The Asbury United Methodist Church (AUMC) has been in operation for 228 years. Its current home in Harrisonburg, Virginia – a century-old, three-story stone building – recently underwent a major renovation. As part of the effort to repair and upgrade the entire space, Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Mitsubishi Electric) was selected for AUMC’s education wing, classrooms and outreach room – a total of 23,000 square feet.

The previous HVAC system – two steam boilers, three packaged rooftop units and several split systems – dated back to as early as the 1950s. Unsurprisingly, maintenance had become a big issue. Pastor Bob Talbott, associate pastor, AUMC, said, “We had lots of leaks, and were spending a lot of money on repairs – never mind the thousands on gas every winter to heat. Plus we had temperature issues. When it was zero degrees outside, one room would be cold and in the room next to it we had to open the windows because it was too hot. The a/c was similar, plus those units were very noisy. When they ran, you could barely hear anything over them.”

He continued, “We had to replace everything – heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical. This was the kind of remodel where you tear out old ceilings and move the bathrooms around.” That challenge offered the opportunity to start fresh – to find mechanical systems that could truly meet the church’s needs.

Bill Rees, AUMC’s chairman of the trustees, addressed one of those main needs: better control. “We wanted to even out the hot and cold areas via a controls system, making it comfortable for all areas at all times. That control would let us be more efficient with our moneys – if we have a meeting in a room, yeah, we heat it up, but if there’s no meeting in the room, we’d rather save the money. You want to make the most of the moneys that members donate to the church – you don’t want it going out the window or up the chimney, per se. You don’t want to spend it all on your building, but more on the missions of your church.” Talbott agreed with the need for control, and added that “quiet operation was another top priority.”

These needs brought the church to VRF. “It was the efficiency and functionality that drew us to it – to be able to control individual rooms, to be able to schedule and change the temperature based on the comfort of the folks in the room,” said Rees. The church put out a design-build request; Blauch Brothers, Inc., Harrisonburg, won the project.

Winston Rhodes, PE, design engineer, Blauch Brothers, said, “The classrooms average 800 square feet, and they’re used for a variety of purposes – as a music room, meeting room, nursery, classroom, even occasional housing for the homeless. So the church needed a long-term solution that was lowmaintenance.” Rhodes agreed that VRF was the right solution. “Take VRF’s ducted unit, for example. It’s quiet. It has a filter. You can’t see it or hear it. And it’s efficient and offers control for each room” – everything AUMC wanted.

As part of putting together his proposal, Rhodes investigated the various VRF brands. “We’d done Mitsubishi [Electric] P-Series over the years and feel it’s bulletproof, especially compared to the mixed results we’ve hadwith other brands, but this was our first VRF. I asked a lot of people – technicians, owners – about brands. Based on those conversations, Mitsubishi [Electric] was the most dependable equipment out there. We wanted the best – the least number of problems – because we want a happy customer, and because the design and installation are on us. Mitsubishi [Electric] was clearly the most field-proven; it has all the kinks worked out as the most mature product in the VRF line.”

Working with Mitsubishi Electric also meant working with the Advanced Products Group, a division of Aireco Supply, Inc., Laurel, Maryland. Rhodes said, “Our distributor has a great depth of knowledge. They’ve done VRF for a number of years, and they have guys who do the nuts and bolts from start to finish. I went to their design class, our guys have gone to their service center and they reviewed my design.”

The installation was completed on schedule and on budget, and the experience since has been very positive. “Everything just hums along,” said Rhodes. Talbott noted the humming is only figurative, since the Mitsubishi Electric units are extremely quiet: “We are really happy with the noise level. You can be in a classroom and not know when the heating comes on at all. We just don’t hear it in the rooms.”

Another thing not heard at AUMC now: complaints. Rees joked, “If you don’t hear about something in a church, that means it’s going well. So not getting complaints about the HVAC means it’s going great. No problems.”

Talbott is also satisfied by the increase in control with the Mitsubishi Electric system. “We really can control each room. We can turn each room up or down.” Rees explained that this operation takes place from “a controls center in our main office. But each room also has a thermostat that can be adjusted up or down within a preset threshold. The preset threshold helps us stay on budget.”

Rees said, “The system has performed nicely given the variety of uses. Our education wing is used every day – morning, afternoon and evening. The big spaces are used, and the small classrooms are used. So it’s a variety of uses at a variety of times, and the Mitsubishi [Electric] system is performing very, very well.”

The post Case Study: Asbury United Methodist Church 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.

OSHA recognizes the dangers of using scaffolding and has set forth a set of standards to help to insure worker safety. In 1996, scaffolding standards were updated by OSHA for the first time since 1971. It is estimated that these standards prevent 4,445 injuries and 47 deaths annually and result in a savings of $90 million in lost workday costs annually to companies.

The following key factors are the focal point of OSHA Subpart L training and are essential to know. It is important that both employers and their employees understand these standards.

• The standard requires fall protection for employees working above a 10 foot lower level.
• Guardrail height – The height of top rail for scaffolds manufactured and placed in service before January 1, 2000 can be between 36 and 45 inches. Â After January 1, 2000 – The top rail must be between 38 and 45 inches above the work platform.
• When the cross point of cross bracing is used as a top rail, it must be between 38 and 48 inches above the work platform.
• Mid-rails must be installed approximately halfway between the top rail and platform surface. When a cross point of cross bracing is used, it must be between 20 and 30 inches above the work platform.
• Erecting and Dismantling – After September 2, 1997, when erecting and dismantling supported scaffolds, a competent person must determine the feasibility of providing a safe means of access and fall protection for these operations.
• Training – Employers must train each employee who works on a scaffold on the hazards and the procedures to control the hazards.
• Inspections – Before each work shift and after any occurrence that could affect the structural integrity, a competent person must inspect the scaffold components for visible defects.

It is also important to understand what qualifications are required for someone to be considered a “competent person” on a jobsite, when that person is required and what their responsibilities are.

OSHA’a definition of a “competent person” is two-fold and sonsidts of the following explanations:

• “One who – by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experience – has successfully demonstrated his/her ability to solve or resolve problems related to the subject matter, the work, or the project.”
• “One who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions, which are unsanitary, hazardous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.”

Responsibilities of a “competent person” include:

• To select and direct employees who erect, dismantle, move, or alter scaffolds.
• To determine if it is safe for employees to work on or from a scaffold during storms or high winds and to ensure that a personal fall arrest system or wind screens protect these employees.
• To train employees involved in erecting, disassembling, moving, operating, repairing, maintaining, or inspecting scaffolds to recognize associated work hazards.
• To inspect scaffold components for visible defects before each work shift and after any occurrence which would affect the structural integrity and to authorize prompt corrective actions.
• To inspect ropes on suspended scaffolds prior to each work shift and after every occurrence which could affect the structural integrity and authorize prompt corrective actions.
• To inspect manila or plastic (or other synthetic) rope being used for toprails or midrails.
• For suspension scaffolds – To evaluate direct connections to support the load.
• To evaluate the need to secure two-point and multi-point scaffolds to prevent swaying.
• For erectors and dismantlers – To determine the feasibility and safety of providing fall protection and access.
• To train erectors and dismantlers to recognize associated work hazards.
• To determine if a scaffold will be structurally sound when intermixing components from different manufacturers.
• To determine if galvanic action has affected the capacity when using components of dissimilar metals.
• To design and load scaffolds in accordance with that design.
• To train employees working on the scaffolds to recognize the associated hazards and understand procedures to control or minimize those hazards.
• To design the rigging for single–point adjustable suspension scaffolds.
• To design platforms on two-point adjustable suspension types that are less than 36 inches wide to prevent instability.
• To make swaged attachments or spliced eyes on wire suspension ropes.
• To design scaffold components construction in accordance with the design.

Subpart L also outlines when an engineer is required to work on a jobsite with scaffolding. The following situations require an engineer:

• To design the direct connections of masons’ multi-point adjustable suspension scaffolds.
• To design scaffolds that are to be moved when employees are on them.
• To design pole scaffolds over 60 feet in height.
• To design tube and coupler scaffolds over 125 feet in height.
• To design fabricated frame scaffolds over 125 feet in height above their base plates.
• To design brackets on fabricated frame scaffolds used to support cantilevered loads in addition to workers.
• To design outrigger scaffolds and scaffold components.

Subpart L also covers the capacity requirements of scaffolds and their construction requirements as follows:

• Scaffolds and scaffold components must not be loaded in excess of their maximum intended loads or rated capacities, whichever is less.
• Load carrying timber members should be a minimum of 1,500 lb-f/in square construction grade lumber.
• Each platform must be planked and decked as fully as possible with the space between the platform and uprights not more one inch wide. The space must not exceed nine inches when side brackets or odd-shaped structures result in a wider opening between the platform and uprights.
• Scaffold planking must be able to support, without failure, its own weight and at least four times the intended load.
• Solid sawn wood, fabricated planks, and fabricated platforms may be used as scaffold planks following the recommendations by the manufacturer or a lumber grading association or inspection agency.
• Each scaffold platform and walkway must be at least 18 inches wide. When the work area is less than 18 inches wide, guardrails and/or personal fall arrest systems must be used.
• The standard requires employers to protect each employee on a scaffold more than 10 feet above a lower level from falling to that lower level with a guardrail. Guardrails are not required, however, when the front end of all platforms are less than 14 inches from the face of the work or when outrigger scaffolds are three inches or less from the front edge.

To be sure to have a true grasp of Subpart L, we recommend that employers and employees are familiar with inspection procedures for enforcing subpart . Understanding inspection procedures will benefit employees and employers in that they will have a thorough understanding of what OSHA inspectors are trained to look for and enforce so they can be sure to be properly trained.

Inspection procedures can be found here: http://bit.ly/2sNUJSM

The post OSHA 30: Subpart L Scaffolds Used in Construction appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Pitching commercial maintenance contracts typically takes patience and persistence.

Kahn Mechanical, a commercial contractor in Dallas, TX, recently identified maintenance contracts as offering prime potential for growth and aims for a 10 to 15 percent annual increase in that area. That’s one reason Kahn added an entire section on service to its website, highlighting the benefits of doing preventive maintenance.

“We needed to be consistent with what we were saying in front of customers, which is that preventive work is a better business approach than reactive work,” says Mark Mikes, service group leader for Kahn Mechanical. “We revamped our website and social media presence, which had become outdated, and hired a marketing expert to help us better reach the millennial workforce.”

As baby boomers retire, people in their 20s and early 30s are increasingly answering the phones—and influencing purchasing decisions—at the businesses in need of preventive maintenance. Those millennials are quick to Google service providers and appreciate information presented visually, habits that prompted Kahn to start filming videos for posting on its website. One will offer a drone’s eye view of a rooftop unit installation; another may show images of a unit before and after one of Kahn’s 14 technicians addressed the dirty filter and coils.

Yet the younger generation often doesn’t have the final say in how a business spends its money. In fact, says Keith Paton, vice president of service for Ivey Mechanical Company in Kosciusko, MS, the biggest obstacle to selling preventive maintenance agreements to commercial customers is identifying the ultimate decision maker. Depending on the business, the person who signs the contract might be a purchasing agent, an office manager, an operations or production manager, or the owner or president.

“You have to ask a lot of questions to get to the right person—and then you have to understand that person’s role in the company and figure out the best approach,” says Paton, whose company provides HVAC, plumbing, and electrical service at 11 locations through the southeast United States. “We always ask about their needs, so we can better understand their business and then build rapport.” A manufacturing facility, for example, may express concern about a process that generates excessive heat and could lead to production slowdowns or delays. A retailer might be just as interested in climate control as promoting its energy efficient operations to customers. Providing customers with education and information tailored to their “pain points” also emphasizes the value of having an ongoing contractual relationship, with less focus on the cost of the contract itself.

Proactive, Not Reactive

Of course, it’s difficult to build rapport with customers if you can’t even get in their door. And that’s another challenge according to Bob Helbing, president of Air-Tro, Inc., Monrovia, CA.  “Commercial maintenance contracts are a different game than residential,” says Helbing, whose firm splits its work evenly between the two service sectors. With homeowners, you’re not only dealing directly with the decision maker but also providing a comfortable environment for their family, the people they love most. But with commercial customers, Helbing says, “You are one of many vendors a purchasing agent or vice president of operations deals with—and you’re not very important because companies focus on their staff, customers, and products or services. They call you when they need you and don’t want to think about you otherwise.”

To foster top-of-mind awareness—so companies remember Air-Tro when an HVAC concern arises—the firm employs a full-time salesperson for commercial maintenance contracts and uses a telemarketer to make cold calls continually throughout the year. “It takes aggressive marketing to be in a person’s decision loop when they need to look for a new provider. You have to plan a lot of seeds. Eventually, one of them will bloom because it landed in the right soil,” believes Helbing. He estimates that two-thirds of Air-Tro’s commercial customers have signed a maintenance contract. “The rest,” he adds wryly, “are on what we call breakdown maintenance. They call only when something breaks down.”

