High-Performance Buildings & Automation

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The electric utility industry is undergoing a major transformation driven by new sources of energy generation (solar and wind power), consumer demand for faster and more affordable services, cybersecurity, and big data.

The Garrett-Jacobs Mansion is a historic, four-story home in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore.

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is a $1.5 billion facility covering 2 million square feet. The stadium contains nearly 10 miles of heating, cooling, potable water, and stormwater piping. Construction on this piping system came with its share of challenges.

Today’s school facility directors are being asked to do more with less. With limited budgets, they are pressured to reduce operating expenses while maintaining healthy and comfortable learning environments for students.

This month’s Facility File is based on a new 40,000-square-foot office building HVAC system using VRF heat pump equipment with a focus on the Back2Basics February test. The project will include two VRF systems, each serving approximately 20,000 square feet of space. The building will also have a 100 percent DOAS gas-fired rooftop HVAC system for ventilation to the occupants in the building.

In last month’s article, we discussed the topic of technology — when to use it and when not to. When we start to utilize technology on our projects, we tend to run into the concept of openness.

As demonstrated with manual winterization requirements last month (Winterization and Commissioning, January 2019), systems manuals should include more than a regurgitation of the BAS as-built documents. Not everything in a project is necessarily controlled by the BAS, and, believe it or not, some buildings are still constructed with no central BAS at all.

Heating and air conditioning is something we all take for granted. We probably don’t remember that each type of heating and air conditioning system comes with a “user beware” awareness.

Featuring a first-of-its-kind retractable roof, a signature high-definition “halo board” screen that surrounds the playing field, and more than 700 concession and dining areas, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium has taken the concept of the “ultimate fan experience” to new heights.

Over the next 40 years, an estimated 2 trillion square feet of new and rebuilt building space will be constructed worldwide.