The career path taken by HVAC technicians is one that is full of a variety of obstacles that require focus, dedication, and a solid knowledge of safety rules and regulations.

A technician can often be required to slide into a crawl space, manipulate their way under a building, or into an attic. All of these tasks are dangerous but one task required of HVAC technicians, working on rooftops, is especially precarious and requires employers to provide specific fall protection and abide by certain standards.

From OSHA Safety and Health Regulations for Construction (Standard 1926.01)

General Industry – Fall Protection

When performing HVAC maintenance on roofs,1 OSHA’s general industry standard §1910.132(a) would apply. On commercial roofs, HVAC units typically are located near the center of the roof, which may significantly reduce the fall hazard exposures. However, where the potential for falls exists, protection must be provided.

Note for HVAC technicians in regard to different regulations for construction workers:

OSHA’s fall protection standard for construction, 29 CFR Part 1926 Subpart M (beginning at §1926.500), generally requires fall protection when there is a fall distance of 6 feet or more. In a few, very specific situations (low-slope roof work, some leading-edge work, precast concrete erection and residential construction; see §1926.501(b)(2), (12), and (13)), because of feasibility limitations, the standard permits the use of a warning line, in combination with other measures, instead of conventional fall protection (guardrail systems, personal fall arrest systems or safety net systems) to keep employees away from an edge.

Installation of HVAC equipment does not fall within the categories: leading-edge work, precast concrete erection or residential construction. Therefore, the warning line at the 6-foot option does not apply.

As explained in the August 1, 2000, Troxell letter, where certain conditions are met, the use of a warning line 15 feet back from the edge will be considered a de minimis violation of the guardrail criteria in §1926.502(b). The conditions that must be met for the application of this policy are as follows:

1. A warning line is used 15 feet or more from the edge;
2. The warning line meets or exceeds the requirements in §1926.502(f)(2);
3. No work or work-related activity is to take place in the area between the warning line and the edge; and
4. The employer effectively implements a work rule prohibiting the employees from going past the warning line.

Therefore, where these conditions are met, you may use a warning line 15 feet back from the edge to protect the HVAC workers.

The following sections apply to HVAC technicians working on rooftops:

• 501(a)(2)

The employer shall determine if the walking/working surfaces on which its employees are to work have the strength and structural integrity to support employees safely. Employees shall be allowed to work on those surfaces only when the surfaces have the requisite strength and structural integrity.

• 501(b)(1)

“Unprotected sides and edges.” Each employee on a walking/working surface (horizontal and vertical surface) with an unprotected side or edge which is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level shall be protected from falling by the use of guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems.

• 501(b)(4)(i)

Each employee on walking/working surfaces shall be protected from falling through holes (including skylights) more than 6 feet (1.8 m) above lower levels, by personal fall arrest systems, covers, or guardrail systems erected around such holes.

• 501(b)(4)(ii)

Each employee on a walking/working surface shall be protected from tripping in or stepping into or through holes (including skylights) by covers.

• 501(b)(8)(ii)

Each employee 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above dangerous equipment shall be protected from fall hazards by guardrail systems, personal fall arrest systems, or safety net systems.

• 501(b)(11)

“Steep roofs.” Each employee on a steep roof with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems with toeboards, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems.

• 501(b)(15)

“Walking/working surfaces not otherwise addressed.” Except as provided in 1926.500(a)(2) or in 1926.501 (b)(1) through (b)(14), each employee on a walking/working surface 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by a guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system.

The post Know the Standards to Avoid Rooftop Falls appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

It’s Time to put some thought into taking on this large-scale client base.

If your company hasn’t ventured into the supermarket sector yet, you aren’t alone. Now may be an ideal time for you to rethink your approach, however. With sparks of innovation and a new mindset of clients that range from the local grocery store to big-box stores, your company’s unique brand of customer service and one-stop support might just be the right combination to help you excel. The market is relatively stable regardless of the country’s financial climate – everybody has to eat, after all – and is wide open geographically, from city centers to the suburban sprawl that keeps easing into rural areas.

Clients are Changing, and So Are Their HVACR Needs
Have you walked into your local Wal-Mart of Target lately? Both major retailers have added full-scale grocery stores to their already-popular array of home and personal needs. These industry giants add a new perspective to the standard supermarket clientele – not only do they need refrigeration, but they need the right balance of climate control throughout their vast spaces that has to keep their customers comfortable while trying on clothes and maintain proper humidity for products that a normal grocery never carries.

This encroachment of supermarket needs in large stores isn’t brand new, but it has reached a level of normalcy that speaks to the stability of the market for the foreseeable future. You can count on your local big-box stores continuing to remodel to support large refrigerated and fresh food sections, and they will need your expertise to handle the headaches that come along with a new store within a store. If you offer one-stop support for heating, cooling, humidity control, and refrigeration; you become a trusted partner with a steady maintenance account for years to come.

Smaller clients are having to change to keep up, too, and your company’s commitment to servicing older equipment helps those clients stay relevant.
“The C-Store market segment can be a great business opportunity for full-service HVACR contractors who have the ability to maintain, service and support diverse equipment types,” said Don Langston, president and CEO of Aire Rite Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Inc.

Indeed, convenience stores and local groceries alike are contending with the rise of larger stores by updating older refrigeration equipment and repurposing the investments they’ve made already to accommodate the types of food and beverage their hometown customers need. By making connections with your neighborhood grocers, you can venture into the supermarket segment without stretching your resources too far.

Innovations Make Now a Great Time to Join the Market
Not since the advent of central air has the HVACR market seen such promising upgrades in technology on the horizon. Many of these innovations target the financial concerns that make supermarket businesses difficult to maintain.

According to the Department of Energy, supermarkets spend about $200,000 per year on HVACR, with approximately half of that cost wrapped up in electricity bills. Refrigeration accounts for a vast majority of that usage.

Lately, however, updated technology is slashing those costs. Synchronous motors in place of traditional fan motors, for example, coordinate the shaft rotation on the motor to the electrical current’s frequency. This type of motor has been around in other sectors for some time, but it has always been too costly in the past to use in such large commercial settings as grocery stores. Now, however, companies are finding ways to lower the cost of parts to simplify power conversion and bring these efficient motors to the supermarket segment.

Innovations such as these require your company to stay on top of the latest technology. But as you present your team as experts in emerging ways to save money, your company becomes even more valuable as a reliable advisor in your community. Choose to immerse yourself in learning about the newest improvements on the horizon, so your team is ready to address your clients’ needs.

Of course, large-scale properties, such as supermarkets are reticent to integrate such upgrades without proof of their functionality. When you’re wading through the innovations available, look for third-party validation such as the on-site testing these synchronized motors have received.

Customer Service and Expertise Take Your Company from Maintenance to Strategy
While most sectors in the HVACR world have a degree of urgency to them, the supermarket sector and similar segments, such as convenience stores have a unique need for full-time attention. They thrive on food safety, so any repairs require immediate, careful attention.

Langston, for instance, owes his company’s success to how attentive his company is to taking care of its customers, all day every day. Its team of experienced technicians and service support personnel is available at all times to handle everything from routine requests to complex emergencies.
While you know how much this sort of accessible maintenance is worth, your supermarket clients may not realize the value of your services. A creative approach to supermarket client management is one way to set your business apart from others in your area.

For example, if your company bases its strategy on proactively supporting your clients’ profit streams instead of only reactively handling maintenance, you have another opportunity to position yourself as an advisor at the table when the client is choosing what updates to prioritize and how to maximize its budget for success. By advocating for those changes that impact your client’s bottom line, then tracking performance and following up with data that shows the positive impact of your recommendations, your company becomes more than someone who cleans up HVACR messes. Instead, you become a strategic partner responsible for their ongoing profitability.

If you’re unsure where to start when expanding beyond maintenance, look at how your company can support supermarket customers in meeting regulatory and compliance benchmarks. The EPA’s rules for refrigeration are in flux, and your knowledge of the latest rulings and how to keep your clients in the clear can extend your reach into the strategic-planning considerations of their business.

Give Clients One Person to Call – You
With all the focus on refrigeration for supermarkets, the HVAC portion can get overlooked. If your company provides complete HVACR services, emphasizing the value of shopper comfort, proper humidity, and other broader issues can help those customers grounds some larger clients in a realm they understand. Packaging your services as an all-in-one bundle, provided your shop is diverse enough to deliver quality services across the board, gives you an edge that can be especially helpful as you enter the sector for the first time.

Whether your company is ready to develop a new application for its existing HVACR expertise or is looking at the supermarket sector for the first time, the market is in good shape for expansion. Evaluate your staff’s abilities and your company’s particular customer service model, so you can identify the right-size clients to capitalize on the innovations coming to light in the segment. With a bit of research and attention to the needs of your community, you can grow your client base and establish ongoing relationships with some of the most consistent customers around.

The post Maybe Your Company Should Consider the Supermarket Sector appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of 2013, there were approximately 98,454 public K-12 schools in the United States and another 30,861 private schools. That translates into hundreds of schools in each state. At different times, different school districts will have building projects going on or will be taking on repairs and upkeep. That means that you have an opportunity to bid on jobs with schools and potentially land ongoing maintenance contracts as well.

Schools May Be Required to Accept Bids
In many states, public school districts are required to accept bids on construction projects. The Ohio School Boards Association states, “Ohio law requires boards of education to advertise and take competitive bids for certain construction, repairs and improvements of school property.”

Although laws vary from state to state, most school boards do advertise open jobs and take bids. They may or may not go with the lowest bid. In fact, there are many different things that schools look at when choosing a contractor to complete work on a building.

In California, a state appellate court ruled that no-bid contracts were illegal. Instead, schools are required to use a competitive bidding process. In an article by Jill Tucker for the San Francisco Chronicle, lawyer Kevin Carlin argued that using a process that avoids competitive bidding was basically a cover up. He said, “Such arrangements have created a pay-to-play culture … a system that encourages fraud, corruption, misuse of public funds and lack of competition.”

The decision by the courts that school districts must accept bids is good news for contractors wanting to get into school building projects.

School Job Bids
Bidding on school jobs has some similarities to bidding on other commercial jobs, yet is also entails some differences.

J. Jones, a former board member of a suburban school district in Indianapolis had the opportunity to review numerous bids during his time on the school board. “There was always one thing that was of the utmost importance to me when looking at bids.”

Jones shares that it wasn’t that the contractor had the lowest bid or even that he would complete the project the fastest. Instead, he looked at whether or not the contract had the experience to complete the project at a level that he would expect if his own children were in the building after the work was completed. “Will it be safe? Will it last?” he added.

What to Include in a Bid for a School Job
When bidding on a job for a school, no matter how large or small the job, keep in mind that there is a lot more to the bid than numbers.

Jones said, “When I looked at bids for any type of building or maintenance project in the district, I looked at so much more than just a bottom line cost. I looked at experience of the contractor and how much thought the company put into creating the bid. How detailed it was, for example.”

Start with Why You’re the Best Choice
Be sure to include in your bid proposal why your company is the best choice to complete the job. This can include previous experience with other commercial projects, the fact that you have children in the school district and care about the finished product, or anything else that is pertinent and will grab the committee’s attention.

Add Lifetime of Project Cost Analysis
Another thing you should include in your bid is approximately how long the project will last. If you are bidding an HVAC replacement, include details that analyze the cost of the project verses how long the repairs will last. Show that you understand that repairs are not a one-time thing and that you are trying to present the most cost effective option for more than just this moment but for long term savings. A unit that only has to be replaced every 20 years on average instead of every 10 may be much more attractive to school board members.

Give a Time Estimate and Special Considerations
Include info on approximately how much time the job will take to complete. This can be a vital part of the decision-making process as many schools now have year-round attendance. The shorter amount of time you can safely complete the project, the better. Construction can be quite distracting to students. You may also want to include special considerations such as that you will work later in the day, weekends, or some holidays in order to complete most of the work during a time when it won’t interfere with students’ learning.

Give a Solid Number and Proposal Details
Be sure to include a cost estimate and exactly what that bid includes (unit, labor, maintenance, etc.). The clearer you can be with your details, the better.

“Many times, officials will look at all the bids and then narrow the choices to two or three,” Jones explained. “If you want to be in that short list, make sure your bid is detailed. If I have questions about the bid, it is probably not making it onto the short list.”

Bidding on school jobs is a good way to build relationships in your community and secure lucrative contracts with ongoing maintenance deals. With just a little shift in focus, you can write successful school bids.

