61 items found for ""
- Shelton State Community College
Continuous Commissioning® Services SEA helped reduce utility costs by $387k in less than a year. About the Facility Shelton State Community College is a public community college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama operated by the Alabama State Department of Postsecondary Education. Shelton is one of the largest two year colleges in the state. SEA was tasked to improve the performance of building operations systems through Continuous Commissioning® on the Martin Campus. The project involved evaluation and optimization of the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units. AT A GLANCE Shelton State Facts $387k Reduced utility costs in less than a year 8 Commissioned Buildings 655k Square Feet 2016 Completion Date Recommended Solutions The documented utility savings resulted from optimizing HVAC equipment accordingly: Optimized hot water supply temperature to reduce boiler demand while maintaining heating needs Programmed control strategies to reduce/eliminate dehumidification based on space requirements Programmed air handling units to reset the supply air temperature based on space temperature and setpoint Monitored zone reheat valves to determine overcooled areas, verified flow rates versus design, making necessary corrections Modified terminal box flow rates to reduce the amount of unoccupied cooling and heating Investigated leaking or opened preheat valves on air handling units and manually closed valves on units Built air handling unit schedules to shut down when unoccupied and to restart if spaces required conditioning Verified outside air and return air damper operation on air handling units Examined chilled water valves for leakage when commanded closed Documented Savings In just four months, the savings had already surpassed the projected annual goal of $85,000 and continued to grow with ongoing maintenance and careful oversight of the system. The documented savings for ten months was $387,144 and aggregate savings at the end of the SEA agreement were $663,144 which is 10,810,384 kWh. Download Project Profile
- Regions Financial Headquarters
Energy and Water Assessment SEA helped the Regions Financial Headquarters achieve an ENERGY STAR rating with a score 35% higher compared to similar financial institutions across the United States. AT A GLANCE Regions Facts 83 Current Energy Star Rating 600k Square Feet of Commissioned Space About the Facility Regions Financial Headquarters is located in downtown Birmingham, AL occupying a corporate campus spanning more than 600,000 square feet. Cassidy Turley, the facility management company for the building, aggressively sought opportunities to improve building energy performance with the goal of achieving a Certified ENERGY STAR Rating. Scope of Work SEA was contracted to provide an ASHRAE Level I Energy Assessment and ENERGY STAR Certification for the Regions Financial Headquarters. A building must score 75 to earn the ENERGY STAR label. Initially, the building scored 65. SEA worked with Cassidy Turley in outlining the provisions for developing ENERGY STAR qualifications based on the results of the ASHRAE Level I audit. SEA identified several energy conservation measures to help the Regions Financial Headquarters qualify for the ENERGY STAR Certification. Some of the measures, included: Outside Air Damper Control Optimization ASHRAE Ventilation Procedures Air-side Economizer Strategy Static Pressure Reset Chilled Water Supply Reset Upgrade Appliances After the ASHRAE Level I Energy Audit, several of the measures were implemented by the facility manager. Within a year of the assessment, the ENERGY STAR scored at the required 75, and a year later increased to 83. Additionally, SEA continues to evaluate the utility bills and make recommendations to the operations and maintenance of the building to the group as needed. Download Project Profile
- Grandview Physicians Plaza
New Construction Commissioning Services SEA Partnered with Grandview Physicians Plaza for New Construction to Optimize Energy and Minimize Energy Waste, Saving Overall Utility Costs About the Facility Grandview Physicians Plaza is a state-of-the-art outpatient companion to the nationally ranked Grandview Medical Center. It is focused on patients’ care needs, offering ease of access to advanced technologies and patient-focused services. The 207k square foot, well-appointed physicians office building features eight floors of efficient office suites. Immediately adjacent and connected to the one million square foot hospital, Grandview Physicians Plaza is a gateway to Alabama’s newest medical campus and provides excellent visibility and accessibility for physicians, patients, visitors and staff. It was awarded with a Green Globes certification. SEA was selected as a team member for construction of the new building in September of 2015 and performed commissioning services on the two 400-ton York Centrifugal Chillers, two 1,200 gmp Marley Cooling Towers, eight Trane Air Handling Units and 49 variable air volume units with electric heat. AT A GLANCE Grandview Physicians Plaza Facts $210M Construction Cost 207k Square Feet 2016 Project Completed Scope of Work SEA’s focus for this project was commissioning which consisted of testing significant energy usage of all HVAC equipment. The completed, pre-functional checklist included approximately 80 issues; including: missing smoke alarms in the stairwell pressurization ductwork, incorrectly installed freeze protection safety switches, flow stations and condensate drains. Other problems included AHUs with large cracks, missing pipe hangers and supply fans not properly functioning. The results of functional testing included approximately 50 issues with the chilled water pumps, control valves, settings and switches to optimize energy savings and minimize energy waste, thus saving in overall utility costs. In 2019, SEA was asked to come back and evaluate why condenser water pipes were experiencing severe corrosion. SEA provided the owner with a Forensic Observation Report and mitigation recommendations for cleaning the surface of the pipe and applying a rust–inhibitor paint. Download Project Profile
