September 5, 2024    Newsroom

Heat pump water heaters are emerging as game-changers in the realm of energy-efficient water heating, outperforming traditional electric resistive counterparts, as an alternative to fossil fuel-based water heating units. This innovative technology offers a compelling solution for both existing buildings looking to transition away from gas or oil-fired systems and new construction striving to achieve high-performance energy standards.

Harnessing Proven Technology:

Drawing from the same principals employed by heat pump air conditioning units, heat pump water heaters excel in transferring heat from the surrounding air or water sources to produce hot water for domestic use. Recent advancements in refrigerants and compressors have further optimized these units, enabling them to generate hot water at temperatures suitable for domestic application even at low ambient temperatures.

Diverse Configurations for Varied Needs:

Heat pump water heaters are available in a multitude of configurations, catering to medium to large apartment buildings and commercial settings. When selecting a unit, designers must first determine whether a water-sourced or air-sourced system is preferrable. Water-sourced units are ideal for buildings equipped with geothermal or condenser water systems operating year-round. In the absence of these systems, air-sourced solutions are an alternate option, particularly for retrofit projects.

Navigating Refrigerant Choices:

A pivotal decision in the design process revolves around the selection of refrigerant type. While 410A remains prevalent in HVAC applications and boasts familiarity among installers and maintenance personnel, its limitation become apparent as outdoor temperatures drop below freezing. When this happens, the unit is unable to produce hot water greater than 135°F. Moreover, the phasing out of 410A underscores the need for other options. Enter CO2, a more environmentally friendly refrigerant capable of maintaining 140°F output even in suboptimal conditions. However, working with CO2 necessitates specialized training due to its higher operating pressure.

Precision Sizing for Optimal Performance:

Ensuring the proper sizing of heat pump systems is paramount, given the greater installation costs associated with these units. Unlike conventional water heaters, oversizing a heat pump can significantly increase the initial installation cost and make it difficult for the client to realize payback on the investment. Therefore, meticulous attention to sizing considerations is imperative to optimize performance and reduce unnecessary expenditures.

Addressing Acoustical Concerns:

Given their operational similarity to chillers, air-sourced heat pump water heaters tend to produce elevated noise levels, often exceeding 90 decibels, about as loud as a passing subway train. Ideally situated on the building’s rooftop, these units may require acoustical treatment, especially if neighboring structures are in close proximity. In instances where rooftop installation is impractical, collaboration with an acoustical engineer becomes essential, potentially necessitating the design of custom enclosures to mitigate noise pollution near occupied spaces.

Embracing the Future of Water Heating:

In the ever-evolving landscape of building technologies, heat pump water heaters stand as beacons of innovation, offering a new pathway towards enhanced efficiency and sustainability in water heating systems. As we navigate the transition towards greener energy solutions, these remarkable units emerge as pivotal tools for architects, engineers, and developers striving to meet rigorous performance standards.

With their ability to leverage existing infrastructure to adapt to new construction paradigms, heat pump water heaters present a versatile solution for a diverse array of building types and sizes. From medium to large apartment complexes to sprawling commercial facilities, the flexibility inherent in these systems empowers designers to tailor solutions that align seamlessly with their project’s unique requirements.

Yet, alongside the promise of efficiency and adaptability come challenges to be met head-on. Selecting the appropriate refrigerant, precision sizing, and addressing the acoustical consideration are but a few of the hurdles to be overcome in harnessing the full potential of heat pump water heaters. With strategic planning, collaboration, and commitment to excellence. Collado Engineering can assist you in navigating these challenges and opportunities for innovation and progress on your next project.

January 3, 2024    Newsroom

As discussed in Electrical Vehicle Charging: Part 1, the number of EV’s on the road increases daily and with it, the demand for “refueling” these vehicles is also growing. Before proceeding with adding EV chargers to your parking garage or lot, it is imperative to ensure your building is prepared to support the additional electric loads. But what changes are needed to the building’s electrical system? Retaining a consulting engineer, such as Collado Engineering, to address this question is the first step. The following is a case study detailing what could happen when the proper steps aren’t taken to prepare prior to installation.

Case Study:

The parking garage in a COOP building is leaded by a third-party operator. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations were improperly installed by the vendor’s electrician. What was intended to be a benefit to the building and its parking garage users, resulted in more headaches for the building management.

