Articles

Figure 2: A heat recovery variable refrigerant flow branch controller in a mechanical room. Courtesy: CDM Smith

Back to basics: How to design industrial HVAC systems

Figure 2: Motor branch-circuit protective device and motor starter installed in a motor control center bucket at a wastewater treatment facility. Courtesy: CDM Smith

Motors and Drives

Know the NEC design requirements for low-voltage motors

Figure 1: This example is from a wire and cable specification dated July 2025, which shows obsolete options for a data center’s medium-voltage specification. Courtesy: Southwire

Electrical and Power

How to ID an electrical specification that needs updates

Figure 1: Isometric overview of a data center site illustrating key cooling infrastructure components, including adiabatic chillers, cooling towers, mechanical room and server layout. Courtesy: ChemTreat

Best practices for water treatment in data center cooling

Figure 5: Building automation system graphic displaying current electrical demand compared to previous month. Courtesy: Affiliated Engineers Inc.

Case study: Using BAS data to detect variations in energy consumption

Courtesy: SmithGroup

HVAC/R and Mechanical

Tailored HVAC design to meet unique needs of university buildings

Courtesy: RMF Engineering

Electrical and Power

Universities focus on sustainability, smart lighting in electrical designs

Figure 5: Annual emissions versus heating plant configuration. Courtesy: SmithGroup

Case study: Evaluating heating plant configurations in a low-carbon grid region

Figure 2: Tracking the performance of heating and cooling equipment using both historical and real-time data can help identify malfunctions or inefficiencies early on. Courtesy: Edward Caruso Photography

Building Automation and Controls

Ways to leverage and enhance building control system data

Courtesy: Fitzemeyer & Tocci

Fire and Life Safety

Fire and life safety systems focused on integration, mass notification