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News

Open Position: Northeast Ohio Sales Representative

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AEB is looking for our newest team member to help support and drive our instrumentation sales department.

This individual will serve Ohio’s Northeast region by continuing our tradition of great customer service along with the desire and interest to grow into a leadership role within the business. Our ideal candidate will be a self-starter, be able to work independently or as a team and will thoroughly enjoy learning.

Applicants should be highly interested in electro-mechanical technologies and working within the construction environment.

Job Description

The successful candidate will be trained over several weeks and will work from a home office that will be local to the territory. Primary responsibilities include Sales Calls, Estimation, Project Identification, and Equipment take-offs.

This will entail calling and e-mailing engineers and contractors, as well as reviewing databases, and searching through CAD drawings and specifications for opportunities to quote equipment.

Duties & Responsibilities

  • Conduct in-person and on phone Sales Calls and Meetings
  • Take off Projects (Engineered Construction Drawings)
  • Build Estimates (Excel, accuracy, timeliness)
  • Maintain Sales and Project Files (Salesforce)
  • Communication Skills (customer service)
  • Locating Projects (BxOhio, Dodge, E2)

Required Job Skills

  • Personal Responsibility – This position is remote and will require some discipline to perform without supervision. It is important to be prompt for meetings and appointment times
  • Communication: Work with suppliers and customers from quote through post-installation support
  • Learning: Be eager to learn current and new technologies to help our clients best apply them
  • Prioritization: Identify critical vs. non-essential tasks
  • PC Literacy: Word/Excel/Salesforce/Database
  • Math Skills: Basic Algebra should not be a challenge
  • Multi-Tasking: Keep track of calls, orders, and multiple other essential duties

Hours: Typically work-day hours are from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Work Remotely: Yes
Territory: Northeast Ohio

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should contact:
Joseph Moore
513.305.0700
jmoore@aebtech.com

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Room Pressure Monitoring

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This article provides a brief overview of available room pressure monitoring technologies. We will also offer some of the Do’s and Don’ts that will improve the end results for your products.  We hope that this information will be helpful in offering features and functionality to your customers.

It is our belief that a quality room pressure monitor/alarm solution will incorporate some or all of the following:

  • Technology that is Accurate, Repeatable, Low Maintenance, and Network Communication
  • Displays that clearly indicate a room’s pressure environment, alarm status, and is flexible/customizable to match your specific facility standards
  • Commission your system to confirm that monitors are installed properly and are functioning

Primary Technologies for Room Pressure Monitoring

Today there are three primary technologies for monitoring room pressure: Mechanical (Ball on the wall type sensors), Thermal or Bleed Sensing (Sense small amounts of air that passes through the device), and Differential Pressure (Pressure diaphragm that deflects to measure the pressure difference between spaces).

Below are strengths, weaknesses, and associated technologies of each.

Mechanical

    • Technology – Gravity and Pressure
    • Strengths – Inexpensive and Simple
    • Weakness – No Audible alarm, must have a visual on the device at all times, no method for communicating to the BAS

 

Thermal/Bleed Sensing

    • Technology – Thermal Dispersion/Anemometer
    • Strengths – Accurate and Repeatable
    • Weakness – Air passes through the device making it unusable for some containment areas (BSL4) and is prone to fouling from dust collection, requiring frequent maintenance.

 

 

Differential Pressure

    • Technology – Various DPT technologies exist but those using silicon diaphragms and Si-Glas technology are extremely repeatable (low drift) and additionally reduce maintenance required by recalibrations.
    • Strengths – Accurate, Repeatable and Lowest Maintenance
    • Weakness – potential drift with some DPT technologies, requiring more frequent recalibration

Note: Additional information on the Si-Glas technology may be found here.

Choose Your Display

Both the Thermal and DPT (Differential Pressure) technologies can be easily paired with monitors and electronics for communication with your BAS (Building Automation System).  However, because not all displays are created equal, this is one area where mechanical options fall considerably short.

Keep in mind that the monitor is not only the visual display but is also the primary interface on which the contractor will rely for setup – and the hospital for effective use moving forward.

While it’s difficult to dive fully into all features associated with room pressure monitor software, here are a few items to consider that can deliver tangible benefits.

