The data center for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently benefited from an “extreme home makeover” as it moved from leased office space to the lab’s ultra energy efficient Research Support Facility (RSF). The lessons learned are expected to help data centers across the nation green up their ones and zeros.
High humidity within homes creates numerous problems. Despite the many home-related humidity issues, there has been little to no measured data available on actual indoor humidity levels in U.S. households. That is why the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funded Steven Winter Associates Inc. (SWA) to collect data from homes on interior humidity levels.
United States Air Force personnel sought a solution to renovate the makeup air and exhaust ventilation systems to reduce energy usage in a 35,000-square-foot aircraft corrosion control hangar in Oklahoma City. By utilizing Munters energy recovery systems, engineers at the base achieved their mission.
The moisture content in a school’s building envelope can provide the medium that mold needs for incubation and growth. Whether a school is under construction or unoccupied during the summer break, it likely is without an HVAC system to help control moisture. Without humidity control, school buildings can become a breeding ground for mold and mildew.
Claims that air curtains installed on walk-in cooler entrances save energy and refrigeration equipment wear-and-tear have been corroborated by a fast food restaurant’s audited energy test. The results indicate the compressor ran 1.75-hours less during one week - a 27 percent reduction in compressor run-time and equipment wear-and-tear.
Together, residential and commercial buildings account for a staggering 40 percent of energy use in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). However, DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is developing a suite of tools to tame this energy beast - and it is free to anyone who wants to use it.
Recent industry trends have given rise to a new generation of building design tools known as building information modeling, or BIM. BIM goes further than traditional CAD drawings by providing intelligence to building components (such as HVAC) as well as providing system- and building-wide information and awareness (system flows or building loads) in addition to spatial relationships.
Martinson-Nicholls new residential Heated Snow Melting Stair Mats are designed to be quickly and easily connected to prevent snow and ice accumulation on stairs around the home. The Heated Stair Mats can be interconnected with the company’s residential Heated Walkway Mats to create a continuous system of snow melting mats.
When the weather is warm outside, it’s imperative to make sure that your building’s mechanical cooling systems are working at maximum efficiency. Since budgets are still tight, nobody wants high energy costs or, worse, an equipment failure. The best way to avoid these bad scenarios is to perform a cooling system tuneup.