- ADTRAN
Retro and Continuous Commissioning® Services SEA has helped ADTRAN reduce 4.5M kWh and 15% of a $2.4M utility bill averaging a $350k annual savings. This ASHRAE Award Winning Project for Innovation and Technology has been recognized for cost avoidance equal to approximately $1M through SEA’s chiller assessment and recommendation of alternative strategies. AT A GLANCE ADTRAN Facts 4.5M kWh Reduced energy consumption $350k Reduced energy costs 1M Square Feet 15% Off of a $2.4M utility bill About the Facility ADTRAN is a global supplier of innovative network access products that enables a wealth of applications ranging from Internet access and corporate connectivity to telecommuting and distance learning. ADTRAN is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama and the campus consists of three towers serving more than 1,700 personnel. The facility is used for research, development, manufacturing, distribution, administration and food services. The corporate headquarters also has a large conference center and electronic labs. Scope of Work In 2012, SEA was hired to perform an ASHRAE Level I Energy Audit and commissioning services. Since then, the partnership has flourished to identify and implement multiple energy savings strategies through retro commissioning (RCx) services. SEA has implemented 30 Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) and the simple payback across all five phases highlighted below is 1.34 years. The scope of work was conducted over five phases and included RCx of: Phase I : Ventilation, exhaust systems for North and South tower heat rejection loops saving $84k and 1.1M kWh Phase II : Variable Air Volume (VAV) boxes and programming modifications to relocate pressure transducers, saving $33k and 448k kWh Phase III : Self-contained direct expansion units and programming modifications, saving $106k annually and 1.3M kWh Phase IV : Increased business continuity from changes that make it unnecessary for ADTRAN to run more than two chillers, cost avoidance equal to approximately $1M from not having to buy a fourth chiller, since only two chillers were required; reduced mechanical cooling cost by further utilizing the airside economizer on all air handling units Phase V : Proposed changes resulting in savings ranking from $22k-$37.5k equating to a simple pay-back between 2.1 and 3.6 years; implementing changes saving ADTRAN 420,491 kWh. Download Project Profile
- U.S. Navy
Energy and Water Audits and Retro Commissioning As primary Retro Commissioning Authority, SEA audited more than 163M square feet across 146 sites to identify 1,497 ECMs to result in a potential annual savings of $98M for the U.S. Navy AT A GLANCE US Navy Stats $98M Annual Estimated Cost Savings 146 Buildings Assessed in Six Weeks 163M Square Feet About the Project Sain Engineering Associates, Inc. (SEA) conducted ASHRAE Levels I, II, and III energy and water audits for the U.S. Navy throughout the world. More than 60% of the Department of Navy’s footprint was conducted as a prime contract. All facility systems were involved, such as Energy Management Control Systems (EMCS,) HVAC, mechanical and lighting systems and cooling/heating plants. SEA’s responsibilities included: Identifying low and no-cost energy savings opportunities Identifying Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) Determining ECM costing analysis Creating an in-depth Energy Rate Structure Analysis Building energy modeling programs Walter Reed National Medical Center, Bethesda MD – One of 146 sites where SEA enhanced energy savings Scope of Work When required, data logging was installed and monitored over time to determine true conditions in facilities. Conducting data analytics helped inform the energy engineer of recommendations for energy savings opportunities. Access into high security areas, such as nuclear submarine bases and high security manufacturing facilities was required. SEA audited over 146 CONUS and OCONUS Navy sites covering more than 163 million square feet. The results identified 1,419 ECMs of projects in excess of $900 million to help the Navy meet its energy intensity goals, energy security, and federal mandates. This resulted in a potential savings for the Navy in the amount of $98 million. This contract demonstrates SEA’s proven capabilities for collecting, managing and analyzing facility and energy use data. ECM suggestions covered all aspects of a facility, as well as installation level processes. Audits included identifying conventional energy retrofits and renwable opportunities such as wind energy, solar electricity, solar heating (water and ventilation,) ground-source heat pumps, natural lighting, high-efficiency equipment, and water savings opportunities. Also, retro-commissioning opportunities were identified and projects were developed that continue to sustain the Navy’s properties to date. Download Project Profile
- Rane Culinary Science Center at Auburn University