The post What You Need To Know When Bidding on School Jobs appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

As an indoor environment and energy service contractor, the most obvious reason to install an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) is to recover energy when there is a fresh air requirement. When fresh air is pumped into a building, conditioned air is exhausted back outside to equalize the pressure. The air leaving a building has energy in it – warm energy in winter and cool energy in summer. Ruskin ERVs capture about 70 percent of the energy from the air leaving the building and puts it back into fresh air entering the building. This recapturing of energy means rooftop units do not have to work as hard, resulting in lower utility bills. The rooftop unit may also be sized smaller since it does not have to work as hard.

Additionally, workplace and school environments can have a high concentration of people and need plenty of fresh air. Adding fresh air lowers the CO2 levels in a building and helps keep occupants alert and healthy. ERVs also help control odors since stale air is exhausted out of the building as fresh air is brought in. ERVs also manage humidity by keeping moist air inside during winter and outside during summer.

ERVs can be critical for schools to comply with ASHRAE 90.1, 2013. For example, a school in New York City with more than 1000 CFM design supply air and more than 70 percent outside air, requires Energy Recovery with 50% or greater effectiveness. Generally, around 15 CFM per student needs to be brought in.

The first check would be if more than 1,000 CFM is being moved through the HVAC system. If so, divide total CFM by the outside air to determine if the system is bringing in at least 70 percent outside air.

For example, a local school has an 8,000 CFM HVAC system and 400 students.

Here are the steps to determine if 50 percent recovery is required:

• The HVAC system delivers 8,000 CFM, so it is over the 1,000 CFM minimum.
• 400 students require approximately 6,000 CFM of fresh air (400 x 15 CFM = 6,000 CFM)
• 6,000 CFM / 8,000 CFM = 75%

In this case, the school’s HVAC system must bring in over 70 percent of outside air, so some type of Energy Recovery is required. A great solution would be to use ERVs from Ruskin since they achieve well over the 50 percent effectiveness required by ASHRAE 90.1 2013.

Let’s Look at Some Examples:

Scenario 1: Calculations show a new job in Miami, Florida, requires a 12.5-ton rooftop unit that is circulating approximately 5,000 CFM. There is a 35 percent outside air requirement, so 1,750 CFM of fresh air is being brought in. In this example, an ERV is again required because in the Miami area, at 35% outdoor air and equal to or greater than 5500 total design airflow, Energy Recovery is required per ASHRAE 90.1.  It also helps the economics by downsizing to a 10 ton rooftop because of the reduced load on the HVAC system. When sized properly, the payback period of the initial cost of an ERV is typically less than one year.

Scenario 2: A new installation where there will be no outside air brought in. Therefore, there is no reason for an ERV if no outside air is being brought in.

Scenario 3: A local school in New York City is being renovated that typically occupies 2,000 students. Four new 25-ton rooftop units are specified with a total of 40,000 CFM, with 30,000 CFM of fresh air. As the 30,000 CFM is brought into the building, a resulting 30,000 CFM is exhausted back outside to equalize the pressure. According to ASHRAE 90.1, 50 percent of the energy being exhausted in the 30,000 CFM needs to be recovered. An ERV would be perfect for this application since it would recover well over 50 percent of the energy and provide long-term utility bill savings.

A Closer Look at ERV Economics

Example #1: 20-Ton HVAC System with 25% Outside Air – Miami

Example #2: 20-Ton HVAC System with 25% Outside Air – Milwaukee

Examples above assume $1000 per ton, $3 per cfm for energy recovery, $1 per therm, $.08 kWh, 2000 cfm outdoor air.
Source: Airxchange

Type of ERVs and When They Work Best

Unitized ERVs work well with both Retrofits and New construction rooftop units. These fit in all major brands of 2-30 Ton rooftops and have adjustable legs. Plug and play installation, Metasys® controls, along with no roof penetration make these ERVs the most admired in the industry.

MiniVents are approximately 75% effective in indoor applications that require <1200 CFM of air typically found in classrooms, meeting rooms and small retail outlets. These wheeled MiniVents are designed specifically for indoor installation and can be floor mounted or ceiling mounted. A removable panel easily allows access to the enthalphy wheel and filters as needed.

Standard ERVs provide more flexibility than packaged MiniVents. These ERVs are used to recover exhaust air energy and reintroduce into the conditioned space. Besides the fact that they operate in a 600-6,200 CFM window, these can be used both indoor and outdoor. These are Metasys® ready with quickstep controls and the units are powder coated. Units achieve superior energy recovery in accordance with AHRI 1060-2000 & ASHRAE 90.1 compliance standards.

Full-Feature ERVs with heating and cooling work well both in Retrofits or New construction rooftop units.

The post Why Install an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV)? appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

When a commercial customer is considering a Variable-Air-Volume (VAV) system for a new construction or renovation project, here’s an alternative that’s worth a second thought: chilled beam technology. In spaces where humidity loads are moderate (less than 25% of total heat gain) – such as open office areas, computer/server rooms, condo/hotel rooms, medical waiting rooms, libraries, museums, bank lobbies and retail stores – chilled beam technology proves to be an energy-efficient alternative.

Chilled beam technology employs coils installed in the space that leverage the heat transfer capacity of water, which is 3,500 times that of air, to provide sensible cooling. Passive chilled beams utilize natural convection to deliver cooling, while active chilled beams utilize high velocity jets of air to induce room air across their coils. This design provides several significant benefits, which include:

1. Energy savings

• Eliminates the costs of traditional air handling unit fans that consume a lot of energy to circulate a large volume of air. With active chilled beams, fan motor horsepower is reduced by 50 to 70 percent because the volume of forced air volume is minimal. As a result, annual fan/pump energy savings range from 30 to 40 percent.

• Reduces the cost of reheat incurred with conventional HVAC technology, which has a tendency to overcool when actual cooling requirements are below design loads, then must be reheated to maintain setpoint. An active chilled beam’s minimal airflow facilitates delivery of cooling and ventilation without overcooling. As a result, reheat energy costs are reduced by up to 88 percent.

• Cuts chiller operating costs, because a chilled beam can use a higher return water temperature, which increases chiller efficiency by 2 to 4 percent per degree. Moreover, dedicated chillers can be used to create opportunities for using waterside economizers, depending on the region. A dedicated chiller can be 40 percent more efficient when supplying 55 to 60°F water. As a result, the operational cost of a dedicated chiller for a chilled beam application is typically 15 percent less than a central chiller for a conventional system.

2. Maintenance savings

• Eliminates filters, because air is moving at low velocity over a dry coil surface, which dramatically reduces the amount of dust and contaminants in the supplied air. Active chilled beam technology is specifically exempted from requiring filtration by the International Mechanical Code (IMC) for commercial buildings.

• Eliminates terminal blower motors within active chilled beam terminal units, which receive primary ventilation from the central air handling system fan motor. As a result, there are no terminal fan motors to replace, saving the replacement cost of $450 to $500 each.

• Uses fewer components reducing maintenance and repair costs, lowering the 20-year life cycle cost by 20 to 25 percent versus more complex VAV technology.

3. Structural savings

• Reduces slab-to-slab spacing, because the low profile of chilled beams allows height reductions of up to 12 inches per floor, yielding average structural savings of $3.75 per square foot.

• Reduces the size of components and shrinks duct cross-sectional areas by 50 percent or more along with the elimination of fan-powered terminal units.

• Shrinks air handling unit size with an AHU footprint that is 30 to 40 percent smaller, increasing usable floor space. 

Chilled beams bring new benefits to today’s buildings

At a time when building owners and managers are facing complex building performance and budgetary challenges, contractors can suggest active chilled beams as an alternative to costlier VAV solutions. Utilizing smaller ductwork and smaller air-handling units than a VAV system, chilled beams offer significant space and energy savings in applications where sensible cooling is the primary need.

The post Think “Chilled Beams” Instead of VAV Systems for Commercial Projects appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Simple things like swiping a credit card and storing photos on the network attached to your phone or computer are meant to feel seamless to end users but there is a great deal happening behind the scenes of every transaction. The true to key to making things like this work is data management and storage. This is why companies like Microsoft and Google spend billions of dollars researching and building massive data centers all over the world.

According to technologies infrastructure company, Emerson Network Power, In the traditional data center, approximately one-half of the energy consumed goes to support IT equipment with the other half used by support systems. This is where the HVAC industry comes into play.

Data centers consist of large numbers of data servers that are operated by computer (IT) equipment and all of that technology requires a huge amount of electricity. All of that (electrical) power generates an extreme amount of heat that has to be properly managed or damage to equipment can occur and cause outages.

It would benefit HVAC contractors to explain to potential data center clients that the 2011 National Study on Data Center Downtime revealed that the mean cost for any type of data center outage is $505,502 with the average cost of a partial data center shutdown being $258,149. A full shutdown costs more than $680,000.

An investment in a proper computer room air conditioning system (CRAC) is an investment that can far outweigh the cost of problems that have to be faced when equipment outages occur. Unfortunately, recommending a proper system is not always a simple situation.

There tends to be a battle of wills of sorts between HVAC professionals, owners of data centers, and the information technology (IT) team that they employ.

HVAC professionals focus on what will work based on their experience, data center owners focus on finances and IT professionals tend to believe that their professional experience in the industry qualifies them to make decisions in regard to how to properly cool the equipment they work with.

“IT guys think they know AC but what they really know about is the programming of the equipment versus how the system actually works,” explained Chris Bigalke of W.B. Guimarin and Company of South Carolina.”

As an example, Bigalke offered up two scenarios that his company recently faced that explain how important it is to take the time to properly educate the customer so that decisions can me made easier for all involved parties.

Scenario one: “The IT people demanded that the IT room have 200% redundancy, with lead/lag and two different makes of equipment that they wanted to communicate with each other. It was a nightmare dealing with a mechanical engineer, architect, IT, owners, and equipment.”

Scenario two: “We recently put two 30 ton Liebert’s into a data center expansion. There was lots of discussion about how to cool the units – water versus heat rejection units. IT was very nervous about having water in the DC. We had the option of using virtually free water to cool the unit, but had to convince the owners that it would be safe having water in the DC. Otherwise they would have needed to run long refrigerant lines from the DC to a heat rejection unit on the roof. That installation would have required roofers, lots of copper, cranes, refrigerant, heat rejection unit,  etc… versus just some black iron water lines to the indoor units from an already existing building cooling water loop. We eventually convinced them that the water would be underneath the raised floor and would not present a problem.”

Bigalke went on to further explain that in his experience, it is beneficial to have a data center facility manager involved in the decision making process to act as a sponsor or advocate for the HVAC service provider and act as liaison between the facility owner, IT, and the HVAC contractor to learn the concerns of all sides and help to advocate for the installation of a system that the HVAC contractor recommends for the specific case.

Another issue facing HVAC contractors is that equipment manufactures have a tendency to instill fear into decision makers by recommending a particular brand of equipment that is sold as specific to data center needs.

The manufacturer may believe that their solution is the only viable solution but an HVAC professional needs to be able to explain that while the recommended system is an option, there are other solutions available that would be more financially beneficial and practical. It needs to be explained to the customer that equipment the manufactures recommend comes bundled with required factory training. Not all solutions require that level of specific training. The training can be both expensive and require a lot of time.

“Bad thing is that the DC people are willing to spend much more money for the brand that is sold as specific to DC needs. There are others that will also do the job and are much more easily serviced and programmed,” said Bigalke.

All-in-all, recommending the correct CRAC (system) for a client requires an HVAC contractor to be educated on all available options to suit the unique requirements of the customer and an understanding of the issues and costs that can arise if an unsuitable system is installed.

Useful resource:

The following checklist published by Emerson Network Power for data center owners provides a guideline that HVAC professionals can tailor to their own needs and use to help educate DC decision-makers in a clear and straight-forward way. This will help to keep everyone involved on the same page.

Data Center Design Checklist-

• Maximize the return temperature at the cooling units to improve capacity and efficiency
  Increase the temperature of the air being returned to the cooling system using the hot-aisle/cold aisle-rack arrangement and containing the cold aisle to prevent mixing of air. Perimeter cooling systems can be supported by row and rack cooling to support higher densities and achieve greater efficiency.

• Match cooling capacity and airflow with IT loads
  Use intelligent controls to enable individual cooling units to work together as a team and support more precise control of airflow based on server inlet and return air temperatures.

• Utilize cooling designs that reduce energy consumption
  Take advantage of energy efficient components to reduce cooling system energy use, including variable speed and EC plug fans, microchannel condenser coils and proper economizers.