Here are tips for moving commercial enterprises away from the “breakdown maintenance” mindset:

Share statistics and stories. Beyond the additional expense associated with emergency repairs or replacements, customers may not be aware of how much they can save on utilities by keeping equipment in tip-top shape. The Building Owners and Managers Association International (BOMA), for one, offers information on the financial benefits of energy efficiency, which can be woven into a presentation to customers. EPA’s Energy Star online calculators (www.energystar.gov/buildings) might also prove convincing for customers who prefer to run their own numbers.

Equipment repairs offer the perfect opportunity to raise the topic of maintenance contracts because the loss of productivity and/or environmental discomfort, not to mention the unexpected expenditure, remains fresh in the customer’s mind. Mark Mikes remembers one customer who, for years, insisted on repairing an aging unit without purchasing a maintenance contract. “We were out there almost every August to deal with things like dirty filters and belts that had broken because they hadn’t been changed in years,” says Mikes. “I reviewed all the work we’d done and explained how much more they had paid us, compared to being on a regular maintenance contract.” That customer now renews his maintenance contract annually.

Provide some perks. Maintenance contracts often appeal to customers who like being able to control an expenditure or reduce the risk of a breakdown. With other customers, Air-Tro emphasizes additional ways a contract makes their life easier. “We give them priority on scheduling and on our best technicians. A contract also gives them a consistent technician coming on a regular basis, who knows where the thermostat is and how to get up on the roof without having to ask a lot of time-consuming questions,” says Helbing.

Kahn Mechanical emphasizes its recordkeeping abilities, so businesses don’t feel overwhelmed by logging repair and maintenance activities themselves. Without being asked, the contractor also provides its contract customers with a budget for replacement as equipment begins nearing the end of its lifecycle. That proactive approach provides customers time to work the anticipated cost into their own budgets.

Don’t gloat. Mikes has lost count of how many customers have turned down a maintenance contract for new equipment. “Many think that having a one-year warranty means a unit doesn’t have to be touched for a year, even if it’s in a building with a lot of traffic and dust. Then the customer calls us within six months because the filter is clogged up,” notes Mikes. Resisting the temptation to say, “I told you so,” can lead to a more trusting and long-term relationship with the customer, as well as word-of-mouth referrals.

Maintain contact. Periodically check in with contract customers through phone calls, emails, and personal visits, to ensure they are satisfied with the service and know they can turn to you for other HVAC needs. “By constantly communicating with them, you’ll know when there’s a problem and be able to fix it. Otherwise, they may just cancel the contract and you won’t know why,” says Keith Paton.

Ongoing contact also underscores the value of having a maintenance contract, particularly for bottom-line-oriented businesses. Paton observes, “Price becomes less of an issue when the customer is getting service, information, energy savings, and more out of the relationship.”

The post Commercial Maintenance Agreements Are A Different Ballgame appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

The Stack House Apartments (Stack House) is a development located in Seattle’s fast-growing South Lake Union neighborhood. The project’s three buildings cover an entire city block, offering market rate residential apartments and mixed-use spaces including offices, a restaurant and a gym. The development has won multiple certifications and recognitions for its innovative, energy-efficient design, as well as its actual performance. To name just one: LEED® Platinum certification. None of that would have been possible without Zoned Comfort Solutions™ and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Mitsubishi Electric).

Approximately three-quarters of the Stack House development was new construction resulting in two mid-rise multifamily facilities – one with 96 apartments across 96,000 square feet, the other 188 apartments across 198,000 square feet. The remaining one-quarter was an adaptive reuse of a laundry facility built in 1907, which was turned into a 39,000-square-foot building with commercial tenants.

Jon Heller, PE, president, Ecotope, Inc., Seattle, was hired to provide HVAC and plumbing engineering services, energy efficiency consulting and energy performance modeling. He explained why only 40 percent of the apartment units were designed to have cooling and heating systems. “Traditionally, the Seattle climate has not necessitated cooling. So only apartment units facing south and west were selected to receive ductless heat pumps, as these apartments were going to get hot, and so have the highest seasonal cooling loads.”

Why zoned technology and VRF? Heller said, “Beyond the desire to be able to market cooling with some of the apartments, the desire to use ductless heat pumps was driven by this idea that the project was designed to hit energy-efficiency targets. We wanted to achieve a 60 percent reduction in energy use compared to the regional baseline. When we looked at Energy Use Intensity (EUI), we saw that the typical Seattle building at the time had an EUI of about 40. Our target was very aggressive – an average EUI of about 24. So ultimately, the selection was about performance and control. There’s really not any other way to deliver cooling close to this cost other than packaged terminal heat pumps, but those don’t deliver on performance. And we’d worked with ductless heat pumps before, so we knew the technology works.”

Melissa B. Wechsler, AIA, LEED AP, principal, Runberg Architecture Group PLLC, Seattle, said, “It’s also great to have the ability to cool. The Seattle apartment market is really competitive. There’s a huge influx of people coming in, and the developers are always looking for ways to differentiate the products they’re offering. Mid-rise units, especially, are doing whatever they can to compete with high-rise units. Cooling is a really strong thing to be able to offer because high-rise buildings must have it since they can’t offer operable windows 20 stories up. So there’s this sweet spot for developers to take a mid-rise building and compete on amenities like cooling. That’s a real, tangible financial incentive.”

With zoned technology and VRF agreed on, attention turned toward Mitsubishi Electric. Heller said, “Mitsubishi [Electric] has the best product. It was the first manufacturer to come into the Seattle area, and it has strong product representation.” Mitsubishi Electric Zoned Comfort Solutions were designed for the two multifamily buildings; the historic commercial building’s restaurant and office spaces would receive Mitsubishi Electric VRF.

Installation went smoothly thanks to the flexibility of the Mitsubishi Electric equipment. For example, the two multifamily buildings’ rooftops had enough room for outdoor units, but the team wanted to retain a good deal of the space for amenities like a vegetable garden. To meet that need, some of the outdoor units were installed on the roof, the others in the parking garage. Wechsler noted that initially the team was also hesitant to put any kind of mechanical system on the rooftop next to amenities due to sound, “but the sound doesn’t seem to be a concern with these systems. They’re not that loud.”

The team also installed controls and Lossnay® Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV). Heller said, “Wall-mounted programmable thermostats were installed in each [apartment] unit. In the commercial building, there’s the VRF controls system that can be monitored remotely. The ERVs serve the offices, restaurant and amenity spaces – the workout room, lobby lounge, theater and business center. We use the Lossnays to provide ventilation at very low energy.”

In addition to Mitsubishi Electric HVAC, other super-efficient features were installed, including a reverse cycle chiller for domestic water, LED light fixtures, energy-efficient appliances and windows, and low-flow water fixtures. The result is astounding. Heller said, “Beyond just achieving LEED Platinum, these apartments are among the most energy-efficient in the Pacific Northwest, with measured EUI’s of 19 kBtu/sf-yr for the West Building and 27 kBtu/sf-yr for the Southeast Building. That’s a major marketing point for the building, which helped it to fill up in a very short period of time. And the commercial building took part in Seattle’s pilot of an outcome-based energy code – the first program in the nation to predicate energy code compliance on post-occupancy proof of highly efficient operations. It’s an important, ambitious program, and we’re proud to have met it. The Mitsubishi [Electric] system was of course a part of that success.”

Colleen English, community manager, Greystar®, Dallas, oversees Stack House’s residential spaces. She has been pleased with the Mitsubishi Electric systems, as well. “Seattle summers are really hit or miss, but what’s interesting is that we have not needed a/c units until the last five to six years, really. And then last year we had another long summer, and we had a huge drought. The rental units that didn’t have a/c – they baked.” With such a stark situation, the value of having a cooling and heating system in the apartments was very apparent. “People’s expectations of what a home should provide are skyrocketing. People are just not going to spend thousands a month to not get a/c.” As a result, Stack House has been able to charge a rent premium on apartments with Mitsubishi Electric Zoned Comfort Solutions. Wechsler estimates that “based on the additional rent that management is recouping, the system will pay for itself within the first five years.”

Such a successful, efficient project does not go unnoticed. Stack House has won a handful of certifications and recognitions, including: LEED for Homes Platinum certification; a 2016 ASHRAE Award, Category VI-Residential; a 2015 NAIOP Award for Preservation; 2015, 2014 and 2012 Gold Nugget awards, including the Grand Award (“Best Sustainable Residential Community”); and the 2013 Outstanding Multifamily Project of the Year for the 2013 LEED for Homes Awards.

The Stack House project’s success has also inspired other projects. Heller said, “The developer has continued to use the Mitsubishi [Electric] heat pump on other projects.” Likewise Wechsler said her team was impressed enough that they’ve turned to Mitsubishi Electric Zoned Comfort Solutions since. She said, “Mini-splits played a big role in Stack House’s success. So we have another project right now that uses the same Mitsubishi [Electric] mini-splits.”

Most recently, a Zoned Comfort Solution was installed in the Stack House property’s Winter Garden, or what English called “a greenhouse-style room – this awesome architectural element to the property that makes it individualized. There were plants and a seating area in there, but it was so intensely hot no one could use it. It was a nightmare. And the plants were all killed by the heat; we lost thousands of dollars in plant life. So we added a/c and turned the space into a game room. We have shuffle board, a ping pong table, furniture and a cactus garden. The Mitsubishi [Electric] equipment keeps it all nice and cool. Now, the space gets used daily.”

The post Case Study: Stack House Apartments appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Studio Gang is an architecture and urbanism practice based in Chicago and New York that works at a range of scales to help organizations, people and cities design their future. Focused on a design process that emphasizes sustainability, experimentation and collaboration, Studio Gang has been in Chicago since its founding by Principal Jeanne Gang 20 years ago. Recently, after years of renting space in Wicker Park, Studio Gang purchased and renovated a small building down the street. In addition to completing an adaptive reuse of the upper two floors, which now accommodate approximately 70 employees, Studio Gang built a prairie on the roof and an adjacent, enclosed event space. That 21,000-square-foot office is now cooled and heated by a Hyper-Heating INVERTER® (H2i®) Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Mitsubishi Electric).

In 2013, Studio Gang was looking to grow and expand, and purchased what was the old Polish National Alliance building. Built in 1937, it was recently closed, after serving as a technical school. Senior Technical Director at Studio Gang, Harry Soenksen, AIA, LEED AP, worked with owners Jeanne Gang and Mark Schendel to procure the building and renovate it into office space. He said, “We always felt connected to this neighborhood and wanted to support its ongoing rebirth. While we do a lot of new construction projects for our clients, we also always try to save and repurpose structures and materials where we can. This building is also very beautiful – as architects say, it had great bones. So we purchased it, and worked to convert it into a City of Chicago Landmark building.”

When the Studio Gang team began thinking about HVAC, that Landmark status became important, as did Studio Gang’s commitment to sustainability. Soenkesen said, “We’re a pretty progressive firm and are always looking for the best possible solution for the environment. For this project, we were working within the constraints of the building. It was important not to add any more than was necessary, and to intervene in the original spaces and structure as little as possible. This was an important part of the Landmark Department’s (Landmark) requirements.”

To conduct the search for an HVAC system, Alex Tompsidis, president, AT Mechanical, LLC, Melrose Park [Chicago], Illinois, was called in. He said, “This was a unique situation. Studio Gang was acting as owner, architect and end-user. No matter my customer, though, my focus is always on delivering a system that is cost-competitive – but not so cheap that people will regret it. The city has a real reputation for that. You have to balance money and quality. In terms of quality, comfort comes first. That’s not really a negotiable item. Ultra-quiet operation is also a key criterion, along with indoor air quality, maintainability and reliability of the equipment.”

For Studio Gang, comfort was paramount. Soenksen said, “In our previous office, which was one open space, we had one massive HVAC unit with a single zone. In the summer, we would never get cool air over where I sat, while other people were too cold. Temperature striation was a big struggle, creating a complete lack of comfort for our employees. So we asked ourselves, ‘This time around, how can we be modern and more efficient?’ And that was a no-brainer. We could not go for big, packaged units. They’d also be visible, since we would be adding the system on the rooftop of the 1937 structure. Landmark was adamant about not seeing the system from the street. We needed something with a small footprint that was acoustically reasonable for us and our neighbors.”

The answer was VRF. Soenksen said, “VRF fit the function, cost, acoustic and visual requirements. In terms of cost, it was pretty competitive with a conventional system but where VRF stood out was that it met Landmark’s performance requirements of exceeding ASHRAE standards by at least 17 percent. No other system could meet that requirement.” Acoustics and visuals on the roof became particularly important as Studio Gang planned their roof prairie and event space. The HVAC system had to be discreet if people were going to be able to enjoy these spaces. Studio Gang Chief Financial Officer Meredith Mack echoed Soenksen’s satisfaction: “We had pictured a green roof with plantings and even trees, and we knew the VRF units would not be unattractive next to it. And they wouldn’t blow all over you if you were up on the roof grilling or eating lunch.”

