Critical facilities … it’s not just about data centers, much like this magazine has evolved to be much more than our traditional dead-tree issue.

There are no industry standards for rebalancing HVAC water systems, so it got me thinking about the topic and I came up with several questions pertaining to rebalancing chilled water, condenser water, and hot water heating systems.

HVAC systems continue to be the most challenging part of a new construction project to get right the first time, and the most challenging parts of the HVAC systems are their controls. I believe there are two root causes.

Air is the primary carrier of heat, moisture, contaminants, and airborne pathogens in patient rooms, isolation rooms, and operating rooms.

When the facilities management staff of Mount Vernon Hospital completed an assessment of its central chilled water plant, it became evident that while the original chillers had served the hospital well since its opening in 1975, they were ready for replacement.

In real estate it’s all about location. But in south Florida, where beautiful views and gorgeous weather are the norm, building owners need to find ways to differentiate themselves and bring in tenants.

Designing a new high school to be 40% more efficient than ASHRAE 90.1 – 2001 energy requirements is a lofty goal.

Engineers’ daily challenges include calculations for outside air, supply air, and return or exhaust air flows — all while balancing mandated code requirements with owners’ expectations for performance, equipment first-cost, and future energy costs.

Retrofitting more than a half-million square feet of heavily used space for better life safety coverage is never simple. Peculiarities of building design and existing materials only made the task tougher for this project team as they sought to integrate NFPA and GSA requirements into a successful and safe solution.

Unprecedented vendor-neutral data has been brought down from the mountain on a digital tablet. That’s helpful for data center designers, but applying a little thought and site-specific consideration can reveal the path to wisdom in areas like failure rate, noise, power draw versus temperatures, and more.