Whether you’re renovating an older building or constructing a new commercial space, the mechanical systems required should be designed and installed to meet the specific needs of your business and the customers you serve. The HVAC requirements for an office building differ from those of a warehouse/distribution center. Pharmaceutical manufacturing requirements will be different than what’s required for data centers.
Today’s HVAC technology advances quickly, and environmental regulations are strictly monitored. The most effective solution for your mechanical system design and installation is to select an expert who understands your business and the industries you serve. An expert who can assess the overall space of your facility. An expert who can deliver specific indoor air solutions for requirements in office spaces, manufacturing spaces, labs, etc. An expert who can deliver a comprehensive implementation for optimal performance for every space in your building.
Understanding Your Specific Needs
Retrofitting an existing structure or installing a new HVAC system begins with understanding the facility’s specific requirements. This includes space allocated for offices, cafeteria, production floor, clean rooms, distribution center, etc. Analyzing the layout of your building and reviewing historical climate conditions in your location will allow you to select the appropriate equipment to accommodate the unique climate in your location. If you are doing a retrofit, you should plan to perform an airflow analysis.
Measuring airflow will detect blockages, leaks, or other issues preventing proper air circulation throughout the building. Following the initial facility assessment, a detailed design and equipment proposal will be prepared to deliver a customized HVAC solution. It will include ventilation plans, humidity sensors, water conditioning solutions, lighting, compressor solutions, and heating and cooling equipment.
After a thorough design review, a final plan and project timeline will be agreed upon, and construction will begin.
Customization Options Available
Customized HVAC solutions are a great option for industrial facilities with high flow rates, close control, and poor air quality conditions. Equipment can be configured, including a combination of air handling components to solve complex indoor air quality issues. It will help reduce energy consumption; codes and standards have been developed to establish minimum efficiency requirements for new HVAC installations and retrofits.
Benefits of Custom HVAC Systems
Designing and installing a custom solution that meets the code requirements can provide significant energy consumption costs over the life of the equipment. Customized HVAC systems offer significant operating efficiencies depending on the location of your facility. In the western US, the climate tends to be hot and dry.
Regional Considerations
Evaporative coolers can be installed into an air handler for commercial systems. In colder areas where freezing in the winter months is challenging, heating elements can be added to the coolers. Some commercial facilities have HVAC requirements unique to the industry they serve. For example, laundries and restaurants have strict ventilation code requirements. Pharma and data centers operate 24/7 and have specific air and cooling quality requirements that standard systems can’t provide.
Advantages of Custom Solutions in New Installations
Customization is an ideal option when designing a system for a new building. It allows you to configure the system around the size of the building, the number of rooms, the height of the ceilings, the doors and windows, open spaces, and the unique needs of specific areas.
Unlike designing for a retrofit, designing a custom HVAC solution will offer significant long-term savings. Providing a custom solution can allow special components to be added to the system, including sensors, switches, thermostats, etc.
Allow for adding a building management system during the new installation or schedule this for a later date. Components for improved indoor air quality and energy use can also be installed to manage daily energy use and operational costs.
HVAC Design Process
The process for designing most HVAC systems includes:
- Determine room-by-room loads and airflows using standard industry process requirements
- Layout duct system on the floor plan, account for the direction of joists, roof hips, firewalls, and other potential obstructions. Determine the register locations and types, duct lengths, and construction requirements to produce a layout within construction constraints.
- Size duct system according to industry standards
- Size HVAC equipment to sensible loads complying with industry standards
In general, designs for HVAC retrofits and new construction are iterative. The best results come from facility managers communicating their critical needs and allowing the design team to continually ask probing questions to ensure they understand the facility’s current needs and look into the future.
The designers will want to know what the future employee count will look like, and new business processes that could require equipment that is not currently necessary will be introduced. Providing the design team with information on how your business is evolving will result in a completed installation capable of providing maximum indoor air quality for many years.