Tompsidis said, “Ultimately, we design for clients the system that we would design for ourselves – and that’s Mitsubishi [Electric] VRF because nothing else is as good. In addition to meeting our design criteria, the Mitsubishi [Electric] VRF system mirrored the green, high-efficiency values of Studio Gang. And its outside condensing units are super, super quiet; that was important for their green roof. We also like how flexible the system is. If Studio Gang ever wants to move things or add to the system, it will be relatively easy.”

Tompsidis also prefers Mitsubishi Electric because of the strong local support: “We work with the distributor Windy City and they’re a pretty sharp group. If a problem comes up, they handle it well. They’re very good and professional.”

For Soenksen, Tompsidis’ recommendation of VRF technology from Mitsubishi Electric rang true: “I know of the company. I was aware of their elevators and escalators, and I knew that VRF was very popular across Europe and Asia, so I had a good feeling in general.”

The installation was quick and easy. Soenksen said, “It was smooth sailing, and everything went in pretty cleanly. It’s not a difficult thing to put the units up there. And since then, so far so good. We control the office’s dozen or so zones, determining set points. Other than that, upkeep is limited. We’re doing very little, thankfully!”

“We’ve been happy with it. It’s been far less noisy than the old system and way more consistent and comfortable than our old office. People are way more comfortable and it’s actually costing us less per square foot,” said Mack.

That’s no exaggeration. The previous office space had a monthly expenditure (electric + gas) of $0.14 per square foot. The new office space comes in at $0.11 per square foot. Soenksen said, “These numbers let us put our money where our mouth is with our clients. Because some people think they’re going to spend a lot of money on a system and then it’ll run all the time and ring up bills. But it doesn’t work that way. It’s designed to run. If you let it do its thing, as we have, you save money.”

“Any way you slice it, we’re spending less per square foot now,” added Mack.

Another mark of the project’s success has been impressive recognitions, including LEED® certification and Landmark status. Mack said, “The office has also been popular for the Architecture Foundation open house. It’s just a nice space.”

Soenksen said, “It feels good to think about how we might have saved this building from destruction. It was not much cared for over the last 50 years or so. Now it’s beautiful and ready for the next 100 years.”

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Challenge

Originally commissioned in 1931 and designed for students with special needs, the Smouse Opportunity School was one of the first schools in Iowa to create a conducive learning environment for those students unable to attend a traditional public school due to physical or mental disabilities. Designed to accommodate the unique requirements of its students, Smouse is equipped with resources such as a hydrotherapy tank, temperature-controlled classrooms, rooms designed to carry vibrations for hearing-impaired students, tilted blackboards to prevent glare for the visually impaired, a resting room and a swimming pool.

In addition to the school’s personalized learning environment, the facility also features beautiful architectural elements from the building’s original structure such as ornate wood carvings and hallways adorned with hand-painted ceramic tiles. Due to its turn-of-the-century design and long-standing contribution to the Des Moines community, Smouse has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002.

When Smouse decided to improve its facilities, the school needed a versatile HVAC upgrade that balanced efficiency with the unique design needs of a historic building with several floors of varying environments. Most importantly, Smouse required a system that would provide an optimal comfort environment for its students while preserving the architectural integrity of the building.

Criteria

Smouse required an HVAC system that would improve the overall comfort and learning environment of the classrooms to help meet the diverse needs of the student body, and also maintain the building’s unique and historic architectural details.

Specifically in the classroom, the system had to be quiet so as to not disrupt lessons. In other rooms, such as offices and the teachers’ lounge, as well as in hallways, the system needed to be minimally invasive to preserve the architecture. The system also needed to be centrally controlled to ensure that the rooms were kept at a consistent temperature and could not be accidentally adjusted within the learning spaces.

Solution

After researching potential solutions, LG’s Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Multi V Water IV system was selected for its ability to deliver on all of Smouse’s requirements.

The Multi V Water IV worked perfectly for the school because it was able to hook into the adjacent school’s central plant that already had a cooling tower and boiler to easily incorporate the LG water-cooled condensing units in the basement.  From there, the refrigerant piping was routed to the varying zones established in the school.

In the hallways where space was limited and the walls are decorated with original hand- painted tile, narrow refrigerant lines were routed through underground tunnels where hydronic piping previously existed. By reusing the existing lines, Smouse avoided disrupting the historic architecture and delicate tilework, while saving money on the installation.

Throughout the school, a mix of ducted and duct-free indoor units were installed that worked best with the architecture and the needs of the space. In the teachers’ lounge, which features elaborate hand-carved wood walls and accents, LG floor-mounted units were installed inside existing casework rendering them invisible and unobtrusive to the intricate woodwork. In the atrium, a space that wasn’t previously conditioned, pre-existing openings were repurposed to disguise the ducted units — maintaining the aesthetic.

In the classrooms where minimal sound disruption was critical, indoor units were installed that operate as low as 36 dB(A) – a noise level equivalent to a quiet library, which were perfect for creating a calm and comfortable atmosphere the students.

To enable for central control of the system, LG’s remote temperature sensors were installed in each classroom to monitor the individual environments. These remote sensors report into a central control unit, allowing administrators to monitor and ensure each classroom’s temperature was kept consistent.  The whole school system was then connected, via an ACP BACnet, to the Des Moines school system so that they could oversee operation at a district level.

Result

Smouse was able to install the LG VRF system over a 10-week summer vacation, and the landmark school building now features an updated HVAC system that serves the needs of its students while preserving the notable historic architecture – all while reducing utility costs for the school.

“The LG Multi V system is inherently very, very quiet,” said Dave Chongo, Principal, Senior Mechanical Engineer, KCL Engineering. “That played a very important part in this building. Some of the kids are sensitive to vibration, sensitive to noise, sensitive to light – and the LG VRF systems are so quiet you can’t even tell that they’re there.”

“It’s definitely way more efficient than we used to be. We’ve seen a significant reduction in utility costs and operational costs in the building since installing LG’s VRF Multi V Water IV system,” said Jamie Wilkerson, Facility Services Director, Des Moines Public Schools.

The post Modern HVAC Solution Maintains Architectural Integrity and Serves Special-Needs Students in Historic Turn-of-the-Century Iowa School Building appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

Just 30 miles south of Colorado’s state capital, tucked away in the Colorado Mountains, sits the community of Castle Rock. With a little more than 56,000 residents, Castle Rock prides itself on its small-town charm, historic downtown, small businesses and community involvement. Over the past few years, business population began to grow exponentially, and shortly thereafter, office space quickly became limited. To prevent local businesses from moving, the town and the Castle Rock Economic Development worked together to propose a new office building called The Move – a name that symbolized how businesses wouldn’t have to move outside of city limits to expand. The town decided on a 50,000-square-foot, four-story building to house businesses from fast-growing industries like marketing, food auditing and general contracting. To keep businesses productive and comfortable in the new workspace, the project team wanted a quiet and reliable HVAC system that could meet tenant needs throughout the entire year. The solution was Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems with Hyper-Heating INVERTER® (H2i®) technology from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Mitsubishi Electric).

Doug Decker, vice president, White Construction Group, Castle Rock – one of the building’s owners and the general contractor on the job – knew his team had a challenge in finding an HVAC system that would meet everyone’s needs. He said, “We needed a system that was energy-efficient, offered zone control and operated quietly.” Decker also pointed out how the project team included energy-efficient elements in the building’s design, so they wanted the new HVAC system to be efficient as well. He said, “Our first priority was to find a system that was energy-efficient because we have solar panels on the building.” Decker and the project team originally planned to install traditional HVAC technology, but with the assistance of local contracting company, Conditioned Air Corporation, Castle Rock, they decided to look into VRF.

John Godshalk, principal, Conditioned Air Corporation, knew VRF would stand up to Colorado’s constantly fluctuating temperatures. He said, “Solar exposure varies throughout the day, and a nice aspect of this system is the simultaneous cooling and heating capability and the redistribution of heat energy within the building envelope.”

Decker and his team were interested in VRF, but needed to ensure their budget could handle a different system than the one originally planned. After comparing VRF’s lifecycle costs against that of the planned system, they agreed that VRF’s efficiency would allow the building owners to save money over time.

With VRF identified as the preferred technology, Godshalk recommended that Decker select Mitsubishi Electric VRF with H2i because of its design flexibility. “Mitsubishi Electric is a leader in this technology. They have a two-pipe system while other competitors have three. Mitsubishi Electric also leads this technology because of the flexibility of their system design. Their VRF allows for easy remodels down the road.” Decker agreed with Godshalk’s recommendation, and said, “We also chose [Mitsubishi Electric] because we didn’t have to do vertical duct penetration.” Finally, the H2i technology would ensure that occupants remain comfortable during even the coldest months of the year.

Decker contracted Bryan Moen, PE, Moen Engineering Consultants, Westminster, Colorado, to design the system. Moen said, “Although we had not used VRF before, we were excited for the opportunity to utilize VRF on this project. We liked the idea of working with Mitsubishi Electric on the project because we were familiar with their ductless split-system products.” The design Moen developed involved installing 116 tons of VRF – nine outdoor units on the roof that would serve 57 indoor units. Moen said, “The installation process was efficient and we did not encounter any issues during construction.” Godshalk added, “We received great overall support from local technicians and the distributor, Charles D. Jones Company. We were able to rely on them for the project; they’re really committed to this product line from Mitsubishi Electric.”

Since installation, the VRF system has proven to be very reliable. “When we started the system up, we didn’t have any hiccups, and there were no glitches with any system components. The tenants have had 100 percent comfort since then,” said Godshalk.

As a partial owner and now one of the tenants in The Move, Decker was pleased with the system’s performance within the first two months and believes it’s been successful in keeping other tenants comfortable too. “So far, we like the system. It’s been active since the first of August, and we’ve already had some cold weather here. The system has been keeping up!”

Godshalk has also appreciated the system’s zoning capabilities – specifically, how the system has allowed the building to have more finite control through Mitsubishi Electric’s AE-200A Centralized Controller. He said, “The best part about the AE-200A is that it allows block scheduling for zones and has the ability to be remotely monitored. They can schedule simultaneous cooling and heating for two offices that are side-by-side.” He also mentioned the system’s operation: “The system will run down to about four percent of capacity; traditional rooftop units will not do that. But the VRF system’s compressors will vary their speed to whatever the capacity is based on the current demand. They’re constantly modulating. And there aren’t tenant complaints of it being too hot or too cold. The system has been running beautifully, and everyone is happy.”

The Move has been an overall success, providing local business with a place to generate new ideas and promote company growth, but also providing a workplace that’s conveniently close to home. Decker said, “We didn’t want to move out of the town of Castle Rock. Businesses are expanding and growing, and we needed a new, innovative space.” With Mitsubishi Electric VRF, that space is now a reality.

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

A decades-old use of hydronics is enjoying a slow but steady comeback throughout North America.

Although Dan Foley installed his first radiant heating system in 1991, 20 years passed before he completed a radiant cooling project. Now Foley, the owner and president of Foley Mechanical in Lorton, VA, typically has several radiant cooling projects in progress at once. He sees the hydronics application as a continued growth area for his business, particularly for new construction.

“Radiant cooling is conducive to commercial construction techniques, where the floors are poured concrete over steel decking, and to hard surfaces like stone, tile, or dyed concrete,” notes Foley. His radiant cooling projects have included a number of luxury residences—ranging up to 42,000 square feet—that are houses in name only because they feature commercial mechanical systems.

“Like a lot of technologies, radiant cooling was around for decades before it was ‘discovered,’” says Lance MacNevin, director of the engineering, building, and construction division of the Plastics Pipe Institute in Irving, TX. In the 1930s, for instance, iron pipes embedded in floors and ceilings often provided radiant heating and cooling in commercial buildings. The introduction of PEX (crosslinked polyethylene) tubing in the 1970s began rekindling interest in circulating warm or chilled fluid through plastic pipes embedded in floors, walls, or ceilings. In recent years, with the development of more sophisticated control systems, the technology has drawn the interest of environmentally minded architects and design engineers.

“Commercial buildings have always used hydronics to move heat around because it’s so much more efficient. It takes far less energy to circulate water through a building than to blow air through it,” adds MacNevin. “It’s really just a learning curve to do radiant cooling as well.” He notes that radiant cooling systems use fluid chilled in the range of 58 to 60 degrees, which doesn’t require much energy generation.

Rising Popularity

According to the Center for the Built Environment (CBE) at the University of California Berkeley, radiant cooling and heating systems are becoming more common in commercial buildings throughout North America, particularly those designated as ultra-low and zero-net energy buildings. One recent study conducted by CBE found that buildings with radiant systems for both heating and cooling used less energy when compared to peer buildings and national benchmarks, while still maintaining the comfort of occupants.

