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The Importance of Benchmarking
Whenever the seasons change and your work changes from cooling to heating or vice versa, take a minute to review which of your measurement practices result in the greatest payback. On the technical side, surely one of the very best practices is benchmarking.
by Bill Dove, CM
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Survey Respondents Say Drill More, Pursue Alternative Energy
This year as the price of oil and gasoline sharply rose, the impact of high energy prices weighed heavily on the United States economy. To find out how readers feel about the energy issue, an informal online survey was conducted on The NEWS Website, keying on oil drilling and renewable energy.
by Greg Mazurkiewicz
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Field Modifying Fittings and Duct
Field modifying fittings and duct can save time and money. If you install residential ductwork on a performance basis (X number of dollars for the job) as I do, it is sometimes a real benefit. You have to know how fittings are made before you can alter them.
by Larry Gardner
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How an Open Building Automation System Cuts Costs, Increases Flexibility
Having
a specification that allows for any system option and protocol leads to a more
complex system, one that is more cumbersome to install, commission, and
maintain. It is recommended to pick one common protocol for the entire building
control system infrastructure. Costs go down and maintainability goes up.
by Ron Bernstein
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The Key Role of Retrocommissioning in Building Sustainability
The concept of sustainability has gained interest in direct proportion to the recent increases in energy costs. There is a frequently overlooked initiative that can have the most significant impact on reducing energy usage in buildings and can set the stage for future efficiency initiatives: retrocommissioning.
by Michael Della Barba
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Whole Building Design
Designing, constructing, or renovating high-performance buildings requires a whole building approach. This differs from the traditional design/build process, as the design team examines the integration of all building components and systems and determines how they best work together to save energy and reduce environmental impact.
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Improving School Environment and Performance
Green school programs are touted mainly for saving energy, but research at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) indicates that bettering a school’s indoor environment also increases health and comfort, which in turn promotes increased attendance, student attentiveness, and teaching effectiveness.
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EPA Offers Tips on Proper Use of Programmable Thermostats
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an effort to help Americans save on their summer cooling bills with advice on how to properly program their thermostat. HVAC contractors can pass along these tips to customers to help them stay cool while keeping more cash in their pockets.
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Air Filtration and Energy Efficiency
The energy used by HVAC systems is based on the resistance of the air passing through the filter; the lower the filter’s resistance, the lower the energy consumption will be. However, even though one speaks of filters, it is really the filter media that has the biggest effect on minimizing energy consumption.
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Extending a Motor’s Operating Life
The
operating environment, conditions of use (or misuse), and quality of preventive
maintenance determine how quickly motor parts degrade. The best safeguard against thermal damage is
avoiding conditions that contribute to overheating. Bearing failures account for nearly
one-half of all motor failures.
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Aluminum Evaporators for Ammonia
Air-cooling evaporators used in ammonia systems have traditionally been made using galvanized (zinc-coated) carbon steel. There are other metals that are compatible with ammonia, including stainless steel and aluminum. Aluminum, in fact, can provide several benefits.
by Bruce I. Nelson, P.E.
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The Impact of Air Duct Leakage
Air duct leakage should be a concern to both the designer and the
building owner because of its potential impact on initial construction costs,
energy usage, and system performance. No matter the size, the total benefit of the
duct system is based and measured on the peak fan efficiency for that system.
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The Brazing Process — Six Basic Steps
The six basic steps of brazing are highlighted: good fit and proper clearance; cleaning the metals; fluxing the parts; assemble for brazing; brazing the assembly; and cleaning the brazed joint.
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Minimize Boiler Short Cycling Losses
Boiler “short cycling” occurs when an oversized boiler quickly satisfies process or space heating demands, and then shuts down until heat is again required. This article points out the inefficiency of short cycling and provides suggested actions to maximize boiler efficiency.
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Maintaining Control Systems and Identifying Problems
Remember that automatic control systems are automatic in operation, but not self-repairing. Unless a building has a service contract with a reputable controls contractor to inspect and calibrate the HVAC control system every six months, it is very likely that the HVAC system is not providing maximum comfort.
by Leo A. Meyer
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To Wire or Not: The Imperatives of a Wireless Infrastructure
In a workspace world driven by demands for anytime, anywhere information, wireless technologies are becoming dominant. A flexible wireless infrastructure that supports IT networks, security applications, HVAC, and more is emerging as a surefire way to increase the value of commercial office space.
by John Ruiz
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How to Avoid a Data Disaster
While hackers and viruses often garner the most attention in the realm of computer threats, many contractors overlook the ways that physical damage can adversely impact their business. Computer hardware failure, power surges, and/or damage from flood or fire could destroy years of work orders, accounting records, and more.
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Multiple Fan Systems - Fans in Series and Parallel
Sometimes it is advantageous to use more than one fan in a system. The fans may be located in close proximity to each other, or separated by quite a distance such as a supply and exhaust fan. Most often there is some compelling reason to use more than one fan in a single system.
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Data Logger Essentials for Building Commissioning
This article focuses on stand-alone data loggers
in conjunction with the logging capabilities of the BAS in the context of use
by a commissioning provider. It also provides tips on specific
procedures and techniques that will enable the efficient and effective use of
data loggers to analyze building performance.
by Bryan W. Welsh, P.E.
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Considerations When Selecting a Condensing Economizer
Boilers equipped with condensing economizers can have an overall efficiency that exceeds 90 percent. A condensing economizer can increase overall heat recovery and steam system efficiency by up to 10 percent by reducing the flue gas temperature below its dew point, resulting in improved waste heat recovery.
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Consider Installing a Condensing Economizer
The key to a successful waste heat recovery project is optimizing the use of the recovered energy. By installing a condensing economizer, companies can improve overall heat recovery and steam system efficiency by up to 10 percent.
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How a Good Troubleshooter Got Results
At first, the call sounded like one we hear all the time — not enough heat in a room that had been added onto a house. The service guy told me the radiators were big enough, and that the house had an old gravity hot water system. He asked if I’d stop by to look at it.
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IP-Based Control for Mechanical and Electrical Systems in an Enterprise Environment
Facility managers of the future will be astonished when they
discover that building systems were not always integrated into a
single enterprise-wide information technology network.
Yes, the “old days” of operating a building will be compared to writing letters
instead of text messaging. This future scenario is a lot closer than it seems.
by Joe Noworatzky
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Selecting and Applying Buck-Boost Transformers
Some applications utilize
an input or supply voltage of 277-1-60. While some components are
available for direct application of 277-1-60 power, most manufacturers find that the use of a buck-boost transformer to
lower the voltage is more cost effective.
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Indoor Air Quality: Can Your Schools Pass the Test?
Ask
many school administrators about the air quality inside their buildings, and
the frank answer is liable to be “Well, we don’t know.”
They should. School
air quality and student performance go together as naturally as breathing in
and breathing out.
by Eric Hudson
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