Driving over $400,000 in savings
Challenge
Large facility. Big goals.
- Medium-rise commercial medical office/laboratory building
- 40% of the building is used for advanced medical research
- Organizational goals to reduce energy spend by a minimum of 25% and eliminate pressure imbalances to mitigate the spread of airborne disease
- Dual duct AHU’s controls were obsolete
Approach
Driving efficiencies all-around
- Pathian® provided project development, engineering, and commissioning services to facilitate the most efficient approach
- Installed new building pressure sensors in the lobby and multiple floor elevations
- Replaced controllers on 16 Air Handling Units
- Installed minimum outdoor airflow stations on each AHU
- Added VFD’s and high efficiency motors to all air handler’s supply/return fans
- Installed new hot deck control supply dampers/actuators on 16 air handling units
- Retrofit 60% of all economizer dampers
- Reprogrammed AHU’s to Syrx control
- Installed CSV data driver to collect all AHU BAS data (temperatures, fan speeds, damper/valve positions, status, etc.) at 15-minute intervals
- Implemented Pathian Analytics software to track, evaluate and sustain optimal equipment performance
Results
Savings. Quality. Control.
- Total project cost: $1,700,000
- Utility rebates Electric $252,879
- Estimated project savings:
- $485,528.00 in electric (5,057,586 kWh/yr. @ $0.096 per kWh)
- Simple Payback: 2.98 years
- Reduced Site Energy Use Intensity (EUI) from 268.8 kBtu/sf to 177.0 kBtu/sf in 12 months
- Reduced site electrical consumption by $485,528 in the first year of operation
- Strengthened indoor air quality compliance of each facility
- Improved pressure and comfort in main lobby throughout winter
Other industries
Industry
Healthcare
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Building Facts
Medical office building/lab
Built in 1981
646,262 sf
5 stories
1600+ employees
This is the eighth large healthcare facility I’ve employed Pathian to optimize. They provide results that no one else comes close to.
– System Vice President, Facilities & Support Services