With many new commercial buildings pursuing LEED certification, radiant systems also have the potential of earning a significant number of points in LEED’s energy environment category. In fact, says MacNevin, “I’ve heard that, in the last 10 years, more than 50 percent of all the LEED-rated buildings in North America include radiant heating, radiant cooling, or both.”

Commercial architects—the people who generally specify radiant cooling systems—not only like the resulting energy efficiency but also the greater design freedom. “With radiant cooling, you can control temperature without huge ducts, fans, and registers,” Foley explains. “Architects like burying cooling in the floor because it gives them clean lines to work with.”

Radiant cooling pairs especially well with the expansive areas of glass that are a hallmark of modern architecture; as the sun’s energy pours through the windows, the fluid flowing through the plastic tubing captures the heat and carries it away, instead of allowing it to become trapped in the floor. Another advantage is a reduction in noise. With radiant cooling, both a building’s ductwork and fans can be downsized, which makes the moving air quieter.

While the architect and engineer may have the say about radiant cooling in the design phase, the general contractor typically selects the HVAC contractor that will install the system. If you’d like to position your company as a highly qualified subcontractor, here are several recommendations:

Get up to speed. “Since the early days of radiant cooling, the industry has learned a lot about proper design and installation. But, like a lot of specialties, this knowledge is still not yet commonplace,” MacNevin observes. In addition to reading trade publications and engineering manuals, you can build your expertise by attending training classes offered by trade groups and industry consultants. You might also look into being certified as meeting the ASSE Series 19210 Hydronics Heating and Cooling Installer Professional Qualification Standard.

“Radiant cooling can handle about 50 percent of the sensible load—the temperature you can measure on a thermometer—but you have to control the humidity as well,” says Foley, noting that all of his radiant cooling jobs are paired with radiant heating. That adds another layer of complexity to master, with radiant cooling calling for tighter tube spacing and higher flow rates of fluid through the tubing.

“Concrete doesn’t change temperature quickly, so while it’s cooling down, for example, you’ll need to be blowing cool air through the ducts,” Foley adds. “That all has to be designed and built into the control strategy—which is where our skill and expertise as HVAC contractors can really shine.”

Identify experts to work with. According to MacNevin, most radiant cooling systems are designed by licensed engineers with the support of a system manufacturer. It becomes the contractor’s responsibility to install the system as designed, after completing the manufacturer’s training courses to master tubing installation, manifolds, testing, and so forth. Notes MacNevin, “It’s not rocket science, but there’s only one chance to get the tubing installed correctly, before the concrete is poured.”

Think ahead to servicing and maintenance. All mechanical devices fail eventually, observes Foley, so he always takes a conservative approach and incorporates back-up systems. “Say I had a job that needed 20 tons of cooling. I’d put in four 5-ton chillers instead of one 20-ton chiller so if one broke I’d still have back-ups,” he says. He ensures all joints, connections, and valves are placed in the building’s mechanical room or closet; in the floor, he uses one continuous link, or multiple links, of piping that connect to an accessible manifold.

Foley also guards against jamming the system’s components into the mechanical room haphazardly. “If you have to come back on a 100-degree day when the system isn’t working, you want easy access,” he says. “That means leaving room around the equipment so you can service it and having proper valves—so you can close two valves and change a component, like a circulating pump, without having to drain the entire system.”

Keep an eye on other subcontractors. When the day for pouring concrete arrives, Foley Mechanical always has an employee at the building site to keep watch on the embedded tubing. While the PEX tubing isn’t fragile, a nick from a shovel, rake, or tool can create problems. “Plenty of electricians and plumbers have drilled through the PEX or cut it, but I’ve never had a pipe just fail,” says Foley, who pressure tests a radiant system for leaks using 100 PSI.

Document your work. “When you’re doing the job, write down where every pipe, valve, and pump is, because your memory will get hazy when you come back five years later,” advises Foley. He uses pipe markers and commercial-grade placards to identify each piece of equipment and what area of the building it services, in addition to keeping a binder in the mechanical room with the system’s detailed schematics and instruction manuals. He also keeps an electronic copy of the building’s mechanical plans in his office and a print copy on site, to facilitate troubleshooting.

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Any professional will agree – over time, as their number of tools increases, the need for storing them efficiently also increases.

Today’s market has seen the introduction of some of the most powerful and durable tools ever designed. And, while many of these new tools – particularly power tools – come with their own cases, the differing dimensions can make storing them a difficult task. While a large toolbox or chest is a common go-to solution, mobile storage has been an appealing option due to its immense productivity benefits to the user. Today’s maintenance professionals, and the companies they work for, need a way to protect their investment in these quality tools.

Many users have turned to stacking and modular storage to solve the challenges of finding a storage solution that is not only mobile, but can withstand the demands of the jobsite. However, all current modular storage systems available today limit users to a single footprint or box size that offers very little versatility to fit their needs. Through a new-to-world attachment system, Milwaukee Tool’s new PACKOUT™ Modular Storage System aims to solve that… and more!

An intuitive and quick attachment mechanism gives users the freedom to stack and lock PACKOUT™ tool boxes, organizers, and totes of different sizes in numerous configurations that best suit their needs. The initial PACKOUT™ Modular Storage System will consist of 8 products – 3 tool boxes, 2 organizers, and 3 storage totes.

Tool Boxes

The base of the PACKOUT™ Modular Storage System is the PACKOUT™ Rolling Tool Box. 9” all-terrain wheels allow the Rolling Tool Box to easily roll over a variety of rough surfaces, and a metal through-axle secures the wheels providing a stronger connection and longer life in jobsite conditions. An industrial-grade extension handle is designed to support box loads up to 250 lbs, and its wide handle produces a more comfortable grip during transportation. In addition, metal reinforced corners provide ultimate durability.

Users can also choose to utilize the PACKOUT™ Large Tool Box or PACKOUT™ Tool Box to securely stack and transport on top of the PACKOUT™ Rolling Tool Box. Each features an internal organization tray for hand tools and accessories.

All Tool Boxes in the PACKOUT™ System are constructed with impact resistant polymer, IP 65 rated seals to prevent damage from water and jobsite debris, metal reinforced corners, and TICK™ mounting locations on the lids.

Organizers

The PACKOUT™ Organizer and PACKOUT™ Compact Organizer are designed to securely stack and transport on top of any PACKOUT™ tool boxes. Each includes small and large removable bins that can be mounted on common jobsite materials by utilizing integrated screw slots. A No-Travel Bin seal around the perimeter of each bin prevents small items from migrating from one bin to the other. Each utilizes impact resistant polymers and is IP 65 rated to prevent damage from water and jobsite debris.

Totes

Unique to the Milwaukee PACKOUT™ modular storage system is the integration of soft storage totes designed to attach to the top of any PACKOUT™ storage box or organizer.  This allows users to not only attach a storage tote to the top of their PACKOUT™ system for transport, but also gives the flexibility to attach an organizer to the bottom of a tote for quick tasks that only require a few hand tools and small fasteners.

Available in 10”, 15” or 20”, the new soft-sided totes can fit a wide variety of tools – from accessories and screwdrivers, to impact drivers and SAWZALL®s. Each is constructed of 1680D ballistic material and their impact resistant molded bases are up to 5X more durable than competitive bases, protecting contents from water, abrasion and impact.

Part of a growing line of storage solutions from Milwaukee®, the new PACKOUT™ Modular Storage System will be available in September of 2017. The company plans to grow this line well into the future with more innovative organization solutions for the trades.

The post New Solution To Help Commercial Contractors Be More Productive appeared first on IE3: Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency.

LG’s VRF System Delivers Total Tenant Comfort in Mixed-Use Mill Complex and Integrates Seamlessly with Water-Source Geothermal System for High Energy Efficiency

Challenge

Located on the picturesque Piscataquis River in Maine, The Mill at Dover-Foxcroft is 60,000 square foot complex comprised of nine structures built between 1841 and 1944. After sitting vacant for nearly a decade, Arnold Development Group embarked on a full renovation of the complex to develop a mixed-use building complete with residences, office space, a cafe and a boutique inn.

On the National Register of Historic Places, the renovation of The Mill required an update to modern amenities with limited modifications of the building’s envelope. In addition to the preservation of the structure, the developer also desired to make the building a net-zero facility in the future with plans to restore the turbine of the pre-existing hydro-electric dam.

Criteria

Located 100 miles from the Canadian border where during the winter months the temperature can frequently sustain below freezing temperatures, the new HVAC system needed to provide year-round comfort. On top of functioning in the extremeonditions, in order to achieve the desired net-zero impact, the HVAC system needed to be energy efficient while still delivering on the specific comfort requirements of the varying businesses operating throughout the complex. All of this had to be achieved with minimal modification to the structure in order to preserve its historic nature.

Solution

After evaluating the needs of the project, Ranor Mechanical, recommended LG’s Water Source VRF system to The Mill at Dover-Foxcroft.  The robust solution featured 180 tons of LG Multi V^TM Water IV Heat Recovery Units that tied into the geothermal well system and included a variety of indoor units, such as ceiling cassettes, wall mounts, high static ducted and floor standing indoor units. By implementing a predominantly duct-free solution, the small refrigerant piping was minimally invasive to the building’s envelope. The design flexibility of the LG VRF solution allowed for the appropriate mix of indoor units to be used to meet the comfort and aesthetic requirements of each space.

In addition to the space savings from eliminating the need for bulky ductwork, the condensing units themselves are substantially smaller than a conventional system. With a small and compact footprint, the LG Multi V Water IV units were installed in the mechanical room under the building. This placement not only serves to make the units unobtrusive, but allows for easier control of the temperature from the source water loop which enables the system to effectively heat in the extreme temperatures.

One of the key requirements of the new system was energy efficiency. With future goals of creating a net-zero building, The Mill chose to maximize efficiencies by implementing LG water source, heat recovery units that tied into nine, 1000 ft geothermal wells. The Multi V Water IV units were easily incorporated to the geothermal well system and used water control valves to regulate the operating pressure to the VRF units for improved efficiency. Heat recovery units were selected for the mixed-use complex due to the varying temperature demands across the spaces. By choosing a heat recovery system, The Mill is able deliver simultaneous heating and cooling while balancing the comfort demands of each occupant across the building. This not only allows for superior comfort and maximizes the energy efficiency, but it also lowers the operating costs and eliminates the need to have a secondary system to supply heat.

Results

By only using small piping rather than traditional, large ductwork, the Multi V Water IV system seamlessly blends into the building's interiors without disrupting the exterior. The architectural integrity of the historic mill complex and compliance with the guidelines set forth by the National Register of Historic Places were both met with no issue. In recognition of this accomplishment, the architect was awarded Maine's Historic Preservation Honor Award for Stewardship in 2015.

“The energy-efficient LG Multi V VRF system met all criteria with flawless performance, and it tied in perfectly with the geothermal wells to generate big cost savings and improve energy efficiency,” said developer Jonathan Arden. “The Mill has retained its architectural integrity and was honored to remain on the Historic Register and receive a prestigious Stewardship award. All of our various tenants and customers, whether living at The Mill, working in the office space or enjoying coffee at a café located on-site, are comfortable and happy, even in the coldest winter months in Maine.”

Check out a video of this project here.

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Since its inception in 1910, St. Patrick Catholic Church (St. Patrick’s) in Lake Forest, Illinois, has been a place for the community to gather. Over time, as the Lake Forest community grew, the 3,900-square-foot building underwent several structural renovations to accommodate new members and guests. In 2016, after tolerating many years without air conditioning, the church decided to install a new HVAC system in an effort to make the space even more comfortable for the large congregation. It turned to Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Mitsubishi Electric).

Gianfranco Isaia, the church’s facilities and construction manager, said the building needed a new air-conditioning system for one reason: comfort. He said beyond serving the parish community, “our church has become a destination for weddings. We wanted a space that was not only both sacred and contemplative but also comfortable. We have very cold winters and hot, humid summers, and the space had become untenable.” The church was able to bear the winter weather with boilers in the basement, but when it came to the humid summers in Illinois, St. Patrick’s didn’t have air conditioning to create a comfortable environment like it wanted.

Isaia asked the church to install a new air-conditioning system, but with the amount of renovation needed, the church had to seek approval from the city of Lake Forest. To obtain approval from the city, the church needed a system that met three new requirements: The system needed to be unobtrusive, easily installed and whisper-quiet. He said, “Our first goal was to find a system that the city would not see as an eyesore on the exterior of the building. Second, we don’t have an attic and the walls are brick so there was no way to carry ductwork throughout the building. Lastly, it’s a church. We needed to make sure the units wouldn’t take away from the symbolism that is represented throughout the architecture of the building.”

