ModernControls Inc.

VRF’s and Solar HVAC Systems;

2012-01-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

These two different systems seem to be at very different stages of the game, but are they? They’re going to be competing for the same energy credits and ultimately combining features so we need to talk about them together. For years we’ve been installing ductless split systems, since the early 1990’s. The very basic systems never had more than two indoor sections to one outdoor section. They had limited heating ability in the heatpump mode and not much in the way of electric heat. They did a good job in the cooling mode especially where there was a constant heat load. They couldn’t heat in one indoor section and cool in the other at the same time. The new systems have the ability to have multiple indoor sections and can simultaneously heat or cool as required. It took a little bit of time for the engineering community to take these systems to the drawing board because there was not a good rating system to compare efficiency. They were mainly used for renovation type projects in hard to modify buildings. That’s all changed.

ModernControls has been involved in the installation of several of these systems, manufactured by several different companies. We recently completed the installation of an LG HVAC system in a design build job for a private school. We are currently installing an LG HVAC system for a new out of the ground bank branch. We’re not the first to install one of these in a cookie cutter design building for this company. The low operating cost and the ability to have multiple setpoints to keep employees and customers comfortable was the reason they chose this type of system. With the addition of an energy recovery unit and demand ventilation these will be very efficient buildings. We just had preliminary approval of a design build LG HVAC system for a college law library, lecture rooms and office area. One space is a mock trial room set up for distance learning and video recording. This space will have what appears to be a conventional ducted air handler for sound attenuation. The rest of the spaces will use a ceiling mounted cassettes. The building will also utilize an energy recovery unit and demand ventilation controls. The installation cost is not out of line with a direct replacement of the existing system. The advantages agained are lower operating cost and individual space temperature control. Expect to see these systems take over a good portion of new installation and design build market.

The next big change will be solar panels tied directly into the residential and light commercial HVAC units. The big name in the market place right now is Lennox; but every manufacture will have to put out something to stay competitive. Solar is not new but this type of set up is so superior to any other way to “go solar” I’m surprised it took so long for someone to come up with it. The largest electrical consumer in most buildings is the HVAC system, it makes perfect sense that this should be the primary connection to the solar generation of power. If the wires are large enough to bring the power out to the unit than they are large enough to bring the unused power into the building when the unit has cycled off. The power management is handled at the outdoor section or rooftop unit. Imagine not paying for air conditioning when the sun is shining. The ease of installation in new and retrofit jobs will make these systems popular.

Now imagine combining the two, variable flow refrigeration systems and solar powered HVAC systems. Ease of installation, reduced operating cost and individual space setpoints. Solar panels have become common place, the technology is sound and installation cost is reasonable due to the short payback period. Variable flow refrigerant systems now have a reliable rating system that shows a substantial payback compared to conventional systems. They’ve been on the market for years and have several manufacturers with good reputations. The time has come to invest in the training and equipment to design, install, and service these systems.

Past, Present, and Future; the type of thoughts used to establish goals

2011-11-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

Nothing is closer to the mark in our industry than “the only constant is change”. It seems to have been the standard since the Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987. As I approach 30 years in the industry it’s a good time for me to stop and evaluate how we’ve gotten to this point. The path the industry took to this point is sure to indicate what we can expect the future bring. The Montreal Protocol was the beginning of the environmental consciousness in our industry. With the need to drastically redesign equipment came the opportunity for manufactures to be innovative. The way to set your product apart was through efficiency and with government standards it became easy to see which products were in the lead. The hold outs died, the followers survived, the early adopters thrived.

The engineers have been the driving force behind what’s been sold to the construction industry. They‘ve been the ones to evaluate new technologies and incorporate the latest innovations into projects. The government outdoor air regulations forced the manufactures to change the equipment. The equipment changes forced the engineers to change the design. Then government indoor air quality regulations required manufactures to change the equipment and again the engineers changed the design. All the while the service industry just followed along. Then came something different; the engineers got together and wrote the next rule book. The Federal Government recently mandated that all states must meet or exceed ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 by October 2013. This is what the future holds minimum standard rating regulations, innovation for a higher standard, raising the minimum standard, more innovation, raising the standard, innovation.

Most of the service industry will be surprised to learn preventive maintenance is mandated under ASHRAE 90.1-2010. If the prediction holds true that 75% of the buildings that will be occupied in 2050 are already occupied today, than it is sure to mean this is only the beginning of service industry regulations. If we are not going to build efficient new buildings to save the environment we are going to need to make the existing buildings more efficient. As we watched an MSCA webinar today on filling out Energy Star Benchmarking someone said “I’ll bet in 10 years every building will be required to fill this out and meet a minimum”. Minimum standard regulations, more innovation, higher standards, innovation, I think you see where we're headed. First the raw products were regulated, then the manufactures, then the engineering of new buildings, next the service and maintenance, and all that’s left to regulate is the existing building.

Cooling Tower Repairs and Cleaning

2011-07-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

We were awarded a scope of work by the Delaware Division of Facilities Maintenance at the Carvell Building in downtown Wilmington. The Base bid was the replacement of a defective two speed motor for the fan on one of three towers. We offered two alternates; one to replace the motor sheave and one to install a shaft kit. We also submitted a price to clean all three towers, plate heat exchangers and pump strainers. The State accepted the complete scope of work and requested the tower repairs and cleaning be completed by July 1. The job was completed on time, including demobilization, for the quoted price.