  • Device Interface – Internal qwerty, internal other, external laptop required.
  • Diagnostic Screen – Quickly diagnose analog and digital inputs to the device for quick Setup and Debug.
  • Alarm Delay – Adjustable setting on length of time before the unit goes into audible alarm.  Monitor should also change color during the delay for visual confirmation of loss of room pressure.
  • Mode Communication – Mimics display status of other monitors so staff outside the room can quickly understand what’s happening inside the room.
  • BAS Interface – BACnet, Analog or other.
  • Multi-Level Passwords – Maintenance and Staff level passwords.

Room Pressure Monitor Commissioning

While specifications for pressure monitors generally cover the most important equipment features, critical information such as pressure ranges, alarm delays, and screen mode colors are often overlooked.  Incorporating this information into field drawings will provide clarification and reduce ambiguity for the contractors.

Without this information, we’ve been on projects where alarm ranges are inconsistent, screen colors are set up randomly, and alarms on pressure monitors are inactive.  To make matters worse, these oversights can easily pass inspections when conducted by one lacking monitoring experience.

The quickest and easiest way to verify that your room pressure monitor is working properly is to simply open the door.  Opening the door to a negative or positive pressurized room will drop the room pressure to 0.00. This should activate an alarm (or alarm delay).

A sensible way to improve the safety of this equipment is to add the following line into your specifications.

Additionally, setup from your equipment representative can help eliminate many nuisance alarm problems.  They will have an understanding of how the room should operate along with experience in proper monitor installation.

Types of Internal Pressure Setup (Know Your Equipment)

Establishing a relationship between the monitor and room pressure is critical, and we field more questions related to this topic than any other during field setup.

There are two ways that we can set up a room pressure relationship in a monitor – absolute or relative.  While neither is significantly better or worse than the other, it is important to understand both.

An absolute alarm setting will identify the ranges of the alarm.  For example, for a positive isolation room we may want the alarm to activate at any pressure below 0.03” WC; and we want it to stay in alarm for the rest of the range of the transmitter at -0.1 (for a ±0.1” WC transmitter). Therefore, the absolute settings for a positive isolation room we set our parameters from 0.03 to 0.1” WC.

Before going further let’s establish some relative pressures for isolation room pressure setup.

High: + 0.03
Low: – 0.1
Effective Alarm Range: – 0.1 to + 0.03

For relative alarm settings in the same positive isolation room, we use numbers that are relative to the current pressure setpoint.

Setpoint: 0.05
Over 0.05
Under 0.02
Effective Alarm Range: 0.03 to 0.1

This room pressure monitoring method initiates an alarm should the room became under or over pressurized.  Thus, providing an additional tool for potential energy savings.

If you are installing a room pressure monitoring system and are having questions or issues, most manufacturers have a Quick Start Guide that will save time and improve safety.

To help the staff quickly identify the status of each room, some monitors offer specific colors for different room MODES.  Below is the standard color scheme for Critical Room Control (CRC) monitors.

Remember

Check the alarms, check the colors, check with the staff to ensure that these safety devices are properly installed, and the alarms are active!

AEB offers this as a free service for all of our product lines. Contact us here for more information.

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BEWARE these 7 Deadly Sins of Airflow Measurement!

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Have you ever experienced an airflow measurement project that did not perform to your expectations? If so, I would be willing to bet that the problem was not easy to resolve. These types of challenges do not go away quietly or resolve themselves. The HVAC environment provides many challenges for the correct application, installation and operation of airflow measurement equipment. Thankfully, there are several technologies available that, when properly selected can perform very well.

AEB Technologies has more than 20 years of experience in the HVAC airflow industry and we have encountered many challenges in this essential application. The most important thing to remember is that airflow measurement is not a one size fits all application. We have taken our many years in the field experience to provide you with a list of the top seven most common challenges of airflow measurement. This includes why some technologies underperform, get a bad name, and otherwise have not met the expectations of the owners and designers.

Learn about these seven deadly sins of airflow measurement here.

Case Study

Ohio University

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With any project there are the expected results and often an equal dose of unexpected surprises. In building construction and maintenance, the words unanticipated or surprise are not usually what anyone wants to hear. So, when Ohio University (Athens, OH) implemented a campus-wide HVAC upgrade initiative they were expecting that future energy savings would generate a significant ROI.  What they could not foresee, however, was the $350,000 cost avoidance that their new ONICON chilled water meters would also deliver.