To start the process, Isaia contacted John Domenz, vice president, North Town Mechanical Services, Roselle, Illinois. Domenz would recommend which technology best met the needs of the building and the requirements set by the city. For Domenz, the answer was clear: “We looked at the interior architecture and available space within the building. The system needed to be quiet and provide comfort, so the best option was VRF.”

He continued, “During services, there are a lot of quiet times, and you don’t want the congregation to hear a fan roaring in the background.” Isaia agreed with the selection of VRF because the city would approve and the system would provide comfort for the church community. He said, “For the parishioners who come to mass at eight in the morning, we needed to mitigate the problem and provide them a quiet, reflective space.”

With VRF selected, the church asked Domenz to investigate the various brands providing the technology, taking into consideration that the selected system also had to meet the installation requirements set by the city. Isaia said, “Since the church is also a historic building, the city set limits on how we could install the system. The city wouldn’t allow us to cut many holes in the building.” Domenz proposed Mitsubishi Electric VRF because of its minimal piping and small equipment footprint: “We could install Mitsubishi Electric units in the space without damaging the building’s architecture.” Domenz also recommended Mitsubishi Electric VRF technology because of its superior performance. “We’ve used Mitsubishi Electric products on several other projects in the past, and we’re always sold on the reliability of the systems.” Finally, he noted that if the church needed a back-up heating option, it could use the new system. “The church has two small boilers in the basement, and if they are ever to fail, the Mitsubishi Electric system will provide heat to the space quickly.”

Domenz and his team drafted a base proposal for the church, consisting of two outdoor units and four indoor units. They also offered the option to add a third outdoor unit, which would give the church two additional indoor units – in the front and back entrances. The church was interested in installing the additional outdoor and indoor units, but as with any church, budgets were tight. Still, the original goal had been to provide comfort, and the church’s community members believed so fully in this idea, and were so confident that Mitsubishi Electric VRF would solve their comfort needs, that they donated funds so the third outdoor unit and additional indoor units could be installed.

Despite some inclement weather, Domenz and his team installed the system within six weeks. He said, “The installation happened on schedule and within our set budget.” The installation was also successful from an aesthetics perspective. “The neutral color of the fan coils was a perfect match for the interior walls, and the outdoor units blended well with the exterior of the building.” Domenz also noted how the distributor, Gustave A. Larson Company, Chicago, provided excellent assistance during installation: “They were great to work with throughout this process. They provided help as we designed the system and set it up in the church.”

Since the installation, the experience has been very positive for St. Patrick’s. Isaia said, “When we unveiled the renovation, including the new [HVAC] units, over 150 people turned out. I had plenty of people come up to me and say how comfortable it was in the church. Since, I have not heard one person say they are a nuisance or obtrusive. And the units are cooling down the building in several minutes during the hot days. The temperature will drop by 10 degrees in less than 4 minutes.”

Isaia has also appreciated how the system’s whisper-quiet operation contributes to the comfort of the space. He said, “Speaking as a parishioner, when you are in a worship space, there should be a welcoming feeling. That feeling should be comfort. With the addition of these units, our space is both welcoming and comfortable so it makes people want to take the time to reflect.” With Mitsubishi Electric VRF, St. Patrick Catholic Church is now not only a destination for weddings, but a destination for reflection and – perhaps most importantly – comfort.

The post Case Study: St. Patrick Catholic Church appeared first on IE3: Business Tools for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors.

It can be challenging to keep all of the systems of commercial building performing at their best – particularly the way many structures are designed these days, contractors say. As for existing buildings, practically every structure has its own set of issues – which spell untold opportunities for recommissioning to make sure the building as a whole performs optimally.

Commissioning Systems During Construction

There can be design issues and construction issues that impact the performance of systems within commercial buildings, and because the world is “ever more complex,” there’s a “whole series of convergent problems,” says Steve Saunders, chief executive of Tempo Mechanical in Irving, TX.

“The price of real estate is growing and to make the economics work on the land, commercial buildings have to be taller,” Saunders says. “As a result, now developers are changing the building envelope system to steel or concrete and creating all new and different issues with the skins of the building.”

Tempo Mechanical does a fair amount of commissioning, mainly on mixed-use buildings – mid-rise and high-rise structures with apartments and retail and office space on the lower floors. One potential problem is possible air intrusion with high water content, due to weather conditions that bring changing dew point conditions to the indoor and outdoor air conditions – and which can then breed microbial organisms.

“Now, we even have situations in winter where we can have created microbial growth,” he says. “The exterior envelope can get so cold that the temperature of aluminum window frame drops below the dew point, that condensation forms – creating a whole new set of problems for mechanical systems.”

More insulation or better thermal breaks on the windows may be needed, but contractors and building owners need to be aware that these changes could have a big impact on load calculations, Saunders says.

“There are also other issues that we’re beginning to worry about,” he says. “A few months ago, low-income housing in a London building caught on fire and spread up the skin — the building exterior. There were no fire retardants in the exterior wall insulation. The fire spread through the exterior of the building, emitted harmful chemicals and became an issue in itself.”

Due to the shortage of quality labor in the mechanical trades, designers are now considering mechanical systems that are less labor intensive, Saunders says.

“However, some of these ‘solutions’ create problems as great or greater than the driver for change,” he says. “At present, there are few simple, clear answers.”

Tempo Mechanical also serves as a commissioning agent for large commercial buildings – an independent third party hired to inspect the mechanical systems that other contractors have installed. The firm has found problems in the ventilation systems in mixed-use buildings due to complications in the assembly and installation of some of those products. As a result, the systems did not operate properly, which contributed to building performance problems, Saunders says.

“The ventilation systems were bringing in hot humid air every time the air handler ran,” he says. “Likely, the extra humid air helped increase microbial growth in the apartment units. After we identified the problem, we worked with both the owner and the contractor to recommission the systems so they would operate as designed.”

Recommissioning Existing Commercial Buildings

When a building is originally put into service, all of the systems within that building – whether its HVAC-related, lighting or building automation – have been set up and tested for the highest efficiency and most comfort for the tenants, says Tony Yanniello, operations manager at Del Air Mechanical in Knoxville, TN.

“However, just over the course of a few years, those buildings can be altered, both from internal staff or other contractors coming in and out,” Yanniello says. “So it’s very important for us to come in and recommission the systems, to make sure the building again performs to the specifications of the architect or engineer.”

Del Air Mechanical’s team recommends taking a baseline from when the building originally commissioned, and during various occupancy times, and comparing the results to how the building’s systems are performing currently. The teams finds that many times, they need to make adjustments to get back to how the systems were set up, to perform optimally, most efficiently, and for the most comfort.

“Even when buildings have automation systems, a lot of operators don’t understand the complexity of the HVAC systems, and they make adjustments to reset temperatures or change the air flows in one part of the building that can impact other parts of the building,” he says.

Del Air Mechanical has a building automation division that also helps with lighting, not only for energy savings, but also to help make a better atmosphere for tenants, and to set the proper lighting for the task at hand, Yanniello says. The division can also set the automation system to increase and decrease lighting output based on the amount of daylight that’s coming into the building.

The firm also has a dedicated sales person who focuses on filling maintenance contracts, building relationships with facility directors, while all of the sales staff tries to sell maintenance contracts when they can, says Lori Sentell, Del Air Mechanical’s project team leader

“For optimal building performance, owners and managers need to keep their maintenance up-to-date with a local provide,” Sentell says. “They should also have someone on site to take care of basic things, like filter changes, when needed.”

When the contractor initially sets up systems, its team then goes out to the commercial building to conduct quarterly performance tasks, to make sure everything is working properly, so that repair costs can be kept down.

“We have annual contracts, but if they don’t cancel at the end of the contract, the contract automatically updates and rolls over into another year until otherwise notified,” she says. “In the contract, there is verbiage that we will cancel upon written notice – otherwise the contract will renew itself each year.”

Under a typical scenario the original commissioning is part of the construction contract with the general contractor, and at that point, the owner of the building only has the typical one-year manufacturer warranty on the system, Yanniello says. That’s why Del Mechanical’s team goes back to the building’s owners and explains to them the value of recommissioning, of making sure that everything is tuned and operating properly.

“We want to start the conversation almost immediately after the building is turned over to the owners, to talk about the value of preventative maintenance,” he says. “Even though the building is still new, there are still maintenance tasks that have to be done – things still have to be cleaned and adjusted for the system to perform optimally. Then we build the larger picture by having us assist with maintenance.”

Michael L. Ritter, Jr., co-owner of Great Lakes Heating and Air Conditioning in South Bend, IN., says that when his firm recommissions commercial buildings, “nine times out of 10” it’s for business owners who had the work on their own home.

“They usually tell us that their house is performing amazingly, and would like for us to do the same to their business facility,” Ritter says.

“When we recommission commercial buildings, we like to talk to the individuals in the building,” he says. “Typically, the issue is going to be that a person who has their own office is not comfortable, but the rest of the people in the building are fine. There are zoning or mini-split systems to handle that, with different thermostats so that everyone is happy.”

But some office buildings can’t have split systems, so instead Great Lakes can do mini-splits — split systems with one outside unit that can be connected to up to eight inside units, Ritter says. The inside units are similar to window units — but are “infinitely quieter.” Alternatively the firm can put in a residential system that is controlled with automatic dampers using multiple thermostats for various rooms and offices.

“The aesthetics of the building determines the ductwork, and if it’s really large or exposed, we have to do mini-splits or linework – installing garden-hose-sized refrigerant lines versus ductwork that are much easier to conceal,” he says.

Tempo Mechanical also recommissions smaller commercial buildings, Saunders says. Every one is a custom situation, and every building that has been operating for at least a year has a business case for some form of recommissioning, including the building his own firm occupies.

“There are a lot of complicated interactions different elements of air coming in or going out of humidity-creating devices,” he says. “Moreover, when changes are made to systems for greater human comfort, that can impact the building and also on the energy use of the building – virtually every building has an opportunity for recommissioning.”

The post Making Sure Commercial Buildings Perform Optimally with Commissioning — And then Recommissioning appeared first on IE3: Business Tools for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors.

From their ‘on demand’ operation to their low carbon footprint and energy efficiency, VRF systems come with lots of benefits. According to a 2012 General Services Administration study, VRF technology has the potential to achieve 34% energy savings when compared to its older counterparts. As energy costs and consumption continue to rise, VRF, the primary HVAC technology used in Europe, China and Japan – where it was created – is steadily gaining mass appeal in US markets.

One of the main keys to ensuring end users reap the most from the many benefits these systems offer is to ensure they are properly installed. In addition to the actual installation techniques, some steps for proper installation include:

a) Giving careful thought to the system’s design and software, ensuring that the design takes into consideration any installation limitations.

b) Training technicians, not only to install VRF systems, but also in accordance with manufacturer specifications.

c) Job planning, both on paper and pre-construction walkthroughs.

With these three pre-installation steps taken care of, focus should be squarely placed on the techniques employed during the installation process, since this is where most errors occur.

MAIN INSTALLATION PROBLEMS
VRF systems can be divided up into four major components: outdoor units (condensing units), indoor units (fan coils), accessories and controls. Installing these components is very specific and varies from one manufacturer to the other. This level of specificity means engineers should not approach installation in a generalized way. Instead, consultation and frequent communication with the system’s manufacturer or sales rep is vital to ensuring VRF system installation pitfalls are avoided.

According to Fujitsu General America’s South West Sales Engineer CJ Corbet, common installation errors fall into two categories: leaks and communication errors.

LEAKS
“When you have a leak, you are leaking out the refrigerant, and this brings in non condensables,” Corbet said. “So you are losing the ability to keep cool, which obviously causes major issues since keeping cool is the goal of your VRF system.”

The series of piping that comprises VRF systems require a greater level of specificity than traditional ductwork systems. Failure to comply exactly with the manufacturer’s design will likely interfere with the system’s ability to run efficiently.

“This is a much more complex system, so it requires working more closely with tech support to ensure things run smoothly,” QCS Operations Manager Willis Hurley said.

The Las Vegas-based HVAC company has, on more that one occasion, been called in to fix VRF jobs that were botched by other contractors for this very reason.

“People often think they can change pipe sizing,” Hurley said. “But it’s not the same as with a typical system where you change the pipe sizing one up, or one down. With VRF systems, it’s all about precision.”

Pipes must also be properly flared, and torqued to the proper specification. If pipes are not flared, then brazing is necessary, and technique is key to avoiding leaks. One of the most vital components of the brazing process is nitrogen purging.

“Your biggest worry about brazing is getting rid of the toxic gases produced from heating the copper,” Hurley said. “So purging is necessary to clean out any contaminants put inside the piping during the brazing process.”

Once the system has been properly flared or brazed, it’s crucial that the contractor performs a pressure test to ensure there are no leaks, and an evacuation of the system to remove all non condensables.

