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A Conversation on Commissioning

Editor’s Note: Commissioning first showed up in the building market in 1977 when Public Works Canada started using it in their project delivery system. Others got on board in the early 1980s, and the decade closed with ASHRAE Guideline 1, first published in 1989. Electric utilities promoted commissioning and its use became more widespread, including development of commissioning specifications for use by the General Services Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1990s. Several commissioning-oriented organizations were created, and in 1998 the U.S. Green Building Council included commissioning in its LEED requirements. More widespread adoption by the private sector has occurred over the past 2 decades, and today commissioning is common as a building practice.

One might ask why commissioning is necessary if we have professionals designing buildings. Shouldn’t everything just work correctly? Consider this: when engineering an automobile, millions of dollars are spent on designing, engineering and testing prototypes, until a car can be mass produced at a fraction of the development costs. For buildings, the opposite is true. Each building is different, and the design and engineering costs are a fraction of the building construction cost. There are just so many complex elements coming together, often in an accelerated time frame. Commissioning provides assurance that those complex elements will come together and deliver the building functions to the owners and users of buildings. With commissioning becoming more mainstream, we brought together some experts from different parts of the industry to answer some questions about new building commissioning.

This roundtable was conducted by ASHRAE Journal with Reid Hart, P.E., Member ASHRAE; Walter Grondzik, P.E., Fellow/Life Member ASHRAE; Ole Teisen, Member ASHRAE; Evan Mills; Gerald Kettler, Life Member ASHRAE; Ross D. Montgomery, P.E., CPMP, BEAP, BEMP, HBDP, Fellow ASHRAE; Ryan M. Colker; and Bruce Pitts, CPMP, Life Member ASHRAE.

QI: What is building commissioning, and how does it differ from standard system start-up and testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB)?

Montgomery: Building commissioning ties together all of the parts of the design and construction processes so that the owner can receive the best performing building. System start-up of major equipment is an essential beginning to make sure the equipment and systems specified are furnished, installed and powered correctly, free from initial manufacturer or shipping defects, and able to operate where they were designed to fit. Once operating in place, the start-up technician can adjust their default operating parameters and settings to the design requirements. The testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) specialty contractor is certified to provide a professional service that essentially ensures that the design engineers’ parameters are set up on the project’s equipment and systems. The TAB contractor performs air and hydronic measurements as required and uses their expertise to adjust and balance the HVAC equipment and system flows, pressures and mechanical/electrical parameters to meet the intent of the design, and then notes any deficiencies found for repair. Following the validation that the start-up and TAB work are complete, the commissioning provider then performs the functional performance testing that verifies and documents that the systems and assemblies are designed and installed to meet the owner’s project requirements (OPR).

Kettler: The commissioning process is intended to verify and document that the system being commissioned operates and performs as intended by the building design and owner’s requirements. The process is system-based and includes interoperability with other systems to produce seamless performance for the total building environment. The equipment start-up is isolated to one piece of equipment and seldom involves other connected equipment, so the interoperability is not verified. Also in start-up, the equipment performance results, such as total airflow, are seldom verified. The TAB function is performed on equipment as installed and after startup, then verifies function and sets the equipment to design or maximum levels based on the project design. TAB is not normally responsible to document part-load operation, and all interface results. That is where commissioning comes in. Neither the start-up nor the TAB functions are involved with design processes. The commissioning process begins at the start of design, with the field functions conducted after startup and TAB to verify that the correct equipment was installed, the equipment and interconnected system functions per design, and the entire interconnected assembly produces the desired results under all required conditions.

Q2: What are the benefits of commissioning to the building owner or tenant?

Kettler: The benefit of the commissioning process to the owner and tenant is the verification and documentation of the actual performance of the commissioned systems. Nearly any assembly or system in a facility can be commissioned. The designers translate the owner’s requirements into construction and contract documents, but do not test actual constructed performance. The contractors and suppliers provide and install the equipment and systems as designed, but seldom have the control over design or may lack the skills needed to verify performance. As buildings become more complex, the commissioning provider is the only entity that represents the owner from the beginning of the development process, through design and construction and into the operation of the facility. Thus, commissioning provides the process, the skills, the testing equipment, the experience and the reporting to provide information to the facility, the owner, and the tenant. The goal of the commissioning process is to provide the facility in proper operating condition at the completion of construction on day one of operation. This results in immediate beneficial use of the facility, and trained operators, so the owner does not spend time and money completing or fixing things that should have been correct and performing properly at move-in time.

Grondzik: When it comes to cost saving benefits—I am an engineer, so this is hard to say, but—have faith. Commissioning improves the quality of outcomes. Un-commissioned projects do not reach their full energy efficiency/conservation potential; they simply cannot due to the myriad things that can go wrong during an exceptionally complex, multiyear design/construct/operate dance. Commissioning will save energy versus not commissioning. The question is: how much energy?

I believe this question cannot be answered with any certainty. On a modestly complicated project, any number of energy-related issues will be found, considered and acted upon during commissioning. Some of these issues will be minor; a couple may be major. They can all collectively improve energy performance. I believe that the numbers—were they readily available—would prove this hypothesis. In the absence of numbers, have faith.

Evan Mills has researched the costs/benefits of commissioning. Look at his work for some numbers. But consider that the current numbers are dated (although they are about to be updated) and that it is hard to calculate and/or account for the cost/benefit of changing eight words in a spec to reduce the leakage of conditioned air into unconditioned spaces, or the dollar costs/benefits of having a contractor do a better job installing VAY controls on 1,000 boxes because she knows 50 will be sampled as part of the commissioning verification process. Do not discount the hard-to-quantify benefits of improved thermal, visual or acoustical comfort and better air quality. Have faith. The benefits are there (as are the costs; but little that is good is free).

Q3: What are the most common types of issues and technical deficiencies that are discovered during the commissioning process?

Teisen: In European building design, the building automation system (BAS) is often left to the contractors to figure out. When that approach is combined with optimized procurement procedures where “low bid rules,” we have the basis of a disaster. This results in poor interaction between system components from different suppliers, poor or no common user interface, limited trending capabilities, etc.

In European buildings, cooling systems often consist of several different subsystems, each with its own controls. Typically, there is a programmable logic controller (PLC) for each chiller, another PLC for the cooling towers, a third PLC controlling the interaction between the chillers, and a BAS controller for the pumps. Often these individual controllers don’t communicate with each other causing limited system functionality. The limited trending capability adds to the difficulty of proper troubleshooting, loop tuning and commissioning tests. When it comes to the construction phase, our main focus is review of the TAB work.

In many countries in Europe, hydronic TAB is an integrated part of a delivery of the piping system, and air balancing is an integrated part of the ventilation system. That means the TAB supplier rarely questions the design or construction of the systems, so we see many issues here.

Mills: In the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (LBNL’s) database of commissioning outcomes in 643 buildings across the United States by 38 providers and a $43 million investment, we were able to analyze about 6,700 specific deficiencies in existing buildings and about 3,500 in new buildings (http://cx.lbl.gov). Deficiencies pinpointed during the design process include issues such as equipment oversizing and excessive illuminance.

Following construction, HVAC and associated thermal distribution systems have the primary identified problems, followed by control systems. Key hardware interventions to address the problems include corrections to improper installation and replacement or (re)calibration of faulty sensors. On the controls side, correction of specified setpoints and rationalized sequences of operations are particularly common interventions. Issues and opportunities can differ in more specialized buildings such as interventions in the design process for data centers to achieve hot-aisle/cold-aisle configurations that enable more efficient and effective heat removal. The relatively low incidence of issues cataloged in non-mechanical systems (lighting, envelope, etc.) may reflect that commissioning providers tend not to focus as much on those areas. In-depth studies have found that in many cases these deficiencies would have led to increased O&M costs and premature failure of equipment, in addition to energy waste. The LBNL database finds median energy savings on the order of 15%.

Pitts: The most common issues are system integration and control optimization for many project types. When functionally testing HVAC systems, we find that the specific components of the systems usually are installed and operating in accordance with the device sequences. However, when we functionally test the system integration, we find that the components of the system have not been properly tuned to optimize the operation of the whole system. For example, the terminal units have each been balanced to their airflow rates, and the supply fans have balanced, but the system static pressure has not been optimized to operate the system at the minimum possible pressure at the optimized airflow rate. With today’s energy-efficient buildings, we are required to include static pressure reset. It’s very important to find the optimum pressure range to operate the system through airflow range. This is also an issue when the control sequences require discharge temperature optimization as well as static pressure optimization. The ability to control these two functions together becomes more difficult if they were not set up correctly in the first place. Once these issues are resolved, occupant comfort is controllable for both temperature and noise.