The property manager then retained Collado Engineering to remedy the issues brought to light by the installation. We performed a review of the installation including the electrical infrastructure supplying the garage panel and the loads connected to the panel in question.

The garage panel was found to be past its useful life and once the panel door was opened, found to contain exposed busbars (see photo 1), creating a Safety Hazard. The panel itself was in poor condition, and we recommended that it be replaced.

We then discovered oversized fuses that did not protect the wires feeding the panel. This alone was an Electrical Code Violation. The fuses were replaced with correctly sized overcurrent protection for the conductors.

In reviewing the branch circuit wiring fed from the panel, the smaller wiring, typically fed from a 20 Amp breaker, was observed emanating from 100 Amp, 3 pole circuit breaker (see photo 2). Breakers were also observed with multiple wires terminating on the breakers (see photo 3) another Electrical Code Violation.

The installed wiring to the electrical vehicle charging stations was observed and identified to be inadequate to accommodate the electrical vehicle charger at full capacity. This was due to the wiring for all chargers sharing a conduit. Based on the NEC, conduits with 4 or more conductors require the wiring to be derated.

With the initial assessment and design by Collado Engineering, the property manager was able to retain an electrician to install a code compliant system to support the existing EV chargers. A new panel was installed and provided with feed through lugs to allow for the installation and expansion of a second panel. The added panel would allow for connections to future loads, such as the additional electrical vehicle chargers.

Unfortunately, in this case, more money than necessary was spent remediating issues that could’ve easily been avoided had the proper steps been taken. The Collado Engineering team is continuously monitoring all new information regarding EV charging infrastructure and can help save you this money and guide you through the journey of installing EV chargers from start to finish.

January 3, 2024    Newsroom

With electric vehicles (EVs) becoming more prevalent on the roads across New York, providing charging infrastructure to support the rapid expansion is becoming a priority. The industry will likely need to invest billions of dollars into the charging infrastructure within the next 10 years, but how do EV chargers work to begin with? And what are codes actually requiring?

How to EV chargers work?

EVs use batteries as their energy source, replacing the standard gasoline tank. Battery capacity is measured in kilowatts-hours (kWh), which is analogous to the size of a gasoline tank. The efficiency of the battery to move the vehicle is measured in kilowatts (kW). Typical batteries in electric vehicles today can span anywhere from 25 to 200 kWh. Which for the larger battery, depending on driving conditions, could translate to approximately 500 miles per charge. The larger the battery, the further the EV can travel between recharging.

Charging stations are essentially gas pumps for your vehicle, but rather than filling up with gas, you charge your vehicle’s battery similar to how you would any other battery powered device.

The power grid uses alternating current (AC), soc each EV contains a power supply and rectifier/inverter to convert the grid power into a usable form of energy for the car’s direct current (DC) battery. The most common forms of EV chargers available today are:

• Type 1: uses 120V power
• Type 2: uses 208/240V power and chargers substantially faster than Type 1

What are codes requiring?

New York State has one of the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives in the nation starting with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act signed into legislature in 2019. In addition to goals in renewable energy and electrical generation, the climate act has a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050. In an effort to reach these milestones, New York State has been encouraging residents to purchase EVs through more than 137,000 types of Drive Clean Rebates. But with this many new EVs, how are people supposed to charge them?

Most charging currently takes place in homes, since cars can be charged overnight, however, with the increase in vehicles, more charging options are required including workplace and high-speed public charging. The “EV Make Ready” program has been implemented to help EV charging station deployment by building and preparing the grid infrastructure needed to support the influx of EVs. The program is running through 2025, coinciding with New York’s goal of 850,000 zero-emissions vehicles by the end of that year.

In late 2021, the New York State Senate passed an act to modify the legislation regarding the requirement of EV charging stations and EV capable parking spaces. The new bill, officially in effect as of April 1 of this year, requires new construction that includes dedicated off-street parking (a garage, driveway, parking lot, etc.) to have a designated amount of EC capable and EV charging station spots dependent on the size of the building.

While similar regulations are not yet in place for existing buildings, there is a strong possibility they will be included in the near future. Building owners should being to consider adding the necessary infrastructure to prepare their buildings for the inevitable regulation updates now. By adding this infrastructure and the chargers themselves now, buildings may be entitled to rebates from different government agencies for working toward a “green building: as well as increase the building’s appeal to potential residents.

