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Don’t be fooled by the name NY Engineers is the top choice if you need a Full Service Air Conditioning, Heating & Cooling (HVAC) Engineering Firm in Chicago Illinois. We’re not only an HVAC Companies near Chicago but also a leading provider of Architectural Engineering Engineering services throughout Burnham. Call us at (+1) (312) 767.6877

Recently A lot of individuals have been taking a look at our site searching for Fire Protection Engineering in or near the Chicago area. That is due primarily due to the following we have built in this types of projects. With that said, many builders from Burnham to North Riverside, don’t know that NY Engineers is also a top contender for anyone in search of HVAC Chicago…

The pursuit of energy-efficient buildings involves cost effective HVAC system design. This will include systems for HVAC, lighting, architectural enclosure, domestic water heating, and vertical transportation. The loads for your HVAC systems should come primarily from 5 different bases including lighting (cooling), the building envelope (cooling and heating), ventilation (cooling and heating), equipment for program use (cooling) and occupancy (cooling).
The ventilation load will be a purpose of either the devices required in an attempt to introduce it right into a space and control contaminant concentration or the amount of people who will use the room. In virtually all climates inside the southwestern and eastern regions of the usa, to reduce outter air movement will save energy whenever the exterior air is either warm and humid or very cold.
Controlling the ventilation rate will be dependant on occupancy which is known as a form of demand control ventilation. This can be a common type of energy conservation policy which is used for rooms with irregular or crowded occupancy. Having cooling and heating loads dropped to a minimum can be achieved by making use of a very high performance building envelope, occupancy sensors, and high performance lighting that apply daylight response of lighting controls.

Chicago HVAC Engineering services versus HVAC Technicians

If you have ever thought about the difference between a HVAC Technician vs HVAC Technicians, then keep reading:

HVAC engineers are the folks that watch over setting up of air cooling systems for both residential and commercial buildings. They spend a lot of their work in offices doing higher-level supervision and arranging of installations but they do also stop by job sites every once in awhile.

But, HVAC technicians usually do more of the hands-on work with maintenance and repair. A HVAC technician may deal with an engineer to complete a number of the installation task, especially on smaller jobs. In general HVAC techs do considerably more travel and may even spend considerable time identifying leaks, changing filters, doing recharges or getting rid of old and outdated systems which use old refrigerants.

HVAC engineers could have a chance to make more decisions about systems that are used, plus they will be the people who would offer advice about one of the most sensible refrigerants and which systems would best suit a much bigger building. In the trade, there is some competition between ‘the suits’ and ‘the ones that get their hands dirty’, but the two jobs do require an excellent understanding of how air conditioning works. In recent times huge crowds have been checking out the NY-Engineers.Com website searching for things like HVAC Repair Chicago Il. However, the goal of our firm is to become the number one choice for anyone looking for a HVAC Firm in Chicago and or any of our other services including Sprinkler Engineering services. Furthermore anybody looking for additional info about our Heating & Air Conditioning (HVAC) Engineering Firm in Chicago Illinois takes a look at our blog.

New Blog Article Related to HVAC Chicago

MEP Engineering in Upgrading Space Cooling Systems for Multifamily Buildings

Most space cooling systems are powered by electricity, but some of the larger buildings also use absorption chillers powered by natural gas or district steam. Only space heating, plug loads and lighting consume more energy than space cooling in NYC.

There is a significant opportunity for MEP engineering to improve cooling efficiency in the multifamily residential sector, where almost half of all buildings use inefficient air conditioning systems:

Window-type air conditioners
Through-the-wall air conditioners
Packaged terminal air conditioners (PTAC)

These three types of space cooling systems have the same disadvantage: they require openings in the building envelope, which increase heat gain during the summer and heat loss during the winter. As a result, these AC units are not only inefficient themselves, but they also increase the load on space heating systems.