• Select a power system to optimize your availability and efficiency needs
  Achieve required levels of power system availability and scalability by using the right UPS design in a redundant configuration that meets availability requirements. Use energy optimization features when appropriate and intelligent paralleling in redundant configurations.

• Design for flexibility using scalable architectures that minimizes footprint
  Create a growth plan for power and cooling systems during the design phase. Consider vertical, horizontal, and orthogonal scalability for the UPS system. Employ two-stage power distribution and a modular approach to cooling.

• Enable data center infrastructure management and monitoring to improve capacity, efficiency and availability
  Enable remote management and monitoring of all physical systems and bring data from these systems together through a centralized data center infrastructure management platform.

• Utilize local design and service expertise to extend equipment life, reduce costs and address your data center’s unique challenges
  Consult with experienced data center support specialists before designing or expanding and conduct timely preventive maintenance supplemented by periodic thermal and electrical assessments.

The post The Opportunities & Challenges of Working In Data Centers appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Working in apartment buildings requires both residential and commercial expertise.

For most of its 36 years in business, Alltek Energy Systems, Inc., has worked in the multifamily housing market within a 100-mile radius of its headquarters in Waterford, NY. The best way to characterize that market during the last three decades is “ebb and flow,” says Michael O’Connor, Alltek’s president.

“Multi-family housing comes and goes, along with the economy,” says O’Connor, whose company specializes in new construction of apartment buildings, hotels, and large commercial spaces. “Right now it’s a bull market in our area, although the developers will probably overbuild. Then there will be a void of activity for five years or so, and then everything will kick up again.”

With the nation’s housing inventory still low, rental units remain a hot commodity for now. The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) in Washington, D.C., reports that nearly two out of five U.S. households (37%) currently occupy rented quarters—a percentage that has risen as home ownership dropped in the wake of the 2008 recession and the foreclosures it prompted. More than half (52%) of those rentals are in multiple-unit structures according to NMHC, which represents developers, owners, and managers of apartment buildings.

If you decide to pursue the multifamily market, O’Connor advises, “You have to be prepared for the ups and downs by being financially sound and having a multiply trained workforce capable of handling various projects.” Alltek, for example, often designs an apartment building’s heating system, forms the sheet metal needed, and puts in gas or refrigeration lines. And, after completing construction, Alltek always attempts to sell a service contract and handle HVAC maintenance work for the building.

While multifamily housing sounds similar to the residential market, the work itself tends to be more commercial, says Laurita Parker, office manager for Spectrum Maintenance & Services, LLC. Over the last 15 years the company, based in Denton, TX, has worked in numerous residential structures that feature commercial-type equipment, such as a boiler/chiller system. “You don’t know if the problem is being caused by a specific piece of equipment for an individual apartment, like the coil, or something further back in the line related to the chiller itself or the condenser,” Parker explains. “Sometimes we have to check six different condensers to figure out the problem for just one apartment—and that can take time.”

Typically Spectrum is contacted either by individual owners of rental apartments or the management company hired to handle general maintenance tasks and rent collection for a building or complex. Parker notes, “A management company will have regular maintenance staff to change filters and make sure drains aren’t clogged. They’ll call us for the jobs that are more difficult or that they aren’t licensed to do, like checking the refrigerant levels.” She tracks Spectrum’s work in apartment buildings as a separate business category because, in Texas, multifamily work is considered residential for tax purposes but classified as commercial for insurance purposes.

Getting Ready

For Parker, a defining characteristic of apartment owners and managers is their focus on minimizing costs. For example, don’t expect them to show much interest in investing in more energy efficient equipment—particularly if renters will be paying the utility bills. “Individual owners are less likely to do the necessary repairs and more likely to put the cost on the tenant, if possible,” Parker says. “And management companies often try to get away with a once-a-year inspection rather than one for heating and one for cooling.”

In addition to keeping in mind that emphasis on economy, here are three suggested steps to take before moving into the multifamily housing market:

Research the local supply and demand for apartments. Statistics compiled by the National Multifamily Housing Council show the geographic diversity of the apartment rental market. In New York City, for example, apartments represent 50 percent of all housing, compared to 42 percent in Washington, D.C., and just 15 percent in Philadelphia. State or regional associations that represent the multifamily housing industry can also provide data related to the age of apartment stock, planned construction of new apartments, and ownership and management characteristics.

Depending on your service area, a sizable multifamily market may already exist. Spectrum, for instance, is located in the same city as Texas Women’s University and the University of North Texas. As Parker notes, “College towns tend to be overrun by apartment buildings.”

In terms of new construction, apartments are increasingly being built as part of multi-use developments that also include retail or office space. A developer’s construction manager or general contractor often prefers to work with one HVAC contractor on the project’s various components, says Michael O’Connor. As an example, Alltek recently completed work on a five-story building that features retail space topped by student housing. “The retail was all concrete up to the deck, and then it was wooden frame for the four floors above,” O’Connor explains. “We had to accommodate getting ventilation and refrigeration lines from the roof of the building down to the first floor.”

Allow for the unexpected. Could your company survive a 90-day wait for its first payment after starting work on an apartment building under construction? It’s been known to happen, says O’Connor. In fact, he knows of one multifamily housing project where the HVAC contractor and other subcontractors didn’t receive their last 20 percent of payment because the developer and general contractor were at odds.

“We’ve had projects that are 80 percent through and the owner ran out of funding or a major catastrophe happened to the building. You have to be prepared to weather a storm like that, like having a good line of credit with your bank,” observes O’Connor. “I’ve also learned that you have to be aggressive—but polite—about collecting your money so you can make payroll and pay your bills on time.”

Getting paid by management companies often depends on having a purchase order in hand before entering an individual apartment, adds Laurita Parker. Plus, you might need to obtain the manager’s permission before starting any maintenance or repair work that will exceed an established limit, such as $250.

“Another surprise can come in scheduling, because you never know if the tenant will be home when you go to an apartment,” says Parker. “It’s not unusual to have to wait for the tenant to come home, go to the apartment offices to get a key, or reschedule the appointment. That can really send a day’s schedule out the window.” To minimize schedule disruptions, Spectrum uses appointment windows, rather than specific times, for its work in multifamily housing.

Build and nourish business relationships. Parker and O’Connor agree that much of their companies’ work in the multifamily housing market comes from the reputations for quality they’ve built and the community connections they’ve made through the years. “People who own or manage apartment buildings tend to hang out in the same circles, so once you’ve developed a good relationship with one, that person will recommend you to others,” Parker says. She also recommends being active in the local chamber of commerce and community events—especially those that attract management companies in search of tenants for their apartments.

The post The Multi-family Market appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

While the chiller is the heart of chilled water systems, its support system of components and controls are equally critical to maintain and manage to ensure your system attains the highest efficiency levels.

Emphasis is often placed on the chiller since it is the most visible and higher energy element of a chilled water system. Yet, if you look beyond the flange, there’s an opportunity to improve delivery of cooling water to the airside or process loads and reduce unwanted heat to sources of heat rejection. There is a lot of low hanging fruit in maintenance – here are simple ways to save energy.

In large buildings and facilities, chilled water cooling systems can yield many advantages, including refrigerant and maintenance containment and energy efficiency. Those advantages can also be magnified when building owners work with a partner to maintain the full system over the lifetime of a system to reap additional rewards. Look beyond the chiller itself to other components such as chilled and condenser water pumps, cooling towers, airside, and hydronic specialties including water pressure regulators, air separators, and chemical feed pots. Controls are also critical to the system because they operate water valves, control set points and schedule equipment.

Maintenance issues for the larger chiller system, including those as the component level, may indeed originate at the chiller. Yet, real detective work may be necessary to identify the root cause since trouble may start somewhere in the ancillary components of the chilled water system.

Water Pumps –  In a typical chilled water system, the pump carries the warmer water from the air-side coils back to the chiller for re-cooling to 44°. Condenser water pumps deliver the 95° water rejected by the chiller to the cooling tower for cooling back down to 85°. Some tips for saving energy during this pumping process:

• Investigate putting VFDs on pumps
• Be sure the pressure settings are as low as possible
• Check the scheduling – is it on and off when it should be? This is one of the most common oversights and it uses a lot of energy. If the pumps are not running when the chiller is running, you will have a fault.

Common centrifugal impeller pump types include end-suction and split case construction. During servicing, consider pump and motor bearing lubrication and water seal cooling on larger pumps. Motor-pump shaft alignment is important and should be checked periodically as heavy piping and supports may shift over time. Providing positive suction pressure is important to prevent cavitation and air erosion. Cavitation can be caused when there is a change to lower the water pressure at the inlet of the pump. Pressure regulator stations maintain water loop pressure and air separators remove unwanted air from the chilled water.

Cooling towers – Condenser water transfers the unwanted heat load removed by the chiller and the chiller’s compressor work (heat of compression) to the cooling towers. These towers come in several common types: forced or induced draft and single and cross draft. Typically, towers are constructed of steel, fiber-glass reinforced plastic, wood or concrete. Service requirements across all types of cooling towers are consistent. Fan motors, gear drives, fan belts and water make-up float assemblies all require routine maintenance and inspection. It’s most important to check the operation and maintenance manual and recommended service schedules to cover proper maintenance. Tower basins as well as fill and distribution pans all need periodic cleaning.

Airside –This is where the heat load is transferred to the chilled water loop via a chilled water coil. Coils are part of an air handler unit, which also contains air filters, fans, mixing boxes/dampers, and other air handling devices. Coils are commonly constructed of copper tubes and aluminum fins requiring routine service such as air filter replacement and fin cleaning. Drain pans and lines also need to be cleaned of accumulated biological growth and dirt to sustain proper indoor air quality. Dirty coils can significantly curtail efficient heat transfer and hike energy use since operators typically must lower chilled water temperatures to overcome the reduction in heat transfer. A second negative consequence is increased fan energy with high air pressure drops.

Check fan operation, belt tightness, and VFD settings to be sure they match set points. Lots of energy can be wasted by running the VFDs at higher-than-necessary air pressure set points listed in the design documents.

Hydronic Specialties – Pressure water feed and relief stations should be checked periodically to ensure proper water loop pressure (as specified in your design documents). Pressure that’s too low may prevent circulation to high level air handler coils or cause pump cavitation. If the water is not getting to the air handlers on top of the building, you’ll see a drop in capacity. While they require minimal attention, a regular check of expansion tanks and air separators is wise. Chemical feed pots are used to introduce chemicals or glycol to closed loop systems. Heat exchangers need to be cleaned; it can be time consuming but the energy savings is worth the effort.

Water Treatment –Condenser water loops require treatment for the prevention and control of corrosion, scale presence, and biological growth. Closed chilled water system loops are not exposed to the atmosphere, but still need inhibiters to control corrosion. Open cooling tower systems are more demanding. Cooling towers act like a large air washer and require regular maintenance to combat corrosion problems. Many water treatment approaches are successfully used in systems today, including chemical, magnetic, and ozone types.  Fouled water and scaled pipes inhibit heat transfer at the chiller and cooling coils. A miscue in water treatment can quickly damage the chiller’s tubes – a substantial and major performance issue. Therefore, regular eddy current testing of tubes is critical combined with consistent, effective water treatment.  Because cooling towers evaporate large amounts of water with some drift to the atmosphere, control of biological matter is also an important health issue. Several antimicrobial growth products are available that will help minimize biological growth in the cooling tower basin.

Controls – New digital-based controls are fairly low maintenance other than occasional software updates and calibration. Older pneumatic systems employ air compressor/driers, which require specific routine service. While pneumatic systems are uncommon, moisture in a pneumatic system can be detrimental to proper operation causing expensive clean-up costs. Dampers and water control valves also should be checked for operation and lubed where necessary. Controlling the chiller plant pump sequence, air handler scheduling and exhaust fan operation can all impact chiller operation and performance. Chilled water temperature pull down rates need to be slow and steady. Fast temperature and/or flow changes can cause erratic and inefficient chiller operation. On variable flow systems, minimum flows should be confirmed. Check your operation and maintenance manuals for all settings.

Summary – The complexity of service tasks and frequency varies for all equipment and components; the manufacturers’ operation and maintenance manuals should be consulted for specific guidance. To sustain efficient and reliable operation, a building owner who relies on a chilled water system would benefit from a professional service technician’s advice and eye. Developing and executing a service schedule plan will help minimize unscheduled and costly shutdowns, while safeguarding the investment in equipment.

