Richard L. Kronick, Freelance Writer and Michael Ivanovich, Editor-in-Chief
Articles
BAS design issues
View the full story, including all images and figures, in our monthly digital edition View "Systems design and performance tips for packaged rooftop units" in the first edition of the HVAC Technology Report We know it's tough out there for BAS designers who want to keep up with the latest in sensors and controls. You know that sensors and controls are “where the rubber meets the road” in HVAC. But the available hardware and software mutate faster than an H1N1 flu virus on steroids.
Systems design and performance tips for packaged rooftop units (RTUs)
A currently fashionable adage is “Where you stand depends upon where you sit.” That certainly applies to attitudes about direct-expansion unitary rooftop HVAC units (RTUs or “packaged air conditioning units”). Not surprisingly, manufacturers' representatives speak of RTUs as the workhorses of the industry, as though they are proud Budweiser Clydesdale horses lined up on building roofs. One senior engineer of a manufacturer extolled the long, consistent improvement in the efficiency ratings of RTUs—and tipped us off that the newest version of ASHRAE 90.1, due in 2010, will raise the bar again. He pointed to the current system of three tiers that allows engineers to balance a unit's efficiency level with its price.