It has been well established for some time now that indoor-air quality (IAQ) significantly impacts  the learning environment of students, their health, and their educational outcomes within schools. Students, Faculty, Designers, and many others were all reminded of this during the COVID pandemic. Maintaining enhanced indoor air quality in schools will continue to be a priority for School Districts around the country, and with good reason.

IAQ and Student Health:

Indoor air quality is a crucial aspect of student health. Poor air quality in classrooms can contribute to a range of health issues, including headaches, dizziness, and respiratory problems. A study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that exposure to indoor air pollutants as a result of poor ventilation and filtration is a leading cause of asthma and other respiratory diseases in children. Poor indoor air quality can therefore lead to absenteeism, resulting in missed classes and decreased academic performance.

Enhanced Ventilation & Student Performance:

Several studies have shown that enhancing ventilation in classrooms positively impacts student performance. A study conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that increasing ventilation rates in classrooms resulted in a 14-15% increase in test scores. The study also found that improving ventilation rates led to a 3-4% increase in attendance rates. A similar study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that students in classrooms with enhanced ventilation had significantly better cognitive performance

Improved Ventilation Systems:

To achieve enhanced ventilation in classrooms, schools must improve their ventilation systems. Schools can increase ventilation rates by increasing the amount of outdoor air entering the classroom and by improving the air filtration systems. Installing energy-efficient ventilation systems and air filters can reduce the amount and cost of energy consumed while also improving indoor air quality (and, with an additional benefit of providing unused monies for direct educational purposes).

Elara Design Philosophies that Provide Enhanced IAQ:

Historically speaking, typical Architectural and HVAC design for the K12 market was optimized around cost efficiency, not optimization of classroom or building ventilation. Vintage HVAC systems such as unit ventilators, multizone, and Variable-air-volume (VAV) systems fall short when compared to more modern approaches available to design consultants.

Elara strives to provide enhanced classroom IAQ by designing systems which supply filtered, conditioned 100% outside air from a dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS) directly to each classroom space, independent from the heating and cooling systems. We have successfully paired DOAS systems with equipment designed to satisfy the heating and cooling requirements of each space such as Variable Refrigerant Flow systems, Heat Pumps and Fan Coils. Opportunities to increase ventilation rate and delivery effectiveness also exist with systems such as Chilled Beam and Induction Displacement. These approaches to design can enable precise control of ventilation rates within spaces regardless of the heating and cooling loads, resulting in superior indoor air quality throughout the building.

As with any new construction or major renovation project, there are many factors that can dictate the decision making process of the design team. We welcome the opportunity to provide more information and discuss how we can help you improve the IAQ in your facility to positively impact the performance of students and faculty. Come visit us at IASBO on May 3-5 at the Peoria Civic Center (Booth 809) or reach out to Jim Gibson at jgibson@elaraeng.com.

References/Sources:

• S. Environmental Protection Agency. Indoor Air Quality in Schools. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools
• Mendell, M. J., Eliseeva, E. A., Davies, M. M., Spears, M., Lobscheid, A. G., Fisk, W. J., & Apte, M. G. (2013). Association of classroom ventilation with reduced illness absence: a prospective study in California elementary schools. Indoor Air, 23(6), 515-528.
• Satish, U., Mendell, M. J., Shekhar, K., Hotchi, T., Sullivan, D., Streufert, S., Fisk, W. J. (2012). Is CO2 an Indoor Pollutant? Direct Effects of Low-to-Moderate CO2 Concentrations on Human Decision-Making Performance. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(12), 1671-1677.
• Haverinen-Shaughnessy, U., Shaughnessy, R. J., Cole, E. C., & Toyinbo, O. (2015). Impact of classroom ventilation rate on the performance of schoolwork by children. Indoor Air, 25(6), 682-694
• Allen, J. G., MacNaughton, P., Satish, U., Santanam, S., Vallarino, J., Spengler, J. D. (2016). Associations of cognitive function scores with carbon dioxide, ventilation, and volatile organic compound exposures in office workers: A controlled exposure study of green and conventional office environments. Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(6), 805-812.

As many of you are aware, the City of Chicago passed a new cooling ordinance on June 22, 2022, which was put into full effect as of July 2, 2022. The intent of this ordinance is to provide occupants of new and existing residential buildings over 80 feet tall and low-rise buildings with more than 100 dwelling units (including residential portions of mixed-use buildings) relief from unseasonably hot weather via at least one (1) common indoor gathering space when central cooling is not available. Housing for older persons is also addressed by the ordinance but subject to separate requirements.

For residential buildings within the identified groups that are not housing for older persons, the common gathering space (i.e., meeting rooms, party rooms, and exercise/fitness centers) must be served by cooling equipment independent of the building’s central cooling system and must be accessible to all building residents. The common gathering space must maintain cooling and dehumidification thresholds identified by the ordinance, be open to residents of the building, and operated to maintain “safe” indoor conditions when the heat index for the City of Chicago exceeds 80°F.

