Rehabilitation of Secondary Heating and Cooling Systems - Case Study

Abstract

Continuous Commissioning (CCSM) was performed on the Texas A&M Large Animal Hospital in October 1996 and as a result, significant savings were achieved. Subsequently, the building chilled water and hot water energy consumption increased, and the occupants complained about discomfort problems due to later building operational changes. Most of these problems were caused by control systems in individual areas that were improperly maintained so that coils or other components were operating wildly. When optimal building operations are changed or degrade over time, follow-up CC measures must adapt the systems to maintain efficiency. This degradation may be due to changes in building use, control programming changes, component/sensor failure, or system controls by-pass or override. This paper intends to present the circumstances surrounding this investigation and the subsequent measures taken to correct the problems.