HVAC
HVAC, BAS in research facilities
Forty-four percent of respondents to the 2017 HVAC & Building Automation Systems Study make product selections for research facilities/laboratories.
For research facilities, performance or prescriptive HVAC and controls specifications are written 77% of the time, followed by open: proprietary and open: alternate or substitute. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer
According to the Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2017 HVAC & Building Automation Systems Study, 44% of engineers specify, design, or select products for research facilities/laboratories—and 78% of these engineers are responsible for determining the requirements/writing specifications for these projects. Below are five HVAC and BAS findings as they relate to research facility projects:
- Design value: Engineering firms are specifying $3.3 million annually, on average, in HVAC and BAS products for new and existing research facilities, with 33% specifying more than $5 million. The top revenue-generating systems include fans, air movement products, air handlers, pumps, pumping systems, and BAS.
- HVAC challenges: More than half of respondents agree that energy efficiency and an inadequate budget for good design are affecting the future of HVAC systems in research facilities.
- BAS challenges: The top challenge when designing BAS for research facilities is interoperability and complementing systems, followed by inadequate budget and cybersecurity/security.
- Products specified: HVAC controls (80%), air handlers (76%), and rooftop units (73%) are the top three HVAC equipment types or control systems being specified into research facility projects.
- Looking ahead: More than 65% of engineers expect to see an increase in research facility projects involving dedicated outdoor air systems and/or energy recovery systems.
View additional research from Consulting-Specifying Engineer: www.csemag.com/research