SANFORD, Fla. — InsideIQ Building Automation Alliance member firms MC2 and CM3 have completed building automation system (BAS) and energy efficiency projects for two Florida Hospitals. Both firms are experienced providers of automation and energy management systems for a variety of commercial buildings, including health care facilities. InsideIQ is an international alliance of independent building automation contractors who share industry best practices and use industry leading technology.
MC2, based in Sanford, Florida, is a leading BAS provider in the state with more than 20 years of field experience in building automation and energy management systems. The Villages Regional Hospital (TVRH) located in central Florida in The Villages, one of the largest retirement developments in the United States, serves patients in Lake, Sumter, and Marion Counties and is a longstanding MC2 customer. The hospital opened in 2002 as a 60-bed facility and expanded in 2007 to become a 198-bed facility. MC2 provided and installed the HVAC energy management system for both phases of the hospital’s construction and has continued to service the hospital during additional expansions and rebuilds as well as assisting with system upgrades and repairs. Discussions about establishing an energy baseline and improving energy efficiency began in 2009 and finally concluded in 2011 with the decision to implement a large scale energy project that would yield a guaranteed savings.
MC2 partnered with CM3 Building Solutions Inc., located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, to implement a performance contract because CM3 has extensive experience designing and project managing performance based projects. The relationship between CM3 and MC2 as members of InsideIQ made partnering on the TVRH performance contract project a logical and natural fit. MC2 functioned as the primary point of contact for the customer while CM3 designed and implemented the project.
The hospital had long wanted to have the capability to run the entire facility on one of its two 650-ton variable-speed drive (VSD) chillers. The engineering staff attempted this on several occasions in an effort to reduce load and energy costs, but was unable to maintain comfort levels in the hospital due to the high humidity. Through the performance contract, CM3 and MC2 were able to accomplish this objective, and more. The project included adding five variable-frequency drives (VFDs) to the original five air-handling units (AHUs) located in the hospital, adding two VFDs to the hospital steam/boiler plant and adding four VFDs to the pumps for the two primary chillers in the hospital. The project also encompassed replacing the air-cooled chiller in the adjacent medical office building (MOB) with a new chiller and cooling towers that included the addition of two pumps with VFDs and replacing the two boilers in the MOB with a new boiler.
“The partnership between TVRH, MC2, and CM3 worked seamlessly to deliver a turnkey project that positively impacted comfort conditions and created approximately $200,000 in annual energy and operating savings,” said Bruce Michelson, president, CM3 Building Solutions.
The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, turned to MC2 when the clinic decided to move to an open platform for building automation system (BAS) control. With 304 beds and 22 operating rooms, the hospital provides patient care in more than 35 medical and surgical specialties, so smooth functioning of all the mechanical systems is a priority for the hospital’s facility managers.
MC2 provided a solution that allowed the clinic to migrate from the existing legacy BAS into direct digital controls (DDC) with web-based functionality to allow for remote monitoring and control, analytics, and improved efficiency. Advantages of the new BAS include the ability of maintenance staff to access the system via tablets so they can monitor alarms, read diagnostics, and check settings in the field. The BAS has improved efficiency of the hospital through better control and monitoring of equipment. For example, in the near future, staff will be able manage the chiller water flow and temperature in order to stage the chillers based on load requirements.
“The BAS works with existing devices and controllers while allowing the hospital to phase the older equipment out over time,” said John Davant, business development, MC2. “For instance, MC2 devised a protocol to change out air handler panels, from installing to commissioning, that maintains continuous operation of the HVAC system throughout the 24-hour process.”
“Whether working independently or as a team, InsideIQ members are local, independent contractors who implement the best solutions, regardless of manufacturer, to meet a customer’s needs,” said Frank Rotello, president of the InsideIQ Building Automation Alliance. “While each InsideIQ company is unique, all members are trusted, independent, local solutions-oriented experts in building automation, energy management, comfort, and security. Customers like the Mayo Clinic and TVRH benefit because InsideIQ firms are progressive, innovative companies focused on best practices within the industry.”
For more information, visit www.insideiq.org.
Publication date: 10/20/2014
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