Greening Federal Facilities has identified “opportunities” as focal points for helping facility managers to make changes that make their operations more sustainable. These opportunities identify ways to make major positive changes in a facility to reduce energy use and improve environmental impacts. One of the most effective ways to achieve both energy savings and a healthier indoor environment is a clean HVAC system.
According to the US Department of Energy (DOE) the “HVAC system accounts for 40 to 60 percent of the energy used in U.S. commercial and residential buildings. This represents an opportunity for energy savings using proven technologies and design concepts”.
A recent article in the ASHRAE Journal authored by Ross Montgomery, PE entitled Study Verifies Coil Cleaning Saves Energy revealed a $40,000 a year savings from just one air handling system as a result of the restoration of the air handler/coil system at the 1500 Broadway a 34 story skyscraper building in Times Square, New York City home to ABC Studios and Good Morning America. In addition, the study indicated that they were able to decrease coil pressure drop 14% resulting in a corresponding increase in air flow and increasing the thermal efficiency of the cooling coil 25% while improving IAQ conditions.
Construction projects often create a lot of dust and debris, which can be pulled into the HVAC system, where it will contaminate the inside surfaces of the duct. According to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) an HVAC air duct system should normally be inspected every year and cleaned when it is visibly dirty, which is about every three to five years, depending on maintenance.
As a result of this, many environmental consultants, engineers and architects have requested that the newly installed ductwork be cleaned to ensure good indoor air quality (IAQ) in the building once the HVAC system is turned on in order to achieve US Green Building Council LEED Gold certification program.
The following steps should be considered when creating a sustainable, energy efficient, positive indoor environment:
Environmental and Energy Decision- Making is an important process of integration in design, and reviews economic and environmental analysis— information that a facility manager can use to justify difficult and sometimes expensive decisions in an era of tight budgets.e.g. AHU cleaning vs replacement
Energy Systems addresses a wide range of specific technologies and products that can be used to reduce energy use in buildings and make use of renewable power systems; greening opportunities. e.g. identify HVAC system load, lighting load, building breaches/leaks, duct leaks, etc…
Indoor Environmental Quality relates to the health and productivity of people living and working in Federal buildings and housing. e.g. perform baseline IAQ surveys through Building Health Checks which identifies the overall quality of the indoor environment
Managing Buildings the importance of ongoing maintenance to ensure healthy indoor environments, special considerations relating to leased buildings, and various employee training measures and incentives to help ensure that green facilities will remain green throughout their lifetime. e.g. ongoing proactive IAQ programs maintaining building sustainability
As an 8(a) MBE - GSA contract holder, Pure Air Control Services is currently providing GREENING Facilities (energy savings/improving IAQ) at the following locations:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Galveston, TX
General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Courthouse – Paul G Rodgers, West Palm Beach, FL
U.S. Army Medical Research & Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) – Fort Detrick, MD
Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) - Smyrna, GA
Department of Justice, U.S. Attorneys Office – Miami, FL
Dobbins Air Force Base - Marietta, GA
General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Courthouse – Sam Gibbons Courthouse, Tampa, FL
Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) - Hampton, GA
The federal government has been excited about the professional IAQ services that Pure Air Control Services provides. As a certified 8(a) MBE Pure Air Control Services is sought after as a sole sourced contractor on these high profile, critical IAQ projects helping create a safer and healthier indoor environment.
Ronald Hertwig Jr., Assistant Regional Administrator with the General Services Administration (GSA) recently applauded the efforts of Pure Air Control Services on the completion of a very high profile critical federal courthouse project: “Your staff has been instrumental in the revitalization of the West Palm Beach Courthouse, working often times very fast-moving and challenging conditions. Your company (Pure Air Control Services) efforts during emergency conditions and your ongoing work have been instrumental to the projects success. The General Services Administration greatly appreciates your efforts”.
About Pure Air Control Services:
Alan Wozniak founded Pure Air Control Services, Inc. in 1984 as a small mechanical contracting firm. Today, the work distributed from its offices in Tampa, Atlanta, West Palm Beach, Houston and Washington D.C. sets the industry standard for indoor environmental quality diagnosis and remediation.
Pure Air Control Services is a national provider of the following IAQ services: Building Sciences Evaluation; Building Health Check; Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory (EDLab) an AIHA accredited micro laboratory; IAQ Screen Checks, Environmental Project Management; HVAC System Cleaning and Mold Remediation Services, among other indoor environmental services.
The company’s expanding client roster includes the General Services Administration (GSA); Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Allstate Insurance; Carrier Air Conditioning; Naval Air Warfare Center, Orlando; and Naval Air Station - Kings Bay, Georgia, and many other Fortune 500 companies, school boards, and city, state, and county governments, making Pure Air Control Services the reliable industry leader.
For more information contact Ed Ziegler, VP Business Development or Kevin McKee, Director of Remediation Sciences at 800.422.7873 ext. 403 or
email kmckee@pureaircontrols.com.
