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.

Collado Engineering has had an extremely eventful 2023 with the wide variety of projects that we started and completed throughout the year. Not to mention the new PEs and EITs, presenting to the Association of Towns, bringing our expertise to NYC Code Committees, and the many other personal achievements of the staff. Below is an overview of some of these projects, events, and team updates.

Our Work

Our Events

Our Team

The Collado Team Members added in 2023:

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.

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

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Does your building have a cooling tower? If so, you may be eligible for a monthly allowance as part of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) wastewater allowance program.

A space is cooled by removing “heat” energy using an HVAC system. The system rejects this “heat” to the condenser water system and eventually to the atmosphere through the cooling tower (typically located on the building’s rooftop). In the tower, condenser water is sprayed over a fill material increasing the water’s surface area while fans blow air through the fill evaporating a portion of the water and, in the process, reducing the temperature of the remaining portion. While there are other losses of water in a cooling tower system (drift and blow-dow) approximately 80-85% of the make-up water is lost through evaporation.

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Starting in 2024, all NYC buildings over 25,000 square feet must report their annual carbon emissions by May 1st of each reporting year. A building’s emissions score is calculated based on its energy benchmarking data (Local Law 84) and compared to an emissions limit set for each type of building.

Why do you need to do it?

It is mandatory for all NYC buildings that exceed 25,000 square footage. Knowing your building’s carbon emissions will also help target improvements to reduce those emissions.

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Collado Engineering is pleased to announce the promotion of Miguel Quintanilla, P.E., to Principal and Alberd Misku, CPD, to Associate.

Miguel Quintanilla, P.E., LEED AP Principal

“Miguel has held the reigns, as a department head, of our Plumbing and Fire Protection department. As our newest Principal, we welcome him to our leadership team and are confident that he will continue to contribute to the growth of the firm,” said Andrew Hlushko, Collado Engineering’s President.

Miguel has worked in the industry for 20 years after graduating from Stevens Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering. He is licensed in NY and four other states, is a certified LEED AP, and is an active member of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers and the National Fire Protection Association.

Miguel is currently leading Collado’s effort on the energy performance-based MEP system upgrades at the NYCHA Adams Housing Complex. The work is focused on the central heating plant serving the seven residential buildings in the complex including refurbishing the steam boilers, decoupling the domestic hot water from the boiler plant, and electrifying the system using heat pump water heaters.

“I am honored to become a principal at Collado Engineering, and I appreciate the opportunity to be part of its leadership team,” said Miguel about his recent promotion. “Collado’s mission, to provide value to our clients through our expert quality work, resonates with my core beliefs as a consultant.”

Alberd Misku, CPD Associate

“Alberd has been a part of our firm for nine years and has become a key member of the Collado team working on projects that range across the architectural engineering spectrum. We are thrilled to promote him to this important position,” said Andrew Hlushko.

He is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology and is a Certified Plumbing Designer by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers, of which he is an active member. He is also a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and the National Fire Protection Association.

Alberd is a member of the Collado team that is currently working on the new Graduate Hotel in Princeton, NJ. Once complete, the hotel will have a total of 148 guest rooms, street-level lobby, food and beverage space, and on-site laundry. Collado is designing the MEP systems for the new building, as well as the renovation of the existing building.

“Collado was my entrance into the consulting engineering world and ascending to the Associate level highlights the confidence the principals have in me, as well as my commitment to the firm,” explains Alberd. “I am excited for the future and look forward to contributing to the firm’s innovation and growth.”

The 2022 New York City (NYC) Construction Codes go into effect on November 7th. With these new codes rapidly approaching, it is imperative to understand how your project will be impacted.

The most significant changes to the Plumbing Code are related to the capture, release, and reuse of stormwater. The changes potentially increase the area within a building that is required to detain stormwater on-site while encouraging its reuse.

Due to climate change, the frequency of 100-, 10-, 2-, and 1-year storms has increased. Just in 2021, the northeast experienced three, 100-year storm events. This, along with the increase of impervious area, has created a rainwater run-off emergency in NYC.

The new code attempts to deal with our new reality by severely limiting the rate of stormwater that a building is allowed to discharge to the city sewers. The code also expands on a building’s ability to reuse stormwater for cooling towers, flushing, and irrigation systems.

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As 2022 is drawing to a close, we would like to remind you of upcoming key dates regarding compliance with energy Local Laws:

October 1, 2022: This year’s NYC Building Energy Efficiency Rating label becomes available

How to download the letter grade:

• 1. Go to the DOB: Safety website.
  2. Scroll down to Get your Building Energy Efficiency Rating.
  3. Enter your building’s Borough, Block Number, and Lot Number.
  4. If your letter grade is N, you’re done! Buildings with an N grade are not required to display their letter grade. Otherwise, you have to download and post it by…

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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.

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