Space cooling systems in office buildings are generally more efficient, since the most common technologies used are direct expansion (DX) units and electric chillers, both of which are much more efficient MEP engineering solutions than window-type, through-the-wall and PTAC units.

Upgrading Space Cooling Systems in Individual Dwellings

Deploying centralized space cooling systems in existing multifamily buildings can prove challenging, since the upgrade can be highly disruptive for tenants and the allocation of space cooling expenses also becomes more complex. The cost of running a central AC system cannot be split equally because usage varies by tenant, and space cooling electricity cannot be metered individually if the system distributes chilled water or cool air.

However, there are also individual space cooling systems that offer a much better efficiency than window-type, through-the-wall and PTAC units. Two of the most promising options are mini-split air conditioners and heat pumps.

A mini-split air conditioner gets its name from how the system is configured. An internal evaporator unit cools indoor air and circulates it with a built-in fan, while an external condenser unit rejects heat. The two components are just connected with insulated refrigerant lines, which eliminate the large opening required in older system configurations.

Mini-split heat pumps are also available, offering reversible operation to deliver space cooling in the summer and space heating in the winter. A heat pump consolidates two pieces of equipment as one unit, making it an attractive upgrade for dwellings that use inefficient space heating systems such as electric resistance heaters.

The cooling efficiency of split-type air conditioners and heat pumps is normally indicated by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER), a ratio of cooling output in British Thermal Units to electricity input in watt-hours. The SEER can be compared with the MPG value of a car (miles per gallon), where a higher value translates into a lower operating cost.

There is also an efficiency metric called the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), which has the same units. The difference is that the SEER considers the entire cooling season, while the EER is for test conditions defined by the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). In the case of heat pumps there is also a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF), which is the ratio of heating output in British Thermal Units to electricity input in watt-hours.

Mini-split systems have a remarkable efficiency advantage when compared with conventional electric heating and cooling options. Assume a window-type air conditioner and a resistance heater are replaced with a heat pump, having a SEER of 18 and HSPF of 9. In this case, space cooling savings of 50% or more can be expected, while heating savings exceed 60%.

Rebates for Air Conditioning Upgrades

In addition to delivering superior cooling efficiency, mini-split systems may be eligible for cash rebates from your utility company. Rebates improve the financial performance of air-conditioning upgrades. Since the upfront cost of the upgrade is reduced, the return on each dollar spent is increased.

MEP Engineering Recommendations Before Upgrading Space Cooling Systems

When an AC unit that crosses a wall or window is replaced with a mini-split unit that does not, the cooling load is reduced because a large gap in the building envelope is closed. The upgrade is also a good chance to check if there are no other leaks, especially around windows and doors. This increases the energy savings from a space cooling upgrade, since the new unit is not only more efficient, but is also subject to a reduced load.

In dwellings that use incandescent lighting, it is also possible to reduce the cooling load by upgrading to LED lamps. Consider that a 60-watt incandescent bulb can normally be replaced with a 10-watt LED bulb. If 10 of them are replaced, there are 500 watts less of heat to handle, equivalent to slightly above 1,700 BTU per hour.

Window-type, through-the-wall and PTAC units only have one advantage in terms of performance: they provide a constant supply of fresh outdoor air.

Mini-split units are unable to provide ventilation due to their system configuration, so it is important to verify that the existing ventilation system is sufficient after removing the previous AC unit. Ventilation systems are normally designed to be self-sufficient, but getting a professional opinion is recommended nevertheless; poor ventilation leads to various health issues.

Conclusion

Window-type, through-the wall and PTAC space cooling systems are among the least efficient, but still the most commonly used in multi-family buildings. Mini-split systems can reduce cooling expenses by 50% or more, while Con Edison incentives make them more affordable. However, like with any upgrade to building systems, an assessment from an engineering professional is recommended to achieve the best results. Even a high-efficiency space cooling system will perform poorly if it does not match the intended application. Ensuring that the new equipment is eligible for rebates is also important, so MEP engineering professionals should make this a priority.