COMMUNICATION
System communication errors are the second most common issues encountered with VRF installations. Communication is facilitated by a set of wires that are connected to each piece of equipment – indoor units, outdoor units and remote controls, and this wire is specific to the system’s manufacturer.

“We have had some installations where technicians did not use the proper, or recommended wire, and the system did not work,” Corbet said. “So following the manufacturer’s recommendation with regards to wire selection is the first step to beating communications issues.”

The second is ensuring that all of the units are wired according to specification.

“This is essentially where the wire goes,” Corbet said. “So from what unit to what unit, and then what terminal blocks they need to be terminated on.”

The final step technicians should take to avoid communication failures is ensuring everything has been addressed correctly. Indoor units and outdoor units have rotary dials or dip switches above, and making sure that they are properly addressed is crucial to the communication system.

INSTALLATION CHECKLIST
The design element and high level of precision needed for a successful VRF installation mean even the most skilled HVAC technician must be re-schooled in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. He or she must also be very thorough.

Fujitsu recommends a seven-point checklist to ensure no elements of the installation process are missed, and the system runs smoothly and efficiently. Numbers 1, 2 and 3 on the checklist apply to the entire project, while 4, 5, 6 & 7 are specific to each system/refrigerant circuit on the project.

1. Notate the following project information: Total number of refrigerant circuits, total number of outdoor units and total number of indoor units.

“This aids with verifying between design, and the actual installation,” Corbet said.

2. Check your transmission wiring to ensure the correct wire (as recommended by the manufacturer) is being used, is configured or connected to the respective terminals as indicated in the manufacturer’s diagram, and that the resistance at both ends of the communication line is within the acceptable range.

3. Ensure that all central controllers and communication devices are within the manufacturer’s guidelines or specifications.

4. Check the electrical supply of both the indoor and outdoor units to ensure they are also within the manufacturer’s guidelines or specifications. These include checking the circuit breaker capacity, ensuring the ground fault equipment breaker is installed where applicable – or as per local code, ensuring the power line wire meets the local code and checking line voltage.

5. Outdoor units should also mounted and piped according to the manufacturer’s specifications. This includes checking power source wiring connection points and tightening any loose screws, ensuring refrigerant piping is insulated without any gaps, ensure the largest outdoor unit is set as the Master and is closest to the indoor units. Outdoor units should also be elevated above average snow level, and gas and liquid pipe service valves should be completely open.

6. For the indoor unit setup, notate the unit name and model number for each unit, and check to ensure drain lines are pitched downward, that there are no traps or kinks in the drain lines and that condensate pumps are installed for each unit.

7. Ensure pipe sizes are consistent with design, are properly brazed or flared and nitrogen purged to remove all contaminants. Refrigerant lines should be properly insulated and supported. Pressure test to check for leaks, and ensure pipe lengths and height differences are consistent with the manufacturer’s standards.

The post Installing VRF Systems: Give Your Customers The Comfort They Want appeared first on IE3: Business Tools for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors.

When was the last time you went to a Blockbuster?

At this point, you probably can’t remember because it’s gone—replaced by Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, YouTube, and others. The kicker? Blockbuster knew digital was coming and that it would be disruptive, but did nothing.

In 2000, the CEO of Netflix even flew to Dallas to propose a partnership to Blockbuster CEO John Antioco—Blockbuster refused and went bankrupt. Netflix is now a $70 billion company.

I bring this case up because of an interesting conversation I had with a commercial HVAC contractor on the train home from Google’s recent Partner Summit in New York. Blockbuster’s failure is the perfect example to illustrate the main themes of the conference—the importance of the web, the educated digital consumer, and the age of assistance.

When I said as much to my new friend, he interrupted me with a wave of his hand. “That’s all very interesting,” he said, “but those companies are in a completely different industry. In my line of work, digital marketing doesn’t really apply.”

I say BS.

And I would have called him on it, too, if he hadn’t gotten off at the next stop. I bring this story up because that viewpoint is how companies get left in the dust—they think the transformation going on around them somehow doesn’t apply to their specific business.

On one hand, I understand where my train acquaintance is coming from. Historically, most commercial contracting sales are initiated via relationships developed by sales professionals in the real world versus an email received from a website contact form. But, in the immortal words of Bob Dylan, “the times they are a changin’.”

The web is transforming and disrupting every industry. Yes, it started in one place—with B2C companies like Blockbuster—but the expectations of the digital consumer have cascaded their way into B2B and commercial industries too.

Take the global shipping and logistics corporation Maersk. To get ahead of its competitors, Maersk has gone all-in on digital marketing, including hiring its first ever Chief Digital Officer. His point of view—and the one every single commercial business owner should have—is that digitization of all aspects of the business is a clear competitive advantage, “and ultimately a path to survival.”

Maersk isn’t the only industrial company to double down on digital marketing.

In 2014 – 2015, Caterpillar, the industrial equipment behemoth, invested heavily in digital marketing. It released a series of bold video marketing campaigns in order to meet prospective customers where they spent their time—the web. In a Fast Company interview, Caterpillar’s global brand marketing head said their customers were impressed by the move.

If you visit Maersk’s or Caterpillar’s website, you’ll see that both are expertly designed, load quickly, and are full of rich content. You’ll also find tracking and analytical tools to capture information about on site visitors.

Then, take a look at Trane’s website. Or Carrier’s. Or Bryant’s. Each one is integrated, design-rich, and tailored for both residential and commercial client. I guarantee that’s not accidental.

If these industrial companies are betting on digital, what does that say to you?

What I recommend—and what I would have recommended to my friend on the train—is that you bet on the fact that digital is already transforming the commercial industry, and the cost of getting ahead is far lower than the cost of falling behind.

If your company wants to really dominate your competitors:

1. Your website needs to be fast and frictionless
2. Your content needs to both resonate with your target audience and contribute to your company’s authority on the web
3. Your tracking and analytics need to be tailored to your company’s goals and buyer’s cycle

Your Website Needs to Be Fast—And Frictionless

The modern consumer—whether that’s residential or commercial—starts their journey on the web. Your site has to load in 3 seconds flat. Think about it—how many times have you hit the “back” button because a website took too long to load? Your customers aren’t any different.

To start, test your website page speed. Go to Google’s PageSpeed Insights and test it right now. You’re looking for two things: to see if your site is mobile-friendly and to see how fast it loads. After you’ve done that, go and test some of your competitors’ sites. Then go and test some of your manufacturers’.

What if your site IS faster than your direct competitors’? That’s not enough.

With the modern generation of buyers, the lines between B2B and B2C have become blurred. You’re not only being compared to your direct competitors—you’re being compared to the best experience your prospective buyer has ever had on the web. It doesn’t matter if that experience is with Netflix, or Amazon, or Maersk.

If big-name manufacturers can do it simply and quickly, you should be able to do it too. That’s why you need to make sure your site is faster than you competitors’ and optimized for mobile experience. Our office is inundated with calls just to do those two things.

Your Content Needs to Be Cohesive Compelling, and Optimized

When was the last time you evaluated the content on your website? The text, the images–everything. Too many times I’ve met with CEOs who have never viewed their site from a mobile phone, read their blog, or submitted a web form to actually see the site through the eyes of the consumer. Historically, commercial buyers spend more time researching potential vendors and expect an extremely high level of educational content and resources.

As soon as you’re done reading this, go to your website and look at it through the eyes of a prospect. Are you answering the right questions? Is your content informative and easy to digest? Is your site easily navigable and well-designed? Is it clear how to contact you?  Then, go through and look through your site from the perspective of a recruitment candidate, and then an investor. If you find gaps, you know where to start.

Your Tracking and Analytics Needs to Be Customized for Commercial Buyers

You can’t do anything on the web without the right tracking and analytics tools. Well, you can, but it would be like the blind leading the blind.

Lead attribution, tracking, and data analytics enable you to paint a bigger picture of what’s happening on your website. How are visitors getting to your site? Which marketing channels are producing the best results?

It took me about five minutes to pull up Maersk’s and Caterpillar’s tracking tools—if you know what to look for, it’s public information. They’re both using at least three different types of analytics, which means they most likely have a huge storage vault of actionable data that’s driving their digital marketing decisions.

Let’s Wrap This Up—As the CEO, It’s Your Responsibility to Stay on Top of Your Digital Presence in 2018

When you’re the CEO, it’s easy to delegate tasks related to your website to the IT and marketing departments.

In 2018, that’s not how you should be thinking about things—site speed and tracking are not IT issues. Content is not a marketing issue. Frictionless sites and digitally optimized content equate to more revenue, which means it’s a business initiative.

As the CEO, it’s your job to have a set strategy for diving into the competitive landscape and to cast the expectation of what you want to actually happen.  You can sit there and say, “This doesn’t apply to me,” and, “Ben, you’re wrong,” like that guy who got off the train. But I encourage you to think about it this way: if your manufacturers, your competitors, and the leaders in the industrial field are investing this heavily in digital, what are you losing out on by ignoring it?

The post How Digital Is Disrupting Business As Usual for Commercial Contractors appeared first on IE3: Business Tools for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors.

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) announces that Trademasters, Inc. of Lorton, Virginia, is ACCA’s 2018 Commercial Contractor of the Year.

“ACCA is excited to present the Commercial Contractor of the Year award to Dave and Beth Kyle and their colleagues at Trademasters,” said Paul T. Stalknecht, President and CEO of ACCA. “Dave and Beth are inexhaustible leaders in the HVAC industry. They grew Trademasters from an operation in their basement into a company with some of the most prestigious government contracts in the country. ACCA looks forward to the Kyles’ continued leadership and dedication to the industry.”

Dave and Beth Kyle, owners of Trademasters, Inc., will receive the Commercial Contractor of the Year award on February 14 at the Industry Champions session at the ACCA Annual Conference and IE3 Expo, February 12-14 in Washington, D.C.

Dave Kyle said, “Trademasters is honored to be recognized by ACCA for this prestigious award. While Beth and I have dedicated our lives to building a successful business, we also recognize that our success may not have been possible without the support of fellow ACCA members, our MIX Group, and the talented staff we rely upon every day to serve our customers. We look forward to continued success in our business and will continue to advance professionalism in our industry and support our fellow contractors.”

Kyle serves on ACCA’s Joint Futures Committee, Professional Development Committee, Veteran’s Workforce Initiative Task Force, and the ACCA Commercial Advisory Committee that is creating new offerings for commercial contractors.

The post Trademasters Recognized as ACCA’s 2018 Commercial Contractor of the Year appeared first on IE3: Business Tools for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors.

Enhanced Patient Care, Maximum Equipment Efficiency, LEED Certification and Energy Rebate at Surgical Pavilion

Objectives
Shore Medical Center provides a broad range of healthcare to the people of southern New Jersey, with a hospital facility in Somers Point and a regional Dialysis Center several miles away. In order to meet the needs of a diverse population in the 21st century, the hospital leadership decided to add a new Surgical Pavilion on the main campus, where physicians and staff in the facility’s numerous Centers of Excellence could employ the latest technology to provide optimal patient care in safe, comfortable surroundings. In addition, the leadership wished to maximize energy efficiency, and aimed to obtain a LEED® (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design) certification.

Solution
To meet the customer’s goals of quality patient care and high efficiency, Ballinger, a Philadelphia-based architectural/engineering firm, was commissioned to design the new surgical pavilion and central plant. Ballinger, aided by Carrier as the basis of design, recommended an “N+1” cooling system in which each component has a back-up device for safety and reliability — specifying two 23XRV Evergreen® chillers and one 30HXC Evergreen chiller. Carrier also provided an i-Vu® Pro web-based user interface to integrate the chillers with some existing equipment and the existing BACnet® Building Automation System. The i-Vu Pro interface allows facilities staff at the main campus to monitor the activity of heat pumps at the Dialysis Center several miles away. The Evergreen chillers qualified for a $117,000 rebate from the New Jersey Clean Energy Program, and Shore Medical Center achieved a LEED certification for the new Surgical Pavilion.

The i-Vu® Pro web-based user interface allows facilities staff at the Shore Medical Center main campus to troubleshoot heat pumps at the Dialysis Center, several miles away.

Synopsis
Shore Medical Center, formerly known as Shore Memorial Hospital, provides a broad range of healthcare to the people of southern New Jersey. The main campus is located in Somers Point, with a regional Dialysis Center in Northfield, about 4.5 miles away. In order to meet the needs of a diverse population in the 21st century, the hospital leadership decided to add a new Surgical Pavilion where physicians and staff in the facility’s numerous Centers of Excellence could employ the latest technology to provide optimal patient care in safe, comfortable surroundings. The resulting pavilion houses 11 state of the art surgical suites; beautifully appointed patient and family areas offer soothing views of the bay.