We worked with the area representative Energy Transfer Solutions to get the OEM Evapco parts. While working through the process ETS suggested a factory training seminar and tour. Evapco has invested in research and development to increase the efficiency of their cooling towers and fluid coolers. Evapco recognizes that it's not just more efficient motors and electrical components that saves money; making the towers easier to keep clean is key. They've made great strides in chemical-less water treatment products. I have included some pictures from the job site and the factory. I have two suggestions for interested people, one check out Evapco's web site for more details and two take the factory training sessions. It's a polished presentation by people who know their product and the important information the technicians who maintain their towers need to know.

Fluid Cooler

2011-05-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Another quick turn around on a fluid cooler. As usual we keep the down time to 24 hours. From Friday at 5:00 PM to Saturday at 5:00 PM. This project was estimated, sold and project managed to success by Mike Peet. The crew was close to same as the last tower in the fall. One pipefitter to coordinate the piping changes from the existing EVAPCO to the replacement RECOLD. One service technician to install the trim, controls, and VFD on the new tower. One electrician to reconfigure the power supply and a utility technician to assist as needed. Once again attention to detail, strategic planning and a team effort paid off. The pictures really tell the story and for this one we went from train car to full operation in a week.

Pride in the People

2011-04-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

What sets a company apart, what makes someone choose A over B? Is it Price? Is it calling ahead to schedule the service or is it being able to show up with no advanced notice? Is it experience? Is it nursing things along or fixing anything that looks, sounds or smells like it could be a problem? Is it showing up with donuts and coffee or is it coming off the roof dirty from head to toe?

I like to say the truth is always somewhere in-between. Not the cheapest or the most expensive, but the best value. Asking the customer what will make the service the least disruptive and listening to them when they answer. The way you communicate to put a customer at ease so they feel confident you can get the job done. Sometimes that’s keeping it going and sometimes that's complete replacement. The only way to know what the customer needs is to take time to talk to them, which is just as important as what goes on in the mechanical room.

Last summer I posted a blog thanking our service technicians for the effort they made to take care of our customers. There is no in-between statement there. We did or we did not. Judging from the number of new and renewed contracts I would say we did. Year after year we maintain the same customer base and it also expands. The base is maintained because of the effort of those same technicians servicing the accounts. It expands because of the reputation of those technicians, both service and installation. They lead the apprentices and new to the company technicians by example.

I’m so proud of the people that work for ModernControls I’d love to say I trained them all. But the truth is all I did was hire them and give them the space to be their own person. As for the ones that have been there longer than me I respect them for giving me that space. Our control and mechanical installation technicians are the ones with the most years at ModernControls. I can’t tell you how many times a week part of my interaction with a customer involves questions about an installer. How’s their family, did their son get into that school, do they still have that Mustang? The relationship is strong because the job was done right, not just because they were a nice guy. ModernControls sold a job well done and the technician delivered a job well done. That includes the technician getting to know the customer so he can meet his expectations.

What set ModernControls apart is an owner that recognizes the efforts of the people around him, because he is right there with them. The technicians in turn treat the customers and each other well. It is great company to work for and a great company to work with. On behalf of all the office and sales staff I’d like to thank all the technicians’ both service and installation for their tireless effort. As we head into the summer I want everyone to know were right with them and ready to support them.

Boiler Upgrade Considerations:

2011-02-27T19:58:00.000-08:00

As the heating season comes to an end and people consider boiler replacements before the beginning of the next heating season I’d like to offer some advice. This is a few of things I’ve recently seen that were not thought through when preparing for a few projects. Start with a clear list of objectives for the replacement. The list should include past, present, and future. Each category should include the following;
1) Cost and frequency of maintenance and repairs (past, present and future)
2) Cost and quantity of fuel and electricity (past, present and future)
3) Changes to the system and building (past, present and future)

Cost and frequency of maintenance should consider labor, cleaning consumables, fuel filters, seals, nozzles, and gasket. Most large boilers should be tuned three times a year for maximum efficiency. Don’t forget the cost of water treatment, especially for steam.

Cost and frequency of repairs should consider labor hours and parts. Also consider down time and availability of parts. Fewer sectional boilers are installed we see less parts for them on the shelf at the supply house. Burner manufactures are going out of business or changing their product line and we’re finding many parts hard or impossible to replace.

Cost and quantity of fuel should obviously be a major consideration if not a justification for change. It can also it can be used to determine how changes to the building or usage of the building may have changed. There is historical data available to factor in temperature and humidity differences from year to year. Also consider changes in the occupied period or set points that may have caused a change in fuel consumption. Recalculating the fresh air requirements and adding CO2 sensors to minimize excess outdoor based on current occupancy could have a huge impact on the total BTU requirements.

Changes to the system and building include the obvious like additions or space usage changes. Other changes to be aware of are piping changes, past or proposed. Would it make sense to reconfigure the piping to primary secondary or has it been done? Would it make sense to remove three way valves and add VFD’s to the secondary pumps or was it already done? Is there a boiler sequencer panel for multiple boilers? Would it be better to eliminate that panel and incorporate those functions into the BAS so that one microprocessor is coordinating the total building demand?