Q4: Is commissioning cost-effective? How can the benefits be better communicated to building owners, developers, and tenants?

Colker: To many owners, commissioning appears to be just a new expense or an additional process that can slow completion of a project. To overcome such notions, owners must see the value and recognize the benefits commissioning provides. The LBNL study provides a solid industry-wide return on investment, but owners often think their project is unique. Peer-to-peer sharing of case studies, lessons learned and costs avoided across all building types and sizes can be powerful.

Commissioning providers should encourage building owners to share how commissioning identified potential problems early, avoiding costly change orders or saving operations and maintenance costs. In most cases, owners do not possess the expertise in building systems necessary to ensure that projects as delivered are meeting their expectations—some may not have even formally outlined such expectations. Commissioning provides a means for owners to establish and then verify achievement of project goals. Savvy building owners recognize the gaps in the current design and construction process and the impact they have on the ability to achieve increasingly higher performance requirements. A clear explanation of how commissioning is designed to fill those gaps and the intended benefits would be helpful in further expanding its use.

Mills: Commissioning new buildings is highly cost-effective in comparison to many other energy efficiency measures (see my article, “Capturing the Potential,” at http://tinyurl.com/yddlbh4x). The median new building commissioning cost in the LBNL database is $1.16/ft2 ($12.49/m2)—or 0.4% of total construction cost—achieving a payback time of about four years. When considering non-energy benefits—HVAC downsizing, reduced callbacks, etc.—nominal commissioning costs are reduced by half on average. In one-third of the cases, the full commissioning costs are more than offset by these non-energy benefits. Costs for commissioning existing buildings tend to be much lower (averaging $0.30/ft2 [$3.23/m2]) with average payback times just over one year.

An important second-order component of cost effectiveness is ensuring attainment of energy savings through forensic quality control and the persistence of those savings thanks to the design-intent documentation, ongoing monitoring, and operator training that accompanies a comprehensive commissioning process. Uncommissioned buildings will commonly save less energy, and those savings will erode more quickly over time than when a commissioning process is undertaken. Not surprisingly, the greatest absolute levels of cost savings are often found in energy-intensive facilities. These include high-tech buildings such as data centers, laboratories, and cleanrooms, as well as in association with large nodes of energy use for conventional facilities such as central plants. See my article, “Commissioning HighTech Facilities,” at http://tinyurl.com/y9e27582. Effective communication of benefits to stakeholders requires metrics geared for the intended audience. Owners and developers are interested in first cost impacts, while owners are also interested in net cash flow and return on investment. Depending on lease structure, tenants are focused more exclusively on operating cost savings. Non-energy impacts are of value to virtually every stakeholder, and range from first cost savings, to improved indoor environmental quality, to reduced risk of construction-defects litigation.

Q5: What standards, guidelines, and codes relate to commissioning?

Hart: Energy codes and standards require some level of verification, functional testing, or commissioning. ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2016 requires commissioning of HVAC systems for buildings larger than 50,000 ft2 (4600 m2), with required testing of all mechanical and lighting controls and verification or testing of envelope air barrier construction. SSPC 90 .1 is currently considering more extensive commissioning requirements. The 2015 IECC requires similar lighting testing and mechanical and service hot water system commissioning on systems above a certain combined size. California Title 24 has commissioning requirements including design review for buildings 10,000 ft2 (1000 m2) or larger and requires design review for smaller buildings. Specific testing requirements are specified for fenestration, lighting, HVAC, and refrigeration systems.

For above minimum code programs, ASHRAE Standard 189.1-2014 has requirements for mechanical, service hot water, lighting, water pumping, or irrigation system functional testing based on system size with commissioning required for buildings larger than 10,000 ft2 (1000 m2). USGBC’s LEED v4 has a fundamental commissioning and verification credit that requires lighting and HVAC commissioning for all buildings and includes design review. LEED-enhanced commissioning provides added credits for submittal review, operator training verification, seasonal testing, IO-month operational review, plans for ongoing commissioning, monitoring-based commissioning, or envelope commissioning.

Kettler: Commissioning as a process is relatively new to the design and construction of buildings. As a verification of building systems performance, it is a relative of building inspection and performs similar functions. Since buildings are becoming increasingly more complex, and the code process wants verification of performance, the commissioning process provides the activities and documentation to validate systems and performance.

Thus, it is logical that since the codes require performance, for the complex systems the commissioning process would be included. ASHRAE has developed a standard for commissioning in Standard 202, Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems. Since commissioning provides a quality and verification process, other ASHRAE standards have included testing and commissioning requirements. Standard 189.1 has adopted Standard 202 as the required process with other standards to follow.

On the code side, the International Code Council (ICC) has fully adopted commissioning as a process in their Energy Code (IECC-2018) and their Green Code (IGCC-2015). The 2018 issue of the IGCC will adopt ASHRAE Standard 189 .1-2017, which has a fully functional commissioning process based on Standard 202. With more cities and states adopting the energy and green codes, the commissioning process is becoming a normal activity in building construction.

Teisen: Europe has many countries and climate zones, so the focus of commissioning varies. It does not make any sense to spend all your commissioning efforts on a heating system in Greece or on comfort cooling in northern Finland. The different building enclosures also affect the commissioning approach. However, the biggest differences are cultural; with the result that Europe does not have a common standard. Every country does commissioning in its own way. In countries that use a structured commissioning process, a process inspired by ECBCS Annex 47 (similar to ASHRAE Guideline 0) from the International Energy Agency is often used. The exception is the UK where CIBSE has published seven codes of commissioning. “Code M, Commissioning Management” refers to the other six codes that cover specific commissioning tasks for different building systems.

The Code M process is not like Annex 47; for example, the OPR is missing. So the British must extract acceptance criteria for reviews and tests from other documents. The Building Services Research and Information Association, BSRIA, publishes guidebooks compliant with the CIBSE commissioning codes. In Denmark we have the Danish Standard DS 3090-2014, “The commissioning process in buildings—Installation services in new buildings and major renovations,” which is compatible with Annex 47 and Commissioning requirements in the sustainability certification programs described by BREEAM, DGNB and LEED.

REHVA, the Federation of European Heating, Ventilating and Air-conditioning Associations, are also publishing standards, accreditation programs for professionals and handbooks related to commissioning together with Eurovent Certita and the EU-funded research project “QUANTUM” (www.quantum-project.eu).

Q6: How is commissioning applied at different phases of the building life (design, construction acceptance, tenant infill, renovation, ongoing operation)?

Grondzik: The building commissioning process is a quality delivery process. This basic premise is constant and applies at all phases of a building’s lifespan. Commissioning is a project-spanning process—not an activity. Commissioning is not applied, for instance, at construction acceptance. Commissioning is applied across pre-design, design, construction, and occupancy phases of new construction-and parallel phases or stages in the ongoing life of an existing project. The foundational basis for commissioning is the owner’s project requirements. This term is used for new construction and is morphed to current facility requirements (which are really the owner’s current requirements) for existing buildings.

Commissioning is essentially understanding what an owner requires/desires by way of quality and then applying validation procedures to ensure that this level of quality can be delivered by the building in operation. ASHRAE defines retro-commissioning as the application of the commissioning process to projects not previously commissioned.

Recommissioning is the application of the commissioning process to a project that was previously commissioned—but with a gap in the quality assurance process. Ongoing commissioning describes the application of the process to a project that was, and still is, commissioned with no gap in process. The key difference in these commissioning applications is the degree of freedom available to the process. New construction is a blank slate with project-specific boundaries. Retro- and recommissioning are constrained by an existing array of artifacts (chillers, VAV controls, roof vapor retarders). New construction will always involve design and construction; retro- and recommissioning may or may not involve design and construction. Monitoring-based commissioning is not a distinct process, but rather describes a tool that has been applied to the process.

Pitts: Commissioning core-and-shell buildings with future tenant improvements brings special impacts in how the systems will be initially started and operated as the core spaces are connected. In design review, we must develop strategies and install devices to operate the systems without affecting occupied spaces. Some of these strategies may include installing ductwork and dampers in the unoccupied spaces that allow the central system to operate in a stable condition without a substantial portion of the distribution system installed. This also extends to the hydronic systems, where the central equipment must have sufficient flow rates to allow them to operate and avoid unnecessary failures due to insufficient flow or temperature differentials.

