We have built our mechanical
contracting business on the foundation of our mechanical design
abilities. This is one of our favorite services to offer - from
start to finish we can calculate and specify exactly what your
home or building requires to be comfortable and efficient. Mechanical
systems will not operate at their highest efficiency when they
are sized for a building on guesswork or "the way we have
always done it".
Instead, we follow the steps outlined in The Process to develop
a scope of the project and determine the direction for the design
process. We then apply appropriate software tools to help us create
the system model that will lead to an initial mechanical design.
The energy use projections from our software models aid us in
the selection of the components and systems that result in the
final mechanical system. Sound practice is followed as we assess
the needs of the client, structure, and energy budget. Usually
several options are developed as we proceed with the design; ultimately
the final system comes together as overall performance issues
are reviewed.
We are then able to proceed with the installation; confident
in the expected performance, energy efficiency, and expected payback.
Some of our software tools include:
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| This heat gain/loss program allows
us to input a building envelope and determine the heat loss and
gain for the structure. A huge variety of windows, doors, wall types,
floor types, roof types, and insulation components are available
to create a computer model of any building shell. Once the building
is drawn in the program, it can be rotated to optimize solar gain
or loss to maximize solar heating or minimize cooling costs. Any
component of the structure can be adjusted or changed to determine
its overall contribution to energy loss or gain. For example, window
choices and levels of window coatings, screening, and shading can
be made based on their energy performance - giving the client a
real economic analysis of the costs and benefits of different windows.
This program can also perform infiltration and ventilation analysis,
particularly important with today's tighter building envelopes |
The heat loss and gain numbers developed
in the RHVAC can be hot linked to the AUDIT program. Different mechanical
systems can be created and their yearly energy use projected. We
can compare a propane fired boiler with a propane fired furnace
with a geothermal heat pump and get yearly performance numbers for
all of them. We can also input domestic hot water usage, appliance
usage, laundry loads per year, the cost of utilities to run these
loads, and the yearly cost with adjustable inflation. This is a
very powerful tool in conjunction with RHVAC to determine the payback
period and savings of any mechanical system |
| This program is also linked to RHVAC;
using the heat loss and gain numbers it helps us develop forced
air systems that will meet the structure's heating and cooling needs.
Trunk sizes, air velocity, and diffuser and grille constraints can
be input to show how architectural changes can impact system performance. |
This program is used to develop and
size hot water heating systems. We have used it to confirm the engineering
of geothermal, propane and oil fired boiler, and solar heating systems.
It also assists us in choosing the most efficient circulators to
reduce the total energy use of the mechanical system. |
| This software suite was developed by
NASA and the Canadian Department of Energy to model solar and wind
power installations and generate payback projections. Using input
weather data, project location and orientation, projected demand,
monthly usage, and storage capacity, this program will generate
a typical solar energy collection figure, suggested system sizes,
and a payback projection. It is generally recognized as fairly conservative
so we have confidence in using the numbers generated to create payback
periods and system costs. |
This program has been instrumental
in the engineering required for our custom hydronic coils. We were
able to determine the most effective water temperature to maximize
heat output in forced air systems for solar and geothermal installations.
Once the design is complete, this program will generate drawings
and specs necessary to order these custom hand made hot water coils. |
| We use this program to
assist us in the selection of our circulators used in heating and
cooling systems. We can use head loss and flow requirements of heating
systems generated in our HVAC Solution program to find the best
circulator to fit. |
The American Society of
Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers is leading
the green building engineering world in the development of standards
and goals for sustainable design. Their handbooks and code handbooks
often provide us with answers to our mechanical system questions
- engineering and installing systems to their standards guarantees
a high level of system performance and efficiency |
We use this program to model radiant
floors in different structures over different floor covers and types.
The flexibility of this software allows us to project for the client,
architect, and contractor the success of different radiant floor
installations and minimum system requirements
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We use this program to model the geothermal
heat pumps used in our hot water heating system designs. We have
optimized circulator sizes that move hot water through heat pump
flat plate heat exchangers to ensure optimum performance and minimum
lifetime energy use |