I like to see multiple high efficiency boilers with the extra capacity of a spare boiler equal to the others. A good example is a school we did over 10 years ago with 4 boilers that are 1 million BTU’s each at 95 % efficiency. We removed 2 boilers that were 3 million BTU’s each at 78% efficiency. Prior to the boilers replacement the windows were replaced and some additional baseboard heat was added. We also replaced heat only unit ventilators with dual temp unit ventilators and air handlers. We made some changes in the boiler room so that we have 3 secondary loops. One for is for radiant baseboard heat that basically works off outdoor air but can maintain unoccupied set points during most of the heating season. This minimizes outdoor air infiltration though dampers. Another is for heating only coils in the air-handles and VAV boxes that serve temperature and humidity sensitive areas. Each of these loops has its own reset schedule based on outdoor air and calculated demand. The third loop is actually a dual temperature loop with water cooled chillers and auto change over capabilities.

When the system was installed an expansion was in the future and we added the extra capacity to add two more boilers. By the time the addition was build we determined that through additional equipment changes and building envelop changes additional capacity wasn’t required. That addition, a theater, band rooms and art classes has been complete and occupied for over five years with no additional capacity and no major boiler repairs since installation.

We pride ourselves on what we do well, the experience we gain and the ability to incorporate those positive aspects of mechanical and control installations into future successes. Hearing the answers is as important as asking the right questions. Fixing the building is more important than replacing a piece of equipment.

What can you learn from you HVAC Company?

2011-01-23T20:19:00.001-08:00

So often we try to justify our services with the cost savings they provide. We go to great lengths to educate our customers with the knowledge we’ve acquired. It’s not always well received and at times our intent is viewed with skepticism. Sometimes a project leaders feeling is that everyone’s intention is to up-sell the project; which will put it over budget. Unfortunately too often we find out after the project is complete that the owner was never made aware of the opportunity to substantially reduce operating cost for the life of the building. Sometimes the “old school” mentality kicks in and things get done “the way they’ve always been done”. Often times however it’s the perception that the owner can’t afford the latest and greatest.
The ASHRAE 90.1 guidelines suggest that a permit should be held up if a project doesn’t meet the minimum efficiency requirements. I fully agree, with the ROI information and BIM technology available today the expected operating cost should be evaluated to protect the building owners, occupants and the environment.

In the world of lease agreements a shell is built complete with basic mechanical services and the tenant fits out the space. Here we see the vanilla building that is inexpensive to build but expensive to operate. Some property management company’s refused to come to terms with the fact that high expenses either hinder a tenant’s growth or forces them to relocate. Right now we are seeing companies move from one property to another just to lower the cost to lease and operate a facility. The space that can prove lower total cost per square foot gets the tenant. The mentality “I don’t care what it costs for electricity, the tenant pays that” are over. The smart property manager should welcome BIM and ASHRAE 90.1 to help attract tenants.

In the world of owner occupied buildings we often see the “it works this way let’s just update it”. Even when the information is clearly presented and accepted things still don’t always go the way of new technology. It’s hard to convince someone with even a 20 year old building that advances in technology make their systems obsolete. Some companies have a high level of trust and we’ve made great reductions in operating expenses. Unfortunately others seem to take the advice of someone that doesn’t have a broad perspective of the industry.

ModernControls has such a diverse customer base that we see many different aspects of a buildings life. From plan and spec BAS projects we see the latest from the engineering companies and equipment manufactures. From plan and spec certified balancing and building commissioning project we see the latest from the design and installation innovations. Servicing the mechanical systems in existing building for over 20 years we get to see what lasted and maintained efficiency at a reasonable expense. When you take the experience from those 3 things and incorporate them into design/build mechanical projects completed by some of the most talented people in the industry you get quality installation that stand the test of time.

Our Goal; Reduce the operating cost by the price of our maintenance agreement.

2010-12-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

Ted Lambert and I recently spoke at a lunch and learn ModernControls provided for the State of Delaware; Kent County Facilities Management Staff. We brought up how a seven property facility manager at a non-profit we service set out to reduce the electric cost by the amount of his salary. Later when the economy turned he set out to save the cost of a salary per facility. During the discussion the average electrical cost per month came up. When the building operators heard for the first time during this meeting the amount of money that was spent for electricity alone they were floored. For some buildings the cost for electricity averages $ 100,000.00 a month. We went through all the basics, low hanging fruit as we call it.

One of the primary things is the length of the unoccupied period. The main function of the unoccupied period is to stop bringing in fresh air. This mean if people begin work at 9 o’clock the occupied period starts at 9 o’clock. If the work day ends at 5 o’clock the unoccupied period begins at 5 o’clock. It’s less important the degree of offset than the outdoor air dampers closing. If you use a morning warm-up/cool-down strategy the units will bring the building to temperature with the outdoor air damper closed. It called optimal start stop in the Johnson Controls BAS world.

It’s not just setting a schedule it’s checking the dampers to make sure they close. Cleaning and lubricating the dampers to make sure there is no binding should be part of routine maintenance. All dampers leak, especially the rooftop package unit factory dampers. Usually they leak 5% when they’re new and worse as they age. Which brings us to the next concern, making sure the fan is also changing from continuous operation to cycling only on a call for heating or cooling. When sizing equipment, if there is a requirement for 10% outdoor air the unit is typically a third larger than a unit that doesn’t require outdoor air. Simple math tells us that the unit will consume a sixth more power if the fan stays on through the unoccupied period.

