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Up In The Air Understanding the full potential of mechanical and HVAC systems A A resurgence in the housing market, continued growth in high-rise Williams Engineer.indd 1 Specializing in Energy Systems Design & Optimization Power Smart Alliance Member | Continuous Optimization Service Provider | Health Care Engineering Specialists • Mechanical HVAC Systems • Retro-Commissioning Design & Specification • Feasibility Studies • Energy Retrofit Projects • M&V for Retrofit and • DDC Controls Specification LEED Projects BRIAN SIKORSKI P .Eng., CEM PHONE 604.708.4140 EMAIL brian@eforenergy.com w w w. e forener E-Factor Engineering, Incorporated | Vancouver, BC 44/ august 2013 E-Factor Engineering.indd 1 p44-47Mechanical.indd 44 g y. c o m building construction and greater interest and investment in "green" technologies spell good news for the mechanical engineering and HVAC sectors. According to a report released earlier this year by energy market research publisher SBI Energy, the sectors will benefit from a movement that is being spurred by government-funded initiatives to construct zero-energy buildings. Heat transfer equipment and airsource heat pumps will drive total HVAC equipment manufacturing growth for at least the next four years, as will sustainable products such as electric air-source and geothermal heating pumps. But as upbeat as these predictions may be there are also challenges, says Burhan Bagram, mechanical engineering manager for Genivar Inc. 13-06-27 2:02 PM "The trouble with the green movement is that overall there haven't been any major technological breakthroughs. Fan technology is 60 years old, pumps are 90 years old, and the list goes on. That's why with every project we stress that the building envelope is much more important than individual systems. We do our best with existing equipment to optimize the performance of the entire system, mitigating losses and capturing heat recovery," says Bagram. Chris Jepson, practice leader for Williams Engineering Canada Inc., points out that the ability of today's engineers to produce forensically-detailed and accurate documents should be taken into account when fees are negotiated. "Developers and building owners need to consider a building as a whole rather than a collection of components when contracting engineers," he says. "Fortunately this is becoming more common – and it makes sense given the ongoing technological advances and the crossover of building systems." One recent project that has satisfied Jepson is the newly-opened Jasper Place library in Edmonton – a 15,000-squarefoot replacement of an existing facility that is aiming for LEED Gold certification. Due to Williams Engineering's early involvement in the project, Jepson's colleagues were able to fully realize the library's energy-efficiency potential. "The facility features an access floor to accommodate an air displacement system and the thermal mass of the concrete shell absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night," he says. Challenges of another kind are present in the realm of advanced building controls, which E-Factor Engineering Inc. of Vancouver has been working on for years. E-Factor has completed numerous projects and worked for major clients in B.C. and Alberta, including Air Canada, BC Hydro, the City of Vancouver and Providence Health Care. For Vancouver General Hospital's Banfield Pavilion extended care facility, E-Factor was commissioned to design and manage a project to provide heat Mechanical & HVAC 6/20/11 11:05:58 AM 13-07-12 11:45 AM photo: Gerry Kopelow by Robin Brunet