Twin Atria

commercial

Mechanical System Review

A thorough review of the buildings ventilation system was performed to assess the performance of the existing air handling units and whether or not they were performing to stated design criteria. Recommendations were given to rectify any deficiencies that may have been found in the existing air handling system.

Variable Frequency Drives

Conventional motors that operate fans or pumps run either at full capability or they are not operating at all, this method of operation may be acceptable during times of peak demand where the system is operating at or near full capacity, but is less than ideal during any other time. Variable frequency drives (VFD) modulate the speed of the motor thus providing an appropriate amount of capacity for the demand, this in turn cuts down significantly in operating costs especially in seasons such as spring or fall where peak demand is not as common. In the Twin Atria building both the main supply and return fans were retrofitted with a VFD drive.

Boiler Replacement

Existing boilers in the Twin Atria building, being several decades old, run inefficiently thus wasting energy while operating. Compared to new “condensing” type boilers, these existing boilers take up more than double the area to install and require large vents to function. ES Engineering designed a new boiler system for the Twin Atria building using small footprint condensing boilers. These boilers require small vents compared to the existing and each can achieve up to 99% efficiency, meaning more free room, less heating fuel required and therefore significant savings in utility costs.

Humidification

Humidity control is vital to the comfort and health of everyone and a modern and efficient method of humidification was designed for the Twin Atria building. Four new natural gas powered humidifiers were installed to replace the aging equipment. Installed along with the humidifiers were water softeners to reduce the amount of scale and residue building up where steam is dispersed into the air serving the building.