The extensive support system can often impact the chiller’s operation and the impacts are not always immediately apparent without digging deeper. The first step to operating a highly efficient chilled water system is understanding what’s installed, how it operates, and what is the right service plan approach to optimize over the full life of the equipment. Proper commissioning and establishing an energy baseline can also help in noting any service trends that require attention. Your best resource is an HVAC service provider that specializes in chilled water systems.

The post Beyond the Flange appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Yes, it is a fact; the most successful service sales negotiators in the HVACR industry have a core competency of being able to access financial decision makers along with facility managers.  Every sales person in HVACR commercial service or design/build MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) contracting knows how frustrating selling can become when “price only” discussions, delays, avoidance, even deception seem to take control of the process.  One of the ways great sales people overcome some of these obstacles is to also access FINANCIAL DECISION MAKERS early in the sales process, early in the relationship.

Let’s examine some of the hurdles, pitfalls and obstacles that can stand between sales people and the negotiated service solution that we know will work best for our prospect or customer.  Many obstacles, hurdles and pitfalls while selling service are the “fault” of the economy, indecision or the fact that the prospect is struggling through a tough economy OR that the contractor has not differentiated themselves or provided the correct solutions.   As well, many of the obstacles that sales people encounter are due to self-imposed obstacles or self-imposed hurdles such as NOT getting access to financial decision makers and presenting financial justification.  Simply stated; when a thorough and comprehensive sales process is not adhered to and when we do not meet with financial or fiduciary decision makers then we may miss the opportunity to completely resolve the “pain” and issues that the prospect or customer are experiencing.  A sales process that is facilitated with a middle manager in a business, that also includes only two or three steps in that process, (“meet and quote” or “meet, survey and quote”) leaves the sales person “isolated” to the point where objections and resistance are the only discussion of the day.  Maybe even worse, leads to price only discussions.

When a sales person or service leader in commercial HVACR does not meet and interview financial decisions makers such as the CFO, Controller, VP Finance, Accounting Manager or Business Manager to gain agreement in the early stages of the sale the prospective customer is not fully qualified.  Something else is missing too, what happens when we need access to the financial person in that business so that we may present financial justification with building ownership costs or simply benchmarking?  The only option left is for the middle manager to discuss price, delays, excuses, and talk about confusing concepts that do NOT resolve issues, solve problems and eliminate “pain”.   Whereas, a thorough sales process, gaining access to financial levels of management, utilized with great questioning and listening skills, lead to a strong, long-term customer relationship that delivers the exact solution that meets the expectations of the customer.  The opportunity at the Confirmation/Verification stage to present financial justification in the form of a financial analysis or simple benchmarking is possible!

Clearly the ability to reach financial levels of a business and facilitate a comprehensive sales process is the “Managed Expectations” and follow through that differentiates our business and ensures sales success.  How important is it to meet and interview financial decision makers and utilize this thorough sales approach?  Well, it can be the difference between a completely negotiated bundle of service and design/build solutions at high margin launching a long-term, loyal customer relationship OR a frustrating bid or quote that ends in indecision, excuses and a prospect trying to guess at the real value of working with you and your company…in short, you become a price-driven “commodity”!

We begin the sales process by accessing financial managers and executives and exemplify a servant attitude approach where “negotiating” and “collaboration” are the “words of the day”.  We can avoid resistance from the financial or executive level of a business by using the correct words and reasons for them to be involved.  “We typically meet with executives or leaders in an organization to understand your concerns and gain critical feedback.”  “You know your business and budget the best and you know the impact the HVACR can have on your operations, we would like to learn more from you.”  Additional language would include; “We help with capital expense planning (equipment replacement plans) and can recommend energy saving options that we would like to discuss with you.”  Even financing and leasing are reasons to give to a financial person in order to meeting with them.  The meeting may be brief or we only access the financial decision maker by email or phone, HOWEVER, we now have access to them later in the sales process if we need help in obtaining financial information and negotiating with financial justification.  Make sense?

Next, we recognize the real value of face-to-face introductory meetings with financial leaders in the business where questioning, listening, qualifying and collaboration help us understand and achieve specific prospect business objectives.  Properly setting up first structured meetings and facilitating those meetings with financial people as well as facility managers is critical to launching our thorough sales process.  Knowing that self-generated leads and self-initiated “plans of action” with multiple decision making levels of our prospects’ businesses are not only important but mandatory, and can be so very critical.

Our plan or schedule is agreed to by financial persons and facility people and should include not only a survey but also a “Building Assessment” that would incorporate discussions that lead to collecting financial information and eventually presenting financial justification.  The later steps in the process also include the Confirmation or Verification stage (the most overlooked step in any sales process in any industry) and can be very instrumental in allowing for a negotiating deal while presenting a financial analysis or benchmarking.  Providing a proposal that is a proposal-presentation hybrid will also differentiate your contracting business and help sales people present, close and discuss terms and conditions correctly with success!  A thorough sales process begins with a great interview and should not only include the facilities manager but the financial manager!

The post Getting to the Financial Decision Makers in Commercial Service Sales appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Contracts for equipment installation and services for medical buildings and hospitals are potentially very lucrative, and represent a year-round source of income. It’s no wonder that such contracts are often very attractive to HVAC contractors, who are subject to seasonal ups and downs. However, bidding on these contracts is not as straightforward as many contractors would believe, according to Jason Harley, a construction attorney and associate with McDonald Hopkins, a business advocacy law firm located in Columbus, Ohio. Harley also worked with healthcare facilities as a mechanical engineer.

“A lot of contractors think ‘We’ve been doing HVAC forever, why don’t we do this hospital?’” Harley said.

Frequently it’s only after they’ve begun work on the job that HVAC contractors realize some of the unique challenges associated with hospitals and medical buildings. Accounting for these unique challenges in advance is essential to successfully winning bids and executing HVAC contracts for hospitals and other medical facilities, according to Harley.

Complex Systems, Small Spaces, and Tight Clearances
Coordination in tight spaces is essential to nearly every HVAC job. However, HVAC contractors working in medical facilities are often faced with even tighter spaces than they deal with in other commercial jobs. Contractors should be aware of this fact when submitting their bids. Where many commercial buildings have straightforward HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, hospitals have HVAC, plumbing, electrical, oxygen piping, medical gas and vacuum piping, according to Harley.
“One thing we see a lot of in the medical field and in the buildings they’re constructing is that they have so many systems interacting. Everything is packed in really tight,” Harley said.

Logistical Challenges
Hospitals and medical facilities are frequently located in densely developed urban areas. Such areas present logistical challenges that are easily overlooked, but can potentially be very costly and should be accounted for in the bid. For instance, there may not be an open yard to store supplies. As a result, on-time delivery of equipment and supplies is critical, according to Harley.

“You don’t want 50 guys standing around waiting for pipe or a conduit,” Harley said.

Contractors should also consider and account for how their workers will get to the job site, if on-site parking is not available. Contractors must also account for mundane matters such as where their crew will take breaks. Job sites that require crew members to travel between multiple floors can also trigger costs that must be accounted for in the bid, according to Harley.

“If they’re waiting for elevators half an hour each day going from floor to floor, that adds up,” Harley said.

Willingness to Take Charge
Because of the complexity associated with hospital and medical facility construction contracts, it’s critical for contractors and owners to be on the same page about what is or is not included in a contract before work begins. Otherwise, contractors may learn that owners expect them to complete work that they didn’t include in their bids, resulting in misunderstandings or worse, according to Harley.

On the other hand, contractors who are not only aware of the unique challenges associated with hospital and medical facilities but who take a leading role often stand out from the competition. All other things, being equal, contractors relay to owners that they are willing to coordinate the various moving parts of a medical facility or hospital construction project rather than simply collaborating as part of an overall effort frequently win the job, according to Harley.

“(Say to owners) This is an issue; we know it’s an issue. We’ll take the reins,” Harley said.

Notice Provisions
Contractors should also act to protect themselves against overly strict notice provisions during the bid process. Notice provisions require contractors to provide written notice to owners within a specified time limit for claims relating to a contract. Otherwise, contractors risk having their right to collect damages terminated for claims up to the time agreements containing notice provisions were signed. Notice provisions are nearly always enforceable and are strictly enforced, even when a contractor’s claim would otherwise be valid. Harley explained.

“You can argue until you’re blue in the face that everybody knows about an issue but if you haven’t given notice, it will do you no good,” Harley said.

Notice provisions associated with final payments are frequently especially harsh. Contractors who neglect to practice due diligence and who sign agreements containing overly broad notice provisions in exchange for their final payment on a job potentially risk waiving all claims related to the entire contract, according to Harley.

“It’s concerning how many people don’t understand what they’re signing when they seemingly innocuous documents,” Harley said.

The majority of overly broad notice provisions are not concocted by owners acting in bad faith, but are instead the result of poor contract drafting. Nonetheless, in a dispute, owners who have signed contracts containing strict notice provisions are likely to enforce those provisions, according to Harley.

“It may have been an accident at the time, but you may be out of luck,” Harley said.

Clarifying Exclusions
Clarifying exclusions during the bidding process protects contractors from many of the hazards associated with notice provisions. However, doing so presents potential hazards for contractors. Bids that include a long list of exclusions can put owners off, Harley said.

“They (owners) may say ‘I don’t want this guy; I want somebody who’s ready to start,’” Harley said.

Contractors understand this hazard, and therefore frequently shy away from dealing with exclusions and claims waivers during the bid process, according to Harley.

(Contractors say) “I don’t want to be branded as a claims contractor,” Harley said.

Nonetheless, initiating a candid discussion with owners during the bid process can save contractors significant headaches down the line, according to Harley.

“(Otherwise) You’re (the owner) going to be disappointed by my high bid, or I’m going to be disappointed by what you make me buy (on a low bid),” Harley said.

One way to do so is to take a “just in case” approach, while assuring owners that they don’t anticipate any problems, according to Harley.

(Contractors should say) “I don’t know if this will ever come up, but it’s in the contract, so let’s talk about it,” Harley said.

Afterwards, the contract should be revised to reflect the terms agreed upon during the discussion. In fact, many contracts include blanks for exceptions and language within the contract that states that waivers apply except for those listed exceptions, Harley said.

“Taking an hour up front to review a contract can save a ton of money down the line,” Harley said.

Disclaimer: This article includes tips oh making HVAC contractor bids on medical facilities and hospitals. It is not intended to provide legal  advice. Please consult with an attorney in your jurisdiction with specific legal questions associated with  making  such bids.

The post Bidding On Medical Building and Hospital Jobs appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

When Mark and Gretchen Biedron co-founded the The Willow School (Willow), Gladstone, New Jersey, their vision was to create a school that provides students with a space that celebrates learning and collaboration, and that fosters ethical relationships between people and the natural systems that support them. Sustainability drives both the curriculum and building design for Willow, so when the school was designing its fourth building – the Health, Wellness and Nutrition Center – the project team selected a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning system from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Mitsubishi Electric).

Willow has a proud history of green building. In 2002, it built the first LEED® Gold certified school building in the United States and, in 2007, the first LEED Platinum certified school building in New Jersey. Ever the pioneers, Biedron and his team wanted to up the ante for the new Health, Wellness and Nutrition Center. This 20,000-square-foot building contains four classrooms, a faculty room, a movement area, a dining room, a commercial kitchen, health/wellness spaces and a teaching kitchen – which further support the curriculum and mission of the school. “With this project, we were focused on taking the Living Building Challenge™ (LBC). Being a ‘living building’ means that everything in the building is 100 percent electric. Basically we were trying to answer the question, ‘How do you make a building like a tree?’ Well, a tree uses nothing but sunlight, so we have to as well,” said Biedron.

Michael Farewell, head designer at Farewell Architects, Princeton, New Jersey, was one of several professionals called in to solve that challenge. He designed the foundation of Willow’s energy efficiency: a high-performance envelope that he described as “a combination of effective machinery – where all of the energy is generated by solar panels on the roof. It’s a whole package that saves energy without having to use any.”

Given the generated energy, it is no surprise that Biedron and his team decided between an all electric geothermal system and VRF to further Willow’s sustainability goals. These systems also offer countless other benefits. Nitish Joy of Loring Consulting Engineers (Loring), Princeton, was the lead mechanical engineer on the project. He  said the selection process included “comparative data projections for each system [geothermal vs. VRF] as paired with the super-insulated envelope. VRF was well ahead on net-zero efficiency.” Vin Farese, principal at Loring, noted that VRF solved an additional challenge: “As the LBC prohibited the use of fossil fuels in the building, the commercial kitchen had to be electric. That drove Willow towards selecting high-efficiency, electric heat pumps and using photovoltaic [panels] to offset the energy used.”