During the spring and fall it’s important that the economizer is working at the proper outdoor air set point to ensure a minimal amount of mechanical cooling. If the humidity is low outside and the temperature is expected to stay in the low sixties than a smart building operator will move the changeover temperature up a few degrees. The new ASHRAE guidelines call for a higher level of programming that will do this automatically.

If you think about it like this it may help you put it in perspective. With a two stage unit when both stages of cooling are running the discharge air temperature will be 55°F, when one stage is running the discharge air temperature will be about 65°F. If the zone set point is 72°F won’t 65°F air keep it from overheating? Humidity is the key factor to comfort so it will take a little while to trend how the building moves moisture in and out. Honestly the worst that can happen is you get a few complaints. Call that the threshold and adjust the changeover to stay just below it.

ModernControls goal is to get this information out to everyone, not just our technicians. Lower operating cost benefits everyone.

ASHRAE recommends re-commissioning buildings every 3 years. Was the building or buildings you maintain commissioned once?

2010-11-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Fluid Cooler Replacement

2010-11-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

The weekend of October 22 we completed a major equipment replacement in 24-hours, from 5:00 pm Friday to 5:00 pm Saturday. The prep time was three weeks to get ready for the water source loop upgrade. Two weeks for two technicians, one completing the electrical device installation and one completing the piping. The device assembly included upgrading to a variable speed drive for the blower and an electronic sump level control. The piping included reconfiguring the make-up water feed and installing flanges to match the existing piping. The last week was spent double checking the material and getting everyone on site ready for the shut down.

We used the building automation system to override the make-up air systems pre-treat coils and fans for the lab air handlers to maintain the water source loop temperature. We brought in our portable cooling units for the critical data rooms as a precaution but we didn’t need to bring them on line. We were able to maintain an acceptable loop temperature to keep all critical equipment on line.

We isolated the tower on Friday night, drained down the glycol from the fluid cooler and disconnected the piping and power. The crane arrived at 7:00 am Saturday and by 10:00 am the crane and old fluid cooler were leaving the site. By 3:00 pm all the water and electrical connections were complete and commissioning was underway. At 4:00 pm all water source systems were back on line and the building was functioning as normal.

The following week we returned to complete non-critical items like drain piping, heat trace and insulation. The variable speed drive was given a full commissioning as well as the upgraded controls system. The new cooling tower is expected run with a 25% reduction in operating cost. We also expect a reduced cost in maintenance with less wear and tear on the fan assembly with soft starts as opposed to across the line starts. The new tower also has a stainless steel basin for an extended life. The dampers have a four actuator set-up instead of the two actuators the original tower had. Another cost saving option was the factory installed bundle insulation package.

The installation went extremely well. We gave the site manager and owner’s representative constant e-mail updates from the site; including pictures of the progress as we passed each major milestone. A major amount of the field work was completed by a fourth year apprentice. I am proud to say I was his mentor when he was in eleventh grade at Hodgsen Vo-tech. He then was a co-op for ModernControls when he was in twelfth grade. He is an outstanding employee and in our opinion the type of person we want to represent our company. I like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved with the project for making it a success.

Thank you for the kind words Mr. A

2010-09-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Case Study on Energy saving initiatives at Building A

Pursuant to Governor Markel’s Executive Order #18, we began a comprehensive effort to save energy at the Building A by centrally monitoring facility conditions, enacting temperature settings as directed, and employing advanced Building Automation System (BAS) control strategies. Ted Lambert from Modern Controls, Inc was co-opted for this effort, beginning in November, 2009 and mostly completed in June, 2010.

The results are as follows:
KWh reduction 16.3 %
Electrical Cost Savings $10,767.12
Gas usage reduction 19.9 %
Natural Gas Cost Savings $8,690.27
Total Cost Savings $19457.39

Labor and material costs to implement these improvements totaled about $15,000 to date. Spreadsheets on monthly electrical and gas usage from the Energy Star Portfolio Manager program are attached. Based on these figures, we anticipate that the percentage of energy saved with these improvements over an entire year, will meet or exceed the 30% energy reduction target.
Mr. A
Energy Manager
OMB/DFM

The Future of Refrigerants

2010-09-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Although summer isn't technically over most of us are ready to put it behind us. Of course it'll be with us for a long time considering the number of temperature records that were broken. Hopeful it won’t be the way things are from now on, otherwise we lose bragging rights. For those of you that read my last entry you know what a hard summer it was for technicians. Thankfully they all made it without any major injuries.

A few weeks ago I attended an ASHRAE seminar that had several good speakers that touched on a lot of big things coming our way. Some of which I’ve already touched on and a few that I certainly didn’t see coming. I would like to touch on one of the highlights and if you find it particularly interesting check out the ASHREA web site or the EPA’s web site for more information.

The big news is the HFC class of refrigerants was found to be contributing to global warming and the EPA is preparing a phase out timeline. The intention is to have a phase out similar to CFC and HCFC refrigerants. First the refrigerant manufactures will all fumble around with potential replacements. Second one of the big three equipment companies will select what it feels will be the best alternative. One of the other two will select a different refrigerant and the third will pick one of those two and put it in their equipment. The two out of three choice will win and all the little guys will fall in line behind the two. Then the government tax the HFC’s into exile. The year after the HFO sunset the EPA will determine the new refrigerant causes age spots on Baby Boomers and the whole process will begin over.

