2016 ASHRAE Winter Conference

Many buildings with large, high-bay areas suffer from high energy cost in the winter months due to inefficient equipment, poor system layout and thermal stratification. While various strategies are available to heat and ventilate the building, some technologies can meet these heating loads with greater energy efficiency, improved temperature control and other operational benefits. This presentation provides an overview of 100% outside air, HTHV (High Temperature Heating and Ventilation) direct-fired heating technology for high-bay commercial buildings and discusses the findings of a recent field study outside St. Louis, MO.

This paper describes the study of an IT office building where radiant cooling system and conventional VAV has been installed for the performance assessment. The paper details the calibration of whole building energy model to component level; lighting, equipment and HVAC components like chiller, pumps, cooling towers, fan etc. Also, a new methodology for the systematic selection of influence parameter has been developed for the calibration of a simulated model which requires the large time for the execution.

The design-build construction method presents opportunities and challenges to all the groups involved in a construction project.  This paper will explore how the mechanical and electrical designers and contractors addressed these opportunities and challenges for the recent Byron G. Rogers Federal Office Building modernization project in downtown Denver, Colorado.  The project involved approximately 500,000 square feet of renovation and deep energy retrofit in an existing high-rise building  which is anticipated to to be added to the National Register of Historic Places in the future. 

The heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry shows a trend toward increased adoption of condensing boilers in heating systems, but the full impact on design and construction is complex. The maximum efficiency of condensing boilers can significantly exceed that of non-condensing boilers at lower return water temperatures. However, in order to reach lower return water temperatures, coils must be properly selected. A standard coil selection exhibits a tendency to produce a smaller change in temperature with lower water temperatures. As a result, pumping energy increases due to the increased flow required to supply the same heat energy. This paper investigates the effect on overall system performance and construction cost of various heating system metrics with regards to condensing and non-condensing boilers.