Design and New Construction Enhanced Commissioning Services The Rane Culinary Science Center is a transformative complex on the Auburn University campus that will provide students interested in hospitality and culinary sciences with a hands-on learning experience to develop commercial hospitality industry skills within an innovative, cutting-edge facility. Areas within the facility, include: Luxury boutique hotel with 10 suites, 16 single-room units and 6 private residences for long term leasing Spa and rooftop garden 40-seat teaching restaurant for culinary science instructors 9,000 sq. ft. food hall with numerous vendors Operational coffee roaster and food and beverage media studio Distilled spirits center with a micro-distillery and tasting room 80-student culinary exhibition lab with atrium style seating and non-conventional cooking stations AT A GLANCE Rane Culinary Science Center Facts 96M Project Cost 120k Square Feet 2021 Estimated Completion SEA is Commissioning Authority SEA is the commissioning authority and will guarantee the facility fulfills the functional and performance requirements for the building owner and its occupants. To reach this goal, it is necessary for the commissioning process to establish and document Auburn University’s criteria for system functions and performance as well as verify compliance with criteria throughout the design, construction, and initial period of operation. Additionally, complete operation and maintenance (O&M) manuals along with training on system operations will be provided. SEA is involved in all phases of the project for commissioning these systems: Building automation system to include any temperature and humidity monitoring, alarming to specific critical areas (freezers, coolers, etc.) All equipment of the heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, including kitchen exhaust/makeup systems Scheduled, occupancy sensor, and daylight dimming lighting controls Secondary electrical distribution system Domestic water heating systems and distribution piping Domestic and process water pumping and mixing systems Download Project Profile
- MCICOM Cherry Point
Resource Efficiency Manager Services SEA’s REM helped identify $45M ECM Implementation Cost Savings for Energy Efficient Upgrades at MCAS Cherry Point. About the Facility When visitors come to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, one of the first things many of them notice is the roar of jet aircraft which attributes to the words on their gate sign, “Pardon our noise, it’s the sound of freedom.” For more than 75 years, those sounds of freedom have echoed through local skies. Sain Engineering Associates, Inc. (SEA) was subcontracted to provide a Resource Efficiency Manager to the Air Station to conduct an Investment Grade Audit to determine the most financially feasible options for maintaining existing onsite plants. Scope of Work As a result, SEA’s REM outlined realistic Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) based on Audit results that could be realistically implemented to meet Authority to Operate (ATO) accreditation. The project provides a secure wireless network for centralized wastewater lift station monitoring and control. It also replaces two of the eight switching stations in Cherry Point’s electrical distribution system which are the only ones that have not been upgraded to modern or standardized equipment. As a result, MCAS Cherry point announced the award of a $44M utility energy service contract (UESC) with its serving utility, Duke Energy. The core of the UESC project will greatly improve MCAS Cherry Point’s energy security by focusing on electrical and wastewater system upgrades. Prioritizing the installation’s most critical needs, the UESC will include: Electrical System Upgrades Energy Management Control System (EMCS) upgrades HVAC Modernizations Wastewater treatment system upgrades Expansion of Reclaimed Water System LED Lighting Upgrades SEA has managed as many as 68 Department of Defense (DoD) REMS under contract at one time. We have successfully provided REM services throughout the DoD, including the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Army Reserves and the Air National Guard. This is just one example of the outstanding work on-site SEA REMs can provide to our military bases with worldwide reach. Download Project Profile
- Fort Bliss
Installation Energy and Water Plan – Pilot Program About the Facility Fort Bliss, TX is the second largest U.S. Army installation in land area. It is the home of the 1st Armored Division (1 AD), 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, the 6th Brigade, the 31st Brigade, the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command and other units. The post is 1.12 million acres of land that stretches from the western tip of Texas north into New Mexico. The main cantonment area is El Paso, Texas. It is home to nearly 40k military personnel and another 39k family members. It also employs 13k civilians. As a Strategic Development Platform, the Fort Bliss mission is to enable rapid and efficient unit deployment and re-deployment operations. Scope of Work From 2016 to 2018, SEA’s partner, Congruent Technologies Corporation (CTC) along with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNLL), collaborated with stakeholders from DASA- E&S and the office of the assistant Chief of Staff Installation Management (OACSIM) to develop an Energy and Water Security Assessment Method. In coordination with PNNL, CTC developed one of the first Army IEWPs using the Army installation Energy and Water Resilience. Assessment Guide at Fort Bliss, TX dated October 2019 to document the step-wise process for conducting an E&W security assessment in support of an IEWP. Using this assessment method, Army installations can effectively assess their E&W security assessment in support of an IEWP. They can also effectively assess their E&W security posture, identify strategies to meet Army E&W security requirements and develop IEWPs. The Assessment Guide was developed by the CTC team to describe a comprehensive, integrated approach to identify security concerns, assess risks, analyze opportunities