In major renovations where we’re only affecting a portion of the systems, we must consider the impact of these alterations both during and after construction. In most major renovations, we have found that once the renovation is completed, the commissioning team was not tasked with reoptimizing the operation of the central systems. We may have changed the system dynamic with the renovation modifications. Therefore, the systems require additional tuning to meet the energy-efficiency goals.

Q7: How are DDC trends, submetering data, and other diagnostic tools used in commissioning?

Montgomery: Direct digital control (DDC) and building automation systems (BAS) are useful during functional performance testing (FPT) of HVAC&R systems during the commissioning process. As a part of the precommissioning checklist process, trends of DDC points and sub-metered data can be furnished to prove operation of equipment and control devices. During FPT, after each control point is tested for its individual compliance with the contract documents, the sequence of operation for the project is tested using conventional line-by-line scrutiny. This diagnostic testing is static and many times can be enhanced by using DDC trends to monitor longer term performance. Submetering of specific loads in conjunction with trending can further benefit the FPT process by monitoring performance of the design parameters and intent of the contract documents. DDC/BAS systems often are specified to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) along with their basic installed control systems. Graphical presentation and representation of important equipment related point groups, trending data, and submetered devices and values on the GUI is a very useful tool for perpetually monitoring the status of commissioned systems.

Hart: Once new building commissioning is complete, savings can be maintained or improved through monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx). MBCx systems combine data collection, data analysis, energy modeling results, and commissioning expertise into a process that maintains building performance over time. MBCx can be either manual or automated. In a manual approach, submetered data is rolled up to a dashboard so the building operators can track system energy use over time. When there are increases in relative energy use, operators can evaluate why. An example is the large chiller plant monitoring required by Standard 90.1-2016. With continuous COP or kW/ton of the chiller plant available, operating staff can see unusual changes and correct problems, such as a pump VSD left in the full on mode or chilled water temperature reset disabled.

Even very simple monitoring systems that track whole building 15-minute interval electric use can reveal problems, such as excessive after-hours lighting use or chiller operation when the economizer should provide cooling. Automated systems can provide more sophisticated feedback, such as a software analysis of energy anomalies, adjustment of energy use for weather and other parameters, and even fault detection that suggests what systems need attention. Qualifying MBCx receives a LEED v4 credit.

Q8: What training and certification options are available for commissioning specialists?

Pitts: There are a multitude of commissioning certifications out there; currently three of them are ANSI accredited-BCCB (BCA), ASHRAE, and ACG. These are the certifications that are recognized as the standard for commissioning providers. The organizations behind each certification provide numerous training opportunities through online course modules, workshops, classroom training, and through webinars. Commissioning is best learned in the field. Whether a junior commissioning provider or a design engineer, nothing beats exposure to real-world scenarios. Field experience, combined with the mentorship of an experienced commissioning provider, allows engineers to learn directly from real issues that arise in the operation of building systems.

Everything revolves around systems. So many times, a design engineer is focused on the individual components and equipment; where the commissioning provider looks from the perspective of putting it all together and operating it as a functioning “system.” You don’t really get a sense for the systems perspective until you are given the opportunity to “touch, listen, and smell it.” Commissioning is about putting the theory of design into practice. I actually started my career with a couple years in the field in “startup services,” the precursor to commissioning, and only after that did I start designing.

Colker: Several organizations offer training and certifications on various elements of the commissioning process. Some training focuses on the process itself whereas others focus on the specific systems to be commissioned. Building owners and commissioning providers alike have struggled with identifying which training and certifications meet their specific needs. The U.S. Department of Energy has undertaken an effort to help provide clarity on commissioning professional certifications through it Belter Buildings Workforce Guidelines (BBWG). DOE-recognized certifications follow a common accreditation process and are based on a baseline set of core competencies that help providers and building owners recognize programs that address the necessary skills. Many discipline specific organizations have established certifications for commissioning of individual building systems including fire protection, electrical, lighting, plumbing, mechanical, controls and enclosure systems.

Depending on the project, the certifications required for commissioning providers may be specified within the building code, green building rating program, building-type specific requirements (e.g., pharmaceutical facilities regulated by the Food and Drug Administration) or utility incentives. Providers should consult these requirements to determine which certificates would be most valuable. The Whole Building Design Guide provides links to organizations with resources related to commissioning to get you started.

 

Copyright Statement

This article was published in the October 2018 issue of Insulation Outlook magazine. Copyright © 2018 National Insulation Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this website and Insulation Outlook magazine may not be reproduced in any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher and NIA. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and would violate NIA’s copyright and may violate other copyright agreements that NIA has with authors and partners. Contact publisher@insulation.org to reprint or reproduce this content.

©ASHRAE www.ashrae.org. Used with permission from ASHRAE Journal, November 2017. This article may not be copied nor distributed in either paper or digital form without ASHRAE’s permission.

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Want Happy Employees? You Need Insulation

The Saint Gobain building study was undertaken for the purpose of being able to get quantified metrics on how exactly building and design choices affect personnel and thus, business operations. The subjects were studied for 3 years in the first building, and then before and after they moved into the new building. The unique circumstances of this longitudinal case study—being able to study the same group of people in 2 different buildings—removed some of the variables and made it easier to draw conclusions from the available evidence. One of the objectives was to prove that you can build a high-performance building on a budget, and the study helped identify what design choices would give the best results.

One investment that paid off big in this project was insulation. Lucas Hamilton, Manager, Building Science Applications at CertainTeed, affirmed, “we went crazy on acoustics” because of how vital they were to the project’s overall success. Since the building had an open-plan office, acoustics were critical to allow people to be able to speak without feeling that they’re disrupting others. To support the open plan, private spaces were built throughout the building at a ratio of one for every 8 people. These spaces promise the chance for complete quiet or private conversation, which wouldn’t be possible without insulation. These quiet rooms have walls that are stuffed with sound attenuation batts, are continuous and air sealed deck to deck, and the rooms are conditioned with supply and return air ducts. In such rooms, it’s often the ductwork that compromises privacy. For this reason, the ducts have been lined with duct insulation, making them essentially silent.

When you’re looking for excellent acoustical performance and thermal efficiency, insulation is a single material doing multiple jobs. Hamilton noted, “Every bit of ductwork in the building is insulated. It’s so hard to commission a building without proper use of insulation—you need it if you want air coming out at the same temperature throughout the system.” Failing to insulate the ductwork makes it extremely difficult to keep the air at a consistent temperature. As the duct runs get longer this is even more true. Hamilton said, “You can’t get the results you need without a well installed insulation package—it’s really important for controlling the temperature and the energy loss. Without insulation, you’re losing energy every foot you get away from the source.” Temperature consistency not only saves energy, it’s also critical to thermal comfort, which can have a significant effect on employee health and productivity.

Hamilton explained that if you’re looking for above-board results, you have to shift the focus away from up-front costs and look at costs over the life of the building. Oftentimes, choosing an insulation with a better R value will pay for itself very quickly at today’s energy costs. The focus on choosing materials and design that would garner long-term benefits on this project resulted in the building gaining platinum LEED status in both Core and Shell, and Commercial Interiors programs.

In addition to helping meet energy goals, insulation also aids in maintaining Platinum LEED status due to the role it plays in moisture management, which is important for air quality. Saint Gobain used a vapor retarder in the exterior walls of the building that played an important role in managing moisture. This vapor retarder is a material that, on the microscopic level, closes and opens based on the amount of moisture present in the air. This allows the wall to dry when necessary. Hamilton noted, “Moisture is coming and it will eventually find a way in, so you need the materials that can respond and work to keep the
building dry, healthy, and performing at a high level.”

Saint-Gobain’s headquarters and its office configuration would simply not be effective without the use of insulation. In this instance, the insulation will not only save energy and keep costs low throughout the life of the building, but also help with employee comfort and productivity. Hamilton said, “You need the full variety of insulation options to get all of this right. Everyone thinks you just shove insulation in a wall and forget about it, but you have to get it right the first time because it’s hard to fix once the walls are built. There’s so much thought and work that goes into this material that is so hugely impactful down the road. Winston Churchill said we shape our building and then they shape us—our time to get it right is when we put it [the insulation] in because it’s going to affect our lives from then on. It’s such an incredibly important influence on whether people are happy.”

