When mechanical engineers, installers, architects, and building owners have the rare luxury of designing a new facility specifically to meet or exceed energy efficiency and indoor comfort needs, big dreams become a reality. Remarkably — with the influence of a tough economy and highly scrutinized energy consumption — an ambitious, imaginative plan came to fruition. The key: smaller, smarter mechanical systems that wrench every last Btu from super-efficient ground-source heating and cooling systems.
“I don’t know that you’ll find a smarter, more efficient mechanical system than the one now installed at the new Penn Foundation facility,” professional engineer Glenn Snyder said. Snyder was one of several professionals who, in October 2012, were literally living the dream as hundreds of mechanical components were brought together and connected by a modular control network to serve as the building’s central nervous system.