February 2, 2022    Newsroom

A building energy audit is a process of determining how a facility uses energy, the types of energy used, the energy cost, and identifying opportunities to reduce consumption without decreasing occupants’ thermal comfort or life safety.  New York City (NYC) Local Law 87 (Energy Audits and Retro-Commissioning) mandates periodic energy audits for buildings that exceed 50,000 square feet.  The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) and local utility companies require an energy audit as a requirement for participation in some of their utility incentive programs.  And NYC Local Law 97 (Carbon Emission Limits), scheduled to be implemented in 2024, will require some level of energy auditing to determine a property owner’s actual carbon emission and potential financial penalties.

Types of Building Energy Audits

An energy audit is often also referred to as an energy assessment, survey, evaluation, or investigation. There are four commonly accepted types:

• Level-0 (Benchmarking Audit or ASHRAE Preliminary Energy-Use Analysis):

This audit is an analysis of energy use and cost to determine a benchmark index such as Btu (British Thermal Unit) per square foot per year. It involves analyzing annual utility bills and is relatively quick for simple building layouts. NYC Local Law 84 (Energy Benchmarking) requires annual benchmarking submissions for buildings exceeding 10,000 sq. ft.

• Level-1 (Walk-Through or ASHRAE Level-1):

This audit involves a cursory Level-0 analysis and quick identification of recommended energy improvement measures that are no-cost or low-cost. On-site surveying is limited to a few hours with a small team of auditors, and the survey cost is small. Estimated energy savings and implementation costs are rough estimates. A Level-1 audit is ideal to determine if a building has potential energy reduction and cost savings. If a building does not, the auditing effort is ended with no further resources expanded. If a building has potential, a higher auditing effort is necessary to quantify that potential.

• Level-2 (Energy Survey and Analysis or ASHRAE Level-2):

This audit involves a more detailed utility data analysis and surveying of building conditions and energy consuming equipment. The surveying effort depends on the size and complexity of the facility, and it may last multiple days or weeks with a large team or multiple teams of auditors. This effort is also dependent on the complexity of recommended energy measures. Auditors can perform more detailed energy calculations, take on-site measurements, and collaborate with contractors and specialized consultants to provide more realistic savings and implementation costs. Building owners can use the results to plan their energy projects and use the report to comply with NYC Local Law 87 requirements.

• Level-3 (Detailed Analysis of Capital-Intensive Modifications or ASHRAE Level-3):

This audit expands upon the Level-2 effort. Typically, building owners will decide which recommended energy measures they wish to pursue from the Level-2 audit. Auditors will refine engineering and economic analysis, backed by detailed field data collection, and develop a preliminary scope-of-work or design. Implementation costs result from actual contractor bids. As a result, these audits are also referred to as investment grade audits or IGAs.

Energy Auditor Qualifications

An energy audit team will typically consist of personnel with different engineering and energy-related expertise. The team composition may vary with the audit level and energy measures being analyzed. Regardless of efforts, energy auditors or team leaders should be certified energy audit professionals. NYC Local Law 87 requires an energy audit to be conducted or supervised by personnel with one of the following certifications:

• Certified Energy Manager (CEM) or Certified Energy Auditor (CEA)
• High Performance Building Design Professional (HPBD)
• Building Energy Assessment Professional (BEAP)
• Multifamily Building Analyst (MFBA) – audits of multifamily residential buildings only

Energy Audit Results

The results of an energy audit should help building owners understand how they are using energy, how their energy consuming equipment contribute to energy use, the cost of energy use, and ways to reduce that energy use. The audit could also produce recommendations for operations and maintenance improvements. At a minimum, NYC Local Law 87 requires a Level-2 audit to provide:

• Reasonable recommendations to reduce energy use and/or building operation cost
• Annual energy savings, implementation costs, and simple financial payback
• Benchmarking results
• A breakdown of energy use by system and predicted energy savings by system
• A general assessment of how the major energy consuming equipment and systems impact energy consumption

Water Conservation

Although an energy audit investigates the use of electrical and fossil fuel energy in heating and cooling systems, it will often include a survey of domestic water use within a building. At a minimum, water must be conditioned or pumped to the point-of-use. Reducing water consumption can result in significant cost savings due to high use and water and sewer costs.

