domestic water use. Because of this, domestic
Service sinks 16 48 water consumption is assumed to happen near the
Drinking fountains 4 1
static pressure. Using a flow test, if a building has
a domestic water demand of 500 gpm, the residual
Total number of fixture units 561
pressure is approximately 89 psi.

18 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


‘It may seem obvious to start by taking all the fixtures
in the building, adding up their flow rates, and using the
total for system demand. However, the likelihood of all


fixtures being in operation simultaneously is very small.

Therefore, it is prudent to use the static pressure


as the baseline for domestic water-service demand.
It should be noted that 2012 IPC, Section 604.8,
requires a maximum domestic water pressure of
80 psi. A pressure-reducing valve (PRV) should be
added to this system downstream of the backflow
preventer to ensure pressure does not exceed 80 psi.

Sizing the system


Before sizes can be determined, the amount of
flow required must be established. It may seem
obvious to start by taking all the fixtures in the
building, adding up their flow rates, and using the
total for system demand. However, the likelihood
of all fixtures being in operation simultaneously is
very small; some diversity factor has to be estab-
lished for design.
To account for this diversity, most codes (IPC
and UPC) have established a system wherein each
fixture is assigned a value in fixture units. Fixture-
unit values are shown in Table E103.3(2) of the
2012 IPC. The codes that do not use fixture-unit
calculations apply a diversity factor to the gallons Figure 1: This domestic-water heating system for a hospital shows
per minute (gpm) based on occupancy type and the recirculation pumps and a thermostatic mixing valve in the fore-
number of fixtures. ground. There are two steam-fired water heaters in the background.
For example, consider a 3-story office building This system highlights the complex piping arrangements in health
placed 100 ft away from the city water main. The care installations. All graphics courtesy: Dewberry
building has centrally located restrooms, drinking
fountains, mop sinks, and four break rooms on each minute values. This value can be interpolated to
floor. The example fixtures are listed in Table 1. be 151 gpm.
Of note in the table is that water closets are At this point, system demand is established
specified with flush valves. It is critical to account at 151 gpm. With this information, it is possible
for the difference between tank toilets and flush- to make a preliminary judgment on the build-
valve toilets. A tank water closet is assigned half ing’s main water line size. This figure might be
the fixture units of a flush-valve type. Both fix- adjusted later if the chosen size produces exces-
tures use 1.6 gal/flush, the difference being the sive pressure loss.
time it takes each type to pull 1.6 gal from the sys- Now that the 100% cold-water flow rate is estab-
tem. A flush valve typically operates in roughly lished, it is time to consider the pressure loss of
4 seconds (an average of 25 gpm), while a tank- the system. Items that affect system pressure are
type water closet might take 30 seconds to refill friction loss through pipe, valves, meters, fittings,
(an average of 3.2 gpm). Furthermore, flush-valve and head loss due to elevation. Analysis will need
water closets typically have a minimum pressure of to prove that the most remote fixture in the sys-
35 psi to operate properly. tem will have adequate pressure to operate. For our
With the total fixture units established, refer example, this will be a flush-valve water closet on
to Table E103.3(3) of the 2012 IPC for gallons per the 3rd floor that requires 35 psi to operate.

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 19


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
COVER STORY

From the street to the building and pressure to all fixtures in the building. A prac-
When connecting to a public utility water main, tical method is to determine the most demanding
a typical arrangement will be a tapping tee, isolation fixture in the system. All fixtures require a mini-
valve, and then a water meter. Utility companies mum flow and pressure to operate properly. In a
have guidelines on meter type, sizing, and loca- typical building, the most demanding fixture will
tion requirements. They also will be able to provide either be a flush-valve-operated water closet or a
flow data on the required meters. It is important to specialized piece of equipment with some min-
size the meter appropriately, because utility compa- imum-pressure requirement established by the
nies often have tap fees that can vary by the size of manufacturer.
the meter. These fees can be accrued monthly, thus Great care should be taken in the piping design
oversizing a meter could end up costing the build- to minimize friction loss in the system. This is
ing owner an enormous amount of money over the accomplished by eliminating unnecessary changes
lifespan of the facility. in direction and by properly sizing piping. To keep
Downstream of the meter, the water main needs friction loss to a minimum, it is best to not exceed
to pass through a backflow preventer. The back- 5 psi of loss per 100 ft. Pressure drop is calculat-
flow-preventer location will vary based on cli- ed based on the inlet pressure available, the most
mate and the requirements of local authorities demanding fixture’s pressure requirement, and the
having jurisdiction (AHJ). It can be located inside piping length to the farthest run. Figure 2 shows the
the building or outside on the building site. When relationship of friction loss and pipe velocity for the
locating a backflow preventer inside the building, standard plumbing pipe sizes. Charts similar to this
it is important to have the least amount of piping can be found in the IPC, ASPE, and other sources.
possible between the water line entering the build- A couple of different criteria are devised out in
ing and the backflow. No taps can be made off the Figure 2. In blue, friction loss more than 2.5 psi per
water line that are upstream of the backflow pre- 100 ft is highlighted. This area should be avoided
venter. This is to prevent any contaminated water in pipe runs of any considerable length. The area
within a building from backflowing into the public in red highlights water traveling through pipe in
water supply. excess of 8 ft per second. Eight ft per second is a
maximum for cold water. Hot water cannot exceed
System piping inside the building 5 ft per second per the 2009 UPC section 610.12.1.
When designing water piping inside a building, Water traveling too quickly through the piping
the primary requirement is to supply adequate flow system will cause water hammer, which results in
excess noise or, worse, damaged piping. Water ham-
mer is caused when water is forced to make a quick
change in direction. It can be a very destructive
force and should be avoided. Design considerations
to minimize water hammer are beyond the scope of
this article.
Assuming that in the previous example there is
no specialized equipment in the building and the
flush valves on the 4th floor are the most demand-
ing fixtures, let’s say the building’s top floor has
an elevation of 24 ft and the flush valves are locat-
ed at a 28-ft elevation abovegrade. Pressure loss
to elevation is typically referred to as “head loss”
and expressed in feet. The conversion is that 10 ft
of head loss is equal to 4.33 psi of water pressure.
Because domestic water systems are open systems,
this head loss can be a significant driver in system
design.
In high-rise buildings, it becomes necessary to
divide a building into different pressure zones to
supply adequate pressure that does not exceed 80
psi. Often this results in multiple booster pumps
and pressure-reducing valves on lower floors in each
pressure zone. A summary of the system pressure
loss for the example building is shown in Table 2.
Figure 2: Friction charts like the one shown are available for common The static pressure listed on the flow test men-
types of piping. Colors are added for clarity. tioned previously was 89 psi with a residual pres-

20 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


sure of 82 psi at 1,175 gpm of flow. A very rough Table 2: System pressure loss, 2-in. pipe
interpolation of these numbers shows that the flow-
Water meter pressure loss (2-in. meter) 12 psi
ing pressure at 151 gpm (system demand) is 89 psi.
The first major pressure loss is at the meter. This Piping from meter to backflow
15 psi
(100 ft of 2-in. piping)
15-psi loss at the meter will reduce the pressure
enough to not need a PRV, but it is still prudent to Backflow preventer
12 psi
(3-in. reduced pressure zone)
include one in the design to protect the system from
fluctuations in source pressure. Subtracting the sys- Piping and fittings inside building (3 in.) 15 psi
tem losses from the pressure available at the street Elevation or head loss 12 psi
(89 psi - 66 psi = 23 psi) shows that only 23 psi is Total pressure loss 66 psi
available at the top fixture.
An astute look at Table 2 will reveal that a 2-in.
line from the street is shown, while the backflow Table 3: System pressure loss, 3-in. pipe
preventer and piping inside the building is 3 in. Water meter pressure loss (2-in. meter) 12 psi
Because of the aforementioned tapping fees charged
Piping from meter to backflow (100 ft of 3-in. piping) 2 psi
by most utility companies, it becomes less costly to
have a meter smaller than the line size going into Backflow preventer
12 psi
(3-in. reduced pressure zone)
the building.
When the pressure loss of 66 psi is subtracted Piping and fittings inside building 15 psi
from the 89 psi of pressure available from the city, Elevation or head loss 12 psi
it results in only 23 psi available to the 3rd-floor Total pressure loss 53 psi
water closets. Because this is below the minimum
requirement, adjustments will be needed. It is worth
highlighting how the piping friction losses are being Table 4: System pressure loss
developed. The pipe friction chart (Figure 2) is only with backflow preventer
for straight runs of pipe without valves, offsets, or
Water meter pressure loss (2-in. meter) 12 psi
fittings. To calculate friction loss of fittings, list-
Piping from meter to backflow (100 ft of 3-in. piping) 2 psi
ed values are published that assign each fitting an
equivalent length of pipe. For example, a 90-deg Backflow preventer
12 psi
(3-in. reduced pressure zone)
1-in. elbow might be equivalent to 5 ft of pipe.
Experience shows that for simpler building designs, Equipment backflow preventer (0.5-in. RPZ) 13 psi
fitting loss is around 25%. For more complex build- Piping and fittings inside building 12 psi
ings (especially older buildings that have been ren- Elevation or head loss 2 psi
ovated), fitting loss can be around 100% of straight
Total pressure loss 53 psi
piping friction. Care should be made to evaluate the
system. The equivalent length method is a proven
and simple check to keep on track. should be sized to serve the last fixture plus an
An updated version of the chart is shown in additional 1.0 gpm. As multiple loops are con-
Table 3, which includes 3-in. line piping from the nected, add the gpm and keep the velocity less
water meter to the backflow preventer. than 5 ft/second.
System pressure at the top of the building is now Flush valves for toilets are not always the driving
36 psi, which is in excess of the 35 psi required to factors in domestic-water piping system design. Con-
operate worst-case flush-valve fixtures. There are sider the example of a doctor’s office moving to the
flush-valve fixtures that operate at pressures as 1st floor. The clinic has an autoclave that requires 50
low as 10 psi; 25 psi is more typical. The specifying psi of pressure at 5 gpm. Because the doctor’s office is
engineer needs to pay special attention to this when on the 1st floor, the head loss can be reduced from 17
specifying and approving flush valves. to 2 psi, assuming the unit is on a counter.
Up until this point, the example only consid- There is one more consideration for specialized
ers cold-water connections for typical sinks and equipment, especially medical devices. Most munic-
flush valves. Sizing hot water is done in a typi- ipalities and codes require additional backflow pre-
cal manner, and fixture-unit values for hot water vention to isolate the hazardous equipment from
are listed in the 2012 IPC. Hot water does have a the rest of the building’s domestic water service.
5-ft/second maximum, so piping should be sized This means the autoclave’s water goes through two
accordingly. Hot-water recirculation systems con- backflow preventers in series. The new total pres-
sist of one or more loops, typically one loop per sure loss is shown in Table 4.
floor. A typical water-heating system will circu- Due to the extra backflow preventer, the
late around 1 gpm for each loop. Therefore, pip- pressure loss of the system comes up to 53 psi.
ing from the source to the last fixture in the loop Now there is only 36 psi of pressure left to oper-

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 21


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
COVER STORY

ate the equipment, which is far below the 50-psi rience times of very high but brief demand, which
requirement. include halftime, intermission, and class chang-
The previous example illustrates that one piece es. When designing for systems such as these, the
of equipment can affect an entire building’s design. designer should prepare for all fixtures to operate
To accommodate the 50-psi requirement, a pump is at the same time. Code officials are within their
needed. Depending on other occupants, the pump rights to—and often do—mobilize a team of people
NOTE: to operate all the fixtures simultaneously in these
cases. In these situations, it is easy to see how larger
While viewing the pressure requirements of an individual pipe sizes are necessary to accommodate a higher
demand.
piece of equipment, always keep in mind that the rest of Pipe sizing requires the designer to consider
the building is under operation. That is why water-meter the building’s current use, and its potentially more
demanding situations. When in doubt of the type
loss and pipe-friction losses have not changed. of tenants occupying the building, make sure the
owner is aware of the criteria expected in a design.
Best judgment is required to accurately predict
can either be a point-of-use unit or it can oper- future scenarios. The key is to design a strong foun-
ate the entire building. Design professionals must dation for the building’s water system to perform as
also keep in mind that city pressure is subject to intended to meet occupant needs. cse
change—safety factors should be considered to
account for such variances. Emmett Willis is a mechanical engineer and assis-
Another consideration that needs to be account- tant department manager with Dewberry. His expe-
ed for beyond system components is occupancy rience includes plumbing, medical gas, and fire
type. Building code diversity factors were men- protection design, and he has designed plumbing
tioned earlier, and there are cases where such diver- and fire protection systems for a variety of facili-
sity factors cannot be used. Occupancies such as ties including educational, military, medical, and
stadiums, churches, auditoriums, and schools expe- commercial.

Your VAPOR ZONE Protection


Never Fear Moisture and Humidity Again!
The perfect insulation for

Aerocel ULP is ideal for hot, humid,


and high moisture conditions.

New Insulation
Aerocel ULP is ideal for hot and humid climates where moisture is always a problem.
® ™

• Cost effective alternative to cellular glass and other rigid foams


• Lowest permeance value of .005 perm-inch / lowest absorption rate of .1% by volume
• Ultra-low water vapor transmission –system stays sealed against moisture
• Ideal for extreme hot or cold high-humidity / high-moisture applications

For more information go to:


www.aeroflexusa.com/ULP Or call: 1-866-237-6235 (1-866-Aerocel)

1-866-237-6235 (1-866-AEROCEL) | www.aeroflexusa.com Done once. Done fast. Done right.

input #11 at www.csemag.com/information


Efficiency in
new dimensions.
Energy-saving RadiPacs –
now available up to size 1,000

With these new centrifugal fans, there are no limits to AHU applications.
– Series extended with new 630, 710, 800 and 1,000 models
– Outstanding system efficiencies, based on actual measured values
– Quiet and efficient, thanks to flow-optimized blade profiles
– Perfect Plug & Play complete system available as a cube or with a support bracket
To learn more, contact sales@us.ebmpapst.com

input #12 at www.csemag.com/information


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Cory Duggin, PE, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP; TLC Engineering for Architecture, Brentwood, TN

Top ten overlooked


ASHRAE 90.1-2013
requirements
As energy efficiency is a growing concern, understanding ASHRAE 90.1
requirements for energy-efficient buildings is vital.

E
nergy efficiency is a growing concern, requirements (Tables 6.8.1-12 and 13 in Section
and many associations are adopting more 6.8) are only mandatory for refrigerated display
requirements for energy-efficient build- cases (Section 6.4.6). The mandatory walk-in cool-
ings. ASHRAE Standard 90.1: Energy ers and freezers requirement (Section 6.4.5) does
Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise not mention these efficiency tables. Section 6.5.11
Residential Buildings and the International Energy sets the new prescriptive requirements for refriger-
Conservation Code (IECC) are codes that address ation systems.
the design of energy-efficient buildings. The follow-
ing are requirements in ASHRAE 90.1-2013 that 2. Fan-power limitation
tend to get overlooked during a building project. ASHRAE 90.1’s prescriptive fan power limitation
(Section 6.5.3.1) is a mandatory requirement in the
1. Commercial refrigeration IECC (Section C403.2.12), so it may be favorable to
equipment requirements use ASHRAE 90.1’s performance-based compliance
Requirements for commercial refrigeration path for projects with design limitations that cause
equipment were introduced in ASHRAE 90.1-2013, the fan-power limitation to be exceeded.
Sections 6.4.5 and 6.4.6. The minimum efficiency
3. Prescriptive window-to-wall ratio
The prescriptive maximum window-to-wall
ratio (WWR) is 40% in ASHRAE 90.1-2013, Sec-
tion 5.5.4.2.1, so buildings can comply prescrip-
tively with ASHRAE 90.1-2013 and have more
glass than those complying with 2015 IECC, that
has a prescriptive maximum WWR limit of 30%
(C402.4.1, without exceptions).