 

Copyright Statement

This article was published in the October 2018 issue of Insulation Outlook magazine. Copyright © 2018 National Insulation Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this website and Insulation Outlook magazine may not be reproduced in any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher and NIA. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and would violate NIA’s copyright and may violate other copyright agreements that NIA has with authors and partners. Contact publisher@insulation.org to reprint or reproduce this content.

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New Study on Occupant Comfort Advances Saint Gobain’s Design Approach for Renovation and New Construction

Saint Gobain, the building materials supplier, has released the results of a 3-year-long study that compared occupant comfort for the 800 employees at its old headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, with the comfort levels for those same employees after they moved into the company’s new 277,000-sf North American headquarters in Malvern, Pennsylvania, which opened in October 2015.

That new LEED Platinum-certified building—an adaptive reuse of an office building that entailed 85% renovation and 15% new construction—is a “living laboratory” for Saint Gobain’s current and newly created products. The headquarters also showcases more than 60 innovative technologies.

The 4-phase study, buttressed by a 76-question employee survey, found significant improvements in employees’ perceptions about indoor air quality, visual comfort, and acoustic comfort as a result of Saint Gobain’s “multi-comfort design approach” that combines sustainability, aesthetics, and comfort to improve occupant well-being.

However, improving thermal comfort proved to be a harder nut to crack. The study’s results are informing Saint Gobain’s new 30-story worldwide headquarters under construction in Paris.

Saint Gobain “wants to be the leader in habitat” by aggressively promoting its multi-comfort approach, says Stanley Gatland II, Manager of Building Sciences and Comfort for the company’s CertainTeed division. “We want to make occupant outcomes part of the conversation” with customers, adds Lucas Hamilton, CertainTeed’s Manager of Building Science Applications.

Four-Step Process

To evaluate the impact and efficacy of multi-comfort design elements in the new headquarters, Saint-Gobain partnered with a group of experts led by Dr. Ihab Elzeyadi, Director of the University of Oregon’s High Performance Environments (HiPE) Lab, to conduct an extensive 4-phase comparative analysis of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ).

In the first phase of the study, a research team inspected the existing unoccupied Malvern facility prior to its adaptive renovation and reuse. In the second phase, the team examined the former Saint-Gobain headquarters in Valley Forge, to establish a benchmark for the performance of the new headquarters. In phase 3, the team analyzed the new headquarters following envelope upgrades and interior design retrofits, but prior to occupancy. Finally, the fourth phase of the study assessed the newly completed Malvern headquarters post-occupancy.

Employees were questioned while they still worked at Valley Forge, as well in the fall of 2016 and 2017, after they had settled into the new headquarters. The questionnaires touched on 30 issues pertaining to workspace characteristics, indoor environment quality, comfort of ambient quality, health and well being, and productivity.

The visual comfort parameter focused on daylighting and, more specifically, the relative impact of installing Saint Gobain’s SageGlass on the building’s western and southern façades. That electrochromic glazing provides 3 levels of tinting that are selected automatically in response to system programming and the changing light conditions throughout the day. These are detected by sensors on the roof of the building. The brightness of interior LED luminaires is similarly controlled according to incoming daylight.

In the old headquarters, less than half of the employees had access to daylight; in the new building, 92%. Only 4% of individuals now lack access to outside windows at their workspaces, compared to 23% at the former headquarters.

Unsurprisingly, employees reported a 56.4% overall improvement in visual comfort in the new headquarters, including gains of 30% to 60% in each of the following categories: overall lighting comfort, amount of light for working, glare from electric lights, ability to adjust to electric light, amount of daylight, glare from windows, and the ability to adjust window shades.

To evaluate thermal comfort, Saint Gobain invested in significant upgrades to the new building’s core and envelope during renovation, including improved insulation, solar-reflective roofing, high-efficiency glazing, argon-gas-filled insulated glass, aluminum curtain wall systems, and high-performance heating and cooling equipment.

The research team calculated thermal comfort conditions in accordance with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2013 and used electronic sensors over a long period of time to collect data on temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, globe temperature, and air movement across various micro-climates in the Malvern facility.

Employees reported only a 4.8% improvement in thermal comfort in the new headquarters compared to the old. At key points during summer months, residents found themselves shifting from overly air-conditioned environments to hot, humid ones over a span of just a few hours.

Hamilton points out that the developer of the new headquarters (which wasn’t Saint Gobain) insisted on repurposing as much of the Malvern office structure as possible, including its mechanicals. Consequently, the HVAC system wasn’t always rightsized for a new headquarters with 116 collaborative spaces. Hamilton believes that thermal comfort results would be “a lot better” in projects that are completely new construction or have more extensive renovations.

“One lesson we learned was to spend more time reviewing whether to retain or replace existing building systems, especially when an extensive renovation will fundamentally change how a building will perform,” Saint Gobain stated in its report on the study.

Better Results for Acoustics and Air Quality

The study found much greater success in improving acoustic and indoor air quality. For acoustic comfort, the new headquarters was designed with sound-absorbing surfaces, high-performance interior partitions and exterior facades, isolating vibrating components in the HVAC system, and equipped with white noise machines to mask sound and manage speech intelligibility.

Saint Gobain also mapped the building’s sound absorption, sound levels, and workstation distraction distances to evaluate the effectiveness of its acoustic comfort tactics. It achieved a 42.2% improvement in employee perceptions.

The new building’s air quality was monitored along 7 discrete facets of design: outdoor air ventilation, particulate filtration, dehumidification, moisture flow management, air leakage control, Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) control, and contaminant capture.

The design included 2 wall covering products: one with the ability to trap and neutralize 70% of harmful aldehydes, and another designed with an antimicrobial coating that actively repels and kills fungus and black mold. Drywall tape had mold- and mildew-resistant properties. Backerboard was moisture and mold resistant. Wallboard and ceilings absorbed and converted formaldehyde into a safe, inert compound.

The result: a 91.6% improvement in employee perceptions about indoor air quality. “A week after moving into the [Malvern] building, some employees thought we were pumping oxygen into the building,” recalls Hamilton.

Overall, employees reported that levels of visual, acoustical, and indoor air quality comfort were 26.3% greater on average at the Malvern facility than at Valley Forge. Additionally, occupants’ satisfaction with indoor environmental quality (a measurement composed of employees’ ratings of temperature, lighting quality, acoustics, air quality, smell, ergonomics, and space function) improved by 47.9% in the new space.

Does employee comfort translate to better productivity? Maybe. Saint Gobain compared the performance of its internal sales team in its last week in Valley Forge with its first week in Malvern. The team fielded the same number of calls in both weeks, but qualified leads jumped by 150%, and sales in the latter week were $5.6 million higher.

 

 

Copyright Statement

This article was published in the October 2018 issue of Insulation Outlook magazine. Copyright © 2018 National Insulation Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this website and Insulation Outlook magazine may not be reproduced in any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher and NIA. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and would violate NIA’s copyright and may violate other copyright agreements that NIA has with authors and partners. Contact publisher@insulation.org to reprint or reproduce this content.

Reprinted with permission from Building Design + Construction.

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Commercial Product Guide

We are excited to share the Commercial Product Guide from the October issue. In this helpful guide, manufacturers give details on products that have been used in the commercial insulation industry.

Click here to view the Commercial Product Guide

 

Copyright Statement

This article was published in the September 2018 issue of Insulation Outlook magazine. Copyright © 2018 National Insulation Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this website and Insulation Outlook magazine may not be reproduced in any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher and NIA. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and would violate NIA’s copyright and may violate other copyright agreements that NIA has with authors and partners. Contact publisher@insulation.org to reprint or reproduce this content.

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Safety Matters: Clearing the Air

Happy National Italian Cheese Month! If you weren’t aware, September is National Italian Cheese Month. September is also recognized as National Preparedness Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and National Blueberry Popsicle Month, among others. September also marks Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month. Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) refers to a group of respiratory diseases characterized by scarring of the lungs and difficulty breathing. Although some forms of PF are idiopathic (no known cause), many are related to occupational exposure to dusts, fibers, and fumes. Asbestosis (asbestos), silicosis (crystalline silica), and anthracosis (coal dust) are just a few examples of the “dusty lung” diseases.