Building Owner and Stakeholder Involvement

A successful energy audit is a team effort consisting of the audit team, building owner, operators, and other stakeholders such as tenants. Building owners should convey their expectations of the audits, and provide guidance on their priorities, constraints, and other factors that could help focus auditing efforts or influence energy measure considerations. This helps reduce auditing cost and optimize efforts.

Do I Need an Audit?

Collado Engineering can help you determine what type of audit is right for you and/or what you need to comply with New York City requirements. Our certified energy professionals can provide detailed analysis and recommend realistic energy conservation measures.

March 22, 2021    Newsroom

While firestopping and firestopping inspections have been required for a long time, they are not always given the attention they deserve. The A/E industry has developed a false sense of comfort in simply seeing the red goop (intumescent fire sealant). It is not that the industry does not think fire stopping is important, the issue is that there is a lack of understanding of the basic requirements. Currently, there is a renewed effort by municipalities to ensure that firestopping and firestopping inspections are performed properly.

Let us look at what firestopping is, and why we should all be paying more attention to it.

Compartmentation is a passive fire protection system designed to impede the spread of fire and smoke. It is a key component of the life safety triangle and has been a Code requirement for many years. Firestopping is an enhancement of that system, it is used to seal around openings and between joints in a fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assembly; ensuring the fire rating of a compartment is achieved or maintained. Compartmentation, and the required separation of adjacent spaces, is the purview of the architect, as is the construction of the barriers to achieve the necessary separation and the sealing of joints between these barriers.

However, penetrations through the fire rated barrier are usually required to accommodate the passing of building system components, which is typically the responsibility of the MEP engineer, and the focus of this article.

It should be noted that the “time” fire rating criteria commonly used, is only one of several criteria that must be defined to properly treat the penetrations.

F-Rating: The amount of time, in hours, before a fire spreads from the fire side to the non-fire side of a fire-rated assembly (e.g., by burning through each successive layer of materials).

T-Rating: The amount of time, in hours, before the temperature of the non-fire side of the fire-rated assembly or penetrating item reaches 325°F. Even if the fire barrier prevents the passage of flames during a fire, it is possible for the surface temperature of the non-fire side to become high enough that flammable items (e.g., lampshades, paper, fabrics, etc.) may spontaneously combust.

L-Rating: The amount of air, in CFM/ft2, that leaks through a joint or penetration firestopping system at ambient temperature and at 400°F.

W-Rating: The watertightness of a firestopping system measured against 3 feet of standing water for 72 hours. The intent of the W-Rating is to gauge the extent to which a fire barrier installed in floors will deteriorate when exposed to moisture.

Other: Mold and mildew resistance and seismic performance may also need to be considered based on the specific use case.

The selection of firestopping caulk is unlike other items design professionals specify. By now most design professionals have caught-on that firestopping should be a system, and their documents call for the use of firestopping systems, and some, even call for a UL-listed system to be used. What is often not understood, is that the system is made up of the penetrating item (copper pipe, EMT conduit, etc.), penetration size, the barrier material being penetrated, the annular space between the penetrant and the barrier, and even how the penetrant passes through the barrier. Add to that the required performance criteria and you have the system. Now, find a caulk that has been tested under those conditions, and all that is left to do is ensuring that it is installed in accordance with the way it was tested and listed. Not so easy, right?

Firestopping systems must be tested and approved for use by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). NRTLs, such as UL, list systems for the specific conditions under which they were tested. If the same caulk material, penetrant, and barrier material were not tested in a specific arrangement, it would not carry a listing for that arrangement. While there are thousands of listed firestopping systems from many manufacturers that cover most common configurations, installation conditions and rating requirements, there may be instances when the installation does not match the listing exactly, and an Engineering Judgement (EJ) may be required from the fire caulk manufacturer. An EJ is a written document, usually in the form of a letter or report, stating that a given firestopping installation is likely to be effective in preventing the spread of fire and smoke even if it was not actually tested in that specific arrangement. EJs should only be used as a last resort; if a project requires more than a couple of EJs, it may be a sign that not enough effort was spent in selecting the firestopping systems.

Since the selection of firestopping systems requires knowledge of how the penetrants are installed through the rated partitions, it is impossible to specify firestopping systems on the design documents. Design professionals should provide a performance specification and enough details for the contractor to be able to select an appropriate system during the construction. For example, the L, T, F, and W-Ratings should be clearly identified, as well as details of the special inspection requirements.

So, what about those inspections?