Hospital leadership wanted to maximize energy efficiency in the cooling system of the new facility, and aimed to obtain a LEED® (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design) certification. Sustainable features included a white roof and rooftop gardens, and the exclusive use of building materials manufactured within 500 miles of Somers Point.

To meet the customer’s goals of quality patient care and high efficiency, Ballinger was hired to design the new facility. Aided by Carrier as the basis of design, Ballinger recommended an “N+1” cooling system in which each component has a back-up device for safety and reliability — specifying two 23XRV Evergreen® chillers and one 30HXC Evergreen chiller as an emergency back-up. With a peak facility load of 700 tons, the 200-ton 30HXC chiller provides emergency redundancy for either 500-ton 23XRV chiller. The 23XRV chillers have an Integrated Part-Load Value (IPLV) of .326 kW/ton, a marker of very high efficiency in operation.

Darryl Hitchcock, Sales Manager at Carrier, said, “The 23XRV Evergreen chillers are so reliable that even when, at start-up, the cooling towers were returning water that was above optimum temperature, the chillers just kept running efficiently while we resolved the situation.” Carrier also installed an i-Vu®

Pro web-based user interface to integrate the new chillers with some existing equipment and the existing BACnet® Building Automation System. Anthony Carino, Chief Engineer for Shore Medical Center, said, “The trending capabilities of the i-Vu interface are superb: we know at any moment what any given component is doing. In the event of an alarm, the system will alert me by text or email so I can act immediately, and the diagnostics make it simple to determine the problem. In addition, the i-Vu interface is a real time- and energy-saver because we can monitor the heat pumps at the Dialysis Center from our offices here on the main campus, which saves us a twenty-minute drive each way.

We can tell immediately whether there is a problem in Northfield, without losing all that valuable time.” Shore Medical Center’s efforts to build a sustainable healthcare facility have been rewarded. The 23XRV Evergreen chillers qualified for a $117,000 rebate from the New Jersey Clean Energy Program, an energy efficiency initiative of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. And Shore Medical Center achieved a LEED certification for the new Surgical Pavilion, a notable achievement for an institution with a commitment to sustainability and excellence.

The post Case Study – Shore Medical Center appeared first on IE3: Business Tools for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors.

Trademasters Service Company, headquartered in Lorton, Virginia has a total workforce of more than 130 people. However, owner and general manager Dave Kyle considers none of them to be his employees.

“Not a single person works for me. Beth (his wife) and I never say ‘employee,’ we say ‘co-worker. ‘We get to benefit from our co-workers’ success, not just business success. I’m so fortunate to have such a wonderful team,” he said.

Kyle has been the guiding force behind the development of Trademasters into a multi-million dollar enterprise. Growth has been especially rapid within the last decade. Since 2009, the company has grown from a staff of 30 to more than 130. During the same period, Trademasters has accomplished a year on year growth of more than 20%.

Established in 1990 and located in Lorton, Virginia, Trademasters provides HVAC, plumbing, energy efficiency auditing, and quality assurance services for consumer, commercial and government customers in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. The company has operated and maintained more than 7 million square feet of premium office space in its market area. To accommodate its operations and rapid growth, Trademasters moved into its present 20,000 square foot facility in 2012.

These figures, while no doubt impressive, are not the main reason that Dave Kyle was named a finalist for the ACCA Commercial Contractor of the Year. Instead, the strategies Kyle implemented to accomplish these impressive accomplishments, along with his philosophy for running the company, are what truly distinguish Trademasters from many of its competitors.

Starting Small

Kyle has been employed in the skilled trades since age 17. After finishing high school, he completed a trade school program in Fairfax, Virginia, along with a four-year apprenticeship. Once he finished his apprenticeship, he became a licensed HVAC tradesman. As it turns out, a career in the skilled trades proved to be a perfect fit.

“If someone put me in an accounting cubicle I would not do well. Finding the skilled trades was like a miracle. Having found a skilled trade that I was good at made all the difference,” Kyle said

Along the way, he met his wife Beth, a graduate of Virginia Tech. while Dave racked up several years of experience as a skilled tradesman,  the couple began saving up so that Dave could realize his dream of being his own boss. When the couple launched Trademasters in 1990, the company provided heating, air conditioning and plumbing for consumer and business customers in Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County and Stafford County in Virginia, along with Montgomery County and Prince Georges County in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

“I worked for a good employer, but I just wanted to be on my own,” Kyle said.

Like many new businesses, Trademasters started small, with the couple doing nearly all the heavy lifting and wearing multiple hats. Dave Kyle especially put in long hours.

“In the beginning, Beth ran the business and I ran the calls. We started out with zero customers and no money, but a lot of love,” he said.

Soon after launching Trademasters, Kyle learned that 90% of all businesses fail before their tenth year. He also realized that if his company was going to buck the odds, he needed more training – not as a skilled tradesman, but in running a business. After being in business for two years, Kyle turned to ACCA.

“The business of the business was the hard part. I sought business training to open a business and stay in business,” he said.

As Trademasters became more established, Kyle was able to modify his schedule. He’s still actively involved in the business, however. His wife Beth now serves as vice president and Chief Financial Officer for Trademasters.

“I transitioned from working in the field all day and in the office late at night to (just) working in the office,” he said.

A Paradigm Shift

Like many businesses, Trademasters faced rough times during the Great Recession. But while many companies cut staff and retracted, Kyle adopted an aggressive growth strategy, with a goal of making Trademasters a $20 million company by 2020. He also sought to even out the cyclical nature of business many HVAC companies face.

Accomplishing that goal would require Kyle and Trademasters to adopt an entirely new strategy. About that time, Kyle discovered that many government agencies have a utilization goal for small businesses of 23%. In the HVAC industry, “small” means anything below $15 million n annual revenues. Kyle recognized government contracts as a potential launch pad for growth and made the move, investing in government provided training in bidding and winning contracts for federal and local government facilities.

When Trademasters began working with the federal government, most of its contracts were for mechanical and repair work, which the company performed itself. However, many of the contractors winning larger awards were prime contractors, who frequently performed little of the actual work. Making the transition to submitting bids as a prime contractor opened the door to much larger revenues. Operating as a self-performing contractor raised Trademasters’ performance ratings and gave the company a competitive advantage in bidding.

Trademasters also redesigned its business strategy to analyze risks, develop budgets, project revenue and create a large book of commercial maintenance agreements. The result of those efforts was a new profit center for Trademasters that supplements the company during off-peak periods while providing sufficient revenues to allow the company to invest in training.

“It’s (working with the government) completely different, but it does work,” he said.

A Highly Skilled Workforce

Every Trademasters technician must acquire and maintain NATE certification.

“We were an early adopter of NATE. We thought it was the best thing ever,” Kyle said.

However, most Trademasters co-workers hold multiple certifications. In fact, field technicians hold an average of six separate certifications. Most of the installation and service technicians also hold Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. journeyman licenses in HVACR, gas fitting, plumbing and electrical. In addition, HVAC techs have CFC universal certification, while Installation techs have CPR, AED and first aid certification.

Many Trademasters co-workers also hold IGSHPA certification with the corresponding reciprocal NATE specialties for Ground Source Heat Pump Loop Installation and Source Heat Pump Loop Installation, along with other relevant certifications, such as Combustion Performance and Carbon Monoxide safety certification, Residential HVAC System Performance and Air Balancing Certification from the National Comfort Institute. Other specialized certifications qualify Trademasters’ co-workers to service large facility operation and maintenance contracts requiring specific license and certifications, including the following:

• DC 1^st and 3^rd class engineering licenses
• DC HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing journeyman and master licenses
• IFMA facilities management certification
• UST (underground storage tank) certification
• Retuning Training annual certification
• LEED certification

Finally, project managers, project administrators, lead technicians and superintendants hold certifications in Construction Quality Management required by government entities like the US Army Corps of Engineers and various naval facilities.

Trademasters’ co-workers are generally on board with obtaining and maintaining certification, although during the 1990s, some seasoned co-workers expressed anxiety about passing a test after being away from a classroom for many years. Trademasters addresses these types of fears by providing training and paid fees for up to three rounds of testing, according to Kyle.

“Most apprentices are motivated to get NATE certification. People know that these credentials matter. They benefit them and they benefit us,” Kyle said.

Investing in People

Many companies invest significant sums into marketing and promotion. This is not the case with Trademasters, which spends less than 2% of its budget on marketing, and obtains most of its non-government contracting work through word of mouth. Instead, Trademasters invests that 2% in its people. In 2016, the company spent nearly $350,000 on training.

“I don’t understand why other contractors don’t see that (investing in staff training) as a marketing opportunity. I don’t think Google needs another dollar,” Kyle said.

Trademasters has provided NATE training and certification has been in-house since the ACCA/ACE merger. The company has also provided NCI‐certified Combustion Performance and Carbon Monoxide Safety testing every two years for technicians for more than 10 years. Finally, in 2016, Trademasters added in-house NCI HVAC System Performance certification. The training provided by Trademasters allows co-workers to establish themselves in real careers, according to Kyle.

“They can transition from a nametag job in a big box store to a skilled trade,” Kyle said.

Training America’s Heroes

Trademasters places special emphasis on Hands-on and apprenticeship training, but not only for new high school graduates, but also for veterans through a VA approved program. Eligible veterans can use their VA education benefits, including the Post-911 GI Bill to pay for the training. Veteran apprentices generally enter the program for specific time with pre-arranged employment. At the end of the training period, the veteran receives certification and a VA stipend, which declines as the veteran’s pay increases

Trademasters recruits veterans through hiring events at local military bases and post listings with organizations that assist service men and women transitioning into civilian life. Trademasters has also been certified by a Virginia program called Virginia Values Veterans.

Veterans are especially good candidates for jobs in the skilled trades because of their communication and mechanical skills as well as their understanding of procedure. However, they are often targeted by sham operations, according to Kyle.

“I want to protect veterans from predatory schools,” Kyle said. 

Attracting New Talent to HVAC – Make that IE3

At a time where millions of college graduates leave school thousands of dollars in debt, skilled trades represent an opportunity to obtain a career without putting racking up debt. However, skilled trades lack the prestige of jobs like attorney or physician. As a result, many contractors have difficulty hiring the personnel they need.

Kyle has been active in attempting to increase the appeal of careers in the skilled trades, especially in HVAC. One way to accomplish this goal is to rebrand the industry, replacing the label HVAC with IE3 — Indoor Environment and Entergy Efficiency. Not only does IE3 sound “cooler” than HVAC, it’s is a more accurate description of the essential function served by HVAC systems, according to Kyle.

“You have to look at the whole building, not just HVAC. It’s not just a piece of equipment; it’s the box it’s in. It’s the building. It’s (IE3) is on my trucks and on my business cards. IE3 appeals to younger people who want to make a difference, and to veterans,” Kyle said.

Younger people are also needed to build upon advances in technology and equipment that reduce the carbon footprint of buildings – and especially HVAC systems, according to Kyle.

“We need highly skilled people to make buildings work more energy efficiently. If the developing world starts to live like us, we’re going to have a lot of issues,” Kyle said.

The Employer of Choice

With its extensive training, certification and apprenticeship programs, along with its collaborative environment, Trademasters has little difficulty recruiting and retaining its skilled workforce. Nonetheless, Kyle is intent on maintaining the company’s collaborative environment.

“I strive to make things good for my co-workers, good for my clients and good for my business. Otherwise, we don’t do it. We work hard to be the employer of choice,” Kyle said.

The post Big Ideas, Innovations, and Determination Make Trademasters Service Corp. Leaders In The Commercial Market appeared first on IE3: Business Tools for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors.

Objectives

Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital, in Talequah, Oklahoma, was constructed in 1984. The original system consisted of two Carrier 19D chillers which served the facility for more than three decades. The hospital staff and number of patient visits per year have grown substantially in the intervening years, prompting the facilities staff to propose a chiller plant upgrade to meet increasing cooling demand.

One challenge became apparent immediately: due to infrastructure and cost considerations, the original chilled water piping system could not be expanded. The chiller plant retrofit would have to deliver more tons of comfort cooling while using the same piping configuration.

Solution

Carrier custom-engineered two new 400-ton AquaEdge® variable speed 19XRV chillers that could accommodate a larger than normal difference in the temperature of water entering and leaving the chillers. As part of the turnkey solution, Carrier also provided rental chillers during the project so the hospital experienced no cooling downtime. Additionally, Carrier i-Vu® chiller controls are integrated with the existing building’s automation system which enable the facilities staff to respond quickly to changing conditions, whether from the hospital campus or remotely.

Synopsis

Located in Talequah, Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital is a 150,000 ft2 facility. The original chillers, dating back to the hospital’s 1984 construction, were two 250-ton Carrier 19D units, which served the facility for more than three decades. Over the years, however, patient visits have grown from 60,000 to 400,000 per year, with an attendant increase in staffing numbers. Heat generated from advanced healthcare equipment has also added to the cooling demand. These conditions prompted Dale Dreadfulwater, Supervisor of Facility Management and Jason Helsley, HVAC Technician for the Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital, to propose to the Cherokee Nation Health Team of Directors and Chief Bill John Baker that the hospital should implement a chiller plant upgrade.

