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ECM Project Info **

This University project was initiated by the Energy Services and Sustainability (ESS) group within Facility Operations and Development (FOD) and is led by the Facility Design and Construction office (FDC).  The lead contracting partner is Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI).  Major subcontractors include Bruner Corporation and Building Controls Integrators (BCI).

 

 

"ECM" is a project created to reduce energy consumption. The acronym "ECM" denotes Energy

Conservation Measures. The University project designation for this effort is OSU-110670. The project is subdivided into multiple phases over multiple buildings including the Physics Research Building (PRB), the Biological Research Tower (BRT), Scott Laboratory, the Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC), and the Veterinary Hospital. The project employs “Performance Contracting", a method of obtaining energy and water conservation measures, including design, installation, financing, and maintenance services, without initial capital expense by funding building improvements out of existing utility operating dollars.

 

 

Legislation recently enacted as an outcome of Ohio House Bill 251 mandates that each institution of higher education develop a plan to reduce energy consumption by at least 20% by end of Fiscal Year 2014. A secondary goal of this legislation is for each institution to achieve a similar 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emission levels for the same comparative period. Additionally, the University has signed the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment which can be seen at www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org

 

The ECM project has evolved partially as a response to these influences and partially in response to the economics of energy conservation. Beyond this project, which addresses five of the largest energy consuming facilities on campus, a larger project follows that will address an additional ~200 buildings.

 

 

The project is actively underway in all five facilities listed above. A portion of the work foreseen in the PRB is already completed. Scheduling of the work that involves the lab air systems and fume hoods is underway and will be communicated separately.

 

 

Work on this project for the PRB goes throughout the building with special emphasis on the air handlers in the basement mechanical room, the main exhaust fans on the roof, and fume hoods and lighting systems in individual labs.

 

 

The project hopes to meet its goals by completing the following actions:

 

 -  Install new laboratory air controls including variable frequency drives (VFDs) at main supply and exhaust fans and the implementation of new OSU design standards that permit a reduction in total air changes per hour.

 

 -  Convert fume hoods to demand based system that maintains face velocity but varies flow rate according to sash position.

 

 -  Lighting sensor retrofits to allow additional turn back of unoccupied rooms

 

  -  Weatherization improvements such as weatherstripping of doors and sealing of windows

 

 - Pipe insulation to be added or replaced in areas where mechanical systems are currently losing heat energy.

 

 

 

Project is configured under a "Performance Contracting" arrangement. Contractual details are not available via this website.

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Project Summary **
Project Technical Information
Project Scope
Project Timeline

Planned Schedule and Timing

 

 

 

Date not yet fixed:  Expected to be done in first quarter ‘14.

 

 

 

Date not yet fixed:  Expected to be done in first quarter ‘14

 

 

 

Will be coordinated with individual lab occupants.  Expected to be begin in early ‘14 with approximately one week per lab needed to complete the work.

 

 

Will be coordinated with individual lab occupants.  Expected to be begin in early ‘14 with approximately one week per lab needed to complete the work.

 

 

 

Date not yet fixed:  Expected to begin in early ‘14

 

 

 

 

 

 

Complete - no further work on this area needed

 

 

Area or System

 

 

 

Air Handler VFD Installation

 

 

 

Exhaust Fan VFD Installation

 

 

 

Modifications in Labs

with Hoods

 

 

 

Modifications in Labs

with no Hoods

 

 

 

 

Aircuity Optinet System

Installation of work to

be done external to

occupied spaces

 

 

 

Weatherstripping and piping insulation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•   Outage 2

 

 

Drawings
Learn more about “Aircuity Optinet” technology here:


Learn more about “Phoenix Controls” flow control damper technology here:


Read how the AIR-3R and the ECM relate to each other here:


Read Appendix “W” from OSU Design Standards that defines allowable lab air changes per hour and fume hood performance criteria:


Read about the “Energy Conservation Measures” Project here:


Read about the OSU/FOD Office of Energy Services and Sustainability here:

** Disclaimer **

 

This web page exists  solely as a tool for communicating project information to the specific audience of lab occupants within the Physics Research Building.  The content reflects the understanding of the project as held by the Physics Department facility team and may or may not be factually correct. The site does not serve to define any system design or other engineering parameters that are related to the project.   Parties in need of information beyond the context stated herein should contact the University.