For Farewell, it was also important that occupants be able to personalize their spaces. “The focus of the school is to be able to connect to the local environment – woodlands, storm-water runoff, meadows and orchards – but there is also an obvious focus on the quality of teaching, so each space is customized to the individual experience of the teacher, student, chef, administration, whomever.”

For Biedron, the choice was more a question of environmental responsibility, especially while trying to be LBC-certified: “Geothermal has an ecology all its own and no one seemed to know what the results of introducing that to the environment would be. The whole system is underground; what goes into fixing something that’s wrong underground? The beauty of Mitsubishi [Electric] is that everything is above ground and easily accessible.”

Each decision the project team made took careful consideration. Farese said, “Every load was tracked and analyzed. Every amp and watt was accounted for. Nothing was missed” while following the rigid LBC guidelines. For example, LBC guidelines ensure that product shipping does not require increased fossil fuel consumption. This regulation can become challenging. Biedron said, “To be Living Building certified, we had to make sure that we were getting our products from within a certain distance, but Mitsubishi [Electric] products just weren’t within that limit. However, Mitsubishi [Electric] quickly provided us with all of the documentation we needed to be able to get an exception to this rule. We proved that their products would be so energy-efficient over their lifetime that the one-time transportation expense would deliver a system that would ultimately save on cost and energy year after year after year.”

The inclusion of Lossnay ERV units is another way Willow has been able to further eliminate inefficiencies. When agreeable conditions make natural ventilation favorable – including having outdoor temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit – a controls system prompts teachers and students to open classroom windows for outside air. Otherwise, the Lossnay ERVs enable this new building to recover energy from exhaust air to simultaneously cool or heat outside ventilation air as it enters the building.

Willow’s exceptional efficiency is easily illustrated inside the building’s Energy Gallery, where a touch-screen interface toggles between data from all energy systems inside the high-performance envelope. As Biedron said, “We had to remain net-zero or net-positive. With solar panels and the Mitsubishi [Electric] system we were able to achieve  that. A conventional facility built to code uses between 100-150 kBtu per square foot … but this building uses only 21 kBtu per square foot – and that was including our commercial kitchen. If you remove the kitchen, it would only use 15 kBtu per square foot. When people look at this building, they’re looking at one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the country.”

Although Mitsubishi Electric systems can be conveniently stored in a space no bigger than a closet, Biedron wants their presence to be known. “Each of the classroom units is housed in a small closet at the back of the room. Indoor units for Think Spaces are in the Mezzanine and condensers are on a concrete pad outside. We don’t want to hide our units; in fact, we really try to open them up so anyone can come up and see them. We also have a whole page on our master touchscreen that shows the efficiency of our Mitsubishi [Electric] system so we can show people and inform them about VRF,” said Biedron.

In addition to this project earning LBC certification, Biedron is most enthusiastic about Willow being recognized as a Green Ribbon School. “We win so many awards for how green we are, but we also want to make sure that we are showcasing that same awareness for our academic rigor.” The United States Department of Education introduced the Green Ribbon Program to recognize schools that provide strong academics and work to reduce environmental impact and to improve the health of students and staff. “It’s really the responsibility of the educational community to teach children how the planet works, why that’s important and how to use energy efficiently.”

The post Case Study: Willow School in Gladstone, NJ appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Like many other businesses in the construction and maintenance industry, Dave and Beth Kyle’s Trademasters Service Corp was struggling in 2008. The national recession was at its peak, and new construction had virtually stopped in the US. The Kyle’s understood that something had to be done. Employees were relying on them, and bills had to be paid.

Not known to rest on his laurels, Dave Kyle started research on a plan that would change his business forever. Kyle estimates that it took his plan 12-18 months to make his plan fully come to life.

Kyle figured that even if construction had slowed to a halt that one particular entity had to keep moving forward. They had to maintain existing buildings, and that would require the services of companies like Trademasters. That entity was the US Government.

Trademasters now employees what Kyle refers to as 135 “co-workers,” and many of them focus on the marketing required to successfully work with government contracts.

When Kyle speaks to workshops about working with government contracts there is always one thing that he starts with. He has everyone in attendance pick up a pen or pencil and write a nine and 10 zeros. Kyle wants attendees to see what 90 billion looks like on paper. He wants to put things in perspective for them before he explains that the US government has an annual budget of about $90 billion and that it is required by law to spend 23-percent (nearly $21 billion) of that budget with small businesses. He wants to show them that there is a great deal of opportunity to be had if they are willing to put in the effort. Kyle is clear that the “effort” that he teaches about is not easy but that it is entirely possible.

Kyle’s company started working with government contracts by first establishing a way to find available jobs to bid on. His team developed a database utilizing existing government databases to search for available jobs.

Building a unique exclusive database may not be something that every business has the staff or experience to do, but every business has free access to search government databases for available work.

To get started, Kyle recommends tracking open government contracts on sites such as USAspending.gov and FedBizOpps.gov. Market intelligence firms like ONVIA or ImmixGroup can also do the work for you. (ImmixGroup also has a useful blog that highlights upcoming opportunities as well as contracting tips).

While finding work is obviously important, it is just a small step in succeeding with government contracts.

Kyle likes to use the term “the paperwork pays” to point out the importance of properly completing government paperwork.

“The time that it takes to complete paperwork for a project can take as long or even longer than the project itself,” explained Kyle. “A business must figure in the cost associated with completing required paperwork in their bids to be sure that they honor their bid without losing money. Some businesses will try to pad the price of a job with change orders to makeup for factors they failed to factor into their bids, but that is not smart because approval of change orders is not guaranteed.”

“There are a number of factors that a business must understand and put into place to be successful with government work,” explained Kyle. “The real key is making the government’s system your system.”

Kyle recommends that every business interested in working with the government first study and understand the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). FAR lists government policies that must be followed.

Kyle further explained that understanding how the government operates is a critical starting point based on the fact that virtually every government agency and branch of the military has a different system of rules, regulations, and requirements in place that must be fully understood. For example, a local post office will have a completely different system in place than the Navy does.

Each agency also has an amount that they must budget to spend with small businesses.

According to the Small Business Administration, the government offers potential contractors something that no other sector does — an insight into its budgetary priorities. What the government intends to buy, and how much it has to spend is all in the public domain. These budgets offer sufficient context for small businesses to identify opportunities and focus their contracting sales and marketing strategy. Each federal agency or department budget is listed on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) website at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Overview/.

In addition to the required resources needed to properly complete paperwork and understand government budgeting, there are other things that a business must have in place to successfully work with the government.

One of the most important is a way to get paid. The government has virtually eliminated the use of checks in favor of electronic fund transfers (EFT). Any business looking to work with government contracts should have EFT setup on their business bank account, and they should also be able to accept the government’s official credit card.

Each contractor must also have a D-U-N-S Number, a unique nine-digit identification number, for each physical location of their business. D-U-N-S Number assignment is free for all businesses and is required to register with the US Federal government for contracts or grants. A D-U-N-S Number can be requested at fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp.

An understanding of The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is also important. This is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the US business economy. Every industry is listed within NAICS.

Businesses seeking government work must also understand that the government has a rating system in place to measure the quality of completed work. Ratings that your company is given are available to other government agencies and can impact whether or not you win a contract. A business can also benefit from positive government ratings by sharing them with non-government prospective clients. A positive review from the government can go a long way in helping a business establish trust. Like any other job, performance is important and some businesses will hire contractors based on performance and not just based on the amount of their bid.

Kyle notes from the start of his seminars that it is important for a business not to try jump in too deep or too fast when working with government contracts.

“A business that is small can stay small, and not put themselves at risk by accepting contracts they cannot finish or afford to work on,” explained Kyle. “Working with government contracts is a great way to even out peaks and valleys in your bottom line, but it’s not hard to get in trouble. Research and understanding are very important.”

The post The Paperwork Pays: Why Government Contracting Is Worth The Effort appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

In the early 2000s, the Oklahoma River was dammed up as part of the MAPS1 community improvement initiative. The project not only accomplished its goal, but set the stage for a vibrant riverside filled with attractions and stunning architecture. The Oklahoma City (OKC) Boathouse District is central to that vibrancy, with six buildings offering athletic training facilities, event spaces, activities for children and adults, and more. With such a wide range of cooling and heating needs across its six buildings, it’s no surprise that the five newest Boathouse District buildings use Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Mitsubishi Electric).

John Riggs, senior director of operations, OKC Boathouse Foundation, assists with all construction projects on campus and oversees the maintenance of the facilities and grounds. He described the Devon Boathouse – the first building completed with Mitsubishi Electric VRF – as a “stunning, high-performance facility, and a designated U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Site. There’s a little bit of everything across its 33,000 square feet: a dynamic rowing tank; a gym with a free-weight area, kayak ergometers and treadmills; locker rooms; an event room that holds 200 people seated; an endless pool; a high-altitude chamber; and multiple boat bays.”

A facility with so many spaces, and with each space dedicated to occupant experience, required an HVAC system with advanced controls. “This is about access – the ability to remote in and change things on the fly. A high level of access and control means you can manage energy costs and customers’ comfort. VRF offers that kind of access,” said Riggs.

VRF was also extremely flexible and discreet in its design. The Devon Boathouse features glass and polycarbonate walls to create an open feel. To match that aesthetic, the HVAC system’s indoor and outdoor units both needed to be unobtrusive. Riggs said, “We couldn’t have anything on the roof – that’s just how it is on the whole campus. Nothing on the roofs. Everything’s gotta be straight lines. And all of the buildings on campus are triangles, so they have this crisp, clean look. We needed a system that could match that.”

Damon McClure serves as the project manager for the Boathouse District’s mechanical contractor, Harrison-Orr Air Conditioning, LLC, Oklahoma City. “Most of the HVAC selection at Devon was definitely about achieving a discreet look. Trying to hide everything with a four-pipe system with a boiler, for example, would have been very hard. At the same time, energy efficiency was important. There are event rooms that need to be heated, and also training rooms that need to be kept at 66 degrees all the time – receiving cooling even in the winter. Devon needed a system that would make economical use of consumed energy. Heat pumps with heat recovery offered the ability to zone properly given the diversity of the space.”

With VRF identified as the preferred technology, the team then decided on Mitsubishi Electric for “the support. They’re always doing upgrades. They won’t leave you behind,” said Riggs. McClure added, “Mitsubishi [Electric] products are great. We’ve done almost 3,000 tons of Mitsubishi [Electric]; I believe in them so much I have them in my home.”

Riggs said the installation process for Mitsubishi Electric VRF is “pretty quick. The condenser units go in good and clean, and the flexibility of the indoor units has let us do some unique things, like taking out soffits and putting units in there.” McClure has also been impressed with Mitsubishi Electric’s training offerings: “We sent several of our guys to a training class in Texas a few months before doing the Devon Boathouse. The hands-on training is invaluable when working with VRF.” For Riggs as an end-user, no specific training was needed: “The system was simple to learn, in terms of using the controls. And the controls have been effective.”

After such a positive experience, the campus continued using Mitsubishi Electric VRF on other projects. The next was the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower, or what McClure described as “a unique cantilevered building – unique in terms of look and structure. It’s shaped like a triangle with five floors and a basement, and each floor is cantilevered off of the main structure. It has castellated beams, so we worked with the engineer to find a path for the ductwork through the beams’ holes. We also concealed the indoor units above the ceiling.”

The tower’s outdoor units also required a creative solution since “the architect didn’t want the outdoor units to be visible. So we put them in the basement. They pull in natural outside air ventilation. In the winter they reject heat into the basement, and in the summer they reject heat outside – all to keep the equipment running at peak efficiency,” said McClure.

The CHK|Central Boathouse was designed and built next. It features a performing arts venue, art gallery and workout center. Like the Devon Boathouse, the CHK|Central Boathouse created the HVAC challenge of having a big variety of heating loads and unique spaces. McClure said, “A range like that can only be done with this kind of system. So we did four Mitsubishi [Electric] VRF systems for this boathouse. One is a straight heat pump – so, no heat recovery. That’s for the performing arts venue. The load in that space varies a lot, so we needed a system that could ramp up when there were lots of people there, and then ramp down when there was no performance going on. That space also had to be acoustically sound.”

After the second boathouse, the project team began yet another project: the SandRidge Youth Pavilion. The pavilion is a smaller space, coming in at 2,000 square feet, and serves as a space for concessions, retail and sports activities. To match the Boathouse District’s general look, the pavilion is a triangular building. Tom Berkeley is the project manager at Lingo Construction Services, Oklahoma City – the general contractor for several of the campus projects. He said, “With SandRidge, we wanted to maintain the design integrity – the highlevel, contemporary look – by hiding the HVAC. We didn’t want to see ductwork, and wanted the ceilings to be as tall as they could be.”