4. Exhaust-air energy recovery


Fan systems that exceed the total supply-airflow
and outdoor-airflow percentage threshold outlined
in Section 6.5.6.1 may choose to trade off the added
efficiency of exhaust-air energy recovery via the

Figure 1: The Witte Museum’s Mays Family


Center was designed to save 16% on energy
costs compared to the energy efficiency
requirements in ASHRAE 90.1-2007. All graph-
ics courtesy: Luis Ayala, TLC Engineering for
Architecture

24 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


performance-based compliance path in ASHRAE Figure 2: The Witte Museum’s Mays Family Center is a new 17,000 sq ft
90.1-2013. However, the threshold is a mandatory facility designed to house traveling exhibits and serve as an event venue.
requirement in 2015 IECC (Section C403.2.7), which
means there is no alternative for compliance. systems, interior lighting, exterior lighting, and
receptacle circuits. (Section 8.4.3 of ASHRAE
5. Performance-based compliance path 90.1-2013)
Section C401.2(3) of the 2012 IECC added the
requirement that the design energy cost must be 9. Mandatory exterior and interior
less than or equal to 85% of the standard reference lighting controls
design to compensate for differences between the Since the lighting-power allowance (Sections
prescriptive requirements and the standard ref- 9.2.2.1 and 9.2.2.2 of ASHRAE 90.1) is a pre-
erence design. Section 11 of ASHRAE 90.1-2010 scriptive requirement, many assume the lighting
and 2013 only requires the design energy cost to controls are too. Some of the largest changes to
be less than or equal to the energy cost. If a proj- ASHRAE 90.1-2013 related to the lighting controls,
ect can implement the more stringent mandatory which are all mandatory. In Section 9.6, Table 9.6.1
requirements of ASHRAE 90.1, its performance breaks down which interior lighting control types
compliance path (Section 11) may be easier to are required for each space, by space type. Section
comply with than the IECC. 9.4.1.4 specifies the exterior lighting con-

6. Maximum net kitchen hood-


trol types and schedules required, such as
L Learning
exhaust flow rate
façade and landscape lighting that must be
shut off between midnight and 6 a.m.
OBJECTIVES
The maximum net exhaust flow rate in cubic • Explain ASHRAE 90.1-2013
feet per minute (CFM) per linear foot of hood is 10. Room-geometry requirements for energy-efficient
buildings.
set in ASHRAE 90.1, Table 6.5.7.1.3 of Section adjustment
• Explore the requirements for the
6.5.7.1. The requirements are divided up by hood Each revision of ASHRAE 90.1 reduc- 2015 IECC.
type and appliance duty rating. It is a prescriptive es the maximum allowable lighting-pow-
requirement, thus can be traded off on the perfor- er density (LPD) for some spaces. As the
mance compliance path. maximum LPD goes down, it can be difficult to
light some geometries to levels recommended by
7. Requiring commissioning the Illuminating Engineering Society of North
for HVAC systems America. The room geometry-adjustment section
ASHRAE 90.1 and the IECC differ on how allows spaces with a room-cavity ratio above the
they define when HVAC systems are required threshold in Table 9.6.1 of Section 9.6 to have their
to be commissioned. ASHRAE 90.1-2013, Sec- maximum LPD increased by 20%. cse
tion 6.7.2.4, states that projects with greater than
50,000 sq ft of conditioned floor area must be Cory Duggin is the energy-modeling wizard at
commissioned. However, in the 2015 IECC, Sec- TLC Engineering for Architecture Inc., providing
tion C408.2 states that systems with less than building-performance simulation efforts across the
480,000 Btu/h do not require commissioning. 375-plus-person firm through direct project involve-
ment and by supporting project teams on specific
8. Electrical energy monitoring and unique modeling issues. He is a member of the
New buildings must have meters installed to Consulting-Specifying Engineer editorial advisory
separately monitor total electrical energy, HVAC board.

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 25


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
By Jeff Boldt, PE, FASHRAE, LEED AP, HBDP, IMEG Corp., Middleton, Wis.; and
Michael Rosenberg, FASHRAE, CEM, LEED AP, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Wash.

Achieving compliance
with ASHRAE 90.1
ASHRAE Standard 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise
Residential Buildings is one of the main drivers used in any building design.
The 2016 edition hasn’t been adopted by all jurisdictions, however, engineers
should understand the key elements of this important standard.

A
SHRAE 90.1-2016: Energy Standard for Most changes in Standard 90.1 are reflected in
Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential the next edition of the International Energy Con-
Buildings is an ANSI-approved, con- servation Code (IECC), which for many years has
sensus-based standard that establishes permitted compliance with either the latest edition
minimum energy efficiency require- of the IECC or Standard 90.1. Also, states and other
ments for buildings. Provisions in the standard are jurisdictions adopt different editions of IECC or
meant to be technically feasible, cost-effective, and Standard 90.1—most commonly IECC—so mini-
adoptable in the U.S. and international markets. The mum requirements may vary by location.
standard has progressively reduced building energy Regardless of the minimum code in force, com-
use since 1975, and the 2016 edition is no exception. pliance with the latest version of ASHRAE 90.1 will
This looks at the latest changes to Standard 90.1 save energy, and each change must meet the cost-
including provisions for: effectiveness criteria based on standard engineering
economics using a “scalar” method.
• The building envelope. Formatting has changed significantly. In 2013, the
• HVAC systems. standard was published in a two-column format and
• Power and lighting systems. was 278 pages long. In 2016, the standard is in single-
• Whole-building energy performance. column format for easier reading on computer mon-
itors, is 388 pages long, and has added shading of
alternate columns and italicizing of defined terms.
ASHRAE Standard 169-2013: Climactic Data
for Building Design Standards updated the climate
maps throughout the world based on warming
trends over the most recent 30 years of compiled
weather data. Because many of the criteria in Stan-
dard 90.1 are determined by climate zone, including
envelope insulation and many HVAC requirements,
this can be particularly impactful. Approximate-
ly 10% of U.S. counties moved to a warmer climate
zone. A perfect example is Wisconsin, where the
southern 40% of the state and most of the popu-
lation was moved from Climate Zone 6A, under
which Green Bay falls, to 5A—the same as Chica-

Figure 1: The progression of energy savings


in ASHRAE Standard 90.1 includes preliminary
estimates for 2016. Courtesy: Pacific North-
west National Laboratory

26 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


Figure 3: The HVAC/R requirements of ASHRAE 90.1-2016 adds two
tables for dedicated outside-air systems (DOAS), one for those with
energy recovery and one for those without. Courtesy: IMEG Corp.

Figure 2: The definitions for energy-recovery Buildings larger than 50,000 sq ft can test only por-
efficiency have been updated in ASHRAE 90.1- tions of the building. If testing is not done, an air
2016. Courtesy: IMEG Corp. barrier installation and verification program is
required in addition to prescriptive air-sealing
go. This means less insulation is required for con- requirements, which was the only alternative in
struction in those areas. The standard also added prior editions of ASHRAE 90.1.
climate zones 0A (hot and humid) and 0B (hot Window U-values were reduced Standard 90.1-
and dry) because Climate Zone 1 is about as hot as 2016 for Climate Zones 6 through 8 (cold climates).
Miami, and there are warmer places on our plan- Solar heat-gain coefficients (SHGC) were reduced
et. IECC-2018 did not change its climate zones, so in Climate Zones 4 and 5. Shading-projection factor
different requirements will exist depending on the multipliers were eliminated for north-facing glass,
chosen compliance path (90.1 or IECC prescriptive) and formulas were added that limit the amount of
in many locations. glass facing east and west multiplied by its SHGC.

Envelope requirements HVAC and refrigeration requirements


Prescriptive continuous air barrier design and Integrated energy efficiency ratio (IEER) min-
installation are still an option in Standard 90.1, imum ratings are now required for most direct
but whole-building air-leakage testing was added expansion (DX) commercial air conditioning
as a new prescriptive alternative. In the testing equipment efficiency. In general, commercial
option, the leakage must be ≤0.4 cfm/sq ft of enve- equipment now must meet both energy efficien-
lope (including the roof and bottom floor) at 0.3 cy ratio (EER), which measures efficiency at peak
in. of water-pressure differential (which is about load and integrated energy efficiency ratio (IEER),
the velocity pressure of a 25-mph wind) per ASTM annual load) efficiencies, while residential equip-
E779 or ASTM E18. ment must meet seasonal energy efficiency ratio
This is better performance than studies of large (SEER) efficiencies, which rate efficiency over
numbers of buildings have measured, so accep- a range of outdoor air temperatures s. All are
tance testing cannot be ignored, nor will sloppy or expressed in Btu/W*hr. 3.4 Btu/W*hr = 1.0 coeffi-
“normal” construction pass this test. If the building cient of performance (COP).
fails, evaluation and additional sealing is required
and must reduce leakage to ≤0.6 cfm/sq ft. Search-
IEER = (2% * EERat 100% load) +
(61.7% * EER75%) + (23.8% * EER50%) + L Learning
ing for and sealing leaks is required, but not the (12.5% * EER25%)
OBJECTIVES
deconstruction of the envelope unless the leakage Higher IEER values are required for • Know the latest updates to
still exceeds 0.6 cfm/sq ft after repairs are made. most variable refrigerant flow (VRF) ASHRAE 90.1-2016: Energy
Standard for Buildings Except
The fallback threshold of 0.6 cfm/sq ft was estab- equipment. Low-Rise Residential Buildings.
lished as a compromise to gain acceptance for this Computer room units were divided
• Realize what other codes and
new provision. into three classifications (75°F, 85°F, and standards are affected by and
For those familiar with the standard 15-mph 95°F) with different efficiency require- rely on ASHRAE 90.1.
wind-equivalent infiltration value that is com- ments due to trends toward higher com- • Review a case study of a
monly used in heating-load calculations, multiply puter room temperatures that permit hospital that traveled a path to
these infiltration rates by about 0.5 (Q = C*ΔP0.65). much more use of economizers. compliance.

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 27


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Efficiency requirements were added in the 2016 threshold for water-cooled plants is 1,500 tons in
edition for pool dehumidifiers based on the recently Climate Zones 3C, 4C, and 5 through 8, and 1,000
developed AHRI Standard 920. These use the met- tons in other climate zones. For air-cooled plants,
ric of moisture-removal efficiency (MRE), which is the threshold is 860 tons in Climate Zones 3C, 4C,
the ratio of the pounds of moisture removed to the and 5 through 8, and 570 tons in other climate zones.
energy input in kWh at a standard rating condition. There is no minimum plant-efficiency requirement,
Two tables were added for dedicated outside-air but the metric should be displayed in kilowatt per
systems (DOAS), one for those with energy recov- ton or COP. The intent is to give operators infor-
ery and one for those without. The metric used is mation to help them improve plant efficiency; with
integrated seasonal moisture-removal efficiency information that is easy to see, operators can experi-
(ISMRE) per AHRI Standard 920. Like MRE, ISMRE ment with setpoints, such as condenser temperature,
is the ratio of the pounds of moisture removed to the to find the optimum combinations under all weath-
energy input in kWh, but instead of at a single stan- er and load conditions. Because Standard 90.1 only
dard rating condition, it is a seasonal value based on regulates a building through design and construc-
a weighting of four different rating conditions. tion, it would not be within the scope of the standard
Hotels and motels with more than 50 guest rooms to require some operational efficiency, but provid-
must now have automatic setup/down of at least 4°F ing the monitoring capabilities ensures that building
for temperature setpoints and turn off fans or close operators will have a simple way to verify the perfor-
dampers for ventilation and exhaust systems with- mance of the plant.
in 30 minutes of all occupants vacating. Captive key In several places in the standard, the phrase
cards are acceptable for detecting occupancy. “must be capable of ” was replaced with “must be
There is a new requirement to monitor energy capable of and configured to automatically.” This is
use of new, large electric chilled-water plants. The intended to avoid the argument that “the direct dig-

CASE STUDY: Hospital achieves


HVAC energy compliance

G
reat River Medical Center in West Burlington, similar buildings. The ranking of 100 means in the 100th
Iowa, was completed in 2000. This Energy Star percentile, or lowest energy use of all buildings of that
100 hospital—which has perhaps the lowest site type in the program.)
energy-use index (EUI) of any hospital in the U.S. at 95 This greenfield replacement hospital is located on a
kBtu/sq ft/year—might not comply with the energy 100-acre site and is heated and cooled by the second-
code for new buildings under ASHRAE 90.1-2013: Ener- largest lake-coupled geothermal system in the U.S. The
gy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential system can produce more than 1,500 tons of cooling—
Buildings or the 2015 International Energy Conserva- enough energy to serve the equivalent of 500 single-
tion Code (IECC). (Energy Star is a Department of Ener- family homes. More than 5,000 gal of water per minute
gy program that rates building energy use compared to (depending on load) move through a 100-mile-long pip-
ing system throughout the hospital and other buildings
on the campus. Water passes through more than 800
heat pumps that help regulate temperatures in offic-
es, patient rooms, and treatment rooms. Each patient
room, and many of the offices and treatment rooms,
have individual controls that maintain the room’s tem-
perature to within four degrees of the setting.
The lake also is used for stormwater retention and
lawn irrigation and provides a serene environment for
patients.

Figure 4: The Great River Medical Center in West Burl-


ington, Iowa, is heated and cooled by the second-largest
lake-coupled geothermal system in the U.S. Courtesy:
IMEG Corp.

28 • January/February 2018 www.csemag.com


ital control system is capable of doing that, but we ASHRAE 90.1 previously stated systems shall
didn’t program it because that’s not required.” provide a means to relieve excess outdoor air dur-
Much like the requirements for variable air vol- ing air-economizer operation to prevent over-
ume (VAV) systems, chilled- and heating-water sys- pressurizing the building. In the 2016 edition, this
tems must reset water temperature based on valve has been changed to: “Relief air rate shall be con-
position, with some exceptions. These exceptions trolled to maintain building pressure either direct-
may include process loads requiring a minimum ly or indirectly through differential supply-return
temperature and district chilled water where blend- airflow tracking. Systems with constant-speed
ing would reduce efficiency. or multispeed supply fans shall also be allowed
DX systems with air economizers must now to control the relief system based on outdoor-air
include fault detection and diagnostic (FDD) sys- damper position.”
tems. These systems require sensors for outside air Parallel-flow, fan-powered VAV units now need
(OA), supply air (SA), and (where needed) return controls that turn off the terminal fan when nei-
air (RA) temperatures. There are specific require- ther heating nor ventilation is required. In addition,
ments for the FDD features including not econo- the terminal fan must be used as the first stage of
mizing when it should be, economizing when it heating and during warmup without primary air or
shouldn’t, dampers not modulating, etc. instead to provide heating with primary air.
New language requires relief fans with motors Hydronic variable-flow system requirements
larger than 0.5 hp have variable speed or four or were modified to include heating systems. Also,
more stages (presumably ≥4 fans because using two the motor horsepower at which variable flow sys-
two-speed fans is probably more expensive today tems are required (including the requirement to
than a variable frequency drive or electrically com- use <30% of peak power at 50% flow) was changed
mutated motor). from >10 hp in all climate zones to a series of values

Figure 5: Completed in 2000, the


Great River Medical Center in West
Burlington, Iowa, probably would
not comply with the energy code
for new buildings under ASHRAE
Standard 90.1-2013 or 2015 IECC.
The change to Appendix G in
ASHRAE 90.1-2016 that allows it
as a path for compliance, however,
would allow the Energy Star 100
building to easily meet the energy
code. Courtesy: IMEG Corp.