The International Building Code has included new firestopping inspection standards, since the 2012 codes were adopted. These standards were put in place to help increase the efficiency of firestopping systems and inspections. The ASTM firestopping inspection standards have also been adopted into the 2014 NYC codes. The two relevant ASTM Standards are E-2174 (Penetrations) and E-2393 (Joints); among other things, they require the firestop inspector to be completely independent of and divested from the installer, contractor, manufacturer, or supplier.

Special inspections require either visual inspection or destructive testing of each firestopping system installed on a project. Ten days prior to the installation of the firestopping materials, the contractor is responsible for providing the special inspector the installation schedule, NRTL listings for each unique firestopping system being used on the project, and any other material the inspector may require. Visual inspection requires that the inspector witness the installation of a percentage of each firestopping systems being used to ensure they are installed per the listing criteria. Destructive testing requires the contractor to cut into a small percentage of installed firestopping systems to determine if they were installed in accordance with the listing criteria. Destructive testing is the only option when the installation has not been coordinated with the special inspector and might also be used if the inspector cannot spend all that time in the field. It is important to note that the contractor will be responsible for completely removing and reinstalling the firestopping systems that have been destructively tested once the inspection is completed. To avoid costly change orders during construction, the design professionals should make the contractor aware, via the design documents, that destructive testing may occur. Table 1 details these requirements.

Effective fire stopping is essential to ensure the passive fire protection systems of the building perform as expected. All involved must have a deep understanding of the requirements and each other’s role in the process.

BY: Alec Raia, Danielle Koch, Daniel Lennon

February 25, 2021    Newsroom

Electrification may be the latest industry buzzword, but government agencies in New York have only increased the number of incentives programs which aim to reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuels. If you have established electrification as part of your portfolio-wide energy strategy, consider using the funds the state has reserved to help you achieve your goals.

One of the state’s programs, NYS Clean Heat, promises funding for the most popular alternatives to oil- and gas-fired equipment: air-source heat pumps (which includes VRF) and geothermal (ground-source) heat pumps.

Eligibility Requirements
1. For Existing Buildings:
An active electric utility account.
2. For New Construction:
Design Phase – Intent to obtain a temporary utility account
Construction Phase – Temporary utility account
3. The site must be/will be occupied year-round
4. Installed heat pumps must be used for heating in order to offset existing fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas, oil, steam)
5. Heat pumps must be designed to provide domestic/service hot water heating and/or both space heating and cooling. Heat pumps used primarily for space cooling are not eligible.

Incentive Amounts
The incentives available vary by electric utility and are based on the size of the systems installed (per 10,000 Btu/h):

How to Apply
Only Participating Contractors approved by NYSERDA and your electric utility can apply for these incentives. As an approved Participating Contractor for the utilities above, COLLADO ENGINEERING can:

– design systems which meet the program requirements
– coordinate with an approved installing contractor
– perform pre- and post-installation inspections
– submit the required energy savings calculations
– interface with program representatives on your behalf

If you have been thinking about upgrading existing equipment or are developing a new building, COLLADO ENGINEERING can assist you in developing designs that take advantage of these incentive offers and pursue these opportunities with your local utilities.

February 25, 2021    Newsroom

Collado Engineering has earned a 2021 Diamond Engineering Excellence Award in the category of Building/Technology Systems for its innovative design of a flood resistant Utility Services Building for Haven Plaza, a mid- to low-income housing complex on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The plant is part of a resiliency program to harden infrastructure for the complex, which was massively damaged in 2012 by Superstorm Sandy.

Presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) New York affiliate, the Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) are judged on a rigorous set of criteria, which includes complexity, innovation, and value to society. Diamond award winners from each state chapter can compete for ACEC’s prestigious Grand Conceptor award in February 2021.

“We are so pleased to be honored with the highest award in the Building Technology/Systems category for the Haven Plaza project. Our work has had an immediate and direct impact on average New Yorkers, providing them with the security that their lives would not be disrupted by another flooding event like Sandy,” said Andy Hlushko, President of Collado Engineering.

Financial support for the project was provided by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) under the City’s Build it Back program.

Moving to Higher Ground, Greater Self-Sufficiency
In the wake of Sandy’s surge, the residents of all 371 apartments in the four buildings that comprise Haven Plaza were stranded without power, heat and hot water service and only partial cold-water service, due to flooding of critical mechanical and electrical infrastructure equipment located in the cellar of two Haven Plaza buildings. An explosion and subsequent power outage at the adjacent Con Edison power plant knocked out electrical service to the remaining two buildings of the complex.