The potential replacements that are soon to go to the certification agencies are a class of refrigerants called HFO’s. DuPont has one through testing called R-1234yf and it’s very close to R-134a in performance and pressures. Unfortunately it has a slight flammability issue that may limit it to equipment with small quanities of refrigerant. There wasn’t a lot of information communicated about other potential replacements other than references to the type of problems that are slowing down the R & D process.

The EPA will add a new series of regulations to deal with the new refrigerants. We can expect this to come with regulation changes for the HFC refrigerants. We are potentially looking at recertification for technicians as well as tighter restrictions on documentation. As most people are aware the EPA is already stepping up its efforts and there have already been subtle changes. One example is calculating the percent of refrigerant lost and then added to any unrepaired system. You then take that percent times 12 (months) and that’s the calculated yearly loss rate used to determine the need for repairs. It keeps the onus of equipment violations with the owner who now faces $ 32,000.00 per day violations for things as simple as not keep the required records. Just what a cash strapped government agency needs. Think speed trap!

Stay alert for major changes in a short period of time. I expect the phase out of HFC’s to be more like CFC’s than HCFC’s.

Thank You

2010-08-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while since my last entry and I have to say with good reason. It was a busy end to spring with days of rain giving way to record high temperatures. Not to mention the endless high humidity. What didn’t break in June and July seems to be holding up in August allowing our service technicians a chance to catch up on some much need rest. Modern’s service technicians have averaged 150 hours overtime with some as high as 300 hours. I felt a little odd thinking about writing my midnight blogs while they were still out working. Before we get back into the normal busy of our next season and hopefully the return to regular entries I would like to take this opportunity to thank them and their family.

First and foremost I’d like to thank the service technicians that make ModernControls a great company to do business with and a great place to work. The quality of the people that I work with is amazing. How they managed to keep going in such adverse conditions day after day with such a good attitude is a true measure of their character. When it’s a 100°F outside and your air conditioner isn’t working it is hard not to be impatient for your unit to get fixed. Most people never stop to think about what the guy on the roof is dealing with. His reward for getting you going is another dead unit to fix, usually one right after another until dark. That is if he’s fortunate enough not to be on call that night. Our customers have been very considerate and I’m sure very thankful. I just can’t imagine that’s of much conciliation to what they endured. I am truly proud of everyone.

Second and equally important is the families of the technicians. The wives who worry about their husbands driving home late at night after such exhausting days. Knowing their loved ones are far from home, in stressful situations, and with little time for communication with their family. The young children who only know Dad’s not home and the rest of the family that seems out of sorts because someone’s missing. It’s truly a sacrifice and on behalf of ModernControls I’d like to thank you.

Next I’d like to thank the rest of the staff at Modern for falling into the support role. When the technicians needed help everyone was there for them. Lending a hand isn’t easy when everyone has more to do because of the extreme weather but they did it. Making a call, picking something up, dropping something off or just checking in to make sure everything is OK.

On the worst weekend night of the summer we went from two technicians out working to ten in an hour. Two more were standing by willing to help and actually volunteered to be on call for the rest of the night to give the on call tech’s a break. One technician went to a site to help another technician complete a repair so he could get home a little sooner and a little safer.

ModernControls has had so many great accomplishments over the years; none have made me prouder than the service technicians this summer.

ASHRAE Standard 90.1

2010-05-31T18:58:00.000-07:00

My intention is to familiarize people like me who are just starting to acquire knowledge about the ASHRAE Standard 90.1. Most of these items are done as part of the Plan & Spec and Design Build process; now they’re requirements. I strongly recommend that everyone in the HVAC Industry goes on the ASHRAE web site http://www.ashrae.org/technology/page/548 and clicks on the link for Standard 90.1. When the book opens click on the “page” button at the bottom and go to page 30. Page 30 through 55 deals with the mechanical systems minimum standards. The information is well organized and points us in the right direction for operating cost reduction strategies. If you’re a property owner, manager or facility engineer this is a small glimpse into big changes coming your way. Standard 90.1 mainly specifies building construction that will reduce the energy consumption of the mechanical systems.

6.1) this section spells out the general guidelines for compliance of new buildings, additions to an existing building, (unless the addition is served by existing systems) and alterations to existing systems. Direct replacement equipment and components including HVAC, A/C, economizer, duct and piping shall comply with sections 6.2 through 6.8. Exceptions found in section 6.1 include alterations that will not increase power consumption and replacement or alterations that require extensive revisions. Changing refrigerants, relocation of existing equipment or where there is insufficient space for modifications to duct and pipe are also exempt.

6.2) this section is used to determine if compliance is required for a project. This section offers two options moving forward, one is the simplified approach which will follow section 6.3. Section 6.3 would be the option of choice for upgrades and direct unit replacements for small existing buildings. The other is to follow section 6.4 which offers more options. 6.4 would be the option of choice for new construction or additions to the existing building.

6.3) this section begins with building specifics which are one and two story buildings with less than 25,000 ft². Each system must meet all the criteria. Basically a split system or package unit with a heat section and a DX cooling that is either an air cooled condenser or evaporative condensers that complies with section 6.8. The units will need an economizer and barometric relief that both comply with section 6.4. The equipment will need the controls specified in section 6.5. Basically to take the simplified approach you need meet the requirements of section 6.3, 6.5 and 6.8. There are 15 specific criteria in section 6.3 that need to be met as well as table 6.3.2 that can be used to minimize or eliminate the economizer. If all aspects of the building and equipment are met you can go straight to section 6.7 which is the submittal process. If all the criteria are not met you must follow the guidelines in section 6.4.