Today, however, this project would not comply with the compressor is off and only the fan runs to dis-
some of the prescriptive provisions in ASHRAE 90.1- tribute ventilation air. This is an efficient system, but
2013 or 2015 IECC, such as chilled-water pipe sizing, far from standard practice in a large hospital. So, this
leaving the energy-cost budget method (ECB) in Sec- extremely efficient hospital design, which is an Ener-
tion 11 as the only possible compliance path. In ECB, gy Star 100 building today, might not comply with
the baseline building system is mapped to the pro- the code without the change made to Appendix G in
posed building system and would include water-source ASHRAE 90.1-2016.
heat pumps (WSHP) with the loop temperature main- This change allows Appendix G to be used as a path
tained by a boiler and fluid cooler. for compliance. Instead of basing the baseline HVAC
In this application, the WSHP system is funda- system on the proposed design, the system is instead
mentally more efficient than a traditional variable set at “normal” construction practice for each build-
air volume (VAV) reheat system, because of the high ing type. In the case of a hospital, that would be a
code-mandated minimum airflow rates that cause VAV reheat system with many zones’ constant-volume
large amounts of reheat in the VAV system; where- reheat based on minimum air-change requirements.
as the heat pump system uses a dedicated outside- Under Standard 90.1-2016 Appendix G, the Great River
air system (DOAS) and almost never reheats air. Each Medical Center would easily comply with the standard,
heat pump either heats or cools, never both, or often as a current Energy Star 100 building should.

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 29


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Figure 6: ASHRAE 90.1-2016 lowers exterior lighting-power density


limits by an average of 30%. In retail lighting, the added allowances • The mechanical exhaust flow minus the
for display and decorative lighting were both reduced by about 25% available transfer air from conditioned spac-
because of advances in LED technology. Courtesy: IMEG Corp. es or return-air plenums on the same floor,
not in different smoke or fire compartments,
in a table that vary based on the climate zone and and that at their closest points are within 15
whether the system is for heating or cooling. Turn- ft of each other. Available transfer air is that
down must be to ≤25% flow or minimum equip- portion of outdoor ventilation air that is not
ment flowrate, with some exceptions. required to satisfy other exhaust needs, is not
Chilled-water systems now must have ≥15°F ΔT required to maintain pressurization of other
and ≥57°F leaving-water temperature, with several spaces, and is transferable per applicable
exceptions. codes and standards and to the class of air-
The definitions for energy-recovery efficiency recirculation limitations in ASHRAE Stan-
have been updated: dard 62.1.

• Enthalpy recovery ratio: Change in the Safety exceptions


enthalpy of the outdoor-air supply divided by Service-water heating: A new requirement was
the difference between the outdoor air and added in Standard 90.1-2016 to insulate at least
entering exhaust air enthalpy, expressed as a the first 8 ft of branch piping connected to recir-
percentage. culated, heat-traced, or impedance-heated piping.
IMEG Corp. initiated this change after the firm had
• Sensible energy-recovery ratio: Change in an issue on a project in which a value-engineering
the dry-bulb temperature of the outdoor-air proposal deleted insulation between the recirculat-
supply divided by the difference between the ed mains and the fixtures, which was required in
outdoor air and entering exhaust air dry-bulb specifications but not in Standard 90.1 and possi-
temperatures, expressed as a percentage. bly the IECC (wording is conflicted). Unfortunate-
ly, this resulted in too little heating capacity because
A major change was made in the 2016 edition numerous small, uninsulated, metal pipe branches
regarding transfer air that is intended to minimize make excellent cooling fins. Justifying this for Stan-
conditioning of make-up air that could have been dard 90.1 required heat-transfer calculations for
supplied from transfer air that otherwise would bare and insulated pipes connecting to mains, fol-
have been exhausted. This states that transfer air is lowed by cost-effectiveness analysis to determine
conditioned supply air delivered to any space with the length that just met the criteria.
mechanical exhaust and shall not exceed the greater Lighting: In the 2010 and 2013 editions, the
of one of the following: lighting changes concentrated on controls to turn
off unneeded lighting. In the 2016 edition, both
• The supply flow required to meet the space interior and exterior lighting-power density (LPD)
heating or cooling load. limits were lowered, primarily because of improved
efficacy and availability of LED sources. The aver-
• The ventilation rate required by the author- age reduction in the space-by-space method was
ity having jurisdiction, the facility environ- 26%. In the building-area method, the average
mental health and safety department, or reduction for all building types is 12%. Exterior
ASHRAE Standard 62.1. lighting-power limits were reduced by an average of

30 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


30%. In retail lighting, the added allowances for dis- Previously, one baseline model was required for
play and decorative lighting were both reduced by compliance and a completely different baseline
about 25% because of advances in LED technology. model was required for a beyond-code program.
A slight relaxation of the code was to allow Now that Appendix G is approved for compliance,
open-plan office areas to automatically come fully only the proposed building model and a single
on if control zones are limited to 600 sq ft. Larger baseline building model are required, thus saving
zones still must either be turned on manually or to time and cost that could be better spent on improv-
no more than 50% power automatically. ing the efficiency or amenities of the building
The requirement to reduce exterior and parking- This change also means that a project choos-
ramp lighting power by a minimum of 30% during ing an inherently more efficient HVAC system,
unoccupied periods has been increased to 50%. reducing the percentage of glass, reducing fan
Dwelling units must now have 75% of perma- power, increasing thermal mass, or building a
nently installed lighting fixtures use lamps with an tighter envelope will get credit for those improve-
efficacy of at least 55 lumens/W or have fixture effi- ments, which was not the case under previous
cacy of at least 45 lumens/W. This limits the use of editions’ energy-cost budget method. (See case
Edison screw fixtures that also could accept incan- study, page 28.)
descent lamps in 4-story and taller multifamily Another change is that the compliance require-
buildings. There is an exception for lights with dim- ments are now based on improvement over a stable
mers or automatic control. baseline set at approximately the stringency level
Lighting alterations must now comply if they of the 2004 standard. This means that code com-
involve more than 20% (formerly 10%) of the con- pliance and beyond-code programs using the same
nected lighting load. modeled baseline simply require different levels of
Other equipment: The Department of Ener- improvement over that stable baseline, and each
gy (DOE) increased required efficiencies for most new edition of Standard 90.1 only needs to revise
electric motors, and ASHRAE 90.1 simply reprints the target improvement. LEED v4 now includes a
that data. pilot credit based on this method.
Elevator design documents must now list the For example, an office building in Chicago that just
usage category between 1 (seldom used) and 6 complies with Standard 90.1-2016 with an improve-
(extremely high usage) per ISO 25745-2 and ener- ment of 40% over the baseline (varies based on the
gy efficiency class between A (very efficient) and G number of unregulated loads in the building) would
(very inefficient) per ISO 25745-2, Table 7. There qualify for six points under Energy and Atmosphere
is no minimum requirement for the energy effi- Credit 1 using the new LEED pilot credit. LEED v4
ciency class. The intent is to give designers time to references 90.1-2010, so just complying with 90.1-
become familiar with the standard before setting 2016 shows substantial energy savings. ASHRAE 90.1-
a minimum efficiency level. The documentation 2016 will also be the basis of the upcoming edition of
requirements also make them aware that there is the IgCC and ASHRAE Standard 189.1.
a test and a rating standard for elevators and that This new approach should make it more eco-
they can specify high-efficiency equipment. It is nomical for software developers to produce prod-
even possible to specify efficiency higher than the ucts, because they don’t need to change the rules
minimum for Category A. Efficiency class calcula- for the baseline calculations with each new issue
tions include both standby and moving energy, so of 90.1. cse
a seldom-used elevator with very efficient lighting
might reach Class A even with an inefficient move- Jeff Boldt is a managing principal and director of
ment system. innovation and quality at IMEG Corp. and a voting
member of the ASHRAE 90.1 and 189.1 committees.
Appendix G Michael Rosenberg, a senior research scientist at
One of the most important changes in 2016 is Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has worked
the addition of a whole-building simulation-based in the building energy field for more than 20 years
compliance path via Appendix G. Previously, upgrading building energy codes, training code
Appendix G was used only for “beyond-code” pro- officials and design professionals, designing high-
grams, such as U.S. Green Building Council LEED, performance buildings, analyzing complex building
ASHRAE Standard 189.1, and the International systems, and developing and administering beyond-
Green Construction Code (IgCC), meaning a proj- code energy programs.
ect needing to comply via whole-building perfor- Acknowledgements: This article relied heavily on a
mance and going for a beyond-code rating could presentation developed by co-author Michael Rosen-
potentially have to create two or more completely berg and fellow SSPC-90.1 committee members
different baseline models in addition to the pro- Drake Erbe, Leonard Sciarra, Richard Lord, and Eric
posed building design model. Richmond.

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 31


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
WASTE HEAT RECOVERY
By Bill Kosik, PE, CEM, LEED AP, BEMP; exp U.S. Services, Chicago

Can data centers become


energy producers?
Recovering “waste” heat from servers in data centers opens the
door to innovation and efficiency.

T
he amount and quality of recovered replaces the energy needed for the other pro-
energy originating from HVAC systems cess will reduce the overall energy use, conse-
depends on the building use and inter- quently reducing utility costs.
nal processes, from fume hood exhaust
air in laboratories, process exhaust in • Reduces cost of capital equipment: If the
industrial facilities, and toilet and other exhaust air overall energy use is reduced, primary equip-
in office buildings. The amount of heat recovered, ment, such as boilers, can potentially be
and the first cost of the recovery equipment are downsized. This will be driven by the calculat-
the primary components when analyzing the total ed peak load and the acceptable safety margin.
cost of ownership; it is important that this analysis
be completed in the planning phases of the proj- • Reduces impact on the environment: Equip-
ect. At a high level, the primary goal of an energy- ment that uses fossil fuels to operate can
recovery system is to transfer the recovered ener- potentially be operated at a reduced capacity
gy to a second system. This second system requires assuming the heat-recovery system can meet
energy to achieve the design objective. By using the the balance of the load. This will result in
recovered energy, less purchased energy is needed. lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
There are many advantages in using heat
recovery: Research on heat recovery
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) pub-
• Reduces energy costs: All waste heat that can lished a paper on the impacts of using heat recov-
be applied to another process that offsets/ ery in all kinds of applications, primarily in the

Figure 1: This
graph shows the
correlation of sup-
ply and return air
along with power
demand for air-
and water-cooled
servers. All graph-
ics courtesy: exp
U.S. Services

32 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


Figure 2: Shown is a temperature bin analysis for Minneapolis. Note the large number of hours
that are less than 75oF—this is advantageous when using economization strategies.

manufacturing sector. The DOE classified the dif-


ferent processes into different temperature groups:
ever, to make this system financially
feasible, the warm-water temperature L Learning
low, <600°F; medium, 600° to 1,200°F; high, must be considerably greater than OBJECTIVES
>1,200°F. The water temperatures in a data center the supply-air temperature. And long • Provide an overview of heat-
will fall into the “low” category. runs of piping add to material, instal- recovery systems for commercial
While it might seem that applications that fall lation, and energy costs (increased and institutional buildings, and
offer discussion on the issues
into the “low” category will be less beneficial as com- pump power). Generally, the eco- pertaining to design parameters,
pared with the other categories, the DOE reports that nomics of this system are more favor- efficiency, and opportunities to
applications in the 77° to 300°F temperature range able for facilities located in colder recycle energy
represent nearly 80% of the total estimated waste climates that have considerable • Discuss heat recovery from
heat. (Temperatures of cooling water exiting water- amounts of constant exhaust air. data centers, specifically
cooled computers will generally have water tempera- demonstrating how data centers
with water-cooled computer
tures in that will range from 100° to 150°F). Based on • Packaged energy-recovery systems:
equipment will create highly
this, it is possible that HVAC industry will see great- In commercial and institutional effective energy-recycling
er opportunity and develop products and approaches buildings, packaged energy-recovery processes
that will make heat recovery in the data center more systems are the simplest and most
viable. Also, it is encouraging to know that the aver- effective heat-reclaim solution. Many manu-
age simple payback for 19 sample heat-recovery proj- facturers offer products that are designed spe-
ects is 1.5 years. cifically to work with typical air conditioning
and ventilation loads for office environments,
Types of systems schools, libraries, etc. One common way of
There are many different methods of designing implementing this type of energy-recovery
heat-recovery systems for commercial and insti- system is to use air handling units with inte-
tutional buildings. These methods cover a large grated heat wheels, thermosyphons, air-to-air
variety of building types and HVAC system con- heat exchangers, or evaporatively cooled
figurations. But as a starting point, the following
examples demonstrate the core principles of energy-
recovery systems: Defining energy recovery
• Runaround coil loop: This moves heat from The terms “energy recovery,” “heat recovery/reclaim,” “heat-
the exhaust airstream to the supply airstream ing energy recovery,” and “cooling energy recovery” are used
using two heat exchangers (finned coils) and somewhat interchangeably. An all-encompassing definition for
a heat-transfer fluid, usually water or glycol. energy recovery is “an energy cycle that prevents the input
A pump is required to move the fluid through
power from being released back to the environment, but rath-
the system. A runaround coil loop is best used
in situations when the airstreams are not adja- er used for energy input into other systems.” Also, heat recov-
cent to each other. If the temperature of the ery includes sensible energy (changes in dry-bulb temperature
fluid heated by the exhaust air is greater than only) and latent energy (changes in moisture content).
the outdoor air, energy can be recovered. How-

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 33


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
WASTE HEAT RECOVERY

air-to-air heat exchangers. Each one of these • Much higher supply- and return-air temper-
configurations will have different heat-transfer atures when compared with an office build-
and efficiency characteristics and must be ana- ing (and even other data centers). This creates
lyzed based on the actual loads, climate, space greater opportunity for recovering both heat-
available, maintenance characteristics, etc. ing and cooling energy.

• Total energy wheel: Most energy-recovery • When the computers in the data center are
devices transfer heat (sensible) energy only. water-cooled, heating energy can be recovered
An enthalpy wheel, or total energy wheel, due to the high internal temperature in the
exchanges both heat (sensible) energy and computers.
moisture (latent) energy between the sup-
ply and return airstreams. This type of wheel Air-based energy recovery: Data centers that
can be coated with a desiccant (moisture- do not use water-cooled computers can still bene-
absorbing) material and is rotated between fit from recovering energy. As long as the outside
the incoming fresh air and the return air. Heat dry-bulb temperature is less than the return-air
and moisture in the return air are transferred temperature, cooling energy is recoverable from the
to the wheel. During cold, dry outdoor condi- outdoor air. For example, if the design supply-air
tions, the outside air passes over the rotating temperature for the data hall is 75°F and the return-
wheel, providing pre-conditioning, as the heat air temperature is 95°F, when the outside air is less
and moisture are transferred to the air stream. than 95°F there will be a reduction in cooling ener-
In the cooling mode, the outside air is pre- gy. And knowing there are many domestic and
cooled and the moisture content is lowered. international locations that have very few hours per
These processes reduce the amount of energy year that exceed 95°F, it becomes clear that this type
required by gas-fired heating equipment and of energy-recovery approach can be very efficient.
compressorized cooling equipment. Even more efficient, at 75°F outdoor air, very little
(if any) mechanical cooling energy is needed. Con-
Energy recovery in data centers sider that in Seattle, there are 8,516 hours below 75°F
Certain types of data centers (with specific types (97%); in Chicago, 7,614 hours (87%); in Miami,
of computer equipment) produce large amounts of 3,041 hours (35%). As with many other energy effi-
usable waste heat. Supercomputing centers are a ciency schemes, the climate plays a very important
prime example having extremely high power den- role in the overall effectiveness of the approach.
sities (greater than 1000 W/sq ft in some cases) Water-based heat recovery: Many of the ener-
and liquid (water mainly) cooled computers. Heat gy-recovery techniques discussed so far (both
recovery systems for these facilities prove to be very air- and water-based), are applicable to air han-
effective in reducing energy use. Because supercom- dling systems using exhaust/return- and supply-air
puting facilities are generally purpose-built, and arrangements. However, depending on the facility
undergo a major evolution in technology every few type, it also is possible to recover energy from other
years, there is room for the development of innova- types of processes that use water to cool the internal
tive solutions driven by the distinct characteristics components of equipment, then transfer the heat to
of these data centers: another process. Historically instead of recovering

Figure 3: The use of supercomputers will vary based on user demand and duration of computation. This graph is a simu-
lation of a supercomputer operating for a year.