Haven Plaza Square LLC, an affiliate of the Association of New York Catholic Homes and the New York Institute for Human Development, commissioned Collado Engineering, CTA Architects and Robert Silman to design an infrastructure system that would withstand the effects of a future natural disaster, allow the complex to be self-sufficient, and reduce operating costs.

Collado’s solution—a new free-standing Utility Services Building with a first floor that stands one foot above the FEMA base flood elevation and six feet above ground level—houses a new on-site dual fuel steam boiler plant, the domestic hot water generation equipment, and electrical service provisions for the plant and 4 Haven Plaza. The boilers, which normally operate on gas, can be switched to diesel fuel, if necessary, via a diesel fuel storage tank located in a floodproof “bathtub” cellar area. Electrical infrastructure for 1, 2, and 3 Haven Plaza was also raised to elevated platforms for floodproofing. Each building is equipped with manual transfer switches, allowing portable generators to provide standby power to critical loads.

Public Investment on Display
CTA Architects designed the utility building with transparency in mind, utilizing 1,300 sf of glazed curtainwall, 1,500 sf of metal façade and 500 sf of green wall. Prominently visible in the busy East Village neighborhood, the plant showcases for the public the investment made in the property’s engineering infrastructure.

The building’s poured concrete structure, designed by Robert Silman structural engineers, allows for a column-free space to accommodate the large equipment. Due to the low-bearing quality of the soil, fifteen 100-ton capacity concrete piles were incorporated into the foundation system. Location of the new Utility Services building was strategic, enabling the use of much of the existing underground distribution on site.

All work was completed while the housing complex remained occupied, requiring continuous communication with residents to coordinate service shutdowns and schedule.

July 9, 2020    Newsroom

With the tri-state area reopening amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many building owners and operators are looking for ways to mitigate the spread of the virus to building occupants. In addition to disinfection of commonly touched surfaces, social distancing, and screening procedures, the building’s HVAC system – the respiratory system of the building – has come under scrutiny as a potential mechanism for circulating contaminants throughout the building. Vapor droplets suspended in the air are the primary carriers of viruses, so their removal is key to slowing the spread of infection. While no one approach offers a silver bullet for stopping the spread of airborne particles, each will reduce the likelihood of transmission.

What Options Do I Have?
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) sets the standards for indoor air quality. While ASHRAE’s list of recommendations for air treatment options pertain mostly to healthcare facilities with high risk of disease transmission, these approaches can be implemented by any building.

Filtration: Removing contaminants from the airstream to prevent them from recirculating throughout the system.
Dilution: Increasing the amount of outside (ventilation) air to reduce concentrations of contaminants.
Elimination: Deactivating or destroying living biological contagions in the air stream.
Environment: Maintaining the proper indoor ambient air conditions that are unfavorable for contagions.

Many of our clients are asking the question: What options do I go with? The answer is: It depends. Existing systems need to be evaluated to confirm that they are operating as designed and after any existing issues have been addressed, strategies for mitigating infectious spread can reviewed and implemented. Understanding the implications of the options below will illuminate an optimal approach within the constraints of the building’s HVAC system.

Filtration: Most existing HVAC systems already have filters installed, so ensuring that these are being changed regularly and properly is important. Upgrading filters to higher MERV or HEPA levels with higher entrapment efficiencies for smaller particles can improve contaminant removal. However, it is important to understand the performance capabilities of the system before installing. Adding higher rated filters increases pressure drop through the system, which can result in poor airflow and may require modifications to the filter racks or fan operating parameters. Bi-polar ionization can be used to enhance filtration by generating ions that attach to contaminants, making them larger and more susceptible to filter capture, thus allowing for the use of lower filter ratings and avoiding airflow issues. Stand-alone filtration or ionizing units are effective for elevators.

Dilution: Buildings are required to provide ventilation air to occupied spaces, typically by mechanical means. By increasing the amount of outside or ventilation air to each system, the air in the zone is displaced and concentrations of contagions reduced. Ventilation air rates should be increased as much as possible, even to 100% if outdoor and indoor conditions allow. However, too much outside air could burden the system’s fixed heating or cooling capacity and result in uncomfortable space temperatures or worse, creating humidity levels that promote infection transmission. The proper balance of timing and duration of increased ventilation rates need to be carefully programmed into the system’s operation.