The insulation industry has made great strides in protecting workers by manufacturing safer materials, providing better ventilation, and using safer work practices and control measures to keep dust out of the air during insulation work. In some cases, it is also necessary to put workers in respiratory protective equipment to prevent exposure to airborne dusts. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) respiratory protective equipment standard is one of the most frequently cited standards every year. It’s not as simple as handing your employees a respirator when they are performing a dusty task. There are a lot of regulatory hurdles to clear to comply with the rule and to ensure your employees are being properly protected. To begin with, any employer with employees using respiratory protection must have a workplace-specific, written Respiratory Protection Program and a Program Administrator responsible for the program.

The starting point for a Respiratory Protection Program is determining the potential airborne contaminants and selecting an appropriate respirator. A dust mask may be appropriate for light cutting of insulation materials, but may not be adequate for a large tear-off job in an enclosed space. An exposure assessment determines workplace exposure levels and can be compared to exposure limits to determine the style of respiratory protection needed. Different styles of respirators offer different levels of protection. A dust mask offers the least protection, whereas a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) offers the highest level of protection. Filters and cartridges are also specific to airborne contaminants. For example, a particulate filter won’t help in an ammonia leak, and an ammonia cartridge won’t filter out dust. Very high exposure levels or oxygen-deficient atmospheres require supplied air respirators.

Training is another important element of a Respiratory Protection Program. In addition to instruction on how to wear, inspect, use, and maintain the respirator; training should include why the respirator is necessary, and the consequences of not properly wearing or maintaining the equipment. Another important training point is that employees wearing respirators must be clean shaven. Even a little bit of stubble prevents the good face-piece seal necessary to filter out the harmful dust that can cause lung disease. Training is required to be completed before an employee uses a respirator in the work area and must recur at least annually.

Because respirator use may place a physiological burden on employees that must wear them, medical monitoring is required for a Respiratory Protection Program. Employees must be evaluated by a physician or licensed health care professional (PLHCP) to determine each employee’s ability to safely use a respirator. Lung disease, heart conditions, and even claustrophobia can all prevent an employee from being able to use certain respirators safely. The medical evaluation starts with a medical history questionnaire completed by the employee. Based on the PLHCP’s review of the questionnaire, a follow-up examination may be necessary. Employers must keep record of the PLHCP’s medical clearance record for each employee wearing a respirator [Note: The medical evaluation requirement does not apply to those employees who wear dust masks on a voluntary basis].

Additionally, each employee must be fit tested for each make, model, and size of respirator they will be required to wear. Not surprisingly, respirators are not “one size fits all.” A respirator that is too big or too small will not offer adequate protection. A respirator fit test determines if a particular size and style of respirator fits the employee. One common technique is the isoamyl acetate protocol (i.e., the banana oil fit test). An employee performs a series of exercises wearing their respirator while being exposed to the banana oil. A properly fitted respirator should effectively filter out the banana odor. If the employee can smell bananas at any time, it indicates that the respirator does not fit properly. They would need to retest with a different size or a different model until they passed the fit test. Fit testing must be repeated at least annually.

In honor of Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, reevaluate your work areas and determine if you are doing everything you can to keep dust out of the air. When engineering controls, work practices, and other control measures do not completely eliminate the hazard, implement a Respiratory Protection Program and provide respiratory protection to your employees. Help knock out PF and keep your employees healthy so they can enjoy Italian cheese and blueberry popsicles in the month of September.

 

Copyright Statement

This article was published in the September 2018 issue of Insulation Outlook magazine. Copyright © 2018 National Insulation Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this website and Insulation Outlook magazine may not be reproduced in any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher and NIA. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and would violate NIA’s copyright and may violate other copyright agreements that NIA has with authors and partners. Contact publisher@insulation.org to reprint or reproduce this content.

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An Introduction to Removable Covers

Blankets, covers, pads, wraps, even diapers—all these words describe a fully encapsulated insulation system that can be applied, removed, and then applied again without special tools or skills. Removable insulation systems are commonly used on piping components that need to be accessed regularly for maintenance, calibration, or inspection, but still require insulation for personnel protection and to prevent unnecessary energy loss or to protect against outside elements. This article provides a comparison of the different types of covers on the market and analysis of the most appropriate use based on environment, temperature, and application.

Definitions

As mentioned earlier, there are many different words to describe removable insulation systems. This article will consistently refer to these systems as “insulation covers” or just “covers.” A photo diagram and definitions of several other terms used throughout this article are shown in Figure 1 below.

• The jacket is the outermost layer of fabric.

• The jacket is the outermost layer of fabric.

• The inner layer of fabric closest to the item being covered is the liner.

• The material sandwiched between the jacket and liner fabrics, which provides the R-value for the cover, is referred to as insulation.

• The means of attaching the removable insulation cover, such as Velcro belts and buckles, or lace hooks and wire, is referred to as the securement.

• Drawstrings include rope, cord, and string used to cinch down weather flaps on terminal ends.

Design Type

Another important distinction is the manner in which the cover is designed and fabricated. Are the covers sewn or stapled? If sewn, are they pinch style, flat and gusseted, or shaped and gusseted? Understanding the difference in these styles is critical to making a cost-effective decision on what cover will fit the needs of the mechanical system or equipment in the long-term. Depending on budget and application, there is a demand and market for all of these different types, but it is in the customer’s interest to understand all the options.

First, “sewn or stapled” refers to how the jacket, liner, and insulation materials are brought together by the fabricator. The jacket, liner, and insulation of a more expensive cover will almost always be sewn together on an industrial sewing machine. Compare this to the less expensive “stapled” cover in which the materials are fastened together by metal connectors, staples, or hog rings. Sewing a cover requires specialized equipment and specialized training, along with industrial-grade thread, all of which result in a more expensive cover. However, sewing the cover allows for more intricate design and a better fit, which lead to greater energy savings and durability. Plus, the sewn seams resist weather penetration much more than a hog ring or stapled seam.

The stapled or hog-ring covers are typically a flat design. “Flat design” means that the cover is designed and fabricated flat, like a big, thick blanket, and then simply wrapped around the piping system or equipment. These simple covers require minimal design time and significantly less fabrication time than a more intricate, shaped cover. Due to the simple design, these covers are usually the least expensive option and often work well for wrapping stretches of pipe. However, the design is not conducive to insulating a more complicated system. By the nature of their flat design, external conditions will reach the insulated component at any point in which air gaps exist between the component and the cover.

Similar to the flat stapled covers are the flat and gusseted covers that are sewn rather than stapled. The jacket and liner are connected by insulation gussets, providing full insulation thickness throughout. The design is basically a large flat pad that is forcibly wrapped around the items needing insulation. Such design can be appropriate for simple systems, but for more complicated systems, these flat pads can result in the same issues as the stapled flat covers.

A second type of sewn cover is one in which the jacket, liner, and insulation are sewn through in one pass, pinching the insulation together with the jacket and liner, resulting in the name “pinch style.” Although quicker to produce and therefore less expensive, such a design severely impacts the effectiveness of the insulation at the sewing points.

The final type of sewn cover is one that is shaped, gusseted, and made to order. This custom cover connects the jacket and liner by shaped insulation gussets, providing full insulation thickness throughout the cover. Importantly, the cover is designed based upon the actual shape of the system or object needing insulation. In other words, even uninstalled, the cover is in the shape of the object it will insulate (see Figure 2 below).

Such a design greatly reduces the air gaps, which in turn increases energy efficiency and impedes external conditions. A custom shaped and gusseted cover can accommodate interferences and penetrations while maintaining the tight fit.

Materials and Specs

The actual materials used are critical to the effectiveness of the cover. There are many different options for the jacket, liner, insulation, and securement, and the correct specification always depends on the application and environment. For example, the cover specification for a system needing freeze protection is going to be very different from the spec for a cover meant only for sound attenuation.

When determining the specification for a cover designed for freeze protection, the designer should consider the ambient temperature, the temperature of the system, electrical tracing options, and the environmental humidity levels. These factors will greatly impact the decision on which materials to use. Such a cover intended for freeze protection will work best when coupled with proper electrical trace systems and designed to fit tightly to the component requiring protection. The success of the heat trace system depends on a properly fitting cover. If external conditions reach the insulated component, the component will freeze and fail (see Figures 3 and 4).

For covers meant for heat conservation and personnel protection, the temperature of the piping system is the most important consideration. Materials used for these covers must be capable of direct contact with high temperatures for a long period of time, and the higher the temperature, the greater the thickness of the cover. These high-temperature mechanical systems usually include many interferences and are often in tight quarters, which can greatly impact the cover design. Such challenges are the specialty of the custom-fit cover designers, because they can design the cover to incorporate every interference and tight fit (see Figure 5).