He continued, “Our other big HVAC concern, of course, was the people load. You’ll get 10,000 people in the area on a busy weekend, and many will go through the building. It could be 100 degrees outside with people coming in and out of the building, so keeping people comfortable was a big concern.” Comfort has not been an issue, though. Berkeley said, “We haven’t had any problems. Everything is good; the Mitsubishi [Electric] system is doing exactly what we wanted it to do.”

The most recent project, RIVERSPORT Rapids, matches the other buildings in architectural beauty and HVAC challenge. McClure said, “This building is a lot bigger than the others. It has a large restaurant, a pro shop, a locker room, a big kitchen and a large seating area… and then cubicles, offices, IT closets and warehousing. So it’s not just a large building, it has all sorts of spaces.” The project team installed four Mitsubishi Electric VRF systems, concealing the outdoor units “behind a mechanical screen where you can’t see them.” As with the other projects, it could have been difficult to find an HVAC solution that looks and sounds discreet, and that ensures comfort across a variety of spaces and loads. With Mitsubishi Electric, this was not a problem. McClure said, “I think of this as an architectural feat – especially since it’s a high-performance building.”

Riggs echoed that sentiment for the overall Boathouse District project: “Working with the Mitsubishi [Electric] systems has been great. They’re unlike any other systems, and they’re fantastic. Very usable.” That usability goes a long way. The Boathouse District has become a hugely popular area destination. It’s no wonder: its beautiful buildings offer spaces to train Olympians, take in a show, do recreational or sporting activities, or just sit back and enjoy a nice, comfortable afternoon.

The post Case Study: The Boathouse District appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

When he heads to the ACCA’s IE3 Show in March, Lon Johnson plans to do some shopping. With his wish list in hand, the president of Pro-Tech Mechanical in Lansing, MI, will be checking out software companies that can meet his company’s current commercial needs.

“I want to go to Nashville this year to research and interview software companies, because that’s a location where the majority show up,” he says.  “You can get good information and leads.”

Johnson currently uses Total Officer Manager by Aptora, which he purchased in 2013. “At that point, it was our best option as a commercial contracting company,” he says. “We reviewed several other companies.”

What sold him four years ago, he recalls, was the wireless dispatching function. “We could create work orders and attach them to technicians, who could use their tablets to create a paperless environment. We had too much paper shuffling going on.  We do national account work, which requires a lot of paperwork for every call.”

Pro-Tech, which has been in business since 2005, has 15 employees.  The 100-percent-commercial HVAC and refrigeration company does about $2 million a year, of which 90 percent is service and 10 percent is retrofit and install.

To handle that business, Johnson is seeking software with certain features and attributes, including:

Built for commercial. According to Johnson, much of the HVAC software on the market is designed for residential and then altered for commercial, which can create problems. “Most residential is burn and turn, meaning you go out on one service call that lasts a few hours or one day,” he explains.  “Rarely is it multi-day.  The technician checks in, he checks out, and the job is done. With commercial you might be there multiple days or weeks, and a lot of residential software does not have the ability to neatly lump that all together. It gets messy when you get multiple days and people on projects.”

Upload photos.  High on his priority list is the ability to upload photos directly to individual work orders. “While residential technicians can work directly with homeowners and show them the part being replaced, we don’t have that option,” he says. “We may be dealing with a client in New York, and we’re in Michigan. The technician has to take pictures of everything, which is often required for national commercial accounts. They want pictures of the heat exchangers or compressors or filters that you replaced.”

Right now, he says, his technicians use Dropbox and attach the pictures to a work order number or email the photos to the dispatcher, who forwards them to the client. He hopes to avoid those additional steps.

Accounting functions.  According to Johnson, some software programs for commercial contractors don’t have their own accounting functions. “We want something that is a one-program stop, so we don’t push data to QuickBooks or a second-party accounting software,” he says. “We want all in one. We want accounting, dispatching, everything. It makes it a lot easier.”

An Evolving Decade

For over a decade, Matt Freund, president of Comfort-Air Engineering, San Antonio, TX, has relied on Davisware to fulfill part of the software solutions required by the 53-year-old company. Starting out as a DAS-based system, Davisware now handles the company’s dispatch, purchase orders, time stamps, and remote tablets.

“The dispatching software allows us to review a customer’s maintenance and service history, as well as equipment serial and model numbers,” he says. He points out that links within it allow technicians to access maintenance manuals while they are out on jobs.

The all-in-one aspect of the software has simplified purchase orders, he says.  “If you need to buy a part for a unit, it’s all done within the same work order. We can order materials and build the work order.”

The company, which has 135 employees performing commercial and residential, construction, service, and plumbing work, uses two different modules by FastEST, Inc., for estimates of ductwork and piping.

“We really don’t print drawings anymore,” he explains. “Everything is online, whether it is PDF file or AutoCAD file. It’s faster and easier to review electronically than paper drawings. Availability of electronic documents in the field really helps, because you can look everything up on your tablet. You don’t have to go to a set of drawings, roll them out, and read it. You can read them on the tablet.”

The modules, FastPIPE and FastDUCT, have been through various evolutions since he purchased them last year.  Accuracy, he says, depends on how well you measure the ductwork and understand your material and labor costs. “If you have it set up correctly and do your takeoff correctly, it should be accurate.”

Portal Provides Transparency

Luckinbill, Inc., in Enid, OK, chose Penta Technologies because of its integrated accounting system, as well as its construction management and service management functions that provide invoices, purchase orders, and extensive reporting on business activities, says Trevor Miller, vice president and chief financial officer.

“We went live in October 2015,” he explains. “Our business is roughly half construction and half service. Each area has very different requirements. We wanted cloud-based software that could handle both, offered a customer portal, and would be very stable. We also wanted software that provided a device-based application for our service technicians. Penta offered all those features.”

Miller gives high marks to the software’s seamless update process. “What makes it relatively simple is that we have VMware virtual servers that are hosted in the cloud at Amazon Web Services, and Penta Technologies manages our servers for us. They can take a snapshot of our server, apply the upgrade, test it, and allow us to test it in a nonproduction environment. When we’re ready, we can take another snapshot and apply the upgrade and go live. We usually have them start on a Thursday or Friday afternoon so it doesn’t impact production.”

Another favorite feature is the customer portal, which allows customers to log on and view inspection reports, any problems that have been discovered, service calls, invoices, and equipment lists. “It really adds quite a bit of transparency to the operation,” he says. “Building managers are very busy so, we want to be able to give them a quick snapshot.”

Luckinbill, which started out fixing floor furnaces in 1939, has expanded it operations to include construction projects that range from installing water and sewer lines for municipalities and developers to refurbishing dams.  The company employs 200 to handle its $30 million annual volume, of which $19 million is HVAC-related.

Advice From the Pros

When searching for commercial software, these three contractors offer four tips:

1. Think long-term. “Don’t buy something that may not fit your needs in the future,” Freund says. Of course, he adds, you first need to know where you want to take your company in the next five years.

2. Make a list. “Prioritize your software needs, because I have found that each type has strengths and weaknesses,” Miller says. “You want to match up your priorities with a software’s strengths, and you might have to compromise in some areas. If you go into a software purchase thinking ‘Oh, well, I’ll talk to the company and make it do Task A,’ that’s probably going to be difficult and expensive.He points out that customization can create a snowball effect. Customizations affect future upgrades, and all of a sudden you become a special case, which can be costly. The more you can use the software as is, the better off you will be.”

3. Watch the software in action. After you get references, Miller recommends that you take your team members and spend a couple days at one of the references so you can ask detailed operational questions. “There’s a world of difference between what you see on paper and how somebody actually uses the software,” he says.

4. Choose quality over price. Johnson remembers feeling inundated with various facts and figures the last time he was searching for a software partner. “You get so overwhelmed with information trying to find the perfect fit, you just want to settle for the best cost option,” he says.Don’t do that, he urges. “Software is not something you want to go cheap on. You want something top of the line that will work. Software that automates and streamlines processes and makes you paperless can be a huge step forward.”

The post Finding Commercial Software That Fits the Bill appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Note: In a previous article that was posted on December 14, 2016, we gave an overview of OSHA’s 30 hour training course. You can read that article here: www.ie3media.com/osha-30-need-know/

The OSHA 30 hour Construction Industry Training course covers a number of specific topics. However, there are certain topics that OSHA may require contractors to complete extra training on based on the industry that the person participating is associated with.

Contact your local OSHA office to determine whether you are required to participate in extra training as part of the OSHA 30 hour Construction Industry Training course. More information can be found at www.osha.gov.

Those working in the HVAC industry may be required to complete a course that focuses on OSHA 29 CFR 1926, Subpart C. The course covers 12 important points of study based on health and safety issues including contractor requirements, accident prevention, machinery and tools, training and experience, education, fire protection, housekeeping, illumination, sanitation, PPE, access to medical records, emergency plans, safety program elements, management commitment and leadership, and worksite analysis.

According to OSHA’s official website, Subpart C contains the basic requirements of a safety and health program. These requirements in sections 20 and 21 are referenced throughout the construction standards. Standards such as the one in 1926.20(b)(2) “…frequent and regular inspections of the job sites…by competent persons…” are referenced in several subparts including Subpart P, Excavations, and Subpart X, Stairways and Ladders.
Other general requirements covering topics such as first aid, fire protection, housekeeping at the site. Illumination, sanitation, and personal protective equipment are also found in subpart C in sections 22 through 28.

Medical and exposure record access and preservation are contained in section 33.

Exits and emergency action plans are in sections 34 and 35.

The following definitions are provided in section 32 and apply to the regulations that are part of the curriculum used in OSHA 29 CFR 1926, Subpart C training. It is important for participants of the training program to understand these definitions and how they are used.

The following definitions shall apply in the application of the regulations in this part:

1926.32(a)

“Act” means section 107 of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, commonly known as the Construction Safety Act (86 Stat. 96; 40 U.S.C. 333).

1926.32(b)

“ANSI” means American National Standards Institute.

1926.32(c)

“Approved” means sanctioned, endorsed, accredited, certified, or accepted as satisfactory by a duly constituted and nationally recognized authority or agency.

1926.32(d)

“Authorized person” means a person approved or assigned by the employer to perform a specific type of duty or duties or to be at a specific location or locations at the jobsite.

1926.32(e)

“Administration” means the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

1926.32(f)

“Competent person” means one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

1926.32(g)

“Construction work.” For purposes of this section, “Construction work” means work for construction, alteration, and/or repair, including painting and decorating.

1926.32(h)

“Defect” means any characteristic or condition which tends to weaken or reduce the strength of the tool, object, or structure of which it is a part.

1926.32(i)

“Designated person” means “authorized person” as defined in paragraph (d) of this section.

1926.32(j)

“Employee” means every laborer or mechanic under the Act regardless of the contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the laborer and mechanic and the contractor or subcontractor who engaged him. “Laborer and mechanic” are not defined in the Act, but the identical terms are used in the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 276a), which provides for minimum wage protection on Federal and federally assisted construction contracts. The use of the same term in a statute which often applies concurrently with section 107 of the Act has considerable presidential value in ascertaining the meaning of “laborer and mechanic” as used in the Act. “Laborer” generally means one who performs manual labor or who labors at an occupation requiring physical strength; “mechanic” generally means a worker skilled with tools. See 18 Comp. Gen. 341.

1926.32(k)

“Employer” means contractor or subcontractor within the meaning of the Act and of this part.

1926.32(l)

“Hazardous substance” means a substance which, by reason of being explosive, flammable, poisonous, corrosive, oxidizing, irritating, or otherwise harmful, is likely to cause death or injury.

1926.32(m)

“Qualified” means one who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated his ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work, or the project.

1926.32(n)

“Safety factor” means the ratio of the ultimate breaking strength of a member or piece of material or equipment to the actual working stress or safe load when in use.

1926.32(o)

“Secretary” means the Secretary of Labor.

1926.32(p)

“SAE” means Society of Automotive Engineers.

1926.32(q)

“Shall” means mandatory.

1926.32(r)

“Should” means recommended.

1926.32(s)

“Suitable” means that which fits, and has the qualities or qualifications to meet a given purpose, occasion, condition, function, or circumstance.

