Specialized Learning Center
Rockville, MD
CHALLENGE
A specialized learning center in Rockville, Maryland consulted Boland after facing HVAC equipment and controls issues. Concerned for their students, faculty, and staff's comfort, the learning center team wanted to provide reliable climate-controlled spaces. Their priority was to upgrade their antiquated equipment. Additionally, they were looking to modernize the infrastructure, which would reduce risk, improve reliability, enhance indoor air quality (IAQ), and regulate thermal comfort. Boland was able to assess the client's needs, determine options, secure utility incentive money to help finance the upgrades, and replace outdated equipment to improve energy efficiency and lower operational costs.
SOLUTION
Boland's solution improved building comfort and HVAC system reliability while reducing operational costs and energy consumption by:
Upgrading the main building’s Building Automation System (BAS) to Trane® Tracer® SC for better control, visibility as well as a fully automated Connected Analytics package monitoring the building 24/7/365
Adding energy optimization strategies to reduce carbon emissions
Integrating Trane® Awair™ into the BAS to monitor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and better address occupant health concerns
Integrated HVAC units in an adjoining building into the main building BAS to provide the operations staff visibility and the ability to monitor and control remotely multiple pieces of equipment in different buildings from a single user interface
RESULTS
The Boland team saw an opportunity to register the client in the EmPower Maryland utility incentive program. Through this program, EmPower contributed incentive money to help fund the Energy Conservation Measure Proejct. By modernizing antiquated HVAC equipment, controls, and systems, the specialized learning center is now experiencing:
Improved IAQ and indoor comfort for students and staff
Lowered utility consumption, with a 15% reduction in energy usage
2-year simple payback since 50% of the project was paid for by utility incentive money