and prioritize solutions to enhance installation-level and critical mission resilience. It describes integrated communication collaboration and implementation from the military units up to HQDA to promote seamless implementation for the Department of the Army Policy Guidance for IEWPs, dated 26, July 2018, while ensuring the lowest technical risk through the minimization of non-compliance. CTC’s contributions to the Assessment Guide, included: Drafting interview protocols Developing analysis methods Assembling tools for mitigating risks Recommending approach for IEWPs Together, with CTC, SEA engineers worked to participate and host stakeholder workshops and site visits for on-site data collection from existing computerized controls systems using analytical software and a network of electronic devices. They are also conducting vulnerability analysis that were characterized by Fort Bliss’s energy and water security baseline conditions and risk at the installation-level for critical missions and facilities for numerous state IEWP programs. Our subject matter experts with security clearances perform these classified mission analyses to evaluate E&W security risks to individual critical facilities using a risk assessment methodology developed by CTC. The team also developed solutions for addressing and mitigating deficiencies. You can see the work from the pilot being conducted by SEA through the states of Mississippi and Tennessee currently. Download Project Profile
- Life Data Labs, Inc.
SEA helped Life Data Labs harness more than horses, we also helped them harness the sun. SEA served as general contractor for the completion of the state’s largest private solar installations, powering the entire manufacturing facility with solar energy. Life Data Labs, Inc. is a premium animal nutrition and health products manufacturer in Cherokee, Alabama. They conduct research, manufacture their products onsite and provide product support to their customers. Dr. Frank Gravlee and his staff were determined to harness the power of the sun as a source to power their North Alabama headquarters and manufacturing facility. SEA served as general contractor for the completion of this project. It is one of the state’s largest private solar installations, powering all of their manufacturing with solar energy. Life Data Labs has a 282 kilowatt (kW) installation, which allows them to potentially operate completely off solar energy. The company previously invested in LED lighting technology, and they have implemented various measures to increase motor and compressor efficiencies. They were also recognized by the State of Alabama for their global presence and innovation. Life Data Lab’s solar installation should produce the amount of solar power equivalent to powering 40 homes. However, if Life Data Labs’ manufacturing facility generates more solar energy than they can use themselves, they have the option of storing the solar power in batteries or even selling it back to the local utility company. Download Project Profile
- Building Enclosure: Five Common Areas That Need Your Attention
When it Comes to Leaking Roofs, It’s Not Just About Water – Air Leaks Too! The building enclosure includes all walls, windows, doors and roofs that are exposed to the exterior, as well as slabs and basement walls. Details must clearly indicate materials or components providing critical condition functions. Recent and proposed revisions to building codes and performance standards, as well as publications authored by independent research groups are expected to have a major impact on the importance of the building envelope. For many years, the problems associated with uncontrolled air leakage in buildings have often been misdiagnosed or unaddressed, and the concept of the air barrier has been met with skepticism. The crux of this problem was a lack of verified third-party research that showed the performance difference provided by an energy-efficiency retrofit targeting air leakage. In addition to wasting energy, uncontrolled air leakage can have many other serious consequences. Two conditions are needed for air to leak. First, there must be a hole, gap or crack from one side of the envelope to the other. Second, there must be an air-pressure differential for which there are three causes: wind, stack effect and the HVAC system. There are several methods used to assess where and how air migrates through a building envelope, but most importantly is interviewing the occupants and field testing. While the inclusion of an approved, continuous air system in the design of all new buildings is the best way to eliminate uncontrolled air barriers, the following are five critical areas that commonly need attention and must be sealed in the following order: Top of the Building Bottom of the Building Vertical Shafts Outside Walls and Openings Compartmentalization Retrofitting and Commissioning is the best possible solution in scenarios where energy efficiencies are being sought to improve a building’s performance. Your Building Enclosure is Your Barrier for Protecting Your Interior Environments. At SEA, we provide the highest quality evaluations from licensed and credentialed professionals. We recommend the most sustainable and resilient supplies and methods to maximize your long-term investment. The result is reduced maintenance costs and future cost avoidance from the elimination and prevention of roof leaks, protection of interiors and increased productivity from displaced occupants during potential remediation. Contact us today to learn how we can assist you with your building enclosure needs to gain the biggest return on your investment from your greatest asset. We ensure quality building enclosure services for both new construction and existing buildings.