34 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


the heat in these processes, heat has typically been heat can actually be used elsewhere. Viability must
rejected to the outside, losing recoverable energy. be assessed using long-term savings and short-term
In data centers, water-cooled computers enable costs. The total cost of ownership (TCO), which
hydronic heat-recovery options. There are several includes any necessary modifications to existing
options for cooling computers with water (some of hydronic systems, must show promise in terms of


these solutions also work with refrigerant in lieu financial and commercial viability for the project to
of water): succeed.
ASHRAE Thermal Guidelines for Data Pro-
A foundational
• IT cabinets with integral chilled-water fan coil cessing Environments has a section on water- concept in
units (side cars). cooled computers and contains a table on
water-temperature classes, with each class hav- data center
• Rear-door chilled-water heat exchangers, with ing a facility cooling-water temperature range
or without fans, mounted on the back of the from minimum to maximum inlet temperatures. HVAC design is
IT cabinet. It is necessary to have this information when dis-
cussing data center temperatures with the technol- to “collect” the
• An IT cabinet and servers that have built-in ogy planners and thermal engineers. (Note that
thermal planes. When the servers are installed the temperature ranges for water-cooled com- heat, contain
into the cabinet, the planes contact one- puters are higher than the inlet temperatures for
another enabling heat transfer from the server air-cooled computers.) When the heat is removed
it so it doesn’t
to the circulating cooling water. directly from the motherboard components, the mix with cold
heat transfer is more effective and creates a more
• Internal heat sinks mounted directly to the controlled heat-removal process. supply air, and
server’s central processing unit (CPU), dual Figure 1 can assist in determining the inlet and
in-line memory modules (DIMM), and the outlet water temperatures of the heat-recovery get it out of the
graphics processing unit (GPU). The heat loops. The data shows how the inlet temperature
sinks are cooled directly by the water, with- and system power (which correlates to the work- data center via
out additional intermediate heat exchangers. load intensity) affect the discharge temperature.
Since the cooling water contacts the sources In this example, the discharge temperatures range
heat-rejection


of heat directly (via heat sinks) the process is from 100° to 130°F; if this computer were water-
very efficient. cooled, these values would change, but the concept
equipment.
still applies.
As an example, the water that cools the comput-
ers will be heated up to around 150°F. This tem- Energy, cost-reduction effectiveness
perature water can be used for a wide variety of A foundational concept in data center HVAC
things—increasing the feedwater temperature for design is to “collect” the heat, contain it so it
boilers, heating a swimming pool, supplementing a doesn’t mix with cold supply air, and get it out of
district heating system, and even providing heat to the data center via heat-rejection equipment. This
temper an indoor arboretum heat collection/rejection system will have three to
four separate points of heat exchange. At the end
Hydronic energy recovery of this chain, condensing units, dry coolers, or
When planning a heat-recovery system using cooling towers reject the heat to the atmosphere.
water-cooled computers, it is essential to determine There is a considerable amount of energy expend-
the expected temperatures in the energy-recovery ed moving heat from the computers to the outdoor
water loop. The temperature is a function of how environment.
“hard” the computers are working. Generally, as the Using the “heat-transfer chain” as a baseline in
workload increases, the temperature of the CPUs, the process of determining feasibility and financial
GPUs, and DIMMs begin to increase, resulting in viability of a heat-recovery scheme, the following
greater heat output. Ultimately, the water tempera- items need to be considered:
ture in the energy-recovery loop is determined by
several variables, and because the amount of ener- • What is the monetary value of the recovered
gy recovered from computers is not constant, care heat, in energy savings but also re-selling the
must be taken in estimating the amount of energy recovered heat?
that can be recovered.
• Will the energy consumption of the heat-
External factors impacting rejection equipment be reduced?
the design approach
Recovering heat from computers will end up • How many hours per year can the reclaimed
as a purely academic exercise unless the recovered heat be used?

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 35


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
WASTE HEAT RECOVERY

Figure 4: Hot water production from the supercomputing facility and heating demand, including snow-melting system.
The graph identifies times of year that the heat recovered from the supercomputer can be used, either partially or
totally, satisfy the heating load.

• Is there more than one use available for the Recovering energy from
reclaimed heat in the event of a change? What water-cooled servers
is the load profile for these uses? To demonstrate an application of recovering and
using waste heat from the data center, the following
The answers to these questions will feed into the analysis focuses on two hydronic-based building
overall feasibility study to determine the TCO of systems: a hydronic heating system and a water-
the heat recovery concept. based snow-melting system. These are common
hydronic building systems found in many buildings,
Operational profile and available heat especially in colder climates. Both of these systems
Use of servers and other computer equipment operate in a temperature range that is similar to
in data centers will vary based on several factors. the water loop temperatures serving the computer
Some will peak at certain times of the day, week, equipment; this is another aspect of why these are
or month depending on the type of operation they well suited to using recovered heat.
support. However, data centers that support high-
performance computing (HPC) or supercomput- • For the building heating system, adding a sec-
ers have a very different load profile and will often ondary source of heat into the water loop (via
have near-constant use (electrical load). In the sci- a heat exchanger) will augment the system
ence community, these computers are widely sought capacity and reduce the amount of fossil fuel
after because of the massive computational power (natural gas, propane, oil) consumed by the
and data throughput needed for complex, data- boiler. Typical water temperature ranges from
driven projects. Engineers, scientists, and research- 100° to 180°F.
ers from private industry often wait their turn
until the machines are free. So, other than sched- • Hydronic snow-melting systems work by cir-
uled downtime and when jobs have completed, the culating warm water through plastic tubing
machines run at near full capacity. embedded in the pavement; the water tem-
This type of operational profile is ideal for perature varies based on factors such as the
recovering heat for use in other applications, such rate of snowfall, wind speed, and outside tem-
as heating and snow melting. And because both are perature. These systems operate at lower water
weather-dependent, the building automation sys- temperatures, typically less than 130°F.
tem (BAS) can modulate the central heating plant
equipment (boilers, pumps) as to not under- or Climate analysis
over-compensate when making up for any heating The climate is one of the most important com-
shortfall that the heat-recovery system may encoun- ponents to understand the savings potential of
ter. Because heating a building is a critical opera- using a heat-recovery system. Buildings located in
tion, and considering the problems that will occur if colder climates will show the greatest benefit by
heating is lost, it is recommended the heat-recovery using a building heat-recovery system. Simply put,
system be designed as a supplement, rather than the there are many more hours per year that a build-
primary means of heating the building. ing will require heating. Minneapolis is used in this

36 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


analysis because of its cold, dry climate (ASHRAE • Heat exchangers in the system are used to
Climate Zone 6A). It also is a good proxy for other decouple the water loops; assume that each
cold-climate cities in Zone 6A. In Minneapolis, the heat exchanger will be 90% efficient.
dry-bulb temperature is less than 52°F during 60%
of the year and less than 32°F during 35% of the • Electrical use for supercomputers will vary
year. Mitigating the building envelope heat loss- based on the specific attributes of the machine
es from conduction and infiltration is a significant and the types of research being conducted.
portion of the heating-energy consumption. There- While it is difficult to develop a precise usage
fore, heat-recovery systems make economic sense in model, most supercomputers currently run at
climates like Minneapolis, in general terms. high-usage rates. (One of the general provi-
When performing a building performance sions to receive federal funding for a compu-
simulation that includes a heat source with a tational research facility is to demonstrate that
nonlinear output, (such as a heat-recovery system there is a stated need to perform research on
from computer equipment), the model becomes the computer; this ensures that the machine
numerically intensive especially when analyz- will be used to its fullest capability). A usage
ing the interdependencies between the com- model applied to this analysis was constructed
puters’ heat output, the outdoor conditions, the based on operational data from several super-
building’s internal heat gains, and the physics of computers (see Figure 3).


the building envelope. However, using a simpli-
fied analysis allows for a preliminary look at the
amount of heat that can be recovered from the A tremendous amount of electricity
computers to offset losses through the building
envelope and to provide sufficiently warm water
powers computer equipment


for a snow-melt system. This analytic method is
used as a starting point when first examining the
in data centers.
viability of implementing a heat-recovery system.
After this initial analysis, more detailed work is Displaying the building’s heating-requirement
required (see Figure 2). data with the data showing the availability of recov-
ered heat generated by the computers (Figure 4) on
Modeling and simulation approach one chart shows the operational interdependency
An energy model was developed to study the between the building heating system and the data
practicality of using recovered heat (in the form center’s heat-recovery system.
of warm water) for both snow-melting and build- Although the actual outdoor temperatures (the
ing heating; calculations were developed at a high primary driver of the building heating require-
level to simulate the operation of the systems. ments) will certainly vary from the weather data
The simulation accounts for changes in the use of used in the energy modeling, this analysis is a good
the computers, resulting in variations in the heat demonstration of when and how often the recov-
output. ered heat can successfully supplement the heating
One of the first steps in the simulation is to and snow-melt systems.
develop a heat-loss profile of the building and the Based on the simulation and subsequent analy-
heat required to make warm water for the snow- sis, the heat-recovery system from the water-cooled
melt system. Visualizing the data assists in develop- computers will be able to supplement heating the
ing a quick overall understanding of the magnitude building and the snow-melt system.
of the heat loss and how it changes over 1 year. As computers continue to get more powerful
The next step is to simulate the potential heat and, in some cases, consume greater amounts of
output from the computer equipment in the data energy, it is important to consider to investigate
center. Because the heat-recovery system is water- heat-recovery systems when water-cooled comput-
based and tied into the cooling loop for the com- ers are used. A tremendous amount of electricity
puters, a few considerations need to be taken: powers computer equipment in data centers. The
technology industry stands to benefit financially if
• Approximately 50% to 75% of the comput- heat recovery systems are used. By doing this, an
er’s heat output should be transferred to opportunity opens up to drive new innovation and
the cooling loop in the data center. In this demonstrate how reducing energy benefits both the
example, the power demand of the computer bottom line and the environment. cse
equipment is 500 kW; 375 kW will be dissi-
pated to the cooling loop while the remain- Bill Kosik is a senior mechanical engineer with exp
ing 25% (125 kW) is rejected to the air in the U.S. Services. He is a member of the Consulting-
data center. Specifying Engineer editorial advisory board.

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 37


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
CODES & STANDARDS
By Brandon Finzel, PE, and Samuel Flibbert, EIT, JENSEN HUGHES, New York City

Adopting NFPA 101


in health care buildings
Explore the top 10 things to know about the 2012 edition of NFPA 101
for hospitals and health care facilities.

I
n May 2016, the Centers for Medicare & • Failure of Category 1 systems is likely to
Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final cause “major injury or death.”
rule amending fire-safety requirements for • Failure of Category 2 systems is likely to
certain Medicare and Medicaid participating cause “minor injury.”
health care facilities. The goal of the adop- • Failure of Category 3 systems is likely to
tion was to reduce life safety risks for patients and cause “discomfort.”
caregivers who occupy these facilities while at the • Failure of Category 4 systems is likely to
same time modernizing requirements to reflect have “no impact.”
current health care needs. Effective July 5, 2016,
health care facilities must comply with the pro- While the CMS will confirm that facilities
visions of the 2012 edition of the NFPA 101: Life are using this type of risk assessment, it is not
Safety Code and the 2012 edition of the NFPA: required that facilities submit a formal assessment
99 Health Care Facilities Code, with some excep- to the CMS for review.
tions. Certain sections have been excluded from
adoption, most notably Chapter 7 of 2. Sprinkler protection
L Learning NFPA 99 on information technology
equipment. Previously, the 2000 edi-
Under the new requirements in NFPA 101-
2012, all existing high-rise health care occu-
OBJECTIVES tion of NFPA 101 and the 1999 edi- pancies must be fully protected by an approved,
• Identify the impact of the tion of NFPA 99 were the adopted supervised automatic sprinkler system. All
adoption of the 2012 edition of codes used for fire protection and new health care occupancies are required to be
NFPA 101: Life Safety Code by life safety purposes in health care fully sprinkled already, but this requirement
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services on health care design. occupancies. now requires existing buildings to retroactively
Since multiple code-revision cycles become fully sprinklered. Retroactive provisions
• Know the differences in the
various editions of NFPA 101. occurred between adopted versions, can be difficult and costly to comply with, which
facilities may face some challenges in is why a phase consisting of a period of 12 years
attempting to meet CMS requirements. is allowed to provide the required sprinkler sys-
Ten of the most salient differences are explored tem. This change in sprinkler requirements has
that should be considered between these code edi- also impacted the scoring system contained in
tions for health care occupancies. This is not an NFPA 101A for Fire Safety Evaluation Systems
exhaustive list, and further differences exist and (FSES). This change may cause facilities currently
must be considered when attempting to comply using an FSES for justification of an equivalency to
with this CMS rule. no longer achieve a passing score.

1. Risk assessment 3. Building rehabilitation


The 2012 edition of NFPA 99 requires using a Health care occupancies are often renovating
risk-based approach to categorize and design build- areas to update for modern medical delivery. In the
ing systems. This assessment is required to be a for- past, designers often struggled with which compo-
mal and documented assessment. The code defines nents of a renovation must comply with the “new”
four categories (Category 1 to Category 4) based on occupancy requirements and which could comply
the effect of system/equipment failure on the well- with the “existing” occupancy requirements. To
being of patients and caregivers: rectify this, the 2012 edition of NFPA 101 defines

38 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


explicit criteria relating to building rehabilitation in
Chapter 43. In NFPA 101, rehabilitation activities
are classified into the following categories:

• Repair
• Renovation
• Modification
• Reconstruction
• Change of use/occupancy
• Addition.

Each type of activity requires compliance to dif-


ferent requirements. Repairs and renovations only
require adherence to the requirements for “exist-
ing” occupancies. Modifications require that any
new elements follow the “new” occupancy require-
ments of the code. Reconstruction and addition
require that the entire work area meet the require-
ments of the new occupancies. Changes of use only
require adherence to existing occupancy require-
ments except where hazardous areas are created, in
which case the new occupancy requirements apply.
Changes of occupancy are dependent on the level
of hazard of the “new” occupancy compared to the Figure 1: Power doors complying with NFPA 101-2012, Section
“existing” occupancy of the building. If the hazard 7.2.1.9, are not required to latch provided the doors can be kept
is lesser, then existing requirements govern the area closed if a force of 5 lb is applied in the direction to open the door
except for life safety features, such as sprinkler, fire (swinging or sliding). All graphics courtesy: JENSEN HUGHES
alarm, and hazardous areas. If the hazard is greater,
then the new occupancy requirements apply. for more flexibility in the design to more effectively
address the way medical care is currently delivered.
4. Inspection, testing, The non-patient care suite, defined as “a suite with-
and maintenance in a health care occupancy that is not intended for
The adoption of the 2012 editions of NFPA 101 sleeping or treating patients,” has been introduced
and NFPA 99, as well as the referenced NFPA 25 to distinguish such spaces from suites that are used
and NFPA 72 standards, dictates new criteria for for patient care. Non-patient care suites can follow
inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) for var- the egress provisions for the primary use and occu-
ious fire protection-related features. Some require- pancy of the suite.
ments have been more restrictive over the recent Suite-arrangement criteria have also been intro-
code-revision cycles, while some have been made duced. Suites must be separated from the remain-
less restrictive over the same period. Additional der of the building with the same level of protection
requirements have been put in place for features as afforded for corridors, by using partitions and
including receptacles, doors, and isolation mod- positively latching doors that limit smoke trans-
ules. To ensure that ITM requirements are met, it is fer. However, the criteria also provide for additional
important to make sure to test all required systems, flexibility by allowing for egress from one suite to
maintain accurate and organized records, and have another and not regulating circulation spaces with-
qualified personnel where they are required. For in suites as corridors. Therefore, circulation spaces
example, fire-resistance-rated doors now require an are not required to meet the more stringent require-
annual inspection conducted and documented by ments of corridors.
qualified personnel. Sleeping suites greater than 1,000 sq ft in area
and non-sleeping suites greater than 2,500 sq ft
5. Suite criteria require two exit access doors. In suites where only
The 2012 edition of NFPA 101 provides several one exit access door is required, the door must open
new criteria for suites. The updates provide many directly into a corridor. In suites with two exit access
more requirements to meet, but they also provide doors, one must open directly into a corridor while

