Educational Facilities HVAC

Creating a Community of Trust: Why Campus Safety Begins with Facility Upgrades

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 16:59:07 -0400

Engineered Systems News' guest columnist Gabe Hampton, APPA Chair and Director of Building Systems Maintenance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, digs into the necessity of campus mechanical upgrades.

Decatur Public Library’s New Adiabatic Cooling System Improves Comfort and Efficiency

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Photos from the project show the new stackable chiller modules, expanded piping, buffer tank, and rooftop fluid coolers – all key components of the library’s advanced, water-saving HVAC retrofit.

Insulating for Resilience and Efficiency: 6 Factors to Inform the Spec

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:09:46 -0400

The newly renovated Borlaug Center makes use of mechanical insulating materials that support resilience and efficiency.

University of Utah Study Reveals HVAC Systems’ Role in Letting Wildfire Smoke Indoors

Thu, 29 May 2025 16:24:11 -0400

Some commercial HVAC systems, which sometimes pull outdoor air inside, unintentionally bring pollution with it. While most buildings keep indoor air clean, wildfire season poses new challenges for facility managers and campus communities.

Designing High-Efficiency Systems for Georgia Gwinnett College's First Convocation Center

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:59:52 -0500

The Gateway Building fills a gap in the Georgia Gwinnett College campus life in more ways than one.

Contractor Modernizes IMSA's Heating System While Building Ties with the Community

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 07:00:55 -0500

Boiler change out project shows how maintaining consistency in both equipment choices and contractor relationships can benefit institutional clients.

Radiant Heating System Meets Challenge of Complex School Design

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 10:52:05 -0400

The radiant system allows for lower water temperatures, around 130°F, compared to the 180°F required by traditional hydronic systems.

Attune Partners with 45 Colorado School Districts to Expand Indoor Air Quality Monitoring

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In a partnership with 45 school districts, the University of Colorado Boulder, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, and Attune has deployed the Attune indoor air quality (IAQ) systems in 369 school buildings across Colorado.

Schools Ask for Financial Help Amid Air Conditioning Issues

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 12:26:32 -0400

"We face an aging infrastructure that continues to plague our best opportunity to provide the best educational experience that our students deserve and desire," said MSCS Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins

Insulating to mitigate HVAC duct noise

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The sound emitted when the air handling unit (AHU) starts up can make it hard for students to hear instruction or create a distraction for students trying to focus.

Interamericana University of Puerto Rico improves classroom IAQ

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Recent studies show that Improved air quality in classrooms has demonstrated an increase in test scores by 14%, increase attendance by 11% (classrooms with better air quality yield fewer sick days), and a 20% increase in attention span longevity.

Why are electric PRVs replacing self-piloting steam regulators?

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The shift to electric PRVs is a result of the overall trend of digitally connecting all components to building automation systems for greater visibility and control and for lower energy consumption.

College campus lowers carbon footprint while reducing energy costs

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Founded in 1821 with a focus on liberal arts, Amherst College has seen an 85% increase in enrolments in STEM classes during the past 15 years. Consequently, a new Science Center opened in the fall of 2018 that embraces sustainability.

Fellowes reveals disparities in IAQ across K-12 schools

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 06:12:14 -0400

Fellowes, in partnership with We Are Teachers, has released the results of their second annual national survey regarding air quality in North American K-12 education.

Crafting an effective IAQ management plan for K-12 schools

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Recognizing the direct correlation between clean air and academic success means implementing an effective IAQ plan becomes an ethical imperative for schools.

Rice University’s new engineering and science building opens

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The O’Connor Building was designed by SOM with a deliberate focus on fostering collaboration in four key research areas: advanced materials, quantum science and computing, urban research and innovation, and the energy transition.

HVAC master plan road map

hmckew@bss-consultant.com (Howard McKew, P.E., C.P.E.) — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Master planning today will help you avoid future failure.

Advantages of using single-room solutions in K-12 schools

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0500

When it comes to K-12 schools, it’s vital to have an HVAC solution that provides clean and comfortable air.

How climate change is impacting university operations

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Universities in the United States are increasingly eyeing electrical reliability as fires, floods, and blackouts threaten campuses.

How universities across the US are approaching carbon reduction differently

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 13:00:00 -0500

From starting fresh with a clean green campus to retrofitting old buildings, campuses across the country have to customize their strategies per their needs.

HVAC master plan road map

hmckew@bss-consultant.com (Howard McKew, P.E., C.P.E.) — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0500

To continue progressing in their ventures — whether that's providing education, health care, etc. — or to simply increase corporate profits, an organization should have a master plan that will be monitored and measured annually.

Children need seatbelts and good IAQ in schools

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

As parents who want the best for our kids, we go to great lengths to make sure their living and playing spaces are safe from physical dangers.

Alan Jones on future proof capabilities of hydronics

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:15:23 -0400

Hydronic systems offer commercial building owners and industry professionals the opportunity to both take baby steps and long leaps toward achieving net zero carbon emissions.

College Replaces Metal Cooling Towers with Plastic Model

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Fed up with spending substantial resources on the continuous repair of an aging cooling tower, a large North Carolina community college recently opted to replace its failing galvanized-metal unit with an engineered plastic model.

Fan filter diffusers — Greenheck

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Fan filter diffusers have been added to Greenheck’s growing line of health care, laboratory, and cleanroom (HLC) air distribution products.

College Renovations: RMF Revitalizes SUNY’s Campus

Mon, 08 May 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Given the nuances of each system and the limitations posed by the existing structures that housed them, customization was critical to RMF's approach.

Purdue Launches Institute of Physical AI

Sat, 06 May 2023 04:00:00 -0400

The Purdue Institute for Physical AI (IPAI) will be the cornerstone of the university’s unprecedented push into bytes-meet-atoms research.

LSU Mechanical Engineering Professor Designs Non-Metal Battery To Replace Lithium Batteries

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Professor Ying Wang’s ammonium-ion battery has an aqueous electrolyte containing high-concentration salts that result in a significantly depressed freezing point for operation at sub-zero temperatures in space systems.

ASHRAE Guide Puts Educators in Command of Classroom IAQ

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

“Design Guidance for Educational Facilities: Prioritization for Advanced Indoor Air Quality,” provides a checklist as well as prerequisite and optional tasks in order of importance.

Steam Plant Optimization Showcases University’s Advanced Boiler System Technologies

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0400

Boiler plant optimization focuses on reliability, safety, efficiency, and sustainability.