Another common use for removable covers is sound attenuation. Of course, environmental factors must be considered. Most important for sound attenuation is the ability for the cover to be applied directly to the equipment or valves that are the actual source of the noise. Such covers are most effective when the ambient noise levels are low. If the ambient noise level is high, limiting the noise produced by one piece of equipment is not going to lead to much improvement (see Figure 6).

Ordering Expectations

The last bit of information needed before ordering removable insulation covers is to understand the ordering and design process. The simple, flat covers can usually be produced without much input from the customer. Such covers are often sitting in inventory, and the fabricator can ship them where they need to go.

By the nature of their design, custom-fit covers (the sewn, shaped, and gusseted covers) are produced one by one and not waiting in inventory. The fabricator makes each cover exactly according to the customer’s specifications and the system’s design needs, so a 2–4 week production lead time is customary. Depending on design time and market demand, that lead time can extend much longer. System dimensions, environmental factors, and temperatures will be required by the fabricator to design a cover that will serve its purpose. This information can be provided by the customer, or the customer can usually pay for the fabricator to send a field service representative to the facility. Such analysis will result in a 3D model, pictures, and/or drawings of the system, which is then used by the fabrication team to design and sew the custom-fit cover.

Hopefully, a better understanding of the different types of removable covers available on the market will allow facility managers, engineers, and contractors the ability to more effectively use limited resources and budget. All covers are not created equal. The end user will be best served by evaluating the environment, application, and their long-term needs.

 

Copyright Statement

This article was published in the September 2018 issue of Insulation Outlook magazine. Copyright © 2018 National Insulation Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this website and Insulation Outlook magazine may not be reproduced in any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher and NIA. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and would violate NIA’s copyright and may violate other copyright agreements that NIA has with authors and partners. Contact publisher@insulation.org to reprint or reproduce this content.

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Mechanical Insulation and the Insulation Industry’s Contributions to the U.S. Economy

Have you ever thought about what impact the insulation industry has on the overall U.S. economy? In comparison to many industries the insulation industry is relatively small, but its impact should not be underestimated. Following is the executive summary from The Contributions of Insulation to the U.S. Economy in 2017, which was published in April 2018 by the Economics and Statistics Department of the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

“The use of insulation in U.S. homes and businesses saves energy, putting more money in the pockets of home and business owners. In addition, by consuming less energy, the use of insulation directly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Beyond the benefits of the use of insulation, the insulation industry—including the manufacture, distribution, and installation of insulation—generates more than 500,000 jobs in the United States and over $30 billion in payrolls that support families and local communities around the country.
Insulation manufacturing is a $13.9 billion business, and directly employs more than 37,000 people across 42 states.
Indirectly, through its purchases of supplies, raw materials, equipment, and services, insulation manufacturing supports an additional 52,000 jobs in supply-chain industries. Through the household spending of the wages and salaries paid to workers in insulation manufacturing and their suppliers, an additional 60,000 payroll-induced jobs are supported.
The combined direct and indirect economic activity from U.S. insulation manufacturing supports nearly 150,000 jobs. These jobs generate payrolls of $8.2 billion. In addition, the combined economic activity supported by insulation manufacturing contributes $1.2 billion to state and local governments and $2.4 billion in federal tax revenues.”

The report is inclusive of:
• The full range of materials utilized in residential, commercial (envelope, roofing, and mechanical systems), industrial, and OEM (appliances and automotive) applications.

• The Upstream Impacts1

Direct Impacts—Employment, wages, and output of the industry being analyzed; in this case, the manufacture of insulation materials.

Indirect Impacts—Jobs, wages, and output created by the supply-chain businesses that provide goods and services essential to the industry. These businesses range from suppliers of raw materials, supplies, utilities, equipment, transportation, and other services.

Inducted Impacts—The result of the spending of wages and salaries of the direct and indirect employees on items such as food, housing, education, transportation, and medical services. This spending creates induced employment in nearly all sectors of the economy, especially service sectors.

• Downstream Economic Impact1

Looking downstream, more than 44,000 wholesalers distribute insulation products to contractors/installers, and retailers around the country and nearly 450,000 workers are engaged in drywall and insulation installation, nonresidential roofing, and mechanical insulation installation. Payrolls in those sectors amount to $2.9 billion and $25.7 billion, respectively. The paychecks from these workers help support families and local economies throughout the United States.

Methodology

The ACC report is a great representation of the total impact that the insulation industry has on the U.S. economy. The National Insulation Association (NIA) applauds their efforts, the methodology, and the report contributors. In addition, we wondered if the overriding report data could be dissected to determine the impact of the mechanical insulation segment.

First, we had to consider that many of the insulation manufacturers that are included in the upstream direct impact data produce materials in several facilities that cross over traditional market boundaries, which influences the upstream and downstream calculations. Second, we determined there was not any substantial upstream indirect overlap with the supply chain and contracting of mechanical insulation versus other insulation segments. And third, we needed to develop a methodology by which to carve out the mechanical insulation segment from other industry segments.

ACC first produced the report for 2016, but that report did not include the mechanical insulation segment, which encompasses all thermal, acoustical, and personnel safety requirements in the commercial and industrial markets in:

  • Mechanical piping and equipment, hot and cold applications;
  • Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications; and
  • Refrigeration and other low-temperature piping and equipment applications.

By comparing the ACC 2016 and 2017 reported data, combined with analysis of the information provided by the NIA to ACC for compiling the 2017 report, we were able to extrapolate the potential mechanical insulation impact on the U.S. economy. Following are excerpts from the ACC Executive Summary (noted in italics) and NIA’s best estimate of the mechanical insulation industry component (noted in bold).

ACC states the insulation industry—including the manufacture, distribution, and installation of insulation—generates more than 500,000 jobs in the U.S. and over $30 billion in payrolls that support families and local communities around the country. We estimate the mechanical insulation industry represents approximately 25% of those jobs—and potentially as much as $9 billion of the payroll dollars.

Insulation manufacturing is a $13.9 billion business, and directly employs more than 37,000 people across 42 states. We estimate that of the 37,000 manufacturing jobs, 16,000 +/- (43%) manufacture materials used in the mechanical insulation industry.

We also estimate the mechanical insulation industry indirectly, through its purchases of supplies, raw materials, equipment, and services for the manufacturing of insulation, supports an additional 9,000 +/- (17%) of the 52,000 jobs in supply-chain industries. The household spending of the wages and salaries paid to workers and suppliers in insulation manufacturing, an additional 10,000 +/- (16%) of the 60,000 payroll-induced jobs are supported.

In addition, the combined economic activity supported by insulation manufacturing contributes $1.2 billion to state and local governments and $2.4 billion in federal tax revenues. While it is difficult to extract the mechanical insulation component for these totals, by comparing the reports from 2016 (without mechanical insulation) and 2017 (with mechanical insulation), the mechanical insulation segment could represent over half a billion dollars in federal and state income tax.

In the process of participating in and examining of the ACC report, NIA reviewed its employee universe study that was presented in May 2010 at NIA’s Annual Meeting. That study indicated the mechanical insulation industry employment by channel function to be as follows:

Every 2 years, NIA conducts a survey to gauge the size of the mechanical insulation and laminated metal building insulation industry segments. This survey began in 1997 to gain data about the size of the mechanical insulation industry, which had not been measured before that time, and added the laminated metal building insulation segment in 2013. The survey is sponsored by NIA’s Foundation for Education, Training, and Industry Advancement, and aims to provide valuable data regarding market size and growth rates for the U.S. commercial and industrial mechanical and laminated metal building insulation market. The survey goes out to NIA’s Associate members, who are manufacturers of insulation products or insulation accessories.

The survey asks those members to provide information about their sales volume, and then a third-party company—using this information and formulas created by NIA—determine the annual size of the respective U.S. insulation industry segments.

Following are the 2015–2016 NIA Industry Measurement Survey results for the mechanical insulation component, which indicated the 2010 market to be reasonably comparable to actual 2016 and 2017 forecast. With that comparison we could estimate that 2017 employment levels and mix to be similar to 2010.

As the graph indicates, even with considering the impact of the recent recession in 2011 and 2012, the mechanical insulation industry experienced a growth trend through 2016. It is expected that the next survey for 2017–2018 will raise the trend line as forecasted.

While the ACC report and NIA surveys were conducted at different times and employed varying methodologies, the results support similar conclusions.