Key Dates

• April 30, 2024: Temporary Cooling Equipment Exception Expiration
• Temporary or portable cooling equipment for at least one (1) indoor common gathering space will be acceptable to meet the ordinance requirements until April 30, 2024.
• May 1, 2024: Permanent Cooling Equipment Required
• Permanent cooling equipment for at least one (1) indoor common gathering space must be in place and operational by May 1, 2024. Temporary or portable equipment will no longer be acceptable as of this date.

Recommendations

Considering the extended lead times for equipment and materials that have become commonplace within the construction industry, building owners and operators should be proactive in planning for their building’s compliance with the City of Chicago’s Cooling Ordinance. If a common gathering space without permanent, independent cooling and dehumidification is not currently in place for building residents, temporary cooling units should be procured to ensure compliance during unseasonably warm weather in the immediate term. Simultaneously, design efforts should commence for a permanent solution to be operational by May 1, 2024.

Please contact Elara’s Commercial / Multifamily Practice Leader, Matt Swanson, at mswanson@elaraeng.com to learn more about the City of Chicago Cooling Ordinance, how it applies to your specific building, and to obtain assistance in preparing your building for compliance.

As many of you are aware, Chicagoland is forecasted to experience severe cold temperatures over the next week with lows occurring at or below zero with the forecasted overnight low on Christmas Eve being -4˚F.  The forecast projects temperatures that will test the limits of the heating capabilities of your equipment. In advance of this and other extreme cold weather events, it is important to make sure your building is prepared.

We recommend taking the following steps to ready your building for the extreme cold, especially if you have made changes to how your ventilation system is operating since last winter, or you have new space heating equipment:

• Turn off all non-critical exhaust systems (i.e. residential kitchen and toilet exhaust)
• Temporarily reduce ventilation where possible
  • DO NOT turn off 100% Makeup Air Units (MAUs)
    • If 100% MAUs shut down unexpectedly and cannot be restored, we advise shut down of the associated toilet and kitchen exhaust systems
  • Override unoccupied and overnight setbacks to occupied
  • Avoid scheduled shutdowns of systems
  • Avoid turning heating related equipment off
  • Verify all coil pumps are operational
    • DO NOT shut coil pumps off
  • Maintain continuous operation of all heating related pumps
  • Minimize infiltration
    • Keep doors, windows and other openings sealed
    • Add temporary heat where infiltration can’t be controlled or where you have observed cold temperatures in the past
  • Keep blinds and shades closed on windows at night and those not receiving direct sunlight during the day
  • Perform a system check of all heating critical equipment
  • Verify the operation of all low-limit safeties such as freezestats to protect equipment
    • Ensure the sequence of operation is followed upon a freezestat trip (Example: outside air dampers properly shut and can be reopened)
  • Test the operation of all backup or redundant heating equipment and sequences not normally used
  • Verify the location of isolation valves, verify their operation and understand when to use them
    • During an emergency situation where a pipe, coil or other system has frozen, the reliability, and proper use of isolation valves is critical
    • Isolate the leak to as local an area as possible.
    • Take care not to close the wrong valve (essentially stopping the flow of water)
      • Water at rest is much more likely to freeze.  Therefore, do not risk further freezing of the system by closing the wrong valve, should isolation be required
• To the extent possible, remove ice and snow from air-source heating equipment such as VRF and air-source heat pumps
  • Also remove snow from the areas immediately surrounding the equipment

For more information or to address specific concerns or questions, please contact us at info@elaraeng.com.

In summer, the Chicagoland area is often forecasted to experience extremely hot temperatures with high humidity that will test the limits of the air-conditioning capabilities of building cooling equipment.

In advance of this and other extreme weather events, it is important to make sure buildings are prepared to provide comfortable conditions for their occupants. We recommend taking the following steps to ready your building, as applicable:

• Override unoccupied and overnight setbacks to occupied
• Avoid scheduled shutdowns of systems
• Avoid turning cooling related equipment off
• Maintain continuous operation of all cooling related pumps
• Minimize infiltration by keeping doors, windows and other openings sealed and shut
• Keep blinds and shades closed on windows during the day to avoid direct sunlight
• Perform a system check of all air-conditioning critical equipment
• Verify the operation of all backup or redundant air-conditioning equipment not normally operated
• Ensure make-up water feeds to cooling towers are fully functional and water levels are able to be maintained
• Ensure condensate drains and traps have been checked and are functional
• Proactively change filters in fan coils and air-handling equipment
• Enhance dehumidification by lowering cooling coil discharge air temperatures and slowing down fan speed, where necessary. Ensure equipment is operating within manufacturer guidelines. Adjustments to DX equipment should be made by a service contractor authorized by the manufacturer
• Set all thermostats to typical design indoor conditions of 74°F-75°F
• Sub-cool event spaces and venues prior to scheduled events

I am pleased to announce that Elara Engineering has established the role of Practice Leader to further advance our client focus and our ongoing pursuit of excellence. As we roll out these new, high-level positions for already established leaders within our firm, I am excited that I have been designated the Practice Leader for Elara’s Commercial/Multi-Family market.

With technical expertise and deep project experience within the Commercial/Multi-Family market, I look forward to directly assisting you and all of our Commercial/Multi-Family clients as you strive to meet the needs of your current and future built environment with innovative, practical, and sustainable MEPFP solutions that advance your institution’s mission, goals, and objectives.

Benefits Provided by an Elara Practice Leader

Although the term Practice Leader likely has different meanings to different people, for Elara Engineering it encompasses the following key elements and benefits.

• Thought Leadership / Active Industry Participant.
• Industry expert that is well versed in various aspects of a specific market
• Drives innovation and practical approaches for sustainable solutions that are particularly applicable to clients and stakeholders within a particular market sector.
• Creates valuable connections among clients, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Client Partner / Trusted Advisor.
• Provide effective, specific, unbiased, highly valuable insights, ideas, advice, suggestions, and input based on a client’s mission.
• High-Level Organizational Contact / Client Advocate.
• A high-level key contact within our firm that is an additional communication route to address project or enterprise-level issues, concerns, or suggestions and elicit change, if needed.

As the Practice Leader for your market, I look forward to periodically providing insights via email and social media, meeting you at industry events, and reaching out to you directly to continue to listen and learn and to provide unbiased and beneficial information, ideas, and perspective that will help you achieve your unique goals and objectives to advance your mission.

I am pleased to announce that Elara Engineering has established the role of Practice Leader to further advance our client focus and our ongoing pursuit of excellence. As we roll out these new, high-level positions for already established leaders within our firm, I am excited that I have been designated the Practice Leader for Elara’s Laboratory/Healthcare market.

With technical expertise and deep project experience within the Laboratory/Healthcare market, I look forward to directly assisting you and all of our Laboratory/Healthcare clients as you strive to meet the needs of your current and future built environment with innovative, practical, and sustainable MEPFP solutions that advance your institution’s mission, goals, and objectives.

Benefits Provided by an Elara Practice Leader

Although the term Practice Leader likely has different meanings to different people, for Elara Engineering it encompasses the following key elements and benefits.

• Thought Leadership / Active Industry Participant.
  • Industry expert that is well versed in various aspects of a specific market.
  • Drives innovation and practical approaches for sustainable solutions that are particularly applicable to clients and stakeholders within a particular market sector.
  • Creates valuable connections among clients, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Client Partner / Trusted Advisor.
  • Provide effective, specific, unbiased, highly valuable insights, ideas, advice, suggestions, and input based on a client’s mission.
• High-Level Organizational Contact / Client Advocate.
  • A high-level key contact within our firm that is an additional communication route to address project or enterprise-level issues, concerns, or suggestions and elicit change, if needed.

As the Practice Leader for your market, I look forward to periodically providing insights via email and social media, meeting you at industry events, and reaching out to you directly to continue to listen and learn and to provide unbiased and beneficial information, ideas, and perspective that will help you achieve your unique goals and objectives to advance your mission.

I am pleased to announce that Elara Engineering has established the role of Practice Leader to further advance our client focus and our ongoing pursuit of excellence. As we roll out these new, high-level positions for already established leaders within our firm, I am excited to announce that I have been designated the Practice Leader for Elara’s Higher Education market.

With technical expertise and deep project experience within the Higher Education market, I look forward to directly assisting you and all of our Higher Education clients as you strive to meet the administrative, faculty, student, and visitor needs of your current and future built environment with innovative, practical, and sustainable MEPFP solutions that advance your institution’s mission, goals, and objectives.

Benefits Provided by an Elara Practice Leader

Although the term Practice Leader likely has different meanings to different people, for Elara Engineering it encompasses the following key elements and benefits.

• Thought Leadership / Active Industry Participant.
  • Industry expert that is well versed in various aspects of a specific market
  • Drives innovation and practical approaches for sustainable solutions that are particularly applicable to clients and stakeholders within a particular market sector.
  • Creates valuable connections among clients, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Client Partner / Trusted Advisor.
  • Provide effective, specific, unbiased, highly valuable insights, ideas, advice, suggestions, and input based on a client’s mission.
• High-Level Organizational Contact / Client Advocate.
  • A high-level key contact within our firm that is an additional communication route to address project or enterprise-level issues, concerns, or suggestions and elicit change, if needed.

As the Practice Leader for your market, I look forward to periodically providing insights via email and social media, meeting you at industry events, and reaching out to you directly. My goal is to continue to listen, learn, and to provide information, ideas, and perspectives that will help you achieve your goals and advance your mission.

Dustin Langille Resume

Elara Engineering would like to remind our clients that Energy Benchmarking for the City of Chicago and the City of Evanston are due this June. For more information about the ordinance and required compliance actions please see below and click here.  Additionally, Maricruz Zepeda would be happy to answer any of your questions and assist in verification of your building’s data. She can be reached at 708.236.0300 x162 or mzepeda@elaraeng.com.

City of Evanston Energy Benchmarking Verification Due June 30th

The City of Evanston requires owners of commercial, residential, and municipal buildings over 20,000 SF to track and verify (every third year by a professional) their building’s energy and water consumption using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager Tool. This includes apartment buildings, strip malls, schools, churches, hospitals, and condominium buildings. In addition, city-owned buildings, 10,000 SF or greater in size are required to comply. It should be noted that condominium buildings 20,000 SF to 50,000 SF are exempt from the ordinance. The deadline to update and verify your building’s data is June 30, 2022.

What is a Reserve Study?                                         

A Reserve Study is a formal review of a building’s major common elements, including Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection (MEPFP) systems, at the time the study is performed.  Typically, a Reserve Study is performed by one or more professionals and consists of site visits and the preparation of a written report. The report includes a master spreadsheet allocating budget costs for system and component repairs and replacements that are anticipated within a 20-year planning horizon.

The Benefits of a Reserve Study

• Supports a condominium association’s requirement to maintain an appropriate level of capital within their financial reserves.
• Provides a decision-making framework to prioritize and plan for major repairs and capital projects.
• Documents the potential need for common fees, assessments, and loans if necessary.
• Protects condominium unit owners from unexpected large assessments or debt service on loans for capital improvement projects.

A Reserve Study is not only important for current condominium owners, but for future buyers, lenders who may be called upon for loans, and insurers looking to establish long term relationships with well-run and adequately funded community associations.

Reserve Study Elements

Data Acquisition

• A review of (1) existing building drawings; (2) the previous Reserve Study and/or allocation spreadsheet (if a previous study was completed); and (3) available system documentation.
• Staff interviews.

Field Reviews

• An on-site review of the building’s common element systems to generate/confirm an inventory of major components and equipment with nameplate data (e.g., manufacturer, basic specifications, etc.) that can be used to request additional information, as needed; and to visually ascertain and assess the physical condition of each piece of identified equipment or major component.

Data Analysis & Recommendation

• Upon evaluation of available information and taking into consideration age, condition, and remaining useful service life; recommendations are developed for the timing of repair or replacement for capital projects of $5,000 or greater that should be budgeted to maintain the property for 20 years.

Report

• A provided written report will include an executive summary, project methodology, a physical analysis section, a financial analysis section (with master spreadsheet), and recommendations.

Added Valued from Elara Engineering

Enhanced MEPFP Solutions

In addition to the above-described elements relative to MEPFP systems, Elara’s experienced engineering team also includes – as part of its Reserve Studies — the preliminary identification of MEPFP system alternatives that offer ancillary building benefits such as increased energy efficiency, enhanced occupant comfort, beneficial technology upgrades, and significant utility cost savings, as applicable.

It should be noted that alternative systems evaluated as part of any reserve study and their associated costs are intended to be used as a budgeting tool for future planning. Independent studies (often termed “Schematic Design”) are frequently recommended when it is time to undertake the capital project in order to further detail and update cost estimates and determine the project basis of design.

Real-World Cost Estimates = Better Planning

As described above, cost estimates for a Reserve Study are derived from recent equipment cost information provided by vendors. However, to provide a more complete picture of the total potential costs involved, Elara’s cost estimates are further extrapolated to include consideration for current market trends based on similar, recent experience. Elara’s proprietary cost estimating tool is based on real-time data of various construction-related activities from our design and construction experience in lieu of theoretical construction estimating methods. In this manner, building stakeholders gain a much more complete view of the true costs that may be incurred over a 20-year planning period.

Experienced Engineers

Elara’s reserve studies are performed by professional engineers to ensure that building stakeholders receive the full depth and breadth of Elara’s experience identifying and designing MEPFP upgrades in similar buildings.

For additional information about Reserve Studies or to inquire about Elara’s Reserve Study services specifically, please contact Kelsey Dale at kdale@elaraeng.com.

As many of you are aware the Chicagoland area is forecasted to experience severe cold temperatures over the next few days with lows occurring at or below zero with the projected overnight low on Tuesday being -8degF. The forecast projects temperatures that will test the limits of the heating capabilities of your equipment. In advance of this and other extreme cold weather events, it is important to make sure your building is prepared.

• Turn off all non-critical exhaust systems (i.e. residential kitchen and toilet exhaust)
• Temporarily reduce ventilation where possible
  • DO NOT turn off 100% Makeup Air Units (MAUs)
  • If 100% MAUs shut down unexpectedly and cannot be restored, we advise shut down of the toilet, kitchen and similar exhaust systems
• Override unoccupied and overnight setbacks to occupied
• Avoid scheduled shutdowns of systems
• Avoid turning heating related equipment off
• Verify all coil pumps are operational
  • DO NOT shut coil pumps off
• Maintain continuous operation of all heating related pumps
• Minimize infiltration
  • Keep doors, windows and other openings sealed
  • Add temporary heat where infiltration can’t be controlled
• Keep blinds and shades closed on windows at night and those not receiving direct sunlight during the day
• Perform a system check of all heating critical equipment
• Verify the operation of all low-limit safeties such as freezestats to protect equipment
  • Ensure the sequence of operation is followed upon a freezestat trip (Example: outside air dampers properly shut and can be reopened)
• Verify the operation of all backup or redundant heating equipment not normally used
• Verify the location of isolation valves, verify their operation and understand when to use them
  • During an emergency situation where a pipe, coil or other system has frozen, the reliability, and proper use of isolation valves is critical
  • Isolate the leak to as local an area as possible.
  • Take care not to close the wrong valve (essentially stopping the flow of water)
    • Water at rest is much more likely to freeze. Therefore, do not risk further freezing of the system by closing the wrong valve, should isolation be required

The Problem

Fire protection systems typically use an antifreeze that is manufactured with propylene glycol or glycerin, both of which are flammable. In some cases, previously permissible concentrations of antifreeze in fire protection systems have been proven to have exacerbated fires and even resulted in explosions when antifreeze solution has come into contact with the flames that initially triggered the system.

To address the above concern, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) established requirements in 2014 regarding the chemical makeup of acceptable antifreeze solutions, the allowable concentration of antifreeze in systems, and the size of systems that uses antifreeze. Included in the 2014 changes to NFPA 13 and NFPA 25 were maintenance requirements for existing antifreeze sprinkler systems. These maintenance requirements include:

• Annual testing of the system
• Installation of an additional control or test valve, if needed
• Installation of signage explaining the locations of antifreeze in the facility, the antifreeze supplier, and the concentration and volume of antifreeze in the system.

What’s Now Required

All existing antifreeze sprinkler systems must be brought up to current NFPA requirements no later than September 30, 2022. If a building utilizes an existing antifreeze sprinkler system that was installed before 2012, NFPA 13 and NFPA 25 require that the system either be modified to utilize an acceptable antifreeze solution (described below) or converted to a fire protection system that does not require antifreeze.

The Solution: Modification Process and Antifreeze Replacement Options

To replace an existing antifreeze solution, the following process should be followed:

• Flush the System. The fire suppression system must be flushed to eliminate any traces of the antifreeze solution.
• Replace the Antifreeze. Once the sprinkler system has been properly flushed, the antifreeze solution must be replaced with a UL listed, noncombustible, solution.

Currently, only two antifreeze replacement solutions are available on the market that meet NFPA requirements for new fire protection systems or retrofit of existing fire protection systems:

• Viking Freezemaster^TM
• Tyco LFP Antifreeze+^TM

Both of the above products have passed stringent corrosion tests and are identified as safe for use in cold-weather antifreeze sprinkler systems. Retrofit of an existing sprinkler system with the above identified products requires modifications to the existing sprinkler systems to ensure proper functionality.

How We Can Help

For buildings containing antifreeze sprinkler systems, Elara’s Fire Protection Design Team is ready to assist building owners and managers in navigating the decision-making process and implementing system modifications. Specifically, Elara’s experts can:

• Confirm where antifreeze systems are permitted.
• Evaluate existing antifreeze systems to identify options for modification to meet NFPA requirements.
• Specify a retrofit for existing fire protection systems to use a listed antifreeze product.
• Design a new compressed air or nitrogen dry system that will not require antifreeze to protect areas subject to freezing temperatures.

For more information about the required sprinkler system modifications and the upcoming September 30, 2022 deadline, please contact us at info@elaraeng.com.

The New Normal – A Longer Planning Timeline

Simply put, if a building representative believes they need a new chiller, boiler, or other mechanical, electrical, or plumbing (MEP) equipment by the Summer of 2023, they likely should be planning to have their project in design during the Summer of 2022.

Elara Engineering’s design teams are tracking MEP equipment delivery lead times as long as 16-20 weeks, with certain situations extending beyond this duration.  This includes major equipment such as air handling units, chillers, and boilers as well as major components (larger sized valves, pipe fittings, etc.) which are impacting both retrofit and repair projects.  Due to the long equipment lead times, clients may not realize that advanced planning is necessary to ensure their project is completed on time.

What is Elara doing to assist Clients during the preliminary phases of the Project Development?

• As soon our MEP design teams become aware of a client’s interest in undertaking a project – before we’re even retained or formally asked for a proposal; we make inquiries with major equipment manufacturers regarding general lead times and integrate this information into the projects and timelines we propose.
• We then advise our potential client about when approval to proceed is needed – particularly if the project is driven by a seasonal need (e.g., winter heating, summer cooling, etc.).
• As part of our engineering proposals, we also identify and incorporate tactics to preorder long lead equipment, if required, to ensure that the project schedule can be achieved.  Proposals may even include a preliminary schedule so that stakeholders know what to expect and when key decisions should be made.

What is Elara doing to assist Clients during the Engineering Design Phase?

• As we evaluate multiple equipment manufacturers on key attributes like energy efficiency, physical size, etc., we also consider equipment delivery lead times as part of the overall selection process.
• We identify and evaluate phasing opportunities to minimize the risk that the building is without the service of the equipment being replaced. For example, if multiple boilers/chillers are planned for replacement, we evaluate a sequenced construction approach so that only one unit is replaced at a time to ensure that existing equipment can continue to support the building until all new boilers/chillers are operational.  We also evaluate if the new equipment can be installed at a different location (e.g., adjacent to existing equipment) so that downtime is further reduced.

Additional Thoughts

• Even with the efforts described above to address current market conditions, delivery times can be further delayed. Therefore, it is important to plan ahead as much as possible and to be conservative when establishing project schedules as actual equipment delivery dates are ultimately beyond full control of the client, contractor, and design engineer.
• When purchased equipment is a major component of a new or retrofitted MEP system – like an air-handling unit , boiler, chiller, or switchboard – and if delivery of that equipment is delayed, the building’s owner, manager, and occupants can be negatively impacted due to a lack of service when needed and when required to meet local ordinances. As a result, we recommend that clients contact us as soon as they are considering an MEP project so that, together, we can begin evaluating equipment lead times and planning the project schedule.

For more information about equipment lead times and planning for your future project, we urge you to contact us at info@elaraeng.com.

As the number of electric cars increases, owners and managers of existing residential and commercial buildings continue to rely on Elara Engineering to provide electrical designs to support the addition of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to accommodate the needs of their occupants and visitors.

Unlike new construction where EV charging stations can be incorporated into a building’s original design, adding charging stations to an existing building presents unique considerations and challenges.  Because of this, Elara recommends an initial planning phase to assist stakeholders in identifying a cost-effective, practical, and potentially phased approach to add EV charging stations to their existing buildings.

Electricity Cost Allocation
An early determination for any EV charging station project is the identification of who will pay for the provided electricity.  For condominiums, charging stations would likely be installed by individual owners with the building providing the needed infrastructure and each owner paying for their electricity through either individual metering or predetermined dues/reimbursements.

Determining if Sufficient Power is Available
There are typically two main sources of power for new EV charging stations in multi-family or multi-tenant commercial buildings. The first source  is from a common area electrical service that provides power for common area lighting, plug loads, and HVAC. This service usually has a single meter and existing utility bills will indicate current peak power usage over the course of the year. From this we can determine how much additional power is available for future charging stations.

If there is minimal or insufficient common area power available for the desired number of charging stations, we then look at the  second source of power, residential/tenant electrical service(s).  Residential/Tenant electrical service typically employs numerous individual meters which are paid for by the individual unit owners/tenants. Because of this, determining available capacity requires a 30 day load study which entails connecting a temporary meter or meters to the residential/tenant service(s). Working with an electrical contractor Elara can help identify the number and appropriate locations for these temporary meters and will evaluate the data to determine how much power is available. This phased and transparent approach provides the most value for buildings and minimizes costs.

Garage Ownership
Buildings may own their garage or have another owner managing the garage’s functions.  Some may even be partially public garages.  Ownership and the allocation of the cost to design, install, and manage new EV charging stations needs to be determined prior to the project moving forward.

Adding Charging Stations Singly versus A Phased Approach
Adding EV charging stations one at a time may eventually exceed the capacity of the building’s electrical infrastructure; thereby eliminating available power for those that later desire charging stations.  It is recommended that a phased approach be developed to capitalize on cost efficiencies and to allow building owners the opportunity to budget and move at a planned pace.

Equipment Selection
There are many types of EV charging stations offered at various voltages and charging rates that have different direct impacts on a building’s infrastructure.  Therefore, Elara typically develops equipment specifications acceptable to owners that can be used on an ongoing, planned basis.

With numerous studies, designs, and installations completed within the City of Chicago, Elara’s dedicated team has the proven experience to help building owners/managers navigate the path to add electrical vehicle charging stations.  For more information or assistance, please contact info@elaraeng.com.

As many of you are aware the Chicagoland area is forecasted to experience severe cold temperatures over the next 7 days with lows occurring at or below zero.  The forecast projects temperatures that may test the limits of the heating capabilities of your equipment. In advance of this and other extreme cold weather events, it is important to make sure your building is prepared.

We recommend taking the following steps to ready your building for the extreme cold, especially if you have made changes to how your ventilation system is operating since last winter:

• Turn off all non-critical exhaust systems (i.e. residential kitchen and toilet exhaust)
• Temporarily reduce ventilation where possible
  • DO NOT turn off 100% Makeup Air Units (MAUs)
    • If 100% MAUs shut down unexpectedly and cannot be restored, we advise shut down of the toilet and kitchen exhaust systems
  • Override unoccupied and overnight setbacks
  • Avoid scheduled shutdowns of systems
  • Avoid turning heating related equipment off
  • Verify all coil pumps are operational
    • DO NOT shut coil pumps off
  • Maintain continuous operation of all heating related pumps
  • Minimize infiltration
    • Keep doors, windows and other openings sealed
  • Keep blinds and shades closed on windows at night and those not receiving direct sunlight during the day
  • Perform a system check of all heating critical equipment
  • Verify the operation of all low-limit safeties such as freezestats to protect equipment
    • Ensure the sequence of operation is followed upon a freezestat trip (Example: outside air dampers properly shut and can be reopened)
  • Verify the operation of all backup or redundant heating equipment not normally used
  • Verify the location of isolation valves, verify their operation and understand when to use them
    • During an emergency situation where a pipe, coil or other system has frozen, the reliability, and proper use of isolation valves is critical
    • Isolate the leak to as local an area as possible.
    • Take care not to close the wrong valve (essentially stopping the flow of water)
      • Water at rest is much more likely to freeze.  Therefore, do not risk further freezing of the system by closing the wrong valve, should isolation be required

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is likely that this historic event will act as an ongoing catalyst for parents, teachers, and administrators of K-12 schools to advocate for better Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and improved HVAC systems to reduce the transmission of COVID and other viral aerosols within student learning environments.

Although longer-term HVAC system upgrades and retrofits may ultimately be necessary to address parent, faculty, and administrator IAQ concerns, the following opportunities exist now to improve ventilation and IAQ within K-12 schools:

• Recommission existing HVAC equipment to correct operating deficiencies and to ensure systems are operating as designed.
• Conduct or update master plans to prioritize future ventilation upgrades.
• Incorporate ventilation upgrades into existing projects (e.g., add/upgrade filtration, increase outside air).
• Upgrade or modify HVAC controls to increase ventilation, including frequent flushing.
• Expedite replacement and upgrade of aged HVAC equipment.

Elara Expertise
Having been involved in K-12 schools since our firm’s inception in 2001, Elara’s dedicated K-12 design team has extensive knowledge and expertise to assist administrators and facility personnel to identify and pursue practical short-term and longer-term HVAC solutions to address COVID-19 IAQ and ventilation concerns.

Potential Federal Funding Available
To assist with the additional costs that K-12 schools incur to improve ventilation/IAQ, funding is available through the Federal government’s Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (Expanded CARES Act).  Under this program, billions of dollars are available to public schools (based on size and need) for ventilation improvements to help support in-school learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government may expand the program in the coming months.

Resources
CDC
Ventilation in Buildings (under Community, Work, and Schools)

EPA
Creating Healthy Indoor Air Quality in Schools
Indoor Air Quality Design Tools for Schools

ASHRAE
Core Recommendations (PDF) for Reducing Airborne Infectious Aerosol Exposure

CHICAGO SUN TIMES
How Ventilation and Air Filtration Play Key Roles in Preventing COVID-19 Spread Indoors

Although winter may just be knocking on the door in the midwest, believe it or not, now is the time to start planning for successful summer 2021 MEP construction projects. In many cases, projects involving a building’s heating system have a limited construction window when equipment is not required to operate, namely during summer months when outdoor air temperatures are above 65°F. Similarly, many buildings have changes in occupancy during summer months which may make summer an opportune time to implement construction projects that would otherwise be disruptive to building occupants and normal operation. Common examples of these type of buildings are K-12 schools and higher education facilities.

To accommodate a summer MEP construction project, ample upfront time is needed to properly plan for modification and/or replacement of a building’s heating systems.  When considering any MEP system, several alternatives often exist, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. A detailed review of applicable alternatives based on current conditions is needed to evaluate these alternatives for a specific property and application and could have significant impact on implementation, operating costs and lead times including equipment pre-purchase.

Building Owners should consider Elara to evaluate alternatives and prepare design documentation well in advance of the anticipated project construction and completion period. Several weeks, and in some cases months, are necessary to detail existing conditions, evaluate alternatives, perform calculations, pre-order equipment (if required) and prepare detailed engineering drawings that can be competitively bid to contractors.

If your building’s heating systems are aged, in poor condition or are requiring frequent repairs, consider planning now for modification or replacement in time for next year’s heating season.  Similarly, ventilation projects for Fall 2021 should also be planned in the coming months as equipment lead times are often several months from the time of order.

To proactively pursue a summer 2021 construction project, please contact us at 708-236-0300 or info@elaraeng.com within the next few months to ensure a timely and well planned construction project in 2021.

Rising Water; Increased Seepage
Lake Michigan is reaching near record high water levels in 2020 and is regularly featured on local news due to related challenges of rising water levels. The reality for buildings located near Lake Michigan is an elevated water table resulting in increased amounts of water infiltration, also known as seepage, into underground spaces that are situated at or below the water table. Water seepage can occur through foundation walls and slabs on grade via cracks or holes that have formed over time and, in particular, at cold concrete joints where two or more concrete pours meet each other. Increased water seepage can result in problematic additional moisture within buildings and pooling of water in building interiors.

Underground spaces located below the water table experience water pressure on the back side of the concrete slab. When the water table is elevated, increased water levels and associated pressure will result in increased seepage where seepage previously existed as well as introduce seepage in weakened areas where seepage was previously not occurring.

Seepage Solutions
To counteract the increased water seepage, a de-watering approach should be developed and implemented to minimize water infiltration and impact to the building. Common de-watering measures include the installation of a pumping system dedicated to removing water from the backside of the building foundations, drain tile to collect water to be pumped away from the building, vacuum pumps, injecting cracks and holes, sealing concrete slabs, etc. Pumping solutions typically include a back-up power source to ensure the system remains operational during a loss of power. A combination of these and other measures may be required to combat seepage depending on a specific building’s conditions. In many cases, an initial investigative trial may be necessary to gather data before implementing a permanent de-watering solution.

Elara Engineering has designed de-watering systems applicable to below-grade spaces in existing buildings, including historic buildings, experiencing water seepage. We recommend, as a first step, an initial study to develop a de-watering solution that is applicable to a specific building and site which may include input from a structural engineer and experienced contractors as well as the building owner. A thorough understanding of the building’s specific conditions and requirements in addition to a well thought out design is vital to ensure maximum effectiveness of the de-watering measure(s) implemented.

For more information, please contact us at 708-236-0300 or info@elaraeng.com.

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, building owners and managers have increased their interest in HVAC strategies and products aimed at reducing the airborne transmission of viruses. While current research is limited on the specific characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and its transmission, there is sufficient research on methods to help control  the transmission  of other infectious diseases.

For example, there are several strategies and products in the market today that are intended to reduce or remove pathogens from breathable air within buildings or systems. Many of these are supported by extensive research and practical experience while others employ new technologies with less substantiated data. Common strategies and products used today include:

• Increasing ventilation (outdoor air) rates
• Increasing air filtration effectiveness (MERV-13 or better)
• Installing ultraviolet (UV-C) lights
  • In central air handling equipment
  • At upper room fixtures in the space
• Implementing Bi-Polar ionization
• Installing local exhaust and/or ventilation supply
• Adding local filtration

These strategies can be implemented in new equipment/facilities or they can be retrofit in existing equipment/facilities.  Strategies may also be combined to amplify their effect or to address varying needs. The right solution for your facility will depend on many factors and there is currently no one-size-fits-all solution. A comprehensive plan should be developed that is suited for a building’s specific goals at individual space levels.

The implementation of HVAC strategies aimed at reducing the airborne transmission of viruses  within buildings should incorporate the following steps:

1. Review Options: Working collaboratively with a professional engineer or industrial hygienist; identify, evaluate, and document potential virus mitigation strategies specific to the facility and its goals. These may include permanent or temporary measures which can be deployed now or in the future and may be part of a building re-opening plan under the current pandemic.
2. Implement: Once options have been assembled and specific strategies selected, the professional engineer or industrial hygienist should prepare detailed specifications, assist in obtaining contractor pricing and review implementation by the successful contractor.
3. Monitor and Adjust: It is important that after the implementation of any strategy, its resulting effectiveness and ongoing performance be monitored. This may include periodic testing of particulates or continuous monitoring through the building automation system and can vary widely based on the goals and strategies identified. Where actual performance is found to fall short of the desired thresholds, additional strategies can be implemented or controls adjusted to enhance performance. This monitoring and adjustment phase should be discussed and planned for as part of the initial options review.

Additional information regarding this topic is available through a recently released  position document prepared by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineering (ASHRAE) which provides an overview of infectious disease transmission and previous ASHRAE research. The document can be found here.

For more information, please contact us at 708-236-0300 or info@elaraeng.com.