6.4) this section gives the system selection engineer or salesperson direction as to what rules apply to the proposed system. This section would be best described as the basis for design and equipment selection, if you have equipment type X; then you must meet conditions A, B, and C. It would work well as a question and answers program in a load calculation/equipment selection software package. This is the must read section of the standard 90.1 for everyone in the HVAC industry. It is 4 pages of material that will be used to ensure that the project will meet code in the near future.

6.5) this section details the specifications for heating/cooling changeover, economizer operation and building systems integration. The requirements that need to be met are VFD settings and minimums for fan motors and hydronic pumps. Others include the changeover deadband set points and decreased airflow set points. Section 6.5 also deals with the specific operation and set points of the system during heating, cooling, and dehumidification. It establishes the guidelines for exhaust air energy recovery, kitchen exhaust, and fume hood exhaust.

6.7) this section organizes the documentation requirements for the project submittals. The intention here is to make sure everyone associated with the project gets the documents that show that the mechanical requirements are met. Most of these are standard items that are commonly requested. The expanded information will now include listing a service provider, preventive maintenance schedules, and certified building commissioning.

6.8) this is the last mechanical equipment section and it’s the tables that organize the minimum efficiency requirements, standard ratings and operating conditions. It is clearly laid out and easy to follow by system type. For new equipment installations it will be easy since the equipment manufactures’ will be required to meet the minimum standards. For upgrade and modification work it will be a matter of documenting the existing equipment.

A Word of Caution;

2010-03-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I wrote how inverter duty, variable flow systems are sure to change industry. There is an ASHRAE standard to show how low the operating cost is compared to other types of systems. We are seeing an increase in the number of these systems specified by engineers and installed by mechanical contractors. What remains to be seen is adequate installation support, adequate start-up support and the resolution of service problems. I’d like to detail a few of my experiences to help convey my concern with the installation of variable refrigerant flow systems.

1) Job # 1 – a service customer came to us looking for help with a system that was installed by a reputable area contractor. The warranty had expired and contractor was no longer willing to service the system that had never functioned properly. The system was specified by an engineer and installed with the construction of an addition. ModernControls contacted the manufacture and talked to the same factory technical support person that helped the last contractor. The manufacture sent us many parts over the course of the next few months in an attempt to resolve the issue. None of which worked. The customer however having to pay all the labor was not happy. Then the technical support person stopped returning calls. I spoke to other factory representatives; all said they would have to speak to the original guy because he was in charge of the department. No one ever called back. When my customer got frustrated I turned over all the information, including dates and names of who I had spoken to. He got the same lack of response. There were 2 systems installed to service the same area, he shut down the system that never worked and has been dealing with inadequate heating and cooling on degree days since day one.

2) Job # 2 – a mechanical contractor was installing three variable refrigerant flow systems in a large building renovation project. ModernControls was the control contractor for the project and our scope of work was to integrate the three systems with the Johnson Controls building automation system. This part of the project went well. The local sales representative asked ModernControls to perform start-up of the systems. The representative said that they would give us full support so we could get familiar with their product and the hope was that we’d sell them to our customers. It took twice as long to perform start-up as they said it would, the contractor made piping mistakes that needed to be sorted out and then corrected. The instructions have the pictures together in one spot and then you find the corresponding instructions in your language in another part. After following the series of instructions and seeing the mistakes that were made it was pretty easy to see how things went wrong. That however was not the only problem. The manufacture representative told us that he would have one of his “start-up guys” meet our technician on the job the first day. What we got was a call 3 hours after we arrived from a technician who had “been around a few” but really wasn’t that familiar so he didn’t come out. Two days later we came up with the right way to do things, a third day was spent on site to pass the information on to the actual installer so he could make the changes. Fortunately on start-up everything appeared to work correctly, had it not we would have spent more time scratching our head because the product sales representative didn’t have expertise to help us with start-up let alone troubleshooting problems.

3) Job # 3 – Which will take us back to Job # 1 briefly. The sales representative for the product from job # 1 showed up in my office with sales literature. I refused to take it and told him about my experience with the product. He said he could get me factory assistance to help correct Job # 1 which is now almost 3 years old resolved. I told him I would talk to the customer but informed him that he has requested prices to remove both systems from their site. If the factory would assume the responsibility for all cost we could approach the subject with the customer. The following day, like on queue a job turned up with the same product. One of my service customers had a renovation project completed with a large variable flow system. The call I received was like this “the customer had a service call for a new unit in the fitness area that need to be reset every time they used the room since start-up. They wanted us to take care of the problem now that the warranty was over.” I assumed it was a single cassette ductless split. When the tech called and told me what he was looking at and that he need technical support I passed on the product representative’s name as someone to call for support. The next morning I came in to find our parts person putting together a 500 page booklet that had been e-mailed to the technician. Their idea of technical support was a 500 page book. When I called to ask the product representative if that was his idea of good product support he told me that “the guy” wasn’t available for 3-weeks and if I sent my technicians (22 mind you) away for a 3-day class they would know how to work on the system without help. The technician that was on site has over 20 years of commercial and industrial HVAC experience.