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 39


BUILDING SOLUTIONS
CODES & STANDARDS

6. Corridor and stair width


NFPA 101-2012 includes updated requirements
for the width of corridors and stairways. In treat-
ment areas, corridors must be at least 8 ft wide,
while corridors outside of treatment areas must
be at least 44 in. wide. However, there are provi-
sions for projections into the required width that
are introduced for noncontinuous projections,
wheeled/mobile equipment, and fixed furniture,
with each having their own specific requirements.
The provisions allow for the flexible use of corri-
dor space, which is so important in administering
health care services.
Noncontinuous obstructions may extend a
maximum of 6 in. into the required corridor width
and must be no less than 38 in. above floor level.
Wheeled equipment and carts may be placed in
8-ft corridors, provided they do not reduce the
corridor width to less than 5 ft. This is applicable
to equipment and carts in use, emergency medi-
cal equipment not in use, patient lifts, and trans-
port equipment. A fire plan and training must be
implemented to relocate mobile equipment in case
of an emergency. Fixed furniture may exist in 8-ft
corridors given a number of specifications includ-
ing furniture must be secured to the floor or wall
and the corridor width may not be reduced to less
Figure 2: Additional inspection, testing, and maintenance require- than 6 ft. All furniture must exist on one side of
ments have been imposed on many hospital features—including the corridor without staggering. Each group of
doors—as a result of CMS’s adoption of newer editions of NFPA 101 furniture must occupy an area of less than 50 sq ft
and NFPA 99. and be separated from each other by no less than
10 ft. Access to building services and fire protec-
the other may open into an adjacent suite, given tion may not be blocked by any furniture. Corri-
suite-separation requirements are met, or into an dors with furniture must be directly supervised by
exit stairwell, exit passageway, or the exterior. staff or by corridor smoke detection.
Within a suite, the maximum travel distance to New stairways serving cumulative occupant
an exit access door is limited to 100 ft but may pass load of at least 2,000 must be a minimum of 56 in.
through more than one intervening room. This pro- wide to account for counterflow and simultaneous
vision applies to both sleeping and non-sleeping evacuation of multiple floors.
suites. This is slightly less restrictive than the 2000
edition requirements, which limited travel distance 7. Locking arrangements
in non-sleeping suites through multiple intervening The 2012 edition of NFPA 101 changes locking-
rooms to only 50 ft. arrangement requirements for health care occupan-
Allowable suite sizes have increased because cies. To account for security needs in units, such as
of this rule adoption. New sleeping suites have forensic or detention units, health care occupancies
increased in maximum size from 5,000 to 7,500 sq may opt to lock means of egress under certain pro-
ft, or to 10,000 sq ft with direct visual supervision visions. Locking means of egress may prove pru-
and smoke detection. Existing sleeping suites still dent in areas where infants and children, patients
have a maximum area of 5,000 sq ft. The addition under court detention, and patients suffering from
of a sprinkler system and smoke detection or quick- dementia and mental health issues are located.
response sprinklers raises the allowance to 7,500 sq However, these locked spaces must meet additional
ft, while the addition of direct supervision, smoke requirements. Staff must be present at all times to
detection, and quick-response sprinklers raises the unlock the means of egress in the case of an inci-
allowance to 10,000 sq ft. Existing and new non- dent. The locked area must be completely protected
sleeping suites still have a maximum allowable area by a smoke-detection system, or the doors must be
of 10,000 sq ft. It should be noted, however, that able to be manually unlocked remotely from a con-
certain larger suites may require three or more exits stantly attended location inside the locked area. The
to meet other applicable egress requirements. building containing the locked area must be fully

40 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


sprinklered, locks must fail open upon loss of oz of Level 1 aerosols may be installed in a single
power, and the activation of either smoke detection smoke compartment outside of storage cabinets.
or sprinkler systems must release the locks.
9. Sliding and powered doors
8. Special hazards Another design feature that has become more
NFPA 101 provides new allowances for domes- prevalent in health care is the inclusion of sliding
tic cooking equipment in areas open to the corri- and powered doors. The new code states that power
dor and for alcohol-based hand-sanitizer dispensers doors are not required to latch, given the door
within corridors. Domestic cooking for 30 or fewer may be kept closed when 5 lb of force is applied


people is permitted to be open to the corridor pro- in the direction of opening, and the door-closing
vided it: method is approved by the authority having juris-
diction. Horizontal sliding doors are now permitted The new
• Exists in a smoke compartment with in health care occupancies, given that the room is
30 or fewer beds. of low or ordinary hazard and fewer than 10 occu-
CMS rule also
• Has a cooktop equipped with: pants are served by the door. Breakaway operation adopts
-A hood sized to the cooking surface. is no longer required. Corridor doors, however,
-A suppression system. must still latch positively and limit the transfer of all Tentative
-Grease collection. smoke.
-500-cfm minimum exhaust. Interim
-An interlocking mechanism that shuts 10. Normally unoccupied building
down fuel and electrical power. service areas Amendments
• Is protected with smoke alarms (no closer Normally unoccupied building service equip-
than 20 ft from the cooktop or range). ment support areas have a new definition and new
to each code
• Does not use solid fuel. requirements in the 2012 edition of NFPA 101. This issued between
• Does not perform deep frying. type of area is now defined as “a building service
• Has a locked switch that can deactivate equipment support area in which people are not Aug. 11, 2011,
the cooktop. expected to be present on a regular basis.” Examples
• Has a timed switch that deactivates the of areas like this include interstitial spaces, crawl and April 16,
cooktop automatically after no more than spaces, chases, tunnels, attics, and service vaults.


120 minutes of no use. Requirements are limited for areas of less than 2014.
• Has fire extinguishers located in the 45,000 sq ft and sprinklered spaces less than 90,000
cooking area. sq ft; however, Section 7.13 of NFPA 101 identifies
the requirements of spaces larger than these thresh-
As the use of alcohol-based hand-rub dispens- olds. Normally unoccupied building service equip-
ers within hospitals has shown to drastically reduce ment support areas exceeding these area thresholds,
infection-control issues, using them has become provided that they do not contain fuel-fired equip-
prevalent. NFPA 101 has provided very specific ment or allow storage, are now required to have at
requirements for their use to ensure that the fire least 80 in. of headroom, 28 in. of width, exit sig-
risk posed by the flammable liquids contained nage and lighting, and two exits from the space at
within the dispensers is mitigated. The dispensers minimum. Normally unoccupied building service
may only be placed in corridors with a minimum equipment support areas that contain fuel-fired
of 6 ft in width. Maximum capacity of dispensers equipment or allow storage do not fall under the
in rooms, corridors, and areas open to corridors is allowances of Section 7.13.
0.32 gal, or 0.53 gal in suites. Dispensers must be This list highlights important changes to the
spaced at 48 in. from one another. No more than requirements for the design and construction of health
10 gal of hand rub may be stored in any single care occupancies due to the adoption of the 2012 edi-
smoke compartment outside of storage cabinets. tions of NFPA 101 and NFPA 99. However, it is not
In determining the aggregate, one may exclude an extensive or complete list of changes. The new
the capacity of one dispenser per room. Storage of CMS rule also adopts all Tentative Interim Amend-
more than 5 gal in a single smoke compartment ments to each code issued between Aug. 11, 2011,
requires compliance with NFPA 30: Flamma- and April 16, 2014. These standards also reference
ble and Combustible Liquids. Dispensers cannot other NFPA standards with varying applicable edi-
be installed over or adjacent to ignition sources. tions. cse
Dispensers may only be installed over carpets in
sprinkler-protected smoke compartments. Aero- Brandon Finzel is the operations manager for JEN-
sol containers of alcohol-based hand rub may be SEN HUGHES New York and New Jersey region.
no larger than 18 oz and shall be Level 1 aerosols Samuel Flibbert is an associate with JENSEN
per NFPA 30B requirements. No more than 1,135 HUGHES.

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 41


input #13 at www.csemag.com/information
ENGINEERING INSIGHTS

Looking for new


PE products by category?
Check out the New Products for Engineers Database and search
hundreds of products, with new innovations added often.
Look for this logo on the Consulting-Specifying Engineer
home page. www.csemag.com/NP4E

PRODUCTS
New Products for
MEP ROUNDTABLE
51 Engineers
Designing efficient office
44 buildings with visual appeal
Office buildings can be highly complex, with com-
plicated features and advanced technology. Expe-
rienced engineers share advice on how to handle
these structures and identify trends impacting
such structures now and in the future.

M More
INSIGHTS
Find more research www.csemag.com/research:
• Thirty-one percent of firms earn more than $5 million
annually from electrical or power systems specified into
new and existing office buildings. Source: Consulting-
Specifying Engineer 2016 Electrical & Power Study

Specifying pumps, pumping systems


Do not specify/no plans to specify

16%
24% 60%

ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES
Will specify in Use the icons to identify topics of interest.
the
h next 12 to 24 months
h Currently
l specify
f
AUTOMATION & CONTROLS HVAC
Six in 10 engineers specify pumps and pumping COMMUNICATIONS LIGHTING
systems; 24% expect to specify these products over ELECTRICAL PLUMBING
the next 12 to 24 months. Source: Consulting-Specifying
FIRE, SECURITY & LIFE SAFETY
Engineer 2017 HVAC & Building Automation Systems
Study

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 43


ENGINEERING INSIGHTS
MEP ROUNDTABLE

Designing efficient office


buildings with visual appeal
Office buildings can be highly complex, with complicated features and advanced
technology. Experienced engineers share advice on how to handle these struc-
tures and identify trends impacting such structures now and in the future.

CSE: What’s the biggest engi- thoughtfully managing their waste streams, credentials, to reserve amenity space, to
neering trend you see today in and demanding controllability in their modify light levels and temperature of their
office buildings? building’s operations. Property owners space, and to interface with their office
and developers have responded to tenant building.
Jason Gerke: Many of the projects demands by requesting that, we as engi- John Yoon: Not an “engineering” trend
we are currently designing include no or neers, design HVAC, lighting, and plumb- per se, but there are significant trends in
very open ceiling systems. This deviation ing systems that can respond to unique corporate office design that can have a dra-
from a more traditional lay-in ceiling sys- tenant requirements. As one of the leading matic impact on the supporting mechan-
tem has caused us to rethink the layout of consulting engineers in Washington D.C.’s ical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) systems
ductwork, locations of variable air volume very active commercial real estate market, that we specify. A major driving force in
(VAV) boxes, and potential HVAC break- we are also responding to these demands office design is a need to use space more
out noise. While this is not an engineer- by specifying systems that have monitor- efficiently. There is a real cost associated
ing-specific trend, it does require all of the ing, ongoing accountability, and increased with that space and the resources needed
building engineers to be more thoughtful controllability, as opposed to maximizing to support the employees using it.
in the design of their respective systems. capacity and providing over-redundancy. The elimination of a standard worksta-
Without ceilings, the layout of ductwork, Tyler Jensen: The biggest trend I see tion in favor of bench-style seating allows
piping, conduit, cable trays, and the build- is that clients are looking to use their office significantly greater density and is com-
ing steel and concrete must have an aes- buildings to differentiate themselves and monplace in “tech” companies. “Hotel-
thetically pleasing aspect to it, besides create a competitive advantage. Office ing,” where employees aren’t permanently
being functionally sufficient for the build- buildings are no longer just a place to assigned desks or offices but rather move
ing. This is a trend that some engineers house employees, but a means to attract around on a day-to-day basis, also isn’t
have an issue with because they do not feel and retain top talent and increase pro- a new concept. It is regularly employed
it is their responsibility to create a design ductivity. Owners want office buildings where a significant percentage of the
layout that works with the architect’s plan that provide access to daylight and views, workforce works remotely. Hoteling helps
for the building’s visual appeal. proper ventilation and thermal comfort, “rightsize” the quantity of workspaces to
James Hansen: Providing tenants and a healthful environment for their more closely match the actual need. Tech-
with a customizable building experience is employees. I also have seen more intelli- nology is enabling the hoteling concept
becoming increasingly important, from an gent building systems employed that cre- to go to the next level. It is still standard
architectural and engineering standpoint. ate a positive, interactive experience for practice to assign offices/workstations/
In the Washington, D.C., metropolitan- employees, guests, and operators of office benches to permanent employees who
area office market, tenants are now tak- buildings. End users want to be able to generally don’t work outside the office
ing ownership of their utility consumption, use their smartphones for access-control on a one-to-one basis.

Jason Gerke James Hansen, Tyler Jensen,


Mechanical & PE, BEMP, PE, LEED AP
Plumbing Group LEED AP Senior Associate
Manager Principal and Senior Environmental Systems
GRAEF Mechanical Engineer Design Inc.
Milwaukee GHT Ltd. Chicago
Arlington, Va.

44 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER www.csemag.com


The 2112 Pennsylvania Avenue
project is an 11-story, 250,000-
sq-ft trophy Class A commercial
office building in Washington, D.C.
GHT Ltd. provided MEP engineer-
ing design, energy modeling, and
LEED documentation services
on the project. Features include
1st-floor retail, a fitness center,
and other amenities. Courtesy:
Skanska

However, in very large corporate envi- office spaces with unusually high popu- 5 to 10 years. Not surprisingly, this inter-
ronments, it is understood that there is lation densities and little to no diversity. val mirrors the lease terms for most ten-
always a certain percentage of the perma- As such, the engineered factor of safety in ant spaces.
nent workforce that isn’t in the office for our MEP systems has to be reconsidered In the dot.com era of the late 1990s
whatever reason (sickness, vacation, etc.). for these types of office environments. to early 2000s, having extremely robust
Also, many employers recognize a need for This can be a challenge when renovating base-building MEP infrastructure with
flexible seating to accommodate grouping older office buildings in which the origi- high levels of power and cooling capacity
employees together on a temporary basis nal engineers never anticipated this type was that holy grail. Then, when the U.S.
for certain projects. But there is always a of usage. Green Council’s LEED v2009 was intro-
level of uncertainty regarding how many duced, we saw a frenzy of LEED CS- and
workstations/offices are actually need- CSE: What trends and technol- EB-certification activity to make build-
ed. To address these issues, we’re seeing ogy do you think are on the hori- ings stand out from the pack. But eventu-
the deployment of computerized “seat- zon for office building projects? ally, after several years, the markets that we
management systems” that use statisti- worked in reached saturation; it became
cal analysis of employee-attendance pat- Yoon: Building owners are always more or less an expectation that Class A
terns and project staffing requirements to looking for a way to gain a competitive properties would already have LEED cer-
dynamically assign seating on a day-to- edge and distinguish their property from tification. In the last year or two, the “next
day basis and put more people in a smaller the competition. For Class A, multiten- big thing” was to offer increased building
quantity of work areas. ant office buildings, the market for ten- amenities to prospective tenants. These
The traditional diversities that are ants remains unusually competitive and shared amenities took the form of Wi-Fi
often factored into our MEP system finding that special something to set a lounges, party decks, fitness centers, res-
designs for office buildings are quickly building apart is something of a holy grail. taurants, etc. However, it is expected that
eroding. The combination of benching Unfortunately, this usually devolves into this too will quickly reach saturation—and
and automated hoteling concepts creates a “me too” attitude, where every building may not be sustainable in the long term.
has to offer more or less the same feature The capital expense associated with con-
set to attract new tenants. Often, there is structing the supporting MEP infrastruc-
John Yoon, minimal consideration as to the actual ture and the ongoing operational expenses
PE, LEED AP value of what’s being installed. For exam- (that may or may not be recoverable based
Lead Electrical ple, you would be amazed at how many on how the tenant leases are structured)
Engineer fireplaces we’ve designed for new shared- are not insignificant. With the new norm
McGuire
tenant lounges just because another build- being ever-increasing density in commer-
Engineers Inc.
Chicago
ing had that particular feature. The office cial office buildings, the primary question
building market is cyclical, with major is when will we reach that critical threshold
trends developing at intervals of roughly where it becomes detrimental to employee