- Athens State University Chemistry Lab
Fume Hood Exhaust Fan Testing SEA Verified proper functionality and recommended solutions for proper usage and safety of Fume Hoods with Exhaust Fan Testing About the Facility Athens State University required testing for the laboratory fume hood performance in order to verify they were working properly. The laboratory fume hoods in question were located at Waters Hall, Rooms N301 and N302. There were a total of six Hamilton brand Thermo Scientific Safe Aire II fume hoods. All hoods featured a combination sash configuration with a restricted height opening of 18:. The sashes all have four panes of movable glass that could be operated horizontally for loading/unloading the hoods with equipment and chemicals. Nearby lab/classroom furniture did not impede the airflow in any measurable way. Scope of Work SEA tested the fume hoods to ensure they were functioning properly/safely. SEA engineers used a TSI Velocicalc air velocity meter, model 9565 series to test air velocities, pressures, and for the face velocity tests. For testing air flows from diffusers and return grills, the testing agent used the Shortridge Instruments Series 8400 flow hood. A standard smoke pen was used for the air flow visualization testing. Before testing the Hood Monitors, “background zero testing” ensured that no other conditions in the room would affect the results of the testing. All six fume hoods were tested with each sash open to its maximum operating height of 18″ to simulate actual working conditions. The fume hood baffles were set to the lower position in the hoods that had functional baffle controls. The labs were otherwise unoccupied other than the testing agent. Three hoods were completely emptied prior to testing and there were no additional heat loads present. All testing took place during regular hours with the HVAC system running as it would during normal operating hours. The Hood Monitor used on all but one of the Fume Hoods was the EverWatch Model 8610 Face Velocity Monitor. all the Hood Monitors were tested against calibrated Velocicalc air velocity meters with the sash completely closed. SEA also performed a smoke observation test to illustrate how fumes move inside the hood. Under ideal conditions, the smoke flows smoothly, drawn from the point of release toward the slots in the rear baffle. There were no problematic airflow patterns observed when the hoods were tested with the sash raised vertically; however, when the test was administered with the horizontal sash opened from the center, it created conditions known as reverse and lazy flow. Fume Hood Conclusions Acceptable face velocity per OSHA Laboratory Standard 29 CFR 1910.1450 between 60-100 lfm Current operations would not have passed the EPA standard that requires no less than 80 fpm Operating as designed per the mechanical design drawings and were performing as designed Monitor low limit should be set to 60 lfm and checked every 3 months to ensure properly working Noted needed correction to a BAS communication issue Exhaust fan in room N301 needed to have a drive reinstalled that modulates the fan speed based off differential pressure in the room versus adjacent corridor – replacing differential pressure Diagnosed issue with outside airflow Diagnosed need for increased overall flow to room for quantity of air exhausted in space with recommended solution to resize classroom’s VAV box
- Southern Union State Community College
New Construction Commissioning Services About the Facility Southern Union State Community College (SUSCC) is the result of the Alabama Community College System effectively merging Southern Union State Junior College and Opelika State Technical College. Each partner brought to the merger history rich in tradition of service to students. Today, the college serves more than 4,000 students each semester from its campuses in Wadley and Opelika. SEA was contracted to commission a combined total of 115,000 square feet of conditioned space for two buildings on the Opelika campus. These buildings included the Center for Integrated Manufacturing (a 2-story structure containing technical shops, classrooms, a computer lab and office space,) and The Business and Technology Center (a three-story structure containing a testing center, computer lab, classrooms, office space and a multi-purpose meeting area). Unique characteristics include High Process Loads, Laboratories and Compressed Air At A Glance 2015 Project Completed $15M Project Cost 115k Square Feet Commissioned 2 Buildings Commissioned Scope of Work SEA commissioned all energy using systems, including the building envelope, HVAC and controls, domestic hot water and lighting controls. This project also included building envelope air pressurization and depressurization testing, as well as Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TAB). SEA was also contracted to coordinate, witness and document training for major equipment and to perform a second season building evaluation. The scope of work included a 50% and 100% design review prior to the development of a commissioning plan. The commissioning plan embraced pre-functional performance procedures, including HVAC and controls, envelope, domestic water heating system, lighting controls and electrical. Construction phase responsibilities included review of envelope construction, review of major equipment installation, witnessing of component startup, pre-functional testing, witnessing of TAB, and completion of Functional Test Procedures (FTPs).