The team immediately discovered, however, that due to the existing infrastructure and cost considerations, the original chilled water piping system could not be expanded. Therefore, the final chiller plant solution would have to utilize the existing piping configuration to deliver more tons of comfort cooling. The hospital’s facilities staff then turned to the Carrier team in Tulsa for a successful solution.

Carrier delivered a turnkey equipment replacement solution by custom-engineering two new 400-ton AquaEdge® 19XRV chillers to provide more cooling from the existing piping system by accommodating a larger than normal ∆T — the variation in temperature between water entering the chiller versus water exiting the chiller. In addition, a plate frame heat exchanger will provide free cooling in the winter. By integrating a plate frame heat exchanger into the piping system, the hospital can take advantage of cold condenser water in the winter months and satisfy their cooling load with less energy consumption.

The new system integrates into the existing building footprint and infrastructure delivering 60% more cooling capacity with an expected annual energy savings of approximately 17%. Through variable speed chiller technology, plate frame heat exchanger utilization and new Carrier i-Vu® controls, major improvements in building comfort and energy efficiency are being achieved.

Cooling is critical in healthcare facilities and the hospital could not afford any downtime during the project installation. As part of Carrier’s overall turnkey solution, rental chillers and related equipment were provided for temporary cooling during the modernization. The transition from the old system to the new system occurred seamlessly without any interruption to the facility’s indoor environment.

The project which is now producing substantial improvements in all aspects of comfort level, reliability, redundancy and energy savings —is a big win for the Cherokee Nation. Key to the project’s success was the entire hospital engineering staff’s technical expertise, facility knowledge and thorough understanding of the requirements to achieve all the project’s goals. Dale Dreadfulwater said, “The Carrier team engineered and delivered the complete solution we wanted. After 20 years of running both original chillers year-round, it’s great to have a better way to serve our patients and staff.”

Project Summary

Location: Talequah, OK

Project Type: Modernization

Building Size: 150,00 ft2

Built: 1984

Facility Usage: Full-service inpatient hospital with outpatient facilities, medical and dental offices.

Objectives: Expand cooling capacity to meet contemporary demand, using existing chilled water piping; introduce plate frame heat exchanger for winter cooling.

Equipment: Two 400-ton Carrier AquaEdge® 19XRV water-cooled centrifugal chillers; 8 Carrier air handling units; cooling tower; plate frame heat exchanger.

Controls: Carrier i-Vu chiller controls

Service & Maintenance: Carrier Tulsa

Major Decision Drivers: Carrier’s capacity to custom-engineer a solution which keptwithin infrastructure restraints; turnkey solution including rental chillers, new equipment and controls delivering improved chiller plant efficiency.

Installation Date: 2015-2016

The post Case Study: Turnkey Chiller Installation Delivers Efficiency for Increasing Comfort and Cooling Demand appeared first on IE3: Business Tools for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors.

Back in 2013, I distinctly remember reading an article about Sony just barely making a profit for the first time in five years. I remember thinking, “How could such a dominant and respected brand be struggling to make money?”

Two years later, my question was answered with this case study. Apparently, instead of investing in digital music, Sony increased investment in its Walkman division. Think about that for a moment. Apple introduced the iPod in 2001, and Sony—despite having a dominant market position and all the technology, software, and content needed to dominate digital music—continued to invest in the Walkman. When is the last time you saw a Walkman?

By the time Sony realized their mistake, it was five years too late.

Digital Transformation or Digital Disruption?

While your HVAC company is nothing like Sony, the principle I’m trying to illustrate with this example remains the same—if you don’t adapt your strategy for the digital transformation happening now, you’re setting your company up for extinction.

As we’ve seen time and time again—from Uber to Amazon—you either embrace digital transformation or you risk digital disruption. Some of you reading this are probably thinking my point is business 101, but nostalgia creeping into your business strategy is a lot more common than I think you realize.

I’ll give you an example—the mobile-friendliness of your company’s website.

If you own or run a commercial HVAC company, there’s a 30 percent chance your website does not display correctly or function optimally when viewed on a mobile device—a tablet, smartphone, etc. If you think all your prospects, customers, prospective employees, partners, suppliers, and vendors are only visiting your site while sitting at their desk, you’re sorely mistaken.

Let’s go back to 2013, when Forbes did a study on the connected executive—they found more than one-fourth of the executives in the study said they had purchased a product or service directly from their mobile device over the past six months. What’s more surprising? They also found that a large number of executives actually preferred to use tablets and smartphones if vendors made it easier to buy on mobile devices.

Read that again: executives indicated they preferred to do business on mobile devices, and that was in 2013.

Now, do you think that trend has reversed or accelerated in the past five years?

What Commercial HVAC Contractors Need to Know About Mobile: 5 Steps to Take

The reality is mobile web traffic has already overtaken desktop traffic, and this new norm of mobile website browsing means you need to adapt your digital marketing strategy in five ways:

1.      You need to put someone in charge.

Before you laugh, really think about it—who is in charge of your website? Many executives and business owners don’t know or have relegated it to their IT department.

Wrong choice. Because your website should be your number one sales and marketing asset, it should really be owned by your marketing department, not your IT department. But, it’s your responsibility to set expectations for your marketing team and establish clear-cut goals for the site.

2.      You need to secure your website.

Your website needs to be secure, meaning it needs to be HTTPS instead of HTTP. This provides you with an SSL certificate, which secures your website from malicious attacks from the outside.

The biggest mistake you can make is assuming your website won’t get hacked because it doesn’t have any financial and/or sensitive data. Here’s the reality—hackers don’t hack individual websites. Hackers create automated scripts and programs that crawl the web in search of vulnerable websites. And who has the most vulnerabilities? You guessed it—small and medium-sized businesses.

More than 70 percent of attacks target small businesses, and as much as 60 percent of hacked small businesses go out of business within six months. That’s because the effects a hack can have on your online credibility are staggering and can take years to correct.

Because of the severity of online attacks, Google now rewards secured sites with a boost in search rankings and a green “secure” symbol (image above) and punishes non-secure sites by labeling them as such. Because they aren’t providing a good user experience in Google’s eyes, websites that aren’t secure are more likely to rank on page two or three of the search results—and let’s be honest, when was the last time anyone went past the first page of search results?

Since Google now identifies non-secured websites right there in the search bar, do you think consumers are going to voluntarily click on a website marked “not secure or dangerous?” I wouldn’t, and you probably wouldn’t either. By investing in an SSL certificate, you’re protecting your future customers and giving them peace of mind that their contact information—name, email address, and phone number—are safe.

3.      You need to speed up your website.

Did you know that 47 percent of customers expect a web page to load in two seconds or less? Not only that, but as mobile page load time goes from one second to five seconds, the probability of someone bouncing from your website increases by 90 percent.

I don’t understand contractors whose websites still take ten seconds to load, especially since speeding up your website takes minimal investment and has such a big payoff. A consumer’s online experience—whether that’s B2B or B2C—needs to be fast and frictionless, and consumers don’t care if that experience is with Amazon or Joe’s HVAC down the street. Today’s buyers live in an even more fast-paced world than they did ten, five, or even one year ago, and a one-second delay could be the difference between making the sale or giving it to your competitors.

First, test your website speed—you can test it here. What you’re looking for is a website speed labeled as “fast” and has an optimization that is “medium” or “good.”  Underneath your scores are tips for optimizing the different elements on your website—80 percent of a page’s load time is spent rendering each individual attribute. This includes images, plugins, style sheets, scripts, and anything else that makes your website what it is.  You can learn more about how fast your website should be and how to optimize it for speed here.

4.      You need to make your website easy to navigate.

I just mentioned your website needs to be fast and frictionless. In 2018 (and beyond), frictionless means your website needs to be responsive to mobile devices. Most executives are always on the go or work at all hours—80 percent of them research products or services on a tablet in the evening. I’m rarely in my office, but I bring my work with me wherever I go—the line at Starbucks, my kids’ soccer games, and even when I’m stuck in stand-still traffic. I know I’m not alone in this.

But, while it used to be that you could squeak by with simply making your desktop version responsive, that’s not going to cut it anymore—one part of being frictionless is making sure your site is not only easy to navigate from a mobile device, but also intuitive.

That means adding elements like “click to call” or “click for directions” buttons, making sure your text is large enough to read without squinting, and creating easy-to-complete forms.

Most importantly, you’ve got to test everything. Use A:B testing to find out if form A works better than form B or if different wording or different navigational links help increase conversion rates. By testing what works for your specific company, you’ll get the best results for not only your business, but for the people searching for your services as well.

5.      You need to make sure your website is visible.

You’ve done all this work to make your website ready for the mobile-inclined buyer, so how are you going to funnel traffic to it? You may think that search engine optimization (SEO) would do the trick, but there’s a problem with using SEO as your only means of traffic—paid ads take up the entire search results screen on a mobile device, and 41 percent of clicks go to the top three paid ads. Take a look:

See what I mean? At the top, you’ll see Google’s Local Services ads (GLSA). I won’t go too into detail about these ads—check out this article to learn more—but if you’re a commercial HVAC contractor, you’ll want to allocate some of your marketing spend for these ads.

As you can see, if you’re not paying for ads, you’re not on the menu, period.

Final Thoughts: If Your Website Is Not Mobile-Friendly, It’s Not B2B Buyer-Friendly

In 2017, more than 55 percent of our HVAC clients’ website impressions came from mobile. I know it’s not easy to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in digital marketing, but as that statistic shows, making your website mobile-friendly isn’t a trend, nor is it recent. Adapting your site for mobile has an enormous benefit to any HVAC contractor that does commercial work. When you get down to it, mobile impacts four of your fundamental marketing metrics:

• Rankings
• Mobile web visits
• Bounce rates
• Conversion rates

Having a mobile-first website increases all of those things. Your visibility and web traffic are the lifeblood of your sales pipeline, and if they don’t align, your sales will dry up. Some commercial contractors have dismissed a mobile-friendly site in the past as a luxury item—that’s not an option anymore. Mobile digital technology is here—it’s been here, and as Sony learned the hard way, it’s not going away. You can ignore it, or even resist it, like Sony did, but I guarantee the results won’t be pretty. If you need help making your website mobile-friendly, give me a call.

The post The Importance of Being Mobile-Friendly for Commercial Contractors appeared first on IE3: Business Tools for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors.

Choosing a direction for your business is a task riddled with do’s and don’ts. Trademasters has had the great opportunity to be able to navigate the do’s and don’ts, which has led to the successful business it is today. One such opportunity presented itself during the long economic downturn. It was this downturn that served as the catalyst for a change in the company’s direction and decision to pursue Federal sales. Government agencies have a Small Business utilization goal of 23% (over $96 billion) and for our industry, “small” means revenues below $15 million a year. That’s a good amount of money set aside just for business looking to take the next step. For Trademasters, the decision to develop and pursue business from the Federal Government proved to be a launch pad for growth.

The U.S. Government has many vehicles for purchasing services, many have a large amount of red tape to go through, others not so much, one such vehicle is micro-purchases. Micro-purchases are individual items under $2,500. They do not require competitive bids or quotes and agencies can simply pay using a government purchase card or credit card, without involving the full procurement process. Seventy percent of all government purchases are micro-purchases under $3,000; this represents more than $19 billion. This is a great way to get started in government contracting.

To take advantage of the governments’ Small Business utilization goals you must first declare yourself a small business and introduce your company to Federal government agency offices, dedicated to helping small business utilization goals. The contacts information may change, but you can google “small business utilization” and the name of the agency. There is even a Federal Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization that can help guide you. Take advantage, you won’t regret it. To get a better idea of what is available in your area you can visit USASpending.gov and search for awards by state or visit FedBizOpps.gov.

Developing a business plan that allows you to understand the risk, develop a budget, project revenue and create a large book of commercial and government contracts is a major step in creating a new profit center that can supplement company revenues during off-peak periods and allow for investments in other areas of your business. Investing time in training and learning how to bid-on and win contracts will prove to be invaluable.  Numerous government agencies provide free seminars and classes to teach small business how to apply for and win contracts with the federal government. This is one of the very few clients that you will ever come across, that will teach you how to do business with them.

Federal clients deserve superior service and excellence in contracting. It’s your job to make them look good and it’s the relationships that we build with these clients that become the glue that hold it all together. Once you have become comfortable working on smaller government jobs and established yourself as a trusted source to the government, the doors to bigger and better projects will open for you. All you have to do is take the first step, make federal sales a part of your business, then start small and WIN BIG.

The post Great Federal Sales – Start Small, Win Big appeared first on IE3: Business Tools for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors.