As part of the ongoing work by the Physical Plant on the Energy Performance Project with Johnson Controls Inc., the following activities will be on going or starting the week of 12-5-2005.

 

No specific buildings scheduled at this time.

• Light Fixture Installations/Surveying
• Purpose: Johnson Controls has proposed installing new ballasts and lamps and replacing selected lighting fixtures in order to provide better quality light and to save electricity. These new fixtures, ballasts, and lamps will decrease energy costs and in some cases increase lighting levels to more comfortable settings. Each room of every campus building must be surveyed to confirm existing room conditions to make sure that proposed changes are feasible, and if necessary, appropriate changes will be made.
• Expect: Little inconvenience for building occupants – work shall occur at during the day in common areas, and at night in most occupied offices and classrooms.
• Surveyors will be performing walk throughs of completed work to check for accuracy during regular work hours in common and office areas. As needed, workers will be in any area that is reported to have missed or malfunctioning lighting. Depending on what areas are found to be deficient during walk throughs of buildings, contractors may be in any building on campus to correct mistakes.

Tobin Hall.

• Upgrades to Heating and Cooling System.
• Purpose: Existing cooling and heating systems will be upgraded for better quality and efficiency.
• Expect: All work in Tobin is being reviewed by Physical Plant representatives to make sure there are no adverse effects on building occupants. Final tie-ins have been made and the cooling loop is being filled back up.

Whitmore and DuBois Library.

• HVAC System UpGrade.
• Purpose: Air Handlers in each building are scheduled for retrofit to provide more reliable and efficient distribution of heating and cooling in the building.
• Expect: As much work as possible will be done during off hours as directed to Johnson Controls by the Physical Plant.
• Final decision on scope of work in Whitmore has not been made by the Physical Plant at this time

Lederle Graduate Research Tower, Campus Center, Morrill, and Gunness; Berkshire, Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Worcester Dining Commons.

• Tie-in to Chilled Water System for Cooling.
• Installation of new chiller at Worcester DC.
• Purpose: Existing refrigeration equipment is cooled using city water. Existing chilled water systems in these buildings will provide cooling to this equipment.
• Expect: All major work has been completed with the exception of Campus Center (where plumbing work remains in the Blue Wall kitchen and the Campus Center loading dock area), and Worcester Dining Commons (work remains on loading dock roof). Minor work remaining at all sites includes installation of insulation on exposed piping.

Morrill.

• Installation of new temporary Chiller
• Purpose: Installation of new high efficiency chilled water system.
• Expect: Chiller has been installed in place behind Morrill on flat bed trailer but will not be started up until Spring 2006. Electrical work to take place when methods are approved by UMass

DuBois Library, Morrill II, Morrill III, Morrill IV, Herter, Research Administration Building, Lederle, Holdsworth, Student Union, and ISOM.

• Installation of controls.
• Purpose: Johnson Controls is installing new controls for the HVAC equipment in these buildings and it will be tied into the campus wide energy management system.
• Expect: Little inconvenience for building occupants – work shall occur at during the day in mechanical rooms and some common areas.

No Scheduled Remaining Work.

• Steam Trap/Thermostatic Valve Replacement and Surveying.
• Purpose: Many of the mechanical systems used to distribute steam to buildings and individual rooms are either working inefficiently or are distributing too much heat. These systems will be fixed by installing new steam traps or thermostatic valves to help regulate heat better and conserve steam energy.
• Expect: Some disruptions to daily activities – most work shall be done during the day and coordinated through the Physical Plant and building coordinators. Surveyors will be performing walk throughs of completed work to check for accuracy during regular work hours in common and office areas, and placing data tags on steam traps and valves.

None Scheduled at this time.

• Insulation Installation on pipes in Mechanical rooms.
• Purpose: The University has left thousands of feet of steam pipe and fittings in building mechanical rooms bare. This excess warmth often overheats other rooms in the building, and is ultimately wasted.
• Expect: All work to take place in mechanical rooms; no disruption to regular activities.

