Learn how the Oregon Department of Transportation upgraded a 66-year-old office building with a combination of mini-split heat pumps and, later, a high efficiency energy-recovery ventilator to improve the building’s comfort, efficiency and indoor air quality.
Flathead Electric’s district office is a single-story 1960s-vintage building with offices at the front and a combination of storage space and garage bays for utility trucks in the back. Their former HVAC system had been pieced together from several years of changes and modifications and it was no longer providing indoor comfort or an adequate level of heating efficiency. Flathead Electric took advantage of an innovative approach to HVAC they knew all to well—a very high efficiency dedicated outside air system (also referred to as very high efficiency DOAS).
The Trapper Creek Dormitory is a federal government work campus in rural Montana. When restricted airflow caused summertime overheating, ventilation issues, and unsafe C02 levels in their dormitories, the facility managers decided to partner with Ravalli Electric Co-op and Bonneville Power Administration to implement a high-performance HVAC conversion.
Due to their large bays and sleeping quarters, emergency services buildings introduce unique challenges in achieving optimal comfort and energy savings. Luckily, there are many proven technologies and design solutions to overcome these challenges and enhance the energy performance of emergency service buildings.
Although a two-story, 1930s airport terminal building in Seattle underwent a major renovation in 2002, the HVAC was largely untouched. The duo of large, multizone rooftop units (RTUs) were left in place, with a third unit of the same type added during the renovations. This inefficient HVAC system wasted energy and money, led to inconsistent temperatures, and caused severe occupant discomfort.
The aging HVAC system at the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s district office complex in Corvallis resulted in high energy costs and limited comfort control for tenants. The HVAC system struggled to provide consistent temperatures across 13,200 square feet of conditioned floor area, made up of four separate buildings sharing concrete walls and the various zones within the buildings. The building managers knew any retrofit project would be difficult due to the complex’s unconventional arrangement.