The following table lists and defines the 12 points of study that are part of OSHA 29 CFR 1926, Subpart C training:

The post OSHA 30: Subpart C General Safety and Health Provisions appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Since 1984, The Bicycle Casino has been a gaming destination in Los Angeles. With the addition of a new, 118,000-square-foot hotel, The Bicycle Hotel & Casino (Bicycle) is now a high-end, boutique resort destination – not just for patrons of the casino, but for anyone looking for a comfortable place to gather professionally or recreationally. The project team wanted a quiet and reliable HVAC system with a contemporary look to contribute to that overall feel. The selected system would also have to meet the varying needs of the hotel’s many guest rooms and amenities. The solution was Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Mitsubishi Electric).

The casino component of Bicycle is a dynamic gaming facility, attracting televised poker tournaments – and their audiences – regularly. For Doug Lee, architect, Lee & Sakahara Architects, Irvine, California, that meant creating a hotel concept and actual construction process that would not interrupt the facility. It was also important to not interrupt patrons’ enjoyment. “To do that, [Bicycle] needed an HVAC system that was compatible with the iconic contemporary design concept, and that offered minimal disturbance during operating hours.”

Since those operating hours never end – the casino and hotel are open 24 hours a day – the selected HVAC system would have to work continuously and quietly. Lee said, “We recommended VRF from the very beginning. The hotel is right next to I-710, whichis already loud. We needed a quiet system. And we were already using Mitsubishi [Electric] on a hotel by Disneyland®, so we knew how quiet it could be.”

John Ramirez, vice president of construction, R.D. Olson Construction, Inc., Irvine, explained another challenge of the project: “It’s a really large facility. The hotel is seven stories and has 100 rooms. The rooms are all large and luxurious. The hotel also includes a full spa, a restaurant, a bar, a brewhouse, a multi-purpose room, gaming areas, a coffee shop, a gift shop, meeting rooms and offices, which include control rooms and management spaces.” Lee said that with such varying uses and spaces, “The challenge was to make sure every space was comfortable. VRF offered that.”

Corey Hampton, commercial estimator, Thermal-Cool, Inc., Riverside, California, estimated the cost of the job and served as the project manager. He said, “Three VRF manufacturers bid on the project: Mitsubishi [Electric], Daikin and LG. Mitsubishi [Electric] fit the function of the building the best, which was about reducing the number of branch controllers. Having fewer branch controllers means having fewer ceiling access panels, which Architects just don’t like the appearance of, so Mitsubishi [Electric] was better for the design.”

Going with Mitsubishi Electric also meant working with a two-pipe system versus a three-pipe system. “When you have just two pipes, you save a lot of the cost on copper and at least 20 percent on labor. Minimizing labor is huge,” said Hampton.

Hampton also preferred Mitsubishi Electric because of product quality and project support. He said, “This is our fourth time using Mitsubishi [Electric] and so far it’s been great. We’ve yet to have one service call – and service calls can be a real nightmare for a contractor! And then for support, with the hotel, we had project support the entire time. We really called on Mitsubishi [Electric], and we got answers right away. They were even on-site for start-up. It’s the best customer service I’ve dealt with.”

The system’s advanced controls were another plus; they offer smooth and effective daily operation. Ramirez said, “Mitsubishi Electric’s management system allows an engineering staff to ensure the system is functioning as it’s supposed to. You can put the management system in a central location, so everything can be overseen from one spot. A lot of ground is lost without a system like that.”

Lee addressed the importance of a quick installation: “Initially, the management wanted the project completed in 10 to 12 months, so it was an aggressive timeline. We wanted a system that would help facilitate and speed up that construction.” VRF’s small footprint and flexibility offered just that: “We had the system installed in 50 days.” Hampton explained that installation was made easier – and cheaper – because of the ability to go ductless. “With ductless cassettes, the hotel saw a savings of about $350 per unit. That’s by saving on things like labor for the installation, the ductwork itself and diffusers.” With 183 ductless units installed, the hotel saved more than $64,000. Ceiling cassettes also enabled the guest room entryways to be three to four inches taller – making the rooms feel bigger.

The result has been reliable comfort – and already some impressive recognition! Built to be air-tight and water-tight, the hotel was certified by CALGreen and SoCal Edison – certifications that Ramirez described as “stringent.”

The project team recognized the importance of Mitsubishi Electric VRF in earning these certifications, but has been even more impressed by how the technology ensures a positive experience for hotel guests. Hampton said, “We’ve done so many big hotels. What I’ve learned is that, in hotels, you can really hear the air conditioning. With PTACs – you just can’t sleep. But Mitsubishi [Electric] is super quiet. You can’t hear it. For a hotel, that’s a real advantage.”

Lee added, “I’ve been at this for 35 years now and I’ve never had such an interesting project. When you have management who says, ‘We want the very best, so give us what you’ve got,’ it’s like having an open canvas to work with. They were receptive to new ideas like VRF, and they gave us a lot of latitude to design. The result has been great. Here’s what says it best: The comments from visitors and word-of-mouth have all been positive.”

The post Case Study: The Bicycle Hotel & Casino appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Screven Elementary School, Sylvania, GA, serves 1,400 pre-K to fifth-graders. The 143,000-square-foot facility was built in 1989. A renovation of the school in 2002 took care of many issues, but left a dated and inefficient HVAC system sorely needing replacement. A CITY MULTI® Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning system from Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc. Cooling & Heating Division (Mitsubishi Electric) provided an efficient, cost-saving solution.

The pipes of the building’s original water-source heat pump system eventually deteriorated. William Bland, superintendent, Screven County School System, said, “There was no question about the need for a renovation of the HVAC system at the elementary school.” The original plan was to repair the old system but the cost of that work was going to be substantial and was not going to increase energy efficiency.

The direction changed when Bland and other school representatives attended an educational session on Mitsubishi Electric CITY MULTI units. Bland said, “We were very impressed and left that meeting with much more knowledge and an interest in learning more. The more we studied and researched and questioned other users, the more we liked the product.”

Mike Dixon, maintenance director, Screven Elementary School, said, “It was the energy efficiency that grabbed our attention. We were also interested in the ability of the units to maintain the temperature within one or two degrees and the quiet operation. It almost

sounded too good to be true.” Choosing Mitsubishi Electric over other brands involved comparing attributes and offerings. “We talked with Daikin and a couple more companies and the features, capabilities, controls and warranty of Mitsubishi [Electric] made it the right system to go with,” said Dixon.

Pruett, Ford & Associates, Inc., Augusta, Georgia, was called in to specify the system. Bob Pruett, partner, supported the choice of a Mitsubishi Electric system because “we felt it would be less maintenance.” If one part of the previous system needed to be serviced, the whole system had to be shut down. “The Mitsubishi Electric system is compartmentalized, though, so if you lose a compressor you might lose part of a system, but never the whole system,” said Pruett. Using a Mitsubishi Electric system meant easier maintenance with less of an impact on ongoing operations.

The installation, completed in less than 12 weeks, took place over the summer when school was not in session. Dixon said, “It went unbelievably. If there was a problem we made a phone call and someone was there – more times than not – within the same day. It was remarkable.”

The VRF system allows Preston Dees, director of school safety and energy manager, Screven County School System, to monitor and control the cooling and heating in each classroom. Dees said, “Now we’re on a control system and we can manage our energy usage.” Controlling energy usage throughout the school from a centralized controller offers ease and cost savings. The savings in the first two years post-renovation have been substantial:

Average Yearly Savings: $16,226

Average Energy Savings: 25%

“We were able to cut out another big part of our energy costs when we installed the new system because we were able to remove the old boiler and cooling tower,” Dees said. The boiler had provided heat, which was no longer necessary with the Mitsubishi Electric system. “We saved about two-thirds on our gas costs, so we’ve saved on energy and gas.”

Bland said, “We have had an aggressive energy management system in place for five years, and we are documenting substantial savings with the CITY MULTI system from previous years of records.”

The post Case Study: Elementary School Saves 25 Percent on Energy Costs Within Two Years of Installation appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Ask Hugh Joyce to describe his work life, his staff, his customers or even life in general, and he’d likely do it all with just one word, his favorite word – supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Coined from the famous musical Mary Poppins, Joyce says the word, which means wonderful, or extraordinarily good, perfectly sums up his philosophy, that a life spent focusing on the positive, always aiming to give of your best, and living in service to others is a wonderful, or extraordinarily good life.

And that’s the premise Hugh’s dad, Joyce Sr. built James River Air on. Joyce Jr. has followed suit, and his staff of over 190 have also taken up that mandate to be an HVAC company with a difference.

GREAT MARKETING & CONSISTENT TRAINING
In operation for over 50 years, what sets James River Air apart from the competition can be found in their “secret sauce”.

“Most contractors are highly technical companies. They engineer and build things, and that’s important,” Joyce said. “But for us, we are equally a marketing company, a people company, and a good will building company,” he said.

On the business side, James River Air currently earns a revenue of $35 Million – up $3 Million from last year – from services that include heating and air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, solar, duct cleaning and energy audits. Customers are evenly split with the commercial and residential sectors.

Another key component to the company’s success is training, and the first and most important thing they train for monthly is safety, “because the secret sauce doesn’t work if our team members are not safe, so we start there,” Joyce said. Technical training is ongoing, and includes working closely with manufacturers to ensure staff is well equipped with the skills needed to provide quality service.

The staff tool-training day held each spring is one of Joyce’s favorite events. Vendors come in with the latest industry tools to give all day classes for the James River Air team of servicemen and women, and technicians who not only learn to use them, but are given money to purchase new tools.

“So the vendors love it, because they sell a lot of tools,” Joyce said. “The guys love it, because they get training and tool credits, and we love it because when the guys upgrade their tools and training they are more efficient in the field and can take better care of our customers.”

GENDER EQUALITY & A YOUTHFUL OUTLOOK
And in an industry dominated by men, Joyce says the other component of his secret sauce is bringing as many women in as he can. To this end, the company has designed outreach programs and a free boot camp geared specifically toward recruiting and training women.

“It’s critical because there is a shortage of newcomers to this industry and we think it’s a great industry for women to come into,” Joyce said. “So we do everything we can to bring them into our organization, and we’ve got eight female technicians, one female installation mechanic and five female sales reps.”

While the company employs several other women, these positions are particularly notable because men typically dominate them.

One of Joyce’s biggest goals is ensuring the HVAC industry is alive and well whenever he retires, and, in addition to bringing women into the fold, he’s working with schools, typically seniors in the 17 to 19 age range, to quell the dearth. But Joyce wants to reach kids at a younger age.

“We can’t have them out in the field until they are 18, so we are limited. But we are advising the schools that they need to talk about opportunities in the trades of heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical,” Joyce said. “We need to join forces to really work with elementary and middle school kids, because by the time they get into high school, they are already programmed for other things.”

A well-trained tech earns well Joyce said, in the region of 60 to 100 grand a year.

THE MAGIC IN THE SAUCE
In a “secret sauce” that incudes a positive attitude, staff members who share your vision, a focus on hiring women and millennials, and top of the line training, there is one other ingredient you may consider to be the magic in the sauce, and that is charity. It’s ingrained in the James River Air ethic, and the team doesn’t need to be reminded to be charitable. Giving back, and assisting those in need is always on their mind, perhaps because they have a boss who leads by example. But Joyce doesn’t take credit for this. He’s simply been blessed, he says, with the most amazing team of workers.

“Some of my guys came up with a scheme, called ‘James River Gives Back’”, Joyce said. “For our Christmas banquet, we gave every member of the company a $25.00 Visa gift card, and we said go out and do some random act of kindness, and the stories we’ve been getting back are the damnedest thing that you can ever imagine.”

They’ve been leaving extra tips for their servers, buying gifts for the Salvation Army Angel Tree, making donations to their favorite charities, paying for the groceries of unsuspecting shoppers and buying food, clothing and other essentials for the homeless. And where that $25.00 was not enough, they’ve been happy to chip in with money and items, such as furniture, of their own to help those who need it.

Whether it’s buying lunch for anyone who recognizes him from TV, other random acts of kindness, or the numerous “pay it forward” programs his company employs, Joyce believes being kind to others should be every person’s mandate, and, it’s also the best form of advertising he said.

Habitat for Humanity, the Virginia Commonwealth University, the local children’s hospital and children’s museum and the Boy Scouts are just a few of the organizations that have benefitted from the company’s charitable giving. But perhaps the biggest or most notable outreach is their Comfort and Safety Program.

“That is where we go into the community and find people who need our help, and we install somewhere between eight to 10 systems a year at no charge for folks who can’t afford to get a new one,” Joyce said.

The retail value of the work Hugh and his team do yearly through this program is somewhere in the value of $70,000.00 to $100,000.00.