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 45


ENGINEERING INSIGHTS
FREEDOM MEP ROUNDTABLE

FROM productivity? The expectation is that the zero office buildings at a few different sites

CORE
next major trend will be a renewed empha- across the U.S. It has been valuable for the
sis on the health and well-being of building client, architect/engineer design team, and
occupants to help offset this eventuality. contractor to work together from the onset
While the International WELL Building of the project. This collaborative approach

DRILLING!
Institute (IWBI)’s WELL Building Standard allowed the project team to effectively bal-
is still in its infancy, it appears to foreshad- ance the programming and aesthetic needs
ow these next major MEP design trends. with the sustainability goals for the proj-
Expect to see increased requirements for ect. We were also able to take an iterative
indoor-air quality well beyond ASHRAE design approach and get timely budget-
62.1: Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air ary feedback on various options. Since we
Quality, an emphasis on the quality of illu- were engaged early, we were able to run
mination, and numerous other criteria that energy models to optimize the building
are incorporated into the WELL Building massing and orientation and to advise
Standard. passive-energy-reduction strategies. The
Hansen: We’re seeing the Washington IPD method is critical for designing high-
D.C. market grow increasingly saturated performance and net zero office buildings.
with Class A office buildings. Energy effi- Gerke: While our team has not been
ciency is very important in our area. The involved in a project specifically using an
office buildings that get (and stay leased) IPD contract, we have been involved in
are the properties with highly efficient, many projects that include the subcon-
customizable HVAC systems. Typically, tractors early on. These projects include
the systems also have negligible aesthetic input from the general contractor or, typ-
impact and low first costs for installation. ically, subcontractor early in the design
We’re seeing variable refrigerant flow sys- phase, once we move into design develop-
tems satisfying these requirements for a ment plans. Early involvement must start
variety of owner and project types. before plans and specifications move past
Jensen: Forward-thinking owners the 15% or 20% phase in order to maxi-
will look beyond minimum energy code mize the impact the early involvement
requirements and consider highly sustain- will allow. Design teams need to be recep-
able and even net zero energy office build- tive to the involvement of contractors ear-
Connectrac ® wireways ings. Net zero office buildings can create lier in the design due to the fast pace of
a powerful story around strong corporate most projects and to minimize construc-
provide a proven power and values for employees and the public. tion-phase questions and issues. Reducing
IT alternative to expensive Gerke: There are so many networked construction issues will result in lower
communication systems in buildings costs for the design team and will mini-
and disruptive core drilling, today that it is surprising companies have mize the risk of having any claims during
not developed a breakout technology that construction.
trenching and unsightly power
combines cabling systems. While some Hansen: GHT Ltd. is close to comple-
poles. Our ultra-low profile companies do offer project-development tion of the 2112 Pennsylvania Ave. project
services to consolidate communication in Washington, D.C. This project used sev-
wireway is so discreet it’s systems (ranging from HVAC controls eral IPD methods including working with a
barely noticeable as to lighting controls and security/surveil- design-build mechanical contractor in the
lance to servers), there is no one disruptive earliest stages of design under a “design-
it elegantly blends in to any technology solution that has combined all assist” application with the owner, Skanska
these systems on a single cabling backbone USA, who also happened to be the gen-
environment while linked to a single networked control sys- eral contractor. Working within the own-
accommodating power tem. Today’s solutions still include multi- er’s budget, our team collaborated with
ple controllers to individually handle most the mechanical contractor to rightsize
and data. systems. and right-specify HVAC systems that met
the owner’s and occupants’ requirements,
®
CSE: Have you designed any such while also creating a set of construction
projects using the integrated proj- documents that Skanska and the mechan-
Connect without core drilling ect delivery (IPD) method? ical contractor could build. The project
was delivered under budget, and the team
Jensen: I have used the IPD meth- continued to collaborate during construc-
1.877.357.7535 od for a Fortune 500 client designing net tion to address field-installation concerns.
Free2Specify.com
input #14 at www.csemag.com/information 46 • January/February 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER
FREEDOM
TO MOVE FORWARD
Connectrac® In-Carpet Wireways deliver power and data with an elegant and flexible, floor-based cable management
solution unlike complicated and expensive methods such as core drilling, trenching or power poles. Our ultra-low profile
wireway integrates with any furniture and can be moved or reconfigured as work environments evolve.

1.877.357.7535 input #15 at www.csemag.com/information Free2Specify.com


ENGINEERING INSIGHTS
MEP ROUNDTABLE

CSE: Each type of project pres- oversaturation of Class A office build- new office building or commercial-office
ents unique challenges—what ings. To attract and retain the best ten- interior build-out, there’s usually a cor-
types of challenges do you encoun- ants, MEP systems must be modular, responding, existing office building or
ter on office building projects that controllable, and efficient—all while tenant suite of similar size that has sud-
you might not face on other types maximizing ceiling heights, reducing denly become vacant. That vacant space
of structures? noise, and keeping first costs low. For has to somehow be reabsorbed into the
any two planned office buildings enter- local commercial real estate market. If
Gerke: Depending on the level of ing the market, the one that can support the building is thought of as a financial
completion, sound reduction from HVAC a 2-ft taller ceiling or twice as many asset to the owner, how do you maintain
equipment is one of the primary concerns control zones is likely the property that the value of that asset once it is empty
for our projects. The lack of ceilings and wins our area’s competitive leasing bat- and not generating revenue? Given the
requirements for aesthetically pleasing tle. Our challenge and ultimate respon- evolution of commercial-office design
ductwork layouts does not always allow sibility as MEP engineers is to assist over the last 20+ years, that often means
for the best measures for sound con- clients in designing and constructing substantial base-building MEP infra-
trol. Smaller mechanical rooms result in the building that is marketable, attracts structure upgrades to maintain its com-
equipment spaces that are squeezed to the high-quality tenants, and ensures a petitiveness with other commercial real
limit. Therefore, electrical transformers profitable return on investment (ROI). estate offerings in that market. However,
that might otherwise be located in clos- Yoon: With a few notable excep- those upgrades still represent a capital
ets are out in the office areas, producing tions (i.e., the proposed Amazon HQ2 expense that must be recovered some-
noise. Other building infrastructure may project, which is projected to include 8 how through those new-tenant leases or
be spread throughout the building instead million sq ft of new office space), large property-sale proceeds.
of consolidated in a single location. businesses don’t materialize out of thin
Hansen: Competition in the Wash- air. Most commercial office building CSE: Is your team using BIM in
ington D.C. commercial office buildings projects are driven by the incremental conjunction with the architects,
market is the biggest challenge owners expansions, consolidations, and reloca- trades, and owners to design a
and designers currently face, due to tions of existing businesses. For every project?

Exitronix offers a full line of Trace-Lite offers LED lighting


exit and emergency lighting solutions for indoor and outdoor
safety products. commercial and industrial
lighting applications.

est. 1973
specialtyLED offers colorful and Growlite offers indoor and
dramatic lighting solutions for greenhouse horticultural lighting
indoor and outdoor architectural products including reflectors,
and decorative applications. ballasts and lamps.

800.533.3948 barronltg.com
input #16 at www.csemag.com/information
Yoon: No, although we do use BIM, we haven’t seen extensive use of the BIM Hansen: Flexibility is key, and over-
the level of detail (LOD) that we typical- models for long-term O&M or M&V— engineering is not a luxury. Gone are
ly develop our models to (LOD300-350) indeed, we have seen quite the opposite, the days where an owner could afford
doesn’t include the amount of information where M&V efforts have required the sus- to build an office building, with HVAC
necessary to adequately perform these tained involvement of the architect and systems designed to support a conserva-
types of functions. The expectation is that, engineer, essentially prohibiting the exclu- tive 7 W/sq ft, and let it sit unoccupied as
to perform these types of O&M functions, sive use of BIM by the owner. These trends they marketed to potential tenants. Flex-
the model has to accurately reflect the as- may shift in the future, but for now, suc- ible HVAC systems, like VRF, are becom-
built attributes of the installed equipment. cessful M&V is achieved as a team effort. ing increasingly common as they allow
Therefore, the make, model, serial number, Gerke: Our entire firm designs all rightsizing for tenant needs, individual
installation dates, warranties, etc. must be building-related projects in Revit as a metering and control, and the ability to
included. BIM definitely has potential as a BIM product. We use BIM files to coor- offset initial core-and-shell construction
converged building lifecycle tool, but the dinate amongst our internal disciplines as costs until tenant fit-out occurs.
primary limitation is the additional incre- well as other subconsultants on the project Gerke: One important advancement
mental cost associated with that last as- team. Using 3-D modeling is a must, due has been using wireless controls for some
built documentation step. Building owners to today’s tight project deadlines, to reduce building systems. Using wireless systems
typically don’t want to pay for that extra clashes amongst systems in the field. allows for appropriate temperature control
documentation without a clear under- to meet zoning requirements or for light-
standing of the potential ROI. I haven’t CSE: It seems owners constantly ing-level controls required by energy codes
seen any white papers that provide a con- want more features, but with a that must function as designed for ener-
vincing/compelling ROI business case. tighter budget. How are engineers gy efficiency in buildings. Using wireless
Hansen: Our firm has been using Revit designing office buildings to keep sensors reduces the amount of wiring,
MEP for nearly a decade, and many of our initial costs down while also offer- thus may reduce the cost of installa-
local contractors use 3-D BIM programs to ing appealing features, complying tion. Another benefit of wireless-control
create as-builts and bill-of-materials based with relevant codes, and meeting options for lighting and HVAC is how
on our coordinated Revit models. To date, client needs? simple it is to modify the systems at a

Electromechanical Relays, Single and 3-Phase Single and 3-Phase Scroll Compressor Soft Current-, Voltage- and 3-Phase Monitoring
Solid State Relays, Definite Purpose Contactors, Starters featuring auto-adaptive algorithms, Relays, Current Transformers and an extensive
IEC Contactors, and UL489/UL1077 Mini-Circuit which greatly reduce high starting currents, light range of Single and 3-Phase Energy Meters and
Protectors flickering and voltage disturbances Enterprise-Wide Monitoring Solutions

For over 85 years, CARLO GAVAZZI has designed and Contact us today for a free evaluation sample and find
manufactured high quality, cutting-edge components for the out why we are one of the fastest growing manufacturers
building and industrial automation industries. supplying the HVAC and building automation markets.

GavazziOnline.com • 847.465.6100 • Info@CarloGavazzi.com


input #17 at www.csemag.com/information
ENGINEERING
INSIGHTS
MEP ROUNDTABLE

later date, due to the avoidance of wiring that requires rerouting


for new wall layouts and other floor plan changes.
Yoon: Oftentimes, this is more a question of where the money
to construct and operate a building comes from. The CapEx/OpEx
budget priorities for an owner-occupied building are going to be
different from that of a tenant-occupied building, especially if the
developer for a new tenant building intends to sell/flip it once it’s
fully occupied. For tenant-occupied buildings, it may be possible
to pass through a significant percentage of day-to-day operating
you could spec your motor’s RPM
expenses to the tenant(s), which increases pressure to decrease
to your HVAC fan’s sweet spot?
2018
the initial capital expenses by simplifying the base-building MEP
infrastructure and accept the potential reductions in functionality/
FINALIST
efficiency. However, for owner-occupied buildings, there’s a greater
Unlike AC induction motors, technically emphasis on the building as an investment asset and less tolerance
limited to 1,800 or 3,600 RPM,
for higher ongoing operational expenses. cse
variable-speed NovaMAXTM motors can
be specified to deliver the optimum speed

NovaMAX ™ EC
Permanent Magnet
Motor
for optimum performance, including the
industry’s first standard 2,400 RPM motor.
Learn more at NovaMaxMotor.com.
M More
ROUNDTABLE
AHR Booth #4945
GO ONLINE
See www.csemag.com for additional content:
Regal, Marathon and NovaMAX are trademarks of Regal Beloit Corporation or one of its
affiliated companies. • Automation and controls
©2017 Regal Beloit Corporation, All Rights Reserved. MCAD17081E • SB0084
• Codes and standards
input #18 at www.csemag.com/information • Electrical/lighting/power.

Exceeding 50-60% total energy recovery


effectiveness and with a 16” chassis size,
RETHINK VALUE. Ruskin® MCV500 and MCV1000 Minicore
Ventilators provide remarkable savings
in an exceptionally compact design. And
they do it with a patented high-performance
water-washable polymer membrane core
that has no moving parts – for savings
and comfort that last.

Visit AHR booth 5560 to see the


Ruskin Minicore Ventilator and our
other limitation-defying products in
person. Because it’s time to rethink
your approach to air control.

RETHINK LIMITATIONS. input #19 at www.csemag.com/information

Visit ruskin.com for more information.


ENGINEERING INSIGHTS See more New Products for Engineers at
www.csemag.com/NP4E PE
NEW PRODUCTS

Ceiling radiation dampers


Greenheck’s new line of ceiling radiation dampers are UL classified for installation
in wood-truss floor/ceiling assemblies. Model CRD-1WT is designed with a plenum box
for side inlet or outlet duct connections. Model CRD-2WT’s inlet or outlet duct connection is
made on top of the damper. Manufactured of galvanized steel, both models feature a standard
fusible link-closure device to minimize pressure drop. An optional volume controller provides the
functionality of a balancing damper and enables easy positioning of the blades. Hanger- or base-mounting options allow for quick
installation. Tested and listed in accordance with UL Standard 555C with ratings up to 1 hour, models CRD-1WT and CRD-2WT
are ideal to use in retirement facilities and nursing homes.
Greenheck Fan Corp., www.greenheck.com #200 at www.csemag.com/information

Thin surge
HVAC media system protection
DriSteem Wetted Media Systems provide evaporative The 3.5-mm Termitrab
cooling and humidification for a wide variety of applications Complete is a thin surge
while taking advantage of the free cooling and energy savings protection device (SPD). It
inherent with this technology. These systems work by using caters to unique require-
the heat that is already in the air to evaporate water as it ments for maintaining and
passes through saturated media, saving on energy costs increasing system availabil-
compared with alternative evaporative-cooling equipment ity for measurement and con-
or steam humidification. In addition, the Wetted Media System can effectively man- trol signal applications. These
age shoulder-season cooling load, as well as assist on peak cooling days to avoid pur- small SPDs provide optimum
chasing additional cooling equipment. In retrofit situations where the cooling load system protection for input
has increased, installation of the Wetted Media System is significantly less costly than and output signals. This thin
adding a chiller. device allows for protection of up to
DriSteem, www.dristeem.com #201 at www.csemag.com/information 572 signals in 1 meter of DIN rail. The
SPDs can be easily installed and wired,
without using a screwdriver, through
the push-in terminal connection option.
LED high bay
The 3.5-mm module is part of the Ter-
LSI Industries’ Alliance LED high bay has max- mitrab Complete product line. Other
imum efficacy across 2-ft and 4-ft fixtures with 163 SPDs in the range allow for easy trouble-
lumens/W. Numerous configurable attributes make LSI shooting and diagnosing a system from
Alliance high bays easy to specify, such as 16 standard lumen any location using the innovative opti-
packages, programmable drivers for custom lumen packages, and cal monitoring capabilities. With local
multiple distributions, lenses, mounting alternatives, emergency back- and remote status indication, main-
up options, and controls choices. This makes LSI Industries’ Alliance LED taining and troubleshooting systems is
high bays flexible to use in applications from school gymnasiums to industrial simplified.
facilities and more. Optional decorative end caps also expand the settings in which Phoenix Contact,
the Alliance LED high bays can be an ideal choice. www.phoenixcontact.com
LSI Industries, www.lsi-industries.com #202 at www.csemag.com/information #203 at www.csemag.com/information

Distributed-intelligence
lighting control
The distributed network architecture of NX elimi-
nates common operational dependencies on software,
gateways, and servers found in other lighting control
systems by distributing control logic to each lighting
control device. NX was purpose-built to provide cus-
tomers with unmatched flexibility across a wide range
of lighting control applications. NX is available as a wired
and wireless solution, a stand-alone luminaire-based con-
trol, a small-room network, or a buildingwide system
across indoor and outdoor commercial, architectural, and
industrial spaces. NX devices simplify installation and
are capable of automatically self-configuring to address energy code requirements and provide “out-of-the- box” functionality.
Hubbell Lighting Inc., www.hubbelllighting.com #204 at www.csemag.com/information

www.csemag.com CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER January/February 2018 • 51


Sponsored by:

You drive your accomplishments and dictate your career success, and those achievements
deserve to be recognized. Stand among the past 400 Consulting-Specifying Engineer
40 Under 40 winners who have made their accomplishments known.

