When Urban Renaissance Group purchased Tower 333, a 20-story office building in Bellevue, Wash., they knew the aging and inefficient water-booster system needed to be replaced. The original system consisted of three 20-horsepower constant-speed booster pumps operated in a staged sequence, bringing on successive pumps as demand changed. With a commitment to occupant comfort and maintaining the building's energy-efficiency certifications, the company knew they had to find a replacement for the aging water-booster system that would save energy and improve performance.
Very high efficiency dedicated outside air systems (very high efficiency DOAS) pair the highest performance HVAC equipment with key design principles to provide cleaner and safer indoor air, enhance indoor comfort, and reduce commercial building HVAC energy use. This approach has been demonstrated to reduce HVAC energy use by an average of 69% when compared to a code-minimum version of the existing equipment (often a packaged rooftop unit).
For building owners and operators everywhere, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the importance of enhancing indoor air quality through better approaches to commercial HVAC and natural ventilation. A recent study conducted by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), Red Car Analytics (RCA) and the University of Oregon (UO) proves how crucial ventilation is to reducing the spread of dangerous particles.
In operation for more than 40 years, New Day School has a deep commitment to environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. When New Day School’s Kishalay building required a renovation, the preschool’s leadership team quickly committed to adopting advanced practices and products to ensure the renovations would result in a net-zero energy building.
Although the full impact of pumps in our society sometimes falls under the radar, what hasn’t gone unnoticed is energy efficiency and sustainability. When it comes to whole-building energy efficiency and sustainability, pumps are front and center and play a critical role in helping facilities reach these goals.
While utilities often provide incentives for selecting efficient large motors, NEEA's Extended Motor Products (XMP) program take this one step further: It focuses on pumps and circulators under 50 horsepower used in many commercial and industrial applications. Hydraulic Institute talked to Warren Fish, the XMP program manager, about NEEA's focus on smaller pumps and how the program works.
The Hydraulic Institute (HI) has announced the development and implementation of a certification program for Pump Systems Assessment Professionals (PSAP). This program sets the standard for the discipline of pump systems assessment and the use of pump system optimization techniques. Certification will provide a high level of confidence to end-users and other stakeholders that pump system assessors have the experience and expertise to perform high quality assessments which will lead to more energy efficient and reliable pumping systems.
Smart Domestic Hot Water (DHW) Circulation Pumps use high efficiency variable speed motors and integrated controls to reduce the amount of energy used to circulate hot water in a commercial building. They are easy to install and have programmable controls to automatically adjust flow in response to hot water demand. They can be used in new construction or to replace existing circulation pumps. Learn where smart pumps offer the best opportunity for savings with this fact sheet.
As we build back from the pandemic, the building industry is rethinking how we approach health in commercial spaces. Learn how LLLC could be used in countless ways to improve health and efficiency, and revolutionize how we monitor and respond to environmental factors that impact human health.
Check out this article from Lighting Design + Application Magazine to learn how LLLC benefits such as the ability to independently modulate light intensity and apparent color offer innovative solutions to improving the health of buildings and their occupants.
As you consider going wireless with systems like Luminaire Level Lighting Controls, it's important to ask yourself a range of questions and understand whether wireless technology can work as well for your business as it does for your personal life.
Read these articles to learn more about LLLCs.
