Design Tips for High-Performance Commercial HVAC Systems
Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems account for thirty-nine percent of the USA’s commercial buildings’ energy usage. It only means that it’s a significant focus area for any businesses looking to improve their energy-efficiency organization.
Technically, the pursuit of energy-efficient buildings comprises the integration of multiple systems and strategies. As HVAC systems have become more complex, dynamic and non-linear, HVAC technicians tend to collect data about the building performance, including the system’s energy consumption and so on. Gathering data gives them a sufficient basis for designing purposes.
Here are some detailed insights and effective design tips that could help HVAC professionals like you to design high-performance commercial HVAC systems.
How to Design an Economical, Dependable and High-Performing Commercial HVAC system?
There are various things that needed to consider when designing commercial buildings, whether you’re building from the very ground up to or retrofitting old buildings. An HVAC system presents an excellent opportunity for fully realizing this set of goals. A study from the National Institute of Building Sciences shows that incorporating high-performance HVAC equipment towards an entire building design may result in standard savings of thirty-percent on annual energy costs.
But let’s discover first the following design tips:
1. Consolidating cooling and exhaust equipment.
One huge exhaust fan might replace many small fans, substantially decreasing the corresponding cost and total required horsepower.
The cost per ton of heating and cooling equipment fluctuates significantly as the capacity increases.
· Lower equipment count significantly lessens preventative maintenance and repairs.
· Large units have superior dependability and longevity, minimizing replacement and maintenance requirements.
2. Large units are commonly more efficient.
· For instance, a large central chilled water plant tends to operate at a fuller load power consumption rate.
· On the other hand, small distributed AC units might require the other way around.
3. Utilize a higher-quality Building Automation System (BAS)
· Room pressurization control to avoid ant ex-filtration or infiltration of hazardous or any other unwanted fumes.
· The BAS allows precise controls of all system components, assuring proper operations for comfort and superior IAQ.
· The BAS system can be programmed to perform predictive maintenance testing.
· When the BAS in the right place, significant cost savings are achieved.
· Remote viewing, adjustment, monitoring and alarm capability are available.
· Laboratory airflow reduction is based on exhaust requirements. Hence, a standard laboratory operates at less than fifty percent of the design conditions.
Here’s a separate article that serves as HVAC tech’s guide for Building Automation Systems. Click here.
4 Use Construction Scheduling Software
Designing HVAC systems can be too complex to handle, especially when there are various factors to consider. Any HVAC professionals must use advanced software applications that will help them outline every aspect of the project. The particular software is designed for project management and it ticks all of these boxes. Despite how wide-ranging the industry has become, the software can easily be tweaked and customized to meet the specified requirements.
The many benefits of deploying a dedicated software application must allay any project concerns, though. Here are some of the advantages of using this software. Read further.
· Easier team collaboration and communication
· Delegate all tasks quicker and easier.
· Crew and resource management
· Document access and sharing
· Better scheduling and managing construction projects
· Cloud-based storage
· User-friendly
· Standardized processes
Pro Crew Schedule is widely available in the market and still on the top choices! Get a live demo for free and experience using it firsthand.
Factors to Consider when Designing a Commercial HVAC System
Well, there’s ductwork installation, ventilation, design protocols, code compliance, and sizing, to name a few.
1. Sizing
The sizing of the equipment is considered more important than you can realize. When the furnace is too big for space, it tends to heat up quickly. As a major result, the equipment cycles more often, causing extreme wear and tear. If the furnace is too small for the actual space, it runs non-stop, desperately trying to warm every room in the building to the desired temperature. However, it never reaches it.
HVAC technicians should be designed the system according to the building’s exact needs. There must be no one-size-fits-to-all solutions to implement. Having the right size system ensures optimal results when it comes to air quality, comfort, and savings.
2. Ductwork
The ductwork of the system is the primary key to comfort the entire building. Duct sizing should be appropriate for a particular space to prevent air temperature loss since conditioned air often travels alongside the ductwork. Moreover, the specific path and length where the air is traveling also play a huge part in airflow.
Ductwork should have tight turns, long runs, and odd angles. Having all of these can impede the level of comfort. It is also great to remember that performing such tasks can be risky if there’s no complete tools, equipment, and proper management. Having commercial construction management will help HVAC professionals in dealing with easy to difficult tasks.
3. Design Protocols
There are no reasons for an HVAC installer like you to reinvent the wheels to heating system design. The manuals will help in providing a huge amount of knowledge-based upon the industry’s data. The design protocols are reliable and proven already. You can follow these protocols when delivering the best possible results.
4. Code Compliance
Standard building codes govern all local, federal and state areas. The heating system design you’ll implement should adhere to the codes from the various regulatory bodies that currently govern your area. HVAC installers should never fail to design and create a heating system that firmly follows code.
Your client, the building owner, might face fines and any related issues when the building is set to sale one day.
5. Design goals
The HVAC system is one critical part of reaching energy-efficient goals. Setting up this set of performance objectives out at the very start is the key to choosing the best equipment and systems with the best AFUE ratings needed for the system designs.
If possible, design the HVAC system to take further advantage of any off-peak rates. There are also over-night cooling systems that can help in curbing energy consumption during the daytime.
Furthermore, other two separate factors are equally important to consider when designing a commercial HVAC system — economic and dependable operation and the high-level of IAQ and comfort. Nowadays, it has become easier for HVAC professionals to design HVAC as various software applications like subcontractor scheduling software are available now in the market.
Heat Load Calculations Affecting HVAC Designs
The heat is usually generated from an air-conditioned space from a reliable source. The total heat generated per hour inside the room must be eliminated completely to maintain the comfort conditions. Thus, an excellent HVAC designer will carefully consider all the heat sources inside every room and determine the overall amount of heat generated inside per hour. On the other hand, construction technology such as project management tools is considered to make their work easier and efficient to manage, resulting in faster work and outstanding outcomes.
But for now, let’s discover first the different sources of heat that greatly affect HVAC designing. HVAC designers must take note of the following listed sources below:
1. Heat gained by the partitions and roofs
If the roof is being exposed directly to the sun, it quickly absorbs intense heat. If there are rooms right above the air-conditioned room, the roofs’ amount of heat reduces. On the other hand, the heat gained by the existing partitions depends on the type of partition.
2. Heat gained by the walls
The walls of the room typically gain heat directly from the sun through conduction. The amount of heat usually depends on the wall materials and its direct alignment in the sun. The heat gained by the walls facing the north side is the very least. If the walls are insulated, the amount of heat, it reduces drastically.
3. Heat gained by the windows
The windows of the room are often exposed to the surroundings as well as the heat from the sun. The heat that is gained by the rooms through the windows varies on their alignment. If there are enough curtains on the windows and external awning, the heat from radiation reduces. Take note that the type of glass doors also take into consideration. In fact, it affects the amount of heat gained.
4. Heat generated by the electrical appliances and outside air
Heat is generated by any electrical appliances such as coffeemakers, electronics, motors, etc. That is why it is considered for heat load calculations. On the other hand, outside air is at a greater temperature compare to the room temperature. Whenever air comes inside the rooms, it brings a sufficient amount of heat alongside it.
5. Heat generated by the people
Surprisingly, the individuals who occupied the room generate lots of heat. The heat that is being degenerate by the working people is more prevalent than just sitting.
Key Takeaways
Commercial HVAC design is a discipline that is mainly dictated by engineering and compliance. Hence, a commercial system should meet all of the requirements and legal standards and consider all factors to become high-performance, efficient, or cost-effective.