To qualify to be a 40 Under 40 winner, nominees must work in the building community,


be 40 years of age or younger (as of May 1, 2018), and be nominated by a supervisor,
academic advisor, peer, mentor, public relations professional, project leader, or other
person directly involved in their career progress.

Note: Individuals whose work is related exclusively to single-family housing,


structural engineering, or civil engineering are NOT eligible.

40 UNDER 40 PROGRAM AWARDEES WILL:


• Be highlighted in major media arenas as a Consulting-Specifying Engineer
40 Under 40 winner
• Be offered networking opportunities with other 40 Under 40 awardees
• Increase the exposure of their company by highlighting projects
the young engineer has worked on
• Improve the company’s recruitment efforts by showcasing young employees.

NOMINATIONS DUE JANUARY 26, 2018


SUPPORTING MATERIALS DUE FEBRUARY 9, 2018

Nominate a colleague who is 40 years of age


or younger by going to:
www.csemag.com/40under40
T he voice of the engineering community speaks loud and clear
in the following pages featuring corporate profiles of
those companies participating in the Executive Voice program
presented by Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine.

Our thanks to the following participants:

Aire Technologies
Barron Lighting Group
Cleaver-Brooks
Connectrac
Emerson
Greenheck
Noritz
Red-White Valve Corp.
RenewAire
Titus, a Division of JCI
ADVERTISEMENT
I n 2004, Aire Technologies, Inc.
(ATI) emerged as a strategic
business unit (SBU) of DMI Compa-
With Aire Technologies, you are
assured high quality products as well
as high quality service with every
nies. Since then, ATI has experienced order, no matter how large or small.
continuous growth and remains
devoted to the rapid manufacturing Aire Technologies’ main product
of human life saving devices such as offering includes their Series 10
Fire Dampers, Smoke Dampers, and 30 Combination Fire/Smoke
Combination Fire Smoke Dampers, Dampers and their Series 20
and Ceiling Radiation Dampers. Smoke Dampers. These products
have been rigorously tested to meet
ATI takes pride in the high standards UL Classifications UL 555 and 555S
their products are tested to and and AMCA standards for Leakage Our products are proudly American Made
ensures the highest quality products Class I (ultra-low leakage) and
in the HVAC industry. Class II (low leakage).

In addition, ATI offers traditional Fire Dampers, Ceiling


Radiation Dampers, and Air Control Dampers to
suit nearly any specification or duct system configuration.

These products are essential to fire and smoke safety and


ATI has recognized how important they are. With deaths
due to smoke inhalation outnumbering deaths due to
burns by roughly four to one in the US,* Aire Technologies
is proud to supply the highest quality products necessary
to help provide the extra time needed to save lives in a
fire evacuation.
Aire Technologies Headquarters in Monongahela, Pennsylvania

Aire Technologies leads the way in Visit AireTechnologies.com or call 1-866-421-AIRE for more information
developing and innovating products about Aire Technologies products and services.
that are both easy to install, and easy
to attain. ATI offers a quick ship
program for small orders that can Since 2004, ATI has experienced continuous growth
ship as early as the next day after
ordering, getting products to and remains devoted to the rapid manufacturing
customers faster and providing their of human life saving devices.
signature support when it’s needed.

ATI’s highly knowledgeable staff is


always willing to help with any
questions related to installation and info@airetechnologies.com
www.AireTechnologies.com
specifications, as well as product
code compliance. * Fire in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, NFPA
ADVERTISEMENT
C leaver-Brooks is the leading
global engineer and
manufacturer of fully integrated
is a finalist in the Heating category
of the 2018 AHR Expo Innovation
Awards. The CFC-E features dual
Earle
boiler room systems. The company temperature returns, enabling Pfefferkorn
designs and manufactures hot water maximum operating efficiencies in
President,
and steam generation products a variety of system applications. There Boiler Systems
aimed at integrating and optimizing are no flow limitations to consider
the total boiler, burner, controls and no need to satisfy multiple-boiler
and stack exhaust system to design constraints, allowing for system
maximize energy efficiency while engineering flexibility and maximum
minimizing emissions. boiler efficiency.

New Technology From Another design advantage of the The C2X-HE is smaller and lighter
Cleaver-Brooks Delivers CFC-E is its large-water-volume pres- than current two-stage economizer
Industry-High System Efficiency models and is ideal for applications
sure vessel with low pressure drop,
Cleaver-Brooks is one of only a few making it ideal for primary-variable- with a 50 to 100% make-up water
boiler room solutions providers to flow pumping systems. In its small requirement. It is also perfect for
operate a dedicated R&D center. footprint, the CFC-E features patented process hot water applications
In addition to developing energy- AluFer® tube and burner technology such as food processing and
efficient, low-emissions products, the along with intelligent controls to industrial laundries.
company has engineered state-of-the- optimize system performance and
art retrofit solutions for commercial, minimize costs. minimize costs.
institutional and industrial markets.

Energy-efficient
hot water and
steam generation
products by
Cleaver-Brooks

Cleaver-Brooks is the pioneer of Condensing Economizer Achieves To learn more about Cleaver-Brooks
firetube and watertube boilers, and up to 94% Efficiency and its comprehensive line of
its products are known for their New technology exclusive to boiler room solutions, please visit
reliability and longevity. Many of Cleaver-Brooks enables the C2X-HE cleaverbrooks.com. To find a
its boilers installed 40 years ago still to be the first two-stage condensing representative near you, go to
operate today. economizer in the industry to cleaverbrooks.com/reps or call
achieve up to 94% efficiency. The 1.800.250.8552.
Condensing Boiler Achieves product’s first stage returns wasted
up to 99% Efficiency heat to the boiler feedwater. Its
The new Cleaver-Brooks ClearFire® second-stage condensing section
-CE (CFC-E) condensing boiler is a preheats make-up water or process
compact, high-mass firetube design water. These units deliver best-in- info@cleaverbrooks.com • 1.800.250.8552
that achieves up to 99% efficiency and class overall system efficiency. cleaverbrooks.com
ADVERTISEMENT
E merson is, at heart, an engineering
and technology company.
We are innovators, problem-solvers,
systems for commercial buildings,
including the new Sensi Multiple
Thermostat Manager, our latest Brent
and industry leaders working to ensure innovation to leverage Internet of Schroeder
human comfort and health, protect Things technology to help ensure Group President
food quality and sustainability, advance human comfort and health. of Heating and
Air Conditioning
energy efficiency and create sustainable
infrastructure. Protecting Food Quality
At Emerson, we are a leader when it
Our industry offerings in heating, venti- comes to managing the Cold Chain. In addition to our compression and
lation, air conditioning and refrigeration We help safeguard food, reduce energy control solutions, our relationship
(HVACR) and building automation bring consumption, protect the environment with Transformative Wave allows us to
quality, reliability and efficiency to build- and optimize business results for provide innovative HVAC retrofit tech-
ing systems, making us a key partner to supermarkets, convenience stores, nology with the CATALYST. More than
many leading OEMs. restaurants, retailers and transportation a controller and more than a variable
using compression technology, frequency drive (VFD), this offering
integrated controls, connectivity, is a complete HVAC energy efficiency
monitoring, services and upgrade that radically lowers energy use
insight solutions. and improves the overall performance
of constant volume HVAC systems.
Emerson’s ProAct Services
portfolio, includes technology,
data, services, software and Emerson is where
expertise that assures quality technology and engineering
The Helix Innovation Center on the campus
of the University of Dayton and integrity of conditions management
wherever commercial goods are moved, come together to create
Leading in Human Comfort stored or sold. Systematic measurement solutions for the benefit
Emerson has decades of experience in of cost drivers provides a powerful basis of our customers.
residential and commercial HVAC. We for everyday decision-making by allow-
pioneered the Copeland Scroll compres- ing key participants in the cold chain to
sor technology that today powers home quickly identify opportunities for Driven by Innovation
and commercial AC systems around the operational improvement. Emerson is where technology and
world, efficiently and reliably. We have engineering come together to create
been at the forefront of enabling environ- Emerson’s newest facility control solutions for the benefit of our custom-
mentally friendly refrigerant changes to platform, Site Supervisor, allows large ers. Our network of Helix Innovation
protect our environment. and small format retailers to quickly Centers has hosted thousands of our
and economically support monitoring, partners and customers and we are
Today, we offer a broad portfolio of optimization and control over key store working daily to address the biggest
modulating compressors, including systems. Site Supervisor controls manage challenges our industry sees now and
two-stage, variable speed and tandem/ refrigeration systems, HVAC, lighting in the future.
trio compressor configurations that and more.
enable the industry’s most efficient and
reliable systems. Advancing Energy Efficiency
Efficiency and energy savings are key
Our focus on comfort extends to auto- design elements to many of our
mated and remotely-monitored control solutions to the HVACR industry. www.emerson.com
ADVERTISEMENT
G reenheck has evolved, since
our operations began more than
70 years ago, into the world’s leading
Today’s indoor air requirements are
far more complex than simply moving
fresh air in and exhausting stagnant air
Anthony
manufacturer of energy-efficient air out. An integrated strategy for mov- Rossi
movement, control and conditioning ing, controlling and conditioning air is
Vice President
equipment for nonresidential build- essential for today’s high performance Marketing,
ings. Today, our wide range of products buildings. The expectations of building Greenheck
keeps building occupants comfortable, owners, architects, mechanical engi-
productive and safe. neers and contractors for a comfortable,
reliable and energy-efficient indoor
Our founders Bob and Bernie air environment can all be met when
Greenheck, embraced two important a variety of top performing HVAC products and to enhance performance
values—continuous improvement products and systems are selected and of existing products.
and being the easiest company to do installed. That’s why Greenheck engages
business with. That’s still our commit- in extensive product research and Greenheck also invests heavily in
ment to our customers, and it remains development and continuously expands educational resources to help guide
the fundamental driving force behind and improves its vast and varied line of the future of HVAC system design.
our company’s success. HVAC products. Our free, online design software
“CAPS” and cloud-based “eCAPS”
quickly and accurately selects the
“best value” product for a specific
application. Engineers can earn
Professional Development Hour (PDH)
credits through Greenheck’s HVAC
University that covers the latest HVAC
trends, applications and codes.

Our website library contains valuable


reference materials including applica-
tion and industry articles, project
profiles, instructional videos and
podcasts discussing relevant HVAC
industry topics.

In addition to the industry’s best- Greenheck’s on-site laboratories Today, Greenheck is much more than
selling rooftop, wall-mount and inline ensure compliance of both new and a fan company—we’re a single source
fans and ventilators, Greenheck also existing products to critical perfor- air company.
manufactures super-efficient energy mance requirements issued by AMCA,
recovery ventilators, dampers, louvers, ANSI, ASHRAE, UL and other third- Find out more at www.greenheck.com
make-up air units, variable-volume party certification organizations—and
kitchen ventilation systems, centrifu- the Robert C. Greenheck Innovation
gals and vane axials, high-velocity Center inspires product engineers to
laboratory exhaust systems and more. continuously develop reliable new
www.greenheck.com
info@greenheck.com • 715-359-6171
ADVERTISEMENT
N oritz has been developing and
manufacturing the finest gas-
operated water heating products in
• Modulation: Noritz fully
modulating technology tracks and
meets any hot-water demand with
the world since 1951, when it was pinpoint accuracy, matching energy
founded in Japan. Today, the company consumption to present requirements.
is the number one global manufactur-
• Intelligent Performance: In a
er for tankless technology. Increased
multi-system setup, the Noritz
environmental awareness, with the
commercial units will communicate
conservation of energy and space
with one another and work in
worldwide, has encouraged Noritz to
unison to even out the load on
expand across the globe.
each individual unit, maximizing
output and system life.
• Redundancy: If, in a
multi-system setup, one unit
happens to go offline and
needs to be serviced, the CPVC, or PP venting. The unit can
remaining units will split the vent up to 60 feet with 2-inch vent
BTU demand to maintain set piping; and 100 feet with 3-inch
point temperature. materials. The premix, fully modulat-
ing burner has a nitrogen-oxide
Noritz U.S. headquarters in emissions level of only 14 parts per
Fountain Valley, California The latest Noritz commercial
million (ppm), far exceeding the
product to incorporate these
South Coast Air Quality Management
Discover the Noritz Commercial advantages is the NCC199CDV
District requirement of 20 ppm.
Tankless Advantage condensing tankless water heater,
The Noritz Commercial line is the approved for common-venting up to
The NCC199CDV is built to last,
most precise and efficient method six units in commercial applications.
manufactured with 316L grade
of heating water for any commercial stainless steel for high durability and
project, offering the following With a 98-percent thermal efficiency,
corrosion resistance. It represents
advantages for engineers: the unit is both Commercial ENERGY
the latest and best that the Noritz
STAR® & AHRI-certified. Up to 24
• Modularity: The Noritz modular Commercial line has to offer.
of these units can be linked together
system is based on a single self-con-
using a Multi-Unit System Controller.
tained, interchangeable unit that can For more information on the
The resulting, modular system would
combine and communicate with like NCC199CDV and the Noritz
offer a BTU input range from 18,000
units to meet any hot water demand. Commercial line, please call
to 4.8 million, yielding a turndown
1-866-766-7489 or visit
• Multi-System Capability: Up to 24 ratio of 266:1.
www.noritz.com.
Noritz units can be linked together
with a single system controller. This In addition, flexible venting
allows outputs of 9.1 million Btuh and options allow for vertical or
316 gallons per minute. horizontal termination with PVC,

Noritz is the number one global manufacturer for tankless technology.


ADVERTISEMENT
R ed-White Valve Corp. (RWV) has been manufacturing Balancing Valves
for 30 successful years. All Engineering, Design, Testing and Manufacturing
is done at the company’s plant in Italy. In essence everything is done under one
Joe
Cicora
roof. By manufacturing these valves from solid brass bar stock to the finished
SR VP Sales
product gives Red-White Valve Corp. a strong advantage in the HVAC market. & Marketing
The RWV full line of Balancing Valves have been installed in Industrial and Red-White
Valve Corp.
Commercial applications worldwide, and we are fully committed to keep on
serving the global market with high quality products.

The 9510 valves are manufactured with a Fixed


Orifice Venturi Insert which allows a more precise
and accurate measurement so that the desired
flow rate will be achieved with an accuracy that is
not attainable with a Variable Orifice. DZR Brass
is standard to prevent Dezincification in adverse
water conditions.

Regardless of the application, the 9510 Series


covers the need for both Potable Water and Closed
Loop HVAC systems. Red-White Valve Corp. is
recognized in Masterspec and has Revit capability
for Engineer and Contractor availability.

The 9510 series has three functions. It acts as


1) Shut-Off valve, 2) a Balancing Valve, and 3) a Meter-Station to measure flow via a differential manometer.
The 9510 series has LowFlow, UltraLowFlow and UltraUltraLowFlow versions available that makes them
capable of reaching flow rates as low as 0.12 GPM with an accuracy of +/-3%.

By manufacturing these valves from solid brass bar stock to the finished product
gives Red-White Valve Corp. a strong advantage in the HVAC market.

The flow rate range goes up to 55.63 GPM. It also has an Integral Memory Stop to ensure the valve is
returned to its set-point after using the positive Shut-Off function. Connections are available in FNPT, MNPT,
Solder and Press. The Fixed Aluminum Tag with Valve Model, Cv and blank space dedicated for GPM Flow
Rate serves as an easy identification that will not deteriorate on jobsites. The 9510 series qualifies for BAA.