Between Curry Hicks and Bartlett Hall..

• Steam Distribution Pipe Replacement.
• Purpose: Many areas of the campus’ 25-mile steam distribution system have decayed in the ground, resulting in excessive heat loss to the earth or pollution to the air via steam plumes. Johnson Controls has proposed to replace a dozen pipe segments totaling close to one mile of insulated underground pipe in order to save steam energy and prevent heat loss. Replacement of this pipe now will prevent pipe from failing in the near future and creating an emergency.
• Expect: Some parking lots and campus roads to be partially shut down while excavation, asbestos abatement, and pipe replacement takes place. Chain link fence will be set up around work areas and some pedestrian traffic may be diverted to alternative building entrances.

Lederle and Goessmann.

• Fume Hood Controls.
• Purpose: Occupancy Sensors will be installed on all fume hoods on campus so that during unoccupied times the fume hood fans are turned down.
• Expect: contractors have been cleared to begin work in the Lederle Graduate Research Tower, and in Goessmann rooms 142 & 201.

None at this time.

• Transformer replacement.
• Purpose: New high efficiency step-down transformers will replace old models. Electrical savings and better power quality will follow.
• Expect: All work with will be scheduled through the Physical Plant and limited and scheduled power outages will occur during the changeover of between 1 and 5 hours.
• Remaining buildings are Lederle GRC, Conte, Campus Center Parking Garage, and Thompson.

Power Plant.

• Steam Turbine Installation.
• Purpose: A new, more efficient steam turbine will be installed in the existing power plant to increase reliability and maximize production of electricity for the University. When the existing Power Plant is decommissioned, this new steam turbine will be moved to the site of the new Central Heating Plant behind the Mullins Center in 2008.
• Expect: All work and permitting will be coordinated through Physical Plant and Power Plant staff.

Mullins Center.

• Ice Rink Upgrades.
• Purpose: Chilling control systems will be upgraded to help save energy.
• Expect: No disruptions – work is currently scheduled on chilling equipment that is not being used.

Conte Polymer Research Center.

• Remove Intermediate Hood Fans.
• Purpose: There is a three-step process for exhausting the fume hoods in the building. The second step – a single exhaust fan per hood on the 7th floor of Conte – has been found to be redundant. Each of these fans will be removed and replaced with stainless steel ductwork and sealant.
• Expect: All fume hoods have been tested for existing air flow, and are currently being scheduled for shutdown for work to commence. A final round of testing will occur after the work is completed to ensure final air flow levels match prior. Work will be scheduled with the building coordinator and monitored by EH&S for safety.

Knowles.

• Photovoltaic Array Installation.
• Purpose: Johnson Controls submitted a proposal on behalf of the University for funding of a Photovoltaic (PV) Array on the roof of the Knowles Engineering building and has received 50% funding from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative for its installation.
• Expect: Johnson Controls is scheduling the final electrical tie-in to the building right now with the Physical Plant.

Baker House.

• Attic Insulation Installation.
• Purpose: Older residential buildings built in the 1930’s-50’s have inferior or little attic insulation remaining in them. New cellulose fiber insulation will be installed in attics to reduce heat loss. New weather stripping will be installed on exterior doors to reduce air infiltration.
• Expect: Moderate to low inconveniences – trucks will be parked near residence halls for access, and there will be some fan noise while blowing of insulation in attic occurs.
• Baker shall be performed during the second week of January to avoid disruptions

None Scheduled at This Time.

• Meter Installations.
• Purpose: The measurements taken from these meters will help determine how effective Johnson Controls’ Energy Conservation Measures are relating to steam use. Meters may also be used in the future to bill individual departments for their individual utility usage.
• Expect: All work to take place in mechanical rooms; little disruption to regular activities.

Contact Project Manager for Questions or Concerns

Project Manager
Jason Burbank
Telephone: (413) 545-6498
Email: jburbank@facil.umass.edu