The insulation industry makes vital contributions to the U.S. economy. The insulation industry also delivers many environmental benefits, such as reduced energy consumption, which translates directly into lower emissions of greenhouse gases. Insulation, and specifically mechanical insulation, promotes employee and public safety, protects the environment, and contributes to the competitiveness of U.S. industry by lowering operating and production costs.

The economic activity generated by the U.S. insulation industry is broad based and helps support economies across the U.S. economy, from manufacturing, to distribution/fabrication, to installation. The mechanical insulation segment is a substantial part of the overall insulation industry and its contribution to the U.S. economy is impressive.

1. The Contributions of Insulation to the U.S. Economy in 2017, Economics & Statistics Department, American Chemistry Council, April 2018

 

 

Copyright Statement

This article was published in the September 2018 issue of Insulation Outlook magazine. Copyright © 2018 National Insulation Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this website and Insulation Outlook magazine may not be reproduced in any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher and NIA. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and would violate NIA’s copyright and may violate other copyright agreements that NIA has with authors and partners. Contact publisher@insulation.org to reprint or reproduce this content.

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Insulation Maintenance: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

In the case of insulation systems, the phrase out of sight, out of mind, often applies. Most commercial insulation work and many industrial insulation systems are hard to access or are hidden in walls, ceiling areas, or spaces that are seldom seen. These rarely seen insulation systems are designed to perform quietly for many years with little maintenance, so they are often left uninspected until a major problem occurs. For most applications operating at above-ambient temperatures (especially indoors), maintenance is very minimal. Routine maintenance is more necessary for insulation systems that are outdoors and exposed to weather damage, or indoor systems that may encounter damage from personnel. The case for maintenance comes down to a simple analysis of the cost of energy saved or lost versus the cost of the repair. Maintenance can also be required to prevent a safety issue, (e.g., burn protection). In this case, repairs must be made immediately.

For more complex applications—such as those that operate in below-ambient conditions, those that cycle from above ambient to below ambient, or outdoor applications—maintenance becomes a bigger issue. Most of the situations I mention in this article are applicable to these applications. There are 2 reasons for this: First, below-ambient operating systems are where I have the most experience and secondly, I feel that is where most of the critical maintenance issues often occur. In this article, I will give an overview of certain key issues relating to insulation system maintenance—focusing on those operating at below-ambient conditions.

First and foremost, insulation maintenance should be a consideration in the original design and selection of materials. Just like any piece of equipment, there should be a maintenance plan in place when the system is commissioned. The maintenance can be performed by in-house staff or contracted with an outside contractor. It may be coupled with a maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) plan that includes maintenance of the equipment, but there should be a documented plan. The inspection of the insulation system installation should absolutely be included in the commissioning plan of any project.

If potential maintenance issues are addressed in the design phase of the project, the need for maintenance can be minimized. This is particularly important in the case of systems operating below ambient temperatures. For example, on a below-ambient operating system, specifying the use of vapor stops/dams will localize any damage that may arise, minimizing the affected area and allowing for easier repairs. These design decisions will reduce maintenance significantly, but maintenance and repair may still be necessary at some point. Therefore, it is also important to design a system that provides sufficient space and access to the insulation to make repairs and maintenance easier. Think of the foresight of the initial designers of the interstate highway system who purchased enough land in most places to add additional lanes years down the road.

Insulation Jacketing

Insulation jacketing is a key part of many insulation systems, especially those in high-abuse areas or outdoors. Differentiating the functions of jacketing and moisture vapor retarders, which are designed for mitigating moisture intrusion into the insulation system in the design phase, is key to minimizing maintenance issues over the life of the insulation system. Most jacketing (e.g., PVC, aluminum, etc.) function primarily for abuse and UV protection, whereas vapor retarders function primarily to minimize moisture vapor ingress into the insulation system in below-ambient operating systems.

Requiring a jacketing is also important for abuse protection, but usually the protective jacket is not a sufficient vapor retarder for a system operating at below-ambient temperatures. Some products, such as aluminum jacketing with vapor retarder craft paper, provide both functions: serving as a vapor retarder and providing abuse protection. Vapor retarder systems that also function as abuse/UV protection are often adhered directly to the insulation. This reduces the chance moisture will propagate between the insulation and the jacket, where it can cause insulation failure and require future maintenance. It is important to note, however, that a product that performs both functions— while providing some vapor protection—may not be sufficient on its own without the addition of another vapor retarder.

Specifying pipe expansion/contraction loops on long pipe runs in commercial projects—such as supermarkets, cold-storage facilities, or industrial projects like the Alaska pipeline—accommodates the contraction and expansion of the piping. The expansion/contraction of the system puts the insulation at risk of being damaged or breaking; the loops allow the expansion/contraction to occur without damaging the insulation system. The expansion/contraction that occurs between the pipe and the insulation system may also require the use of expansion/contraction joints at the proper intervals to prevent damage to the insulation. Selecting the correct materials, including jacketing for the environmental conditions the system will encounter, will also lessen the need for repairs. The maintenance capabilities/facility owner’s expectations should match the design of the insulation system. There are always choices of materials and system design (good, better, best) and the facility owner’s expectations should be considered when selecting materials and designing the insulation system.

The old saying, pay me now or pay me later, comes to mind. Using a mastic for abuse resistance or coating for UV protection may be less expensive up front than using aluminum or PVC jacketing, but the jacket will not require routine maintenance like the mastic or coating. In the final cost analysis, the jacket may prove to be less expensive and better meet the facility owner’s expectations for the insulation system.

Main Causes of Repair Issues

On commercial projects, most repairs to the insulation system in the first year are likely due to poor initial design: an improper selection of environmental conditions upon which the insulation thickness is based, poor installation practices, or damage to the insulation system by other trades during construction. These become apparent quickly and should be resolved as soon as they arise or are discovered during the first year of operation. Four of the most prevalent issues that will require repair/remediation in the first year are insufficient space (between pipes, walls, or through cutouts) for the required insulation thickness, the aforementioned damage done by other trades after the insulation has been installed, open seams, and completely uninsulated areas.

Another common cause of damage is installing insulation in a building that is not weather tight. Coastal areas that often get heavy rains in the afternoon are notorious for this. If a building is not sealed off from weather, rain can travel through any opening—such as insulated vertical piping that has not been sealed off—and damage the insulation. On cold operating systems, the design must obviously allow space for the proper insulation thickness, but should also allow space for air movement around the insulated piping—this is particularly important on cold operating systems. Before the areas are jacketed or enclosed, it is worthwhile to give extra attention and inspection to more complex areas that require insulation (e.g., fittings, valves, pipe hangers, etc.). When dealing with cold-operating systems where seam integrity is essential, the use of pre-fabricated insulation sections may be beneficial. These insulations are produced in a shop or factory under ideal conditions, and help ensure tight seams and better performance. Use of removable covers and inspection ports will allow less maintenance in areas that require frequent access.

Periodic inspection of the job site during the installation process and a thorough inspection at completion of the process should allow for immediate repairs, lessening the chance of issues that require maintenance down the road.

Mechanical Damage

While normal wear and tear may result in the need for repairs, these will generally be minimal. Unexpected events caused by mechanical damage, such as foot traffic, forklifts, water damage, vermin, or severe weather such as hurricanes or hail, can also result in the need for repairs. These types of damage are more typical in industrial applications. In the case of these types of repairs, an emergency triage kit, which would include small sections of insulation of the same type, pipe size, and thickness as what is already installed; insulation tape; vapor retarder (preferably a peel-and-stick type); adhesive; general purpose sealant; and jacketing can be used to make a quick repair until a more permanent solution can be found. Again, this would be most important for a cold-operating system where timely repairs are mandatory to prevent a small problem from becoming a large (and expensive) one. Moisture intrusion can begin immediately, and won’t stop until the point of intrusion is sealed. It needs to be done as quickly as possible to prevent further damage. An experienced insulation contractor should be enlisted as soon as possible to make any necessary permanent repairs.

Planned events such as a remodel or revision in the operating systems may result in the piping having to be reinsulated. Reinsulating the areas affected should be scheduled as part of the piping revision. This is often a good time to reassess the insulation in place, and instead of simply replacing it, determine if the market has made advances that could benefit your system. In most cases, the insulation thickness was determined based on a cost-effective approach; with the increase in the cost of energy, it may be a good time to review the thickness specified or to assess new code changes.