 

Existing
Before ECM
New
After ECM
Supply and Exhaust
Lab with no Hood
Lab with Hood
BEFORE_SUPPLY AND EXHAUST.pdf
AFTER_SUPPLY AND EXHAUST.pdf
BEFORE_LAB WITH NO HOOD.pdf
AFTER_LAB WITH NO HOOD.pdf
BEFORE_LAB WITH HOOD.pdf
AFTER_LAB WITH HOOD.pdf

The below drawings provide a schematic representation of the existing/before and new/after condition of the main supply and exhaust systems, of a representative lab with no hood, and of a representative lab with a hood.

 

 

Click the drawing icon in the table to open

 

Links to Project Related Technical Information
***************** This section under development *****************
Frequently Asked Questions

page disclaimer

System Modifications or Enhancements

 

 

Install variable frequency drives (VFD) on supply fan motors.

 

 

 

 

Install variable frequency drives (VFD) on exhaust fan motors

 

 

 

Remove the interlock between the run state of air handlers to exhaust fans.  Establish a fixed duct static pressure setpoint and modulate supply fan speed with VFD to hold setpoint.  Establish a constant baseline minimum exhaust flow rate and sum the variable exhaust flow rates across the building in real time.  Modulate all six exhaust fans as one to reach the calculated total flow rate of base + variable.

 

Install “Phoenix Controls “ flow control damper at exhaust of each hood.

 

Install limit switches for open and closed sash position at each hood.

 

Maintain necessary and constant face velocity of hood in either open or closed position with control damper modulating accordingly. In closed position, flow to meet necessary face velocity will be less.

 

Replace existing controls for supply and exhaust with new controls.

 

Install “Aircuity Optinet” system with link to local sensor suite

 

Reduce lab air changes per hour if ALL the following control parameters are satisfied:

1.) temperature setpoint reached

2.) fume hood sash position = closed

3.) occupancy state = unoccupied

4.) “aircuity” sensor suite clear.

 

 

 

Reduce lab air changes per hour if ALL the following control parameters are satisfied:

1.) temperature setpoint reached

2.) occupancy state = unoccupied

 

 

 

Program existing low voltage lighting controls to turn off lab lighting at periodic times throughout the night.

 

Link lighting on/off state to determination of room occupancy for one of the input parameters for reduced air flow.

 

 

Area or System

 

 

Lab-Side Air Handlers

AHU-1 and AHU-2

 

 

 

Main Exhaust Fans

 

 

 

Main Supply and Exhaust Interlocks

 

Individual Fume Hoods

 

Individual Labs with hoods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individual labs with no hoods

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lab lighting

PDF

Basement

SENSOR LOCATIONS  **

SENSOR 07  -  Room 0155

1st Floor

SENSOR 03  -  Room 1123

SENSOR 05  -  Room 1135

2nd Floor

4th Floor

SENSOR 06  -  Room 2109

SENSOR 01  -  Room 2163

SENSOR 02  -  Room 4115

SENSOR 04  -  Room 1147

Temperature Sensors

The below listing links to sensors that have been installed in various labs to establish baseline “BEFORE ECM” conditions to compare with the forthcoming “AFTER ECM” conditions.

 

The column labeled PDF links to a floor plan where the specific room location can be found.

 

The column labeled sensor locations links to the actual web interface for that particular sensor.

 

OUTAGE INFO

SENSOR 09  -  Room 2155

SENSOR 10  -  Room 4105

SENSOR 08  -  Room 4155