Ohio University Modernization

Established in 1804, Ohio University (OU) is the state’s oldest university and the country’s eighth oldest public university. In fact, the university’s Manasseh Cutler Hall was the first academic building in the Northwest Territory. Like most universities, the campus is today a mix of buildings ranging from new to very old and everything in between; all of which require efficient heating, cooling and ventilation.

In 2017 a $1.2 million campus-wide metering project was launched. The program called for retrofitting approximately twenty housing, classroom, and administration buildings with metering systems to monitor domestic hot water and cold water, chilled water, steam, condensate, natural gas and some electricity.

Installing energy systems for new constructions is one thing; but retrofitting drafty older buildings is a whole other animal. Many were simply not constructed to accommodate and leverage today’s modern systems.  Selecting the right equipment, suppliers and partners would go a long way in determining the program’s success.

Meter Selection

Because of the scope of the project, a wide variety of meters would be required. Multiple manufacturers were considered; but in the end ONICON was awarded the contract through fair bidding practices while meeting all university requirements. At the same time the company offers first-rate local support and has a reputation for reliability and system integration.

“I knew from experience that ONICON offered quality products, which is important,” explained Claire Naisby, Ohio University Building Systems Integrations Manager.  “But just as essential is the fact that the meters operate well in the BACnet world.  The seamless interface with our Delta and Tridium controls simplifies implementation and upkeep significantly.”

ONICON meter types selected for the project include:

  • ONICON F-3100/F-3200 chilled and hot water meters
  • ONICON F-5500 natural gas meters
  • ONICON F-2600 condensate meter
  • ONICON System-10 BTU Meters
  • ONICON D-100 Network Displays

Advanced Energy & Building Technologies, Inc. (AEB – ONICON Ohio Representative) assisted with meter selection and helped ensure that equipment was properly installed and operated correctly.  Representing many leading manufacturers, AEB specializes in commercial HVAC instrumentation and controls. The company provides several market-leading technologies and related services that are essential to the design of today’s modern building designs; and in this case, retrofitting older buildings.

Moving forward, AEB will assist OU as needed to keep the meters operational and communicating. Reliable ONICON meters are durable and, as with the company’s complete line of air monitoring products, include a one-year no fault warranty.  While quantifiable data is not yet available from OU, it is safe to say that ONICON meters are delivering expected results with energy savings, more accurate billing, and a measurement for tracking and improving efficiency.

Unexpected Savings: Chilled Water System

In addition to anticipated energy savings, this metering project delivered some huge and unexpected cost-saving benefits. In the Midwest, where heat and humidity can persist for weeks at a time, maintaining comfortable and safe conditions throughout large campus buildings can be challenging.  For students, faculty and staff, college life is demanding enough without the added discomfort and distraction that comes with excessive heat. Consequently, diagnosing cooling issues must be fast and accurate in order to maintain acceptable temperatures.

Since the ONICON metering has been installed, energy distribution and water flow has improved measurably throughout campus – which was expected. An unexpected benefit, however, was the considerable improvement in manpower required to respond to and repair heating and cooling issues.  With local access to real-time flow and temperature data, OU facilities teams have been able to improve the time that it normally takes to diagnose issues and begin corrective action.

“In addition to time and energy savings we’re finding significant advantages with our ONICON meters in chilled water applications,” added Naisby. “We recently used our meters to find closed chilled water valves scattered across the campus.  While this might sound trite, the result was a cost avoidance of hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

All OU classroom, business and residential buildings are served by two (East and West) chilled water stations.  When the East Station unexpectedly went down, a decision was made to implement a single loop cooling process. This would allow the West chiller station to temporarily supply cooling for the entire campus while repairs were made to the East station. However, as the heat and humidity rose so did temperature sensors and complaints from building occupants. It was clear that there were problems with the single loop alternative.  Because the university could not operate without cooling, there was a very real possibility that a temporary water chiller would be needed for the summer. Renting and installing such equipment would come at a hefty $350,000 price tag.

“Fortunately, prior to securing a chiller, we were able to use our front-end flow and energy dashboards to detect that something wasn’t right in the flow from the East chiller plant,” said Naisby. “Upon closer inspection it was discovered that multiple valves across campus had been closed. Once this was determined the task shifted to locate and open those valves as quickly as possible.  With the help of our ONICON meters we were able to do just that.  As a result, we were free to implement the single loop cooling solution, focus time and resources on repairing the East chiller station, and avoid all costs associated with temporary chiller rental and installation.”