We have all seen studies showing the quick payback on hot systems for maintenance/repair projects based on energy savings. Immediate attention is usually given to damaged insulation that may result in a potential safety issue, like burns. On the other hand, valves or elbows that are left uninsulated after some type of damage or revision to the operating system are usually easy to justify on a cost-savings basis, but are often left unattended for years, particularly on a hot system. Reasons given for delays often involve the length of time for shutdown to make the repair, bigger capital projects taking precedence, access problems, etc. These type of repair projects may require more planning/timing to help justify them. Because of the issues associated with condensation/frost formation on cold-operating systems, repairs on these systems are more often made in a timely manner because of safety concerns and the potential for greater damage if left unrepaired, or appearance considerations. On cold applications, problems will not go away, and the situation gets worse every day the damage goes unrepaired.

Whether the cause of the damage to the insulation system is an unexpected event or a planned event, repairing the damage in a timely manner is critical, especially in a cold-operating system. An official maintenance/inspection plan can often detect an issue before it becomes a major problem and a costlier repair is required. Making the repairs in a timely manner will pay big dividends by reducing down time, equipment damage, corrosion under insulation (CUI), or health and safety issues. The decision to make repairs to an insulation system is more than making a cost analysis based on energy savings.

Considering maintenance in the original design of the insulation system will minimize the repairs required during the life of the project. Companies that are really concerned about the quality of their product tend to maintain and repair their equipment, as well as the insulation system, in a timely manner because they know it will affect their end product. General housekeeping/cleanliness are good indicators of a manufacturing operation that is concerned with the quality of their product and not just the bottom line.

The most effective dollars spent on maintenance are those spent on preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance starts with the design and installation and ends with periodic inspections and timely repairs before a small problem becomes a major issue.

A final note of caution when considering material selection and maintenance issues: Be wary of insulation products that claim to last forever with no maintenance or boast performance that is unrealistic. Instead, rely on proven engineering design as outlined in various industry documents like the ASHRAE Handbooks, quality materials from proven suppliers, proper installation by experienced contractors, inspection, and common sense.

 

 

Copyright Statement

This article was published in the September 2018 issue of Insulation Outlook magazine. Copyright © 2018 National Insulation Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this website and Insulation Outlook magazine may not be reproduced in any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher and NIA. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and would violate NIA’s copyright and may violate other copyright agreements that NIA has with authors and partners. Contact publisher@insulation.org to reprint or reproduce this content.

NIA Sites > Insulation Outlook Magazine > Global

Politics Fuel Changing Prices for Energy

Washington was a key driver of second-quarter energy costs, with political actions and regulatory intervention affecting power sources from oil and coal to solar and wind.

In May, U.S. crude reached $70 per barrel—for the first time since November 2014. Among key contributing factors to the rise were fears of constrained Iran supply following President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear weapons pact, and election uncertainties in Iraq, Lebanon and Venezuela. But higher prices also have the countervailing effect of boosting production. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects U.S. crude-oil producers will generate 10.7 million barrels per day in 2018 on average, up from 9.4 million bpd in 2017. Production will average 11.9 million bpd in 2019.

There is also a follow-on effect in natural gas supply. EIA forecasts dry natural-gas production averaging 80.5 billion cu ft per day in 2018, a new record. Much of it is from unconventional U.S. shale oil fields. Natural gas became the top power plant fuel for the first time in 2015, and EIA sees utility-scale gas-fired generation up to 34% in 2018 and 2019 from 32% in 2017, with coal slipping to 28% in this same period, down from 30% in 2017.

Propped-Up Nukes?

The nuclear power market also has felt the effects of cheap gas, which often sets prices in wholesale power markets. Nuclear made up 20% of U.S. power in 2017; EIA predicts a slip to 19% by 2019. “For the past few years, new U.S. generation has been half wind and solar, and half gas,” says Joshua Rhodes, a University of Texas energy researcher. “Not a single coal plant is being built except for a test facility in Alaska. It’s a function of low gas prices.”

That trend does not sit well with President Trump, who campaigned on putting coal miners back to work. Last September, Energy Secretary Rick Perry directed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to find a way to pay for the reliability that coal and nuclear power provide. FERC rejected that directive in January, instead telling wholesale power-market operators to assess how to enhance system resilience.

In June, Trump ordered Perry to halt coal and nuclear plant closures, citing national security concerns, a move several energy experts have refuted. Trump also moved on campaign promises with new tariffs on some imported solar cells and, separately, on imported steel and aluminum. But steel tariffs could slow U.S. energy growth. The Independent Petroleum Association of America told the White House that tariffs could imperil pipeline build-out to move fuels to market.

Solar-cell tariffs could add up to $1 per MWh to current projects, says Rhodes, and “are troubling,” adds a Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) spokesman. It is hard to gauge the effect because the solar power federal investment tax credit is being phased out, the spokesman says, but the tariffs do not change fundamentals. Solar panel prices have dropped 60% since 2013. “That is mostly market driven,” he says. SEIA predicts 100 GW of solar power installed by the end of 2022, up from 53 GW in 2017.

Going With the Wind

Falling wind power costs also have enabled strong demand from utilities, and from corporate and industrial purchasers, says John Hensley, a senior director at the American Wind Energy Association. The 2018 first quarter was the most active for wind-power purchase deals since the group’s deal analysis began in 2013, he says. There are 34 GW of wind projects being built or developed as of April, up 40% from the same time in 2017.

More utilities also are locking in low prices with 10- or 15-year purchase deals. Rhodes says. “You can’t do that with gas,” which has much more price volatility, he adds. There also is a U.S. trend away from large gigawatt-scale power plants. “A $10-million mistake is better than a $100-million mistake,” says Rhodes.

 

 

Copyright Statement

This article was published in the August 2018 issue of Insulation Outlook magazine. Copyright © 2018 National Insulation Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this website and Insulation Outlook magazine may not be reproduced in any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher and NIA. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and would violate NIA’s copyright and may violate other copyright agreements that NIA has with authors and partners. Contact publisher@insulation.org to reprint or reproduce this content.

NIA Sites > Insulation Outlook Magazine > Global

Commissioning Explained Using the Human Body as an Example

Whenever someone asks me about my job and I respond with Commissioning Engineer, I usually get a blank stare. Commissioning can be difficult to explain to people who don’t have a background in construction or are hearing about it for the first time. Simple
explanations, like quality assurance or quality control, can be vague and don’t clearly explain what the role of commissioning is when it comes to a building. Sometimes I find it easier to explain the role of commissioning using the context of a system that is comparable to a building. A prime example is the human body.

I usually start by relating the different roles and parties involved with the design of a building to features of the human body. These roles can be broken down as Architect, Structural/Civil Engineer, and Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Engineer.

  • The Architect is responsible for the physical features and overall look of a building. They are in charge of the design and what the final product will look like. In the human body example, the architect would determine the physical features. Whether it’s short or tall, large or small, what the color of the skin, hair, and eyes are, etc.
  • The Structural/Civil Engineer is responsible for the structural support system that holds the building up. This is the steel and concrete framing that make up the walls, floors, and ceilings of the building. The support system in the human body is the skeleton with all its joints. The bones need to be strong and resilient enough to support the rest of the body.
  • The Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Engineer is responsible for the function of the building. They design the systems that provide and regulate heating, cooling, water, lighting, and power. In the human body, these systems can be compared to the organs, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems. They control, operate, and maintain the human body over its life span.

So where does the Commissioning Engineer fit into all this?

The Commissioning Engineer is like a doctor. They ensure that the body is operating properly by looking at the different systems of the body by running tests and diagnostics and making sure that they are interacting correctly with each other and supporting the function of the body as intended. Commissioning is taking a holistic look at the different systems of a building and verifying that they support and fulfill the intent of the building design. This is relevant in all stages of a building lifespan, from initial design, to development and construction, to operation of the building.

Just like the human body, a building ages and needs to undergo regular check-ups to find out ways to improve and prolong performance. So, call your local commissioning engineer today to ensure that your building’s intent, design, and operation gets a clean bill of health!

 

 

Copyright Statement

This article was published in the August 2018 issue of Insulation Outlook magazine. Copyright © 2018 National Insulation Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this website and Insulation Outlook magazine may not be reproduced in any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher and NIA. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited and would violate NIA’s copyright and may violate other copyright agreements that NIA has with authors and partners. Contact publisher@insulation.org to reprint or reproduce this content.

Reprinted with permission from Baumann Consulting www.baumann-us.com.