The Phase Out:

R-410A has been a staple refrigerant for comfort cooling HVAC systems—including packaged rooftop units, split systems, VRF systems, and chillers—since it replaced the previous popular refrigerant R-22 back in 2010. While still prevalent in older equipment, R-22 has been completely phased out and is no longer allowed to be used in new systems. R-410A is now meeting that same fate and will be phased out over the next decade.

The EPA’s latest mandate as part of the AIM (American Innovation and Manufacturing) Act calls for using refrigerants with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of less than 700 to help curtail global warming. R-410A has a GWP of 2,088, meaning that it has 2,088 times the heat retention effect as CO₂, exceeding the new mandate limits.

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Collado Engineering had a remarkable and eventful 2024 as we celebrated our 25th Anniversary. We kicked off the year with a special event honoring the retirement of our Founder, Al Collado, and continued the year with a wide array of exciting projects that we successfully launched and completed. In addition to these achievements, we are proud to highlight the growth and success of our team, including the addition of new PEs (Mario DiMondo) and EITs (Andrew Kim and Matt Vilaboy), as well as our active involvement in various industry organizations. Below, we share a snapshot of the key projects, events, and team milestones that made this year truly exceptional.

 

Our Work

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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.

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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

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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.

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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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