To assist Engineers and Contractors on the simple procedure of operating the 9510 Balancing Valves,
a Utility Software and Smart Phone app have been developed and made available for downloading.

Other HVAC products include Commercial Flanged Balancing Valves 2" thru 12",
Automatic Balancing valves from ½" thru 12", Pressure Independent Control Valves
(PICV), Actuated Balancing valves, and Coil Kit Hook-ups that are fully customizable.

Please visit us on our Website at www.redwhitevalvecorp.com or call 1-800-222-7982.


ADVERTISEMENT
W ith greater commercial-
building airtightness, internally
generated contaminants accumulate
RenewAire’s new Dedicated Outdoor
Air System (DOAS) with Energy
Recovery. The DOAS consists of
Nick
Agopian
and cause deficient indoor air quality parallel systems: one for delivering Vice President,
Sales and
(IAQ), which is a serious threat to outdoor-air ventilation that handles Marketing,
occupant health, cognitive function, both latent and sensible loads and RenewAire
productivity and wellbeing. The key indoor space-conditioning equipment
to combatting deficient IAQ is for the sensible load.
ventilating with enough fresh and
filtered outdoor air to create cleaner RenewAire’s DOAS enables outdoor
and healthier indoor air. and indoor HVAC units to operate The key to combatting deficient
independently, IAQ is ventilating with
depending on the
load. This downsizes
enough fresh and filtered
equipment and outdoor air to create cleaner
saves energy; and healthier indoor air.
however, to really
optimize ventilation
efficiency, the s RESULTS: Enhance IAQ, Save Energy
olution is to apply and Cut Costs via DOAS with
RenewAire DOAS with Energy Recovery energy recovery. Energy Recovery
CHALLENGE: Conditioning DOAS with energy recovery optimizes
Outdoor Air Uses Substantial Energy This process uses otherwise-wasted, ventilation efficiency and achieves the
and is Costly exhaust-airstream energy to following results:
When outdoor air is brought inside, temper incoming outdoor air, thus
significantly reducing loads. • Enhanced IAQ
it must be conditioned for occupant
• Reduced energy consumption
comfort. This means cooling/dehu-
In fact, because ventilation represents • Decreased ventilation, operation
midifying in the summer and heating/ and installation costs
a major portion of the HVAC load,
humidifying in the winter. However,
ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard
• Downsized HVAC equipment
tempering outdoor air consumes
90.1-2016 often requires exhaust-air
• Improved humidity control
substantial energy, especially when it
energy recovery.
• Simplified ventilation design
comes to the latent load (removing/ and control
adding humidity). In fact, latent loads • Increased system flexibility
usually exceed sensible loads (cooling/ What’s more, since DOAS is a 100%
heating) by 3:1 and often by 8:1. outdoor-air system, an Energy For more information about
Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is usually ventilation solutions, please visit
SOLUTION: Dedicated Outdoor mandated by code. In addition, to RenewAire.com.
Air Systems with Energy Recovery further reduce DOAS costs, Demand
Optimize Efficiency Controlled Ventilation (DCV) can
How can outdoor air be conditioned be applied so that the least amount
energy efficiently, cost-effectively and of ventilation is used to meet
sustainably? The answer is through occupant demand.
www.renewaire.com
renewaireorders@renewaire.com
800-627-4499
ADVERTISEMENT
“In 1903, Thomas Edison defined genius as one percent
inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. Today, with the
help of technology and a little more inspiration, it’s possible to
reduce the amount of perspiration required to complete most given
tasks. This is certainly true of our field, that of air distribution.”

T
Jenny Abney Sivie
itus leads the charge, and in more ways than one. Industry LEEDers
For the people who inhabit or use the buildings AP BD+C, Director
LEED has become an of Advanced Business
and facilities that employ our equipment, we offer our important standard in Development at Titus HVAC
Comfort Zone — a pleasant, healthy indoor environment. the construction industry.
Our products are studies in innovation: the innovative I’m proud to be part of a team of experts in the field of air
VENTUS LUX air distribution system, combining the distribution technology and to help an important industry
benefits of chilled beam and lighting; and the Helios move deeper into the digital age responsibly. Titus has a
variable air volume diffuser, which is powered by number of speakers and LEED APs to help you and your
ambient light. These products help make life easier and customers succeed. You’ll find a list on our website.
more aesthetically pleasing.
Mobile and IRL
Many engineers know and appreciate Titus University,
with classes and seminars on every level and topic
relating to HVAC. We also offer webinars, training videos
and more. I myself am the host of a popular weekly
podcast — “Titus Timeout” — which covers very specific
training topics.

For more hands-on support, the Titus Comfort Zone gives


engineers and designers controlled environments
for experimenting, learning or testing new solutions.
Titus corporate headquarters in Plano, Texas
Find all this and more on our website. Or you can talk to
your local Titus representative. You’ll soon understand
But we also help engineers work smarter by offering
why Titus is acknowledged as the industry leader and one
inspiration and knowledge that can be used to provide
of your best resources when it comes to air distribution.
better, more efficient solutions. We do this through several
channels. Engineers can get answers to specific questions,
browse online catalogs, technical standards, engineering
guidelines and more. Perhaps even more importantly, they
can discover new possibilities and be further inspired.
Titus
972-212-4800 | titus@titus-hvac.com
www.titus-hvac.com
ADVERTISEMENT
W ith her recent promotion
to Vice President, Sales
Operations at Barron Lighting
Barron Lighting Group manufac-
tures and markets a comprehensive
line of lighting solutions in LED
Growlite by Barron Lighting Group
intends to be at the forefront of
this growth.
Group in Phoenix, Arizona, and HID fixtures for commercial
Heather McCune brings nine years and industrial applications and is With over 100 years of combined
of lighting industry experience to the parent company to four brands: lighting experience, Growlite has Heather McCune
today’s diverse sales landscape. Trace-Lite commercial and the vision and innovative ideas to VP, Sales Operations
industrial lighting, Exitronix challenge the status quo of lighting
emergency lighting, specialtyLED products in this niche industry. “With Heather’s solid
commercial and decorative lighting,
background in the lighting
and Growlite® indoor and The mission is simple; to provide
industry as well as her sales
greenhouse horticultural lighting. the highest quality, safest products
skills and dedication to
in the market and educate the
Working with Product Manager, indoor grow market with the latest customer service, Growlite
Greg Alaura, Heather has seen the and greatest technologies emerging is poised to lead the market
Growlite brand provide solutions from the lighting industry. to the next level.”
to the horticultural industry, — Greg Alaura, Growlite Product Mgr.
particularly in the emerging Growlite will continue to push the
Heather is responsible for Cannabis market. limits of innovation and technology
collaborating with Barron’s to deliver state-of-the-art lamps,
Marketing and Brand teams to The horticultural lighting sector ballasts and fixtures engineered
achieve market penetration of is expected to enjoy a 25% annual specifically for the indoor Tel: 888-533-3948, 623-580-3948
Barron’s diverse suite of products. increase in the next 24 months and horticulture market. www.barronltg.com

ce201801_execVhalf_barron.indd 1 12/21/2017 10:44:58 AM

ADVERTISEMENT
C onnectrac® wireways are the best floor-based
solution for bringing power, data, and
communications to all interior commercial
and In-Carpet wireway, or a sturdy, versatile option
in our On-Floor wireway, all while maintaining the
ability to be moved or adjusted. Need to change the
applications without core drilling, trenching, location of your cable pathway or add more cabling?
or unsightly power poles. Corporations, Perfect! Connectrac wireways can simply be moved
government agencies, and universities are faced
Clint Strong
to where you desire with the ability to add or change
CEO, Connectrac
with retrofitting their facilities to keep up with the any cabling you need.
demands of technology. Easy connectivity has
become critical in the world of cable management. For the last decade, Connectrac has dedicated itself Dallas, Texas-based
to providing its customers with cable management Connectrac, is a privately
that is easy to handle and gives a subtle and elegant owned company whose
look to a workspace. With core drilling or trenching products are available
come the hassle of disruptive installations, intrusions throughout the US,
on employees or neighboring tenants, and additional Canada, and increasingly,
costs. Connectrac gives you the look and feel you around the world.
desire in your workspace at an affordable price.
Additionally, Connectrac’s non-intrusive wireways are simple to understand and
easy to install. Within a couple of hours, our wireways can be laid down and ready
for use, all without disrupting the workflow of your office or having to schedule
Connectrac allows any workspace to transform installation at inconvenient hours.
elegantly and seamlessly. Providing a variety of
options and finishes, Connectrac gives you a near- info@connectrac.com • 877-480-5637
invisible, no-bump aesthetic with our Under-Carpet https://connectrac.com/
MEDIA SHOWCASE FOR ENGINEERS
CORD DROP MOTOR
PLUGS
DISCONNECT SWITCHING
SIMPLIFY DESIGN & STARTUP
Switch-rated plugs and receptacles
are ideal for cord drop applications. QUICKLY CONNECT
Technicians can easily deenergize & DISCONNECT POWER
equipment without having to wear
cumbersome PPE and without
having to climb a ladder to OFF
disconnect power. Button
OFF Button
Provides push button
circuit disconnection

Safety Shutter
(on receptacle)

Safety Shutter
Simplifies NFPA Rated up to 200A, 75hp
70E compliance
4 Connector + Switch in 1 device
UL Switch-Rated:
Up to 200A, 4 Maximizes Arc Flash Protection
75hp, 600V 4 Minimizes PPE Requirements
meltric.com meltric.com
800.433.7642 800.433.7642
Input #100 at controlengineering.hotims.com Input #101 at controlengineering.hotims.com Input #102 at controlengineering.hotims.com

On-Demand Webcasts

Earn continuing education credits,


or a certificate of completion by
participating in our one hour long
webcasts on various topics.

Register and view from anywhere! Check out Consulting-Specifying


Engineer’s full library of on-demand webcasts at:
www.csemag.com/ondemandwebcasts

2017-CSE_OnDemand_HalfHorizontal_V1_KS.indd 1 11/22/2017 10:04:35 AM


Publication Services
Jim Langhenry,
Co-Founder and Publisher, CFE Media
JLanghenry@CFEMedia.com
Steve Rourke, Co-Founder, CFE Media
SRourke@CFEMedia.com
Trudy Kelly, Executive Assistant
630-571-4070 x2205, TKelly@CFEMedia.com

ad index Elena Moeller-Younger, Marketing Manager


EMYounger@CFEMedia.com
Kristen Nimmo, Marketing Manager
Company Page# RSN Web KNimmo@CFEMedia.com
Paul Brouch, Director of Operations
2018 40 Under 40 Nominations . . .52 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.csemag.com/40under40 630-571-4070 x2208, PBrouch@CFEMedia.com
Rick Ellis, Audience Management Director
Aeroflex USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 . . . . . . . . .11 . . . . . . .www.aeroflexusa.com 303-246-1250, REllis@CFEMedia.com
Michael Rotz, Print Production Manager
Air Monitor Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 . . . . . . . . . 8. . . . . . . .www.airmonitor.com 717-766-0211 x4207, Fax 717-506-7238
mike.rotz@frycomm.com

AUTOCALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 . . . . . . . . . 7. . . . . . . .www.autocall.com Maria Bartell, List Rental Account Director


Infogroup Targeting Solutions
847-378-2275, maria.bartell@infogroup.com
Baldor Electric Company . . . . . . . .C-2 . . . . . . . . 1. . . . . . . .www.baldor.com
Claude Marada, List Rental Manager
402-836-6274, claude.marada@infogroup.com
Barron Lighting Group . . . . . . . . . .48 . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . .www.barronltg.com
Letters to the Editor
Please e-mail your letters to
Carlo Gavazzi, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 . . . . . . . . 17 . . . . . . .www.GavazziOnline.com ARozgus@CFEMedia.com
Letters should include name, company, and
Connectrac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46, 47 . . . . 14, 15 . . . . . .www.connectrac.com address, and may be edited for space and clarity.

CSE On-Demand Webcasts . . . . . .63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.csemag.com/ondemandwebcasts


Information
For a Media Kit or Editorial Calendar:
Cummins Power Generation . . . . .1 . . . . . . . . . . 2. . . . . . . .http://power.cummins.com/expertsyoutrust www.csemag.com/interactivemediakit.

ebm-papst, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . .http://ebmpapst.us


Reprints
EMERSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 . . . . . . . . . . 3. . . . . . . .www.emerson.com/two-stage For custom reprints or electronic usage, contact:
Brett Petillo, Wright’s Media
281-419-5725, bpetillo@wrightsmedia.com
Greenheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 . . . . . . . . . 9. . . . . . . .www.greenheck.com

Kohler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C-4 . . . . . . . 21 . . . . . . .www.KOHLERPOWER.COM Publication Sales


Publisher/Midwest
Onicon Incorporated. . . . . . . . . . . .42 . . . . . . . . 13 . . . . . . .www.onicon.com Matt Waddell MWaddell@CFEMedia.com
3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 312-961-6840
Regal Beloit Corporation . . . . . . . .50 . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . .www.NovaMaxMotor.com Downers Grove, IL 60515 Fax 630-214-4504

West, TX, OK
Reliable Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6, 7 . . . . . . . . 5. . . . . . . .www.reliablecontrols.com Tom Corcoran TCorcoran@CFEMedia.com
Integrated Media Manager 215-275-6420
Fax 484-631-0598
RUSKIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 . . . . . . . . 19 . . . . . . .www.ruskin.com
Northeast
Titus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 . . . . . . . . 10 . . . . . . .www.titus-hvac.com Richard A. Groth Jr. RGroth@CFEMedia.com
12 Pine Street 774-277-7266
Franklin, MA 02038 Fax 508-590-0432
Viega LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 . . . . . . . . . . 4. . . . . . . .www.viega.us
Director of Content Marketing Solutions
Patrick Lynch PLynch@CFEMedia.com
XYLEM GLOBAL
3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 847-452-1191
HEADQUARTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 . . . . . . . . . . 6. . . . . . . .www.xyleminc.com
Downers Grove, IL 60515 Fax 630-214-4504

Marketing Consultant
Yaskawa America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .C-3 . . . . . . . 20 . . . . . . .www.yaskawa.com
Brian Gross BGross@CFEMedia.com
3010 Highland Parkway, Suite #325 630-571-4070 x2217
Downers Grove, IL 60515 Fax 630-214-4504
REQUEST MORE INFORMATION about products and advertisers in this issue by using International
the www.csemag.com/information link and reader service number located near each Stuart Smith stuart.smith@ssm.co.uk
SSM Global Media Ltd. +44 208 464 5577
item. If you’re reading the digital edition, the link will be live. When you contact a company Fax +44 208 464 5588
directly, please let them know you read about them in Consulting-Specifying Engineer.

64 • January 2018 CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEERING www.csemag.com


Complete Power Merging
Green & Technology

Complete power. Greater operating productivity. More energy savings. The new Z1000U HVAC Martrix Drive
form Yaskawa enables you to meet your high performance building needs.

Get complete power over your HVAC operations, realize greater operating productivity and energy savings,
and meet your high performance building needs with the new Z1000U HVAC Matrix Drive.

• Lower Harmonics
e s e e u s at
• Greater Efficiency
Com C h i c a g o, IL
o-
AHR Exp 22 - 24, 2018;
• Compact Size
• Reduce Power Consumption
Januar yoth #3933
Enter the Matrix.
Bo
Learn more at: www.yaskawa.com/z1000umatrix.

For more info: http://go.yaskawa-america.com/yai1129

Yaskawa America, Inc. Drives & Motion Division 1-800-YASKAWA yaskawa.com


input #20 at www.csemag.com/information
TOTAL SYSTEM INTEGRATION
MORE POWERFUL
THAN EVER.

Say hello to KOHLER ® KD Series ™ generators. With sizes ranging


from 800 kW to 4 MW, there’s nothing they can’t power. And, best of all,
the entire power system is designed and built by Kohler—including the
engine. We call it total system integration, but you call it peace of mind.

Make yourself more powerful—spec the larger lineup of


KOHLER power systems at KOHLERPOWER.COM.
input #21 at www.csemag.com/information

You might also like