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By Michael O. Davis
The need for better-performing buildings has never been greater. Research shows that healthy buildings can improve productivity and create better environments for working and learning. At the same time, buildings account for a significant amount of energy consumption, and rising temperatures in the Northeast and around the world are increasing our reliance on air conditioning. Together, these factors are driving higher expectations for building performance, efficiency, and occupant well-being.
Building owners and the engineers who design and maintain those buildings are forever riding the line between comfort and efficiency. I often tell visitors to Flow Tech’ s demo lab that the most efficient building is one with all the lights and HVAC systems off, and the windows open. While a building in that state would save a lot of energy, it’ s not practical from
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a productivity and comfort standpoint.
If you take this further and look at critical environments, especially those in life sciences, the stark contrast between comfort and energy efficiency becomes even more pronounced. How can you think about energy when you have such strict temperature, humidity and air change requirements? How can we make a lab or life sciences building sustainable when we’ re first and foremost so concerned about safety and the processes going on in the spaces?
Thankfully, all is not lost. There are many competent architects, design engineers and contractors, emboldened and supported by sustainably focused manufacturers and their representatives, who know just how to help save energy while keeping buildings safe and healthy.
One major speed bump that we all must navigate is first cost. The safest, healthiest and most efficient solution very rarely is the solution with the lowest first cost. However, these solutions are most often the lowest total cost, when factoring in energy( first and foremost), reduced maintenance, longer replacement cycles, etc.
For instance, installing a custom air handling unit( AHU) in lieu of a standard modular or off-the-shelf packaged unit may demand a higher upfront cost
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premium. However, the materials and methods of construction may result in lower leakage and less heat loss through the walls, ceiling and floor of the unit. The custom application may allow for more efficient coils and fans, energy recovery, or other accessories like blenders that help increase efficiency in moving and treating the air. Other considerations could make component upgrades within the AHU easier and allow for retrofits as technology changes or components wear out without having to replace the entire unit.
Especially applicable in life science applications, demand control ventilation can help with significant energy savings. Ventilating, or bringing fresh air into a building, costs money to heat and humidify or cool and dehumidify air( depending on the season). The question behind demand control ventilation is:
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why ventilate when we don’ t need to? And then, when do we need to? We only need to ventilate when space is occupied with people or when other processes contaminate the air. Traditionally, this is accomplished by putting sensors in each space( carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, dew point, etc.). The problem with this approach is twofold, that more sensors create more points of maintenance and failure, and that more sensors create less accuracy as the sensors drift over time. These two factors often are overlooked when evaluating demand control ventilation systems in buildings!
A different solution is to use the same control strategy, but to utilize a central sensor location to measure all the locations. The system will send air data samples from each sensed location / space so that more spaces don’ t always mean more sensors, and that sensor drift issues are minimized. This potentially higher first cost option can be a much more sustainable and economic solution long term.
When you’ re evaluating sustainability needs for life science or any commercial building, Flow Tech can be a resource for you to help create the safest, healthiest and most efficient building environments.
Michael O. Davis, PE, is the president of Flow Tech, Inc.
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