I am sure that there is a leaning curb associated with every new technology but this one seems like it’s going to cause a lot of discomfort. Back in February I expressed my opinion that the package units with the inverter duty compressors would help us gain a better understanding of how these systems operate and what to expect under different conditions. This is one service aspect that we need to address so that we can train technicians on the common functions of the different manufactures’ systems. The next thing is how to install the systems in such a way as to allow malfunctioning systems to remain on line while making repairs. A simple refrigerant leak or failed metering device can take an entire system down for repairs. The installation of valves and access fittings, plus keeping all piping accessible can suddenly make the installation not so cost effective.

Crossroad or Access Ramp;

2010-02-25T20:54:00.000-08:00

There are so many things happening in our industry that we are surely at the beginning of major shift in how we do business. At a recent trade show I saw and heard more new things than I have in years. I’ve been trying to acquire the knowledge to pass on the information one topic at a time. I’ve come to realize that it’s just not out there in the main stream arena yet. So for now I want to just throw out a couple of what we’ll call future topics for later posting.

IEER, Inverter Energy Efficiency Rating is a new standard that will be the acronym for the coefficient of performance for equipment with variable capacity compressors. We all know that these units consume less electricity than standard units but the realization of how much is going to drive demand. IDC’s, Inverter Duty Compressors in package units will help technicians get comfortable with the technology. Variables are removed with a package unit that allow a technician to experience how these systems are going to function under varying load conditions. A package unit with a factory charge will give them a chance to see what to expect with problems like dirty coils, low refrigerant and restrictions. The numbers floating around for the energy savings are 40% less than a standard unit. The new mentality will be the price difference between major repairs and unit replacement will be realized in few years with the energy savings.

Variable Refrigeration Flow Systems with air and water cooled refrigerant plants. To date we’ve been hesitant in our area to get behind them as design build and direct to owner upgrades. However they're getting in more plan and spec jobs every year. There are currently 3 big players and a 4th is on the way. As more systems are installed and we get comfortable servicing them the market will grow in direct proportion to people’s desire to save money on installation and operating cost. These systems have so many advantages they seem too good to be true. We can’t deny how they should be the first choice for many installations. If they work as intended without being a high maintenance hard to troubleshoot and repair system they’ll corner the market.

The quick wrap up is as follows, cast boilers are out, burners are out, and cooling towers are going down with big chillers. High efficiency tube boilers with modulating outputs are in. Air cooled chillers with several small circuits and plate heat exchangers are in. Packaged equipment from standard heat/cool to chilled water/hot water plants are in. Reciprocating, screw and centrifugal compressors are out, scrolls and inverters are in. Expect more on all these topics as the information becomes available.

An Alternate Way to Save;

2010-02-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

Last year ModernControls approached a long time customer that operates 7 facilities with a request to increase the scope of work in their preventive maintenance agreement. After performing a review of the repairs from the previous year we identified the 3 locations that had the most potential for savings. We showed the Facility Director what we had found and laid out a detailed plan to reduce the cost of service. We found that the 4 facilities where we did the most preventive maintenance the costs were the lowest. In the other 3 facilities the cost of service calls to complete routine maintenance, general repairs, and overtime to service units was the highest. The Facility Director agreed with the analysis and we increased the scope of preventive maintenance.

This year he requested an analysis to justify the additional money he spent on maintenance the previous year. ModernControls provided a detailed cost breakdown that showed a 30% reduction in the total expense for HVAC repairs and preventive maintenance in the 3 buildings. That 30% amounted to more than $ 75,000.00 in savings. The facilities director was recognized in a recent board meeting for his overall reduction in the cost of maintaining the facilities. We all knew we had done the right thing but the dollar figure was over the top. Our industry has been so focused on reducing energy consumption that we haven’t tried to quantify the potential savings of preventive maintenance. Until now.

ModernControls recently invested in a software program that will allow us to build a database over the next few years that will perform this type of analysis automatically. Our hope is that the information we started collecting will be the beginning of a long term commitment to our customers. We changed our standard Work Orders to start collecting more information and we update the repair status and resolution as we go. It added a few steps to the process but the information should allow us to zero in on problem pieces of equipment so that we can provide better advice to our customers. When factoring in the operation efficiency of existing equipment to show a payback for replacement it also helps to factor in the cost of repairs and maintenance. If you’d like to learn more feel to stop by our office.

Domestic Water Pump Cost Analysis;

2010-01-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

ModernControls recently completed a proposal to upgrade a failing domestic water pump system for a Wilmington High-rise. The existing system has a primary pump with a hydraulic fluid mechanically operated unloader system to relieve pressure during periods of low or no demand. The motor however runs continuously. The backup emergency use only pump has a hand valve that is set to bypass water from supply to return to maintain water pressure. Neither assembly is very efficient and so both run near rated amp draw.

Our research began with the initial visit to the site to gather information. The second trip to the site was more clearly defined with the help of the product representative’s knowledge and experience with the product line. We initially planned to install a pump package but found the physical constraints within the mechanical room too restrictive. We put the equipment package together with the product representative supplying the pump and us supplying the rest. A third visit to the site was not necessary to complete the proposal, however a third visit is planned to meet with the board members to explain the proposed equipment and how the replacement work would be scheduled to eliminate down time.