Elimination: UV-C light is effective at inactivating many different pathogens such that they cannot replicate. While this approach is highly effective in static operations such as air coil sterilization and surface disinfection, there is a misconception that it will effectively deactivate viruses in a moving air stream. In most applications, the necessary modifications to provide the proper dosage to moving air in a single pass to deactivate all the entrained virus would be extensive and costly. Proper design of a UV-C system is necessary to ensure adequate dosages for the intended use of the installation.

Environment: Studies show that maintaining relative humidity levels between 40% and 60% reduce the risk of spreading airborne contagions. Viruses travel on atomized water droplets – larger droplets fall out of the air due to gravity or are captured by filters, but smaller droplets are more likely to stay airborne. Proper humidification can ensure that droplets do not evaporate to smaller particles and stay on the larger size, increasing their chance of filter capture. Additionally, the human body is less vulnerable to infection when humidity levels are above 40%. Adding humidification is a delicate process that requires an understanding of performance requirements and physical thermal envelope properties to avoid condensation or mold issues.

How do I get Started?
Understanding the physical and operational capabilities and limitations of your building’s HVAC system is necessary to determine which mitigation strategies are appropriate for the building. Considerations of space, capacity, installation cost, and operational/maintenance costs are important. Collado Engineering can assist you in reviewing and assessing existing systems and provide recommendations tailored to your specific building system and air treatment goals to reduce infection transmission and provide piece of mind for your occupants.

January 6, 2020    Newsroom

In response to New York State’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, New York City has passed legislation to limit emissions from new and existing buildings. Local Law 97 is part of a package of legislation, The Climate Mobilization Act, that has been covered in our previous article http://collado-eng.com/new-york-citys-climate-mobilization-act/. This local law has the potential to be the largest disruption to NYC’s built environment in decades. Buildings are responsible for about 70 percent of the city’s emissions and as a result, will be the focus of efforts to reduce environmental impacts.

Key Points:

• If your building(s) are over 25,000 square feet or combine for over 50,000 square feet on the same tax lot, you will be required to comply.
• Building emission limits will be based on square footage and occupancy type of your building.
• Tons of carbon emissions equivalent (tCO2e) levels are derived from your total utility consumption, including directly metered tenants.
• Buildings with at least one rent stabilized apartment will be required to implement a prescriptive set of upgrades leading up to 2035.
• NYC’s Department of Buildings will implement a new Office of Building Energy and Emissions Performance.
• This local law is still under development by the appointed advisory committee. Future enhancements and clarifications are sure to follow as subsequent local laws.

How will you be impacted?

• Starting in 2024, compliance will be enforced with the first emissions report date due May 1, 2025 and enforced every May after.
• The second compliance period will begin in 2030 with increased stringency levels.
• Buildings not in compliance will be fined $268 per ton of CO2 over the limit.
• An estimated 75 percent of buildings will exceed the emission limits over the first two compliance periods and will need to reform their energy profiles.
• An estimated $20 Billion could be spent in energy focused retrofits and upgrades.
• NYC has enacted PACE financing under Local Law 96 to provide access to low interest rate financing based on property value and taxes.
• There are multiple pathways to meet compliance with renewable energy credits and plans to implement a carbon trading program.

What to Do and How Can Collado Engineering Help?

Don’t wait! Start reviewing your building’s current emission budget and emission levels to see where you stand today. Develop a plan for future retrofits to work with expected lifetimes of equipment, tenant leases, and your budget. Stay informed – Collado Engineering is actively involved with staying on top of the latest code developments.

Collado Engineering has experience analyzing utility bills, building size and utility infrastructure to gauge compliance and pinpoint areas of potential improvement. CE can help derive an implementation plan and guidelines for tenant work to align occupants with the requirements. We can advise alternative paths for compliance such as buying green power credits, carbon offsets, and reducing the carbon intensity of the fuels used. CE can develop MEP design plans and long term capital plans to upgrade or install modern systems focusing on reducing your utility consumption and emissions. Together, we can create a plan for your building to stay within the state’s goal in an efficient and economical manner.

May 29, 2018    Newsroom

Like restaurant grades, new energy ratings to be prominently displayed

By Felix Feliz, PE, CEM, Collado Engineering
Real Estate Weekly, May 16, 2018