HVAC and lighting controls are leveraging automation to optimize energy efficiency, ensuring buildings remain comfortable during occupied hours and shift to energy-saving modes when unoccupied.
Automation insights:
- K-12 buildings utilize automation for HVAC systems to save energy, especially during unoccupied hours.
- Utilizing building information modeling is helpful for engineers, owners and contractors to be on the same page during the design phase.
Respondents:
- Raquel Deschler, PE, Project Manager, RMF Engineering, Charleston, S.C.
- Scott Peck, PE, Vice President, Peter Basso and Associates, Troy, Mich.
- Zachary Schneider, PE, LEED AP, CxA, LC, Partner/Electrical Engineer, CMTA, Inc, Louisville, Ky.
From your experience, what systems within K-12 school projects are benefiting from automation that previously might not have been?
Zachary Schneider: HVAC and lighting controls are two key systems seeing significant benefits from automation. Recent advancements allow building owners to reduce energy usage while maintaining comfortable conditions for occupants. Automated systems can program buildings to operate efficiently during occupied hours and switch to a “setback” mode that conserves energy when unoccupied. These systems are able to restart at the right time in the morning, ensuring the building is comfortable and ready for use at the start of the day.
How has the use of smart technologies helped meet the requirements schools have set to achieve healthier buildings? This may include occupancy sensors, air filtration monitors, lighting controls, etc.
Zachary Schneider: Indoor air quality (IAQ) has continuously been a main component of healthy buildings for years, but was brought to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has become common for facilities to install IAQ monitors that ensure there is adequate ventilation to keep CO2 and other toxins levels as low as possible.
In what way is the need for more smart technology and features in such buildings affecting your work on these projects?
Zachary Schneider: Smart technologies are constantly evolving, but our goal is to keep buildings as straightforward as possible, ensuring that owners and maintenance staff can operate and manage them with ease. Thankfully, advancements in smart technology have also led to more intuitive user interfaces, making these systems increasingly user-friendly for staff.
How is your team using building information modeling (BIM) in conjunction with the architects, trades and owner to design a project?
Raquel Deschler: BIM is an incredibly useful tool for getting various project partners on the same page, but it has its limitations. If something like the electrical switchboard is shown as 2D lines, as opposed to modeled as a 3D object, the equipment may not fit through the door that the architect provided for the room. The team must stay in communication during the entire process to avoid these situations, which ultimately can lead to project delays and budget overages. This is especially the case for K-12 projects, which often work on a tight schedule to ensure the building is finished in time for the start of a new semester.
Scott Peck: Revit is used for design assistance in several instances such as airflow accumulation, electrical load circuiting, hydronic flow accumulation, domestic water sanitary and vent fixture units’ accumulation, clash detection and roof drainage system sizing. It is also used as a quality control tool for the following: electrical circuit review for overloads, load balancing, identification of missed/un-circuited loads, mechanical terminal unit inlet diameter vs airflow checks and unit length, diffuser neck size check and for verifying motor brake horsepower does not exceed 90% of horsepower rating.
Zachary Schneider: BIM has proved to be a valuable tool for coordination and conflict prevention during construction. However, it’s important to recognize its limitations. While accuracy in the model is essential, field conditions, equipment manufacturing variations and installation challenges can still arise once the building is under construction. These factors cannot always be fully anticipated in the model. Effective collaboration among contractors in the field remains critical. No matter how precise the model is, close coordination during the construction process will always play a vital role in ensuring the success of the project.