And with that, the secret sauce is complete, and we see that it’s not really a secret after all that has contributed to the success of James River Air. It’s hard work, dedication, attention to detail, love and respect for staff, customers and the community, and, in recognition of this very success, paying it forward to do their part to help someone else achieve theirs.

That is the James River Air way!

The post James River Air’s Not So Secret ‘Secret Sauce’, The Key To Their Success appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Detroit lost 60 percent of its population from 1950 to 2010. The decline meant bankruptcy, myriad abandoned homes and buildings, high crime rates, even thousands of stray dogs on the streets. In the last two years, though, something has shifted; downtown activity has greatly increased thanks to a focus on rehabilitating historic buildings. Several projects are credited with this revitalization – among them the $94.5 million renovation of the David Whitney Building (David Whitney), a class A skyscraper. The building has been restored to its previous grandeur, and now offers luxury residences, the Aloft Detroit at the David Whitney (Aloft), a restaurant and a bar. Key to that renovation was retrofitting the entire building with over 600 tons of Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology from Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc. Cooling & Heating Division (Mitsubishi Electric).

Vince Dattilo, vice president of construction and project management, Roxbury Group, Detroit – the developer on the job – knew his team had a big project ahead of them with bringing modern day cooling and heating to the David Whitney. The building dates back to 1915, and sat vacant for 15 years before the renovation. The outdated mechanical systems needed updating but the sheer size and mass of the preexisting structure presented an immediate problem. “The floor is 22 to 28 inches thick. So right off, that made new HVAC challenging from a cost perspective. Forced air, which involves running tons of ductwork, would have meant high costs – if ductwork was even possible.”

He continued, “At the same time, we were interested in bringing a more efficient and ductless cooling and heating solution to Detroit: VRF. People were skeptical – contractors said it was more expensive and you couldn’t afford it. We proved them all wrong.”

Cue Don Nichols, PE, LEED AP, senior mechanical engineer, Strategic Energy Solutions Berkley, Michigan. Nichols was brought onto the team and given two determining factors whether VRF was in fact the most viable HVAC system: cost and energy efficiency. He said, “Cost was about first cost. We compared two types of systems – water-source heat pumps and VRF. The construction cost for the VRF came in less than water-source heat pumps.”

Dattilo explained that the VRF design used “a pre-insulated line set distributed locally and manufactured in Italy. We were looking at close to five miles of piping, so compare VRF to getting guys in here crawling through tight spaces to install insulation – that’s a lot of money saved on that one piece alone.”

Nichols’ consideration of “energy efficiency was about long-term utility cost. We did energy modeling for the building, looking at the yearly energy cost compared to a baseline of typical HVAC. Ultimately, VRF was a lower first cost installation and lower utility operating costs.”

The result was that the original estimate of $6.8 million with a forced-air system came down to $5 million with VRF. Dattilo said, “That’s the point where we said VRF makes sense financially. Forget about the energy efficiency and lack of ductwork; getting the right number is super important.”

VRF not only brought the price down, it solved another key project requirement – maintaining the building’s existing architecture. Contractor Rick Mead, president, RW Mead & Sons, Fraser, Michigan, said, “We could not disturb any of the historically significant elements of the building. To solve for renovating the historic building, VRF with its small-diameter piping rather than large-diameter forced-air ductwork made sense.”

With VRF agreed on, attention turned to Mitsubishi Electric. Dattilo said, “Mitsubishi Electric] has been very thoughtful in the manner in which they introduce their equipment to the North American market. They’ll train local distributors, who in turn bring an experienced engineer onto the team. The local team here has two maintenance staff, an engineer and a hydronics engineer. So Rick doesn’t have to call the Mitsubishi [Electric] headquarters; he can just reach out to the local distributor. Other VRF manufacturers aren’t doing that. They just can’t react quickly enough.”

Mead echoed the sentiment: “When I looked at Mitsubishi [Electric] and other players, I saw that Mitsubishi [Electric] is very well represented locally to help us resolve issues.” Dattilo added, “They’ve also done more installations locally – municipal buildings, churches.”

Mead said his firm has even done some of those projects in the downtown area, including “converting an older building into a residential and office space.” These successful projects allowed the development and construction team to feel confident in their selection of Mitsubishi Electric VRF at the David Whitney.

Despite all of the cost concerns and the building’s structural challenges, that confidence was not unfounded: “The installation went very, very well,” said Mead. Nichols’ design split the condensers across three areas – on the roof, in an alley and in the basement level areaways – to minimize the vertical travel distance of line sets, thereby staying within Mitsubishi Electric specification.

Since installation, the VRF system has been doing what VRF does – keeping everyone comfortable while keeping costs down. Mead said, “In January/February, the system was put to a test, and it provided the heat needed to make people happy and comfortable.”

Some of those people are guests in the 136-room Aloft hotel that occupies floors one through nine of the building. Aloft’s Director of Engineering, Scott Mondock, described the rooms as “spacious with high ceilings. These are higher-level rooms – real modern, very comfortable, with a clean-cut look.”

The vertical- and ceiling-concealed indoor units contribute to that clean look and make up what Mondock called “probably the best system I’ve ever had a chance to work with.” Mondock appreciates the system’s ability to cool and heat simultaneously “24/7, any time of year. And this is higher-quality operation – the rooms are more evenly cooled/heated.” It’s no surprise that Mondock said “The guests love it. We haven’t really had any complaints about it.”

He continued, “The temperature stays consistent throughout the building, with the system getting pretty close to the set points. Older systems have at least a two- to five-degree differential. But with this VRF system you set it to 72 degrees, say, and the system is usually within one degree of that, often right on the money. So this one can really maintain the set temperature of the thermostat.”

Behind the scenes, the centralized controls system has been a boon to the entire building’s management team. Dattilo said, “The BACnet® controls allow you to look at the system remotely – every fan coil, every condenser. We can set alarms. We can see what folks are doing 24/7/365.” Mondock uses the controls system “to follow the system’s operation, establish set points and troubleshoot. This is all by the touch of a finger on my cell phone, which is very nice and convenient. I can access the system from my house or Colombia, and it responds quickly.”

Mead explained that such a high level of control is important because “this way you can fix a problem before it gets ugly.” For the most part, though, it’s smooth sailing with the set points Mead put into place and easy maintenance for the system. Regarding the latter, Mondock said, “VRF is a lot easier to take care of than PTAC systems, which makes it easier to keep up on maintenance with a system as large as mine. And keep in mind that these systems are pretty much running 365 days a year.”

Ultimately, Nichols said “The David Whitney is a big player in the Detroit revitalization. It’s been well-received and is in the heart of everything downtown. It’s an iconic place, and now it’s the hot spot in Detroit.” In terms of VRF’s role and success, Mead said, “A lot of eyeballs are looking at this application. Happily, the proof is in the pudding – VRF is a viable, excellent system, and the whole project serves as a catalyst for where the city is going.”

The post Case Study: The David Whitney Building in Detroit appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

It may seem obvious, but HVAC contractors agree that before you can prepare and submit a commercial bid, you need to find out exactly what the client wants.

“If you don’t live up to your customer’s expectations, your bid will be way off,” says Kyle Sullivan, project manager, Frigi-Temp Temperature Solutions, Youngsville, NC. “When we do a commercial bid, the first thing we do is sit down with a customer and find out exactly what they are looking for and we clarify with the customer what can actually be accomplished.  Once you get past that, the bid is easy.”

Sullivan usually asks customers to meet him at the work site. “We get a lot of customers who email the prints, but typically my first step is to go to the site to see what we are actually working on. I look at the existing space and determine what options the customer has. We take a look, talk with the customer, and start designing and putting together a quote to meet our customer’s needs.”

Jonathan Vaughan, operations manager, explains that Frigi-Temp, which has 18 employees and has been in business 18 years, concentrates on commercial HVAC, refrigeration, exhaust fans, and ice machines. Sullivan adds that most HVAC jobs are renovations or add-ons, rather than new construction.

Contractors also need to be familiar with state codes before submitting a bid, according to Sullivan. “Studying your code is not fun, nobody enjoys it, but by knowing your state code, you can give better bids.”

Another recommendation: Take the time to carefully prepare and research bids.  “Customers want bids quickly, which is understandable,” Sullivan says.  “Everybody wants something done yesterday so we get a lot of pressure from people.  One of the biggest mistakes I ever made came from rushing a bid.  Now I am thorough in gathering the information to prepare a bid for our customers, and I explain that the process takes a couple of days to give them the best bid possible to meet their needs.”

He explains that the company’s quotes are valid for 30 days.  “After 30 days, it could change based on equipment prices and the market,” Sullivan says.  “Our quotes are all inclusive.  When I do a quote, we get all the subs and we give one total price.  We plan the whole job.”

Vaughan adds that “each quote has a defined scope of work so it’s clear what our intentions are, making it easy to determine if an element of the job was within the original bid.”

Working With the End User

Randy Seaman, owner and president, Seaman’s Mechanical, Grand Rapids, MI, agrees that determining what the client wants is always the first step in a commercial bid.  “Is it a replacement of an existing unit?  A service repair?  Are we working with the end user or a general contractor?  We need to find out what project entails and what the end user wants to get out of it.  Once we figure that out, we can go to work and design a system. Unless you know the specific project, the details are too vast to name.”

For example, on a middle-of-the-road project, something costing a few hundred thousand dollars, he would need to determine what the end user  wants, what the building size is, if it’s industrial installation project, what the criterion is, whether it be people, ventilation, building envelope, or in an industrial setting, how many pieces will be run through the line at any particular time, what the temperature is, what the product is, and how many will run through in an hour.

If a bid comes in higher than the customer’s projected budget, Seaman may ask the customer to change the criteria.  For example, he might ask: “Do you really need this size of equipment?  Do you need this many people in your boardroom? Do you need to run your line this fast?”

“We go back and try to uncover what the customers wants,” he explains.  “If they change the criteria or don’t want the system we’ve designed, we can go back and redesign and we may not have quite as many controls or components.”

The criteria often change in design/build projects, he emphasizes.  “We just keep up with it.  We’re always designing; we’re always engineering. We put our criteria in our bids.  We know what we’re bidding to and what we’re giving prices on. When the end user or general contractor comes in with a change, if the change is made before our project is priced, then we know what to do—we change the equipment and the system design accordingly.  If the changes come in after our base bid, we make changes to the bid, going up or down depending on the change.  Changes happen all the time.”

On a bid and spec project, an engineer or architect designs plans and puts project out for bid.  “You have so many days to put your prices together and submit it,” Seaman says.  “It’s pretty regimented.”

Occasionally, a general contractor might say, “Hey, I have to have a price on this thing tomorrow.” In that case, Seaman provides general budget numbers, explaining that similar projects cost about X.

“A lot of times the general contractor will need that number to see if he wants to bid on the project,” he continues.  “If we throw out a budget and the customer or general contractors comes back and says, ‘Ok, that sounds good.  Let’s get some hard numbers,’ then we’ll find out the specific criteria and what we need to work out prices and components.”

According to Seaman, his father started the company—which employs 46 and averages $13 million annually—in 1961. Specializing in design/build projects, the company does commercial and industrial heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical.

Low-Ball Bids

Sometimes ACCA members don’t get a commercial job because of low-ball bids from fly-by-night contractors.  “It’s tough when another contractor comes in with a low-ball bid and we come in with a professional bid,” says Ryan Evancik, operations manager, R.E.E. Mechanical, Temecula, CA. “It comes down to cost. It’s frustrating.”

The company, which has been in business 30 years and employs 21, last year did $3.5 million, about 80 percent of which was commercial service and maintenance. “Most of the retro fit work comes from the service contracts and relationships with customers,” he says.

Evancik recalls a boiler replacement that his company bid on not too long ago.  “We gave the customer a price to replace the boiler and all the piping and add service valves.  We bid on insulated copper pipe.”

Another contactor got the job by bidding about $40,000 less. “We were looking to improve the entire system, not just change the boiler. They took the old boiler out, put the new boiler in, and used galvanized pipe on everything instead of copper pipe.  We have the service contract with the building. We just went out to survey the site, and there are corroded pipes that are getting ready to burst that weren’t replaced. Next winter they will have problems.”

Seaman points out that professional contractors shouldn’t try to compete with low-ball bids if it means lowering quality below company standards.  “Don’t try to be the cheapest,” he says. “You have to be competitive, but give the customer something to be proud of.  If it’s so inexpensive and so value engineered that you don’t want to put your name on it, you need to walk away.”

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