The pump manufactures representative found a 5 horse power pump that could provide the same results as the 7.5 horse power pump so we’re able to provide an initial cost savings by reducing the horse power by ⅓. The installation of a Johnson Controls variable speed drive and Metasys digital controls brings the projected cost savings to somewhere between 60% and 75%. The projected payback period for the installation is between 5 and 6 years, not bad for a necessary upgrade. With the focus today on green technology the availability of information to project cost savings gets better all the time. The projected cost savings calculation sheet used for this analysis accounted for the change in peak demand after the first year since this customer electric bill is based on a peak demand rate. If you’re wondering how much you could save by making changes, chances are someone already came up with a way to quantify it.

Preventive Maintenance Contracts;

2010-01-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

Modern Controls offers customized Preventive Maintenance and Full Service Contracts for all your HVAC mechanical equipment and controls. Indisputably, Modern has the strongest service team throughout the Tri State Region. Modern has a fleet of over 40 technicians on the road, and has been providing HVAC Services for over 20 years.

Most of the technicians have over 10 years of direct commercial and industrial experience. The technicians have a broad range of skills to meet your every need. We have technicians specialized in working on chillers, boilers, cooling towers, package rooftops, you name it.

Do any of these sound familiar?

 a system that has leaked and ruined the ceiling tiles

 an area that is always hotter or colder than the rest of the building
 a system that never seems to shut off
 no preventive maintenance is getting done to avert a crisis
 a system that never works right and is always breaking down
 a system that has multiple repair calls for the same problem
 waiting for days just to get a repair technician on site
 getting a technician that doesn’t have the ability to fix the problem
 receiving billing that doesn’t make sense or is late
 reminding your service group to perform the preventive maintenance

Modern Controls is prepared to handle all these issues and to provide you with the professional service that you deserve at a very reasonable price. We will tackle your toughest problems with confidence and create solutions.

Call or E-mail today to set up your FREE HVAC SYSTEM SURVEY for a Preventive Maintenance Agreement.

lmatthews@moderncontrols.com

The Master Plan;

2010-01-07T20:06:00.001-08:00

I’ve been fortunate enough to get involved with several long term master plans for several types of buildings and businesses. The experience is eye opening to someone who has made a career of repairing and replacing things. To have customers with the level of trust needed to open the budget up to you and still allow you to be part of the bid process is ego boosting. We don’t always get the work or even the opportunity to value engineer the project. We do however seem to stay involved with the project to make it successful. That part can keep your ego in check. You can’t always be everything to everyone, there has to be some tradeoffs.

At ModernControls it’s never been about how to compete on price, it’s always been about a fair price for doing the job right. When we work with someone to develop a master plan we see things from their perspective. Sometimes they need the lowest price because they have a need to fill and financial constraints. Other times they need to make sure everything goes as planned before, during, and after a project. That’s when we provide the best value. You can’t expect people to change their work habits. We employ quality people and sell quality work; we shouldn’t expect less of our employees because the budget doesn’t allow it.

I’ve learned through the development of master plans and long term budgets that the right fit can be the lowest price. Allowing our customers to make the best decisions based on their place in the market will help them to experience continued growth. An open, honest, forward thinking relationship between the customer and the service provider can eliminate hard feelings or guilt that can damage a relationship. Our customers don’t tell us how to run our business and we shouldn’t tell them how to run theirs. They tell us how we can do better and that’s what they expect from us. It’s not always easy to adhere to this thinking but it’s the best way to maintain long healthy relationships. That’s what ModernControls is all about, long healthy relationships.

Outdoor Air Cost Analysis;

2010-01-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

ModernControls was asked to quantify the cost of excess outdoor air to justify the cost to rebalance an existing building. The units in question were classroom unit ventilators. When considering them individually they seemed too small to have a significant cost associated with the outdoor air alone. When you put 50 of them together it’s a different story. In this case the units average 1500 cfm each and the calculated cost for treating the outdoor air is about $ 4,500.00 a year if they’re at 10%. The calculated cost if the average outdoor air is 15% (closer to actual) came up to $ 7,500.00 a year. At 20 minutes per unit to have a certified air balancer spend 2 days to set the outdoor air the payback is a little over 6 months. When building the spreadsheet we added a line to factor in the cost of the outdoor air based on the number of hours in the occupied mode. In this example we were able to show that by reducing the occupied period from 9 hours to 8 hours (actual occupancy for the classrooms was 7 hours) we could drop the cost another $ 1,000.00 a year for a new calculated total of $ 3,500.00 to treat the outdoor air. Estimating a half day for a programmer to make the changes to the schedules the payback period would be less than a 6 months.

Communication is Key;

2010-01-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

ModernControls is now hovering around 50 employees and we're covering from King Of Prussia, PA to Pocomoke, Md. For those who aren't familiar with those places it's basically covering from south of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to south of Ocean City, Maryland. Another thing that surprises our customers is the full range of mechanical and building services that we offer. It’s not a matter 50 people who know everything; it’s about 50 people who communicate well and on a regular basis. Support doesn’t end with what we do for the customer at ModernControls it extends to everyone. Learning to rely on others has helped us as individuals realize how important it is for us to be there when we’re needed. Hopefully this site can make the transfer of knowledge and experience the best in the industry. Please feel free to communicate with us at the link here or on any of the links in our web site. Thank you.