Integrating data from the Onicon CHW meter and System-10 computers, Ohio University’s Chilled Water Summary page displays building chilled water temperatures and flows across campus.

(Graphics developed by student assistants, Justin Rollins and Katie McDonald.)

Surprises are rarely welcomed news for any project; especially when the investment tops a million dollars. But Ohio University’s newly installed ONICON meters are delivering unexpected and sustained benefits. 

Case Study

Parking Garage: Dayton Public Library

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Parking garages might seem like a simple, low-tech construction; and comparatively speaking most are. However, because the structure is meant to house automobiles and similar gasoline-powered vehicles, there are related hazards that must be accounted for.  So, when Ohio’s Dayton Public Library wanted to ensure the safety of patrons in its new multi-story parking garage, AEB Technologies stepped in to help.

Dangerous Fumes

Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) are two of the most abundant and dangerous airborne contaminants found in parking structures.  Serious life-threatening health risks occur when the accumulation of one or more of these gasses exceeds acceptable levels.  Consequently air quality must be continually and reliably monitored.  When toxins accumulate – quick response is nothing short of critical.

Because of the importance to accurately monitor air quality and provide high-level alerts, the building controls contractor was prepared to make a significant investment to ensure the safety of the garage patrons. What they would find, however, was a more reliable and cost-effective solution.

Air Monitoring

The contractor needed a system that would continually and reliably:

  • Sample the air throughout all levels and areas of the structure
  • Automatically initiate the start-up of fans and/or other air moving equipment as needed
  • Activate sirens and/or other warning sources if dangerous levels persisted

According to project specifications, a pump-driven sequential sampling system consisting of twelve sensors would be installed to draw and sample air.  Two possible manufacturers were listed as options for supplying such a system.  In the end however, neither option would prove to offer the optimum solution.

A Linear Approach?

AEB recognized that such a system was neither the most effective nor cost-effective solution. The company’s Vice President, John Downing had a better solution in mind.

“Sequential air sampling systems are inherently slow and costly,” explained Downing.  “The linear aspect of such systems means that the sampling cycle is measured in terms of minutes.  And when dealing with CO or NO2, every second is critical.”

Furthermore the proposed air monitoring system was dependent on pumps which, with their moving parts, require frequent maintenance and will eventually fail.

A More Reliable, Cost-Effective Solution

AEB proposed a system from the gas detection experts, Critical Environmental Technology (CET).  Founded in 1995, CET is a leading global manufacturer of gas detection systems, including self-contained systems, controllers and transmitters, and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitors.

The point-to-point system utilizes an open BACnet control system integrated through a building control dashboard. And, because the electric/battery back-up powered system does not rely on a pump, it is reliable and requires little maintenance. Most importantly, the non-sequential system provides instantaneous air quality readings.

What’s more, the CET air monitoring system was installed at a cost significantly less than the sequential system in the original building specifications.  This equated to a cost savings of approximately $15,000 to $20,000 on the project.

Results

Today the Dayton Public Library is home to a modern parking garage offering safe and reliable air monitoring.  Thanks to AEB and CET, building owners and patrons alike can rest assured knowing that the quality of air within the structure is being continually and effectively monitored.

Case Study

Saving Time and Costs with AEB Technologies & TAMCO

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In hospitals and other wellness facilities, heating and cooling inefficiencies have a direct bearing on the comfort, health and well-being of patients and visitors alike. Additionally, energy costs associated with the inefficient heating/cooling of such massive facilities can quickly add up.  So when HVAC control and reliability became a problem at one of the country’s most respected Ohio-based hospitals, AEB stepped in to help.

Challenges

Because the facility’s aging air handling system was becoming increasingly inefficient, wild temperature variations of anywhere from 8 to 15 degrees off set-point were common.

This inefficiency resulted in:

  • Noticeably uncomfortable conditions for hospital patients, staff and visitors
  • Continuous adjustments to controls and equipment by maintenance staff
  • Excessive heating/cooling costs

Not only were energy and money being wasted; but the facility’s maintenance staff was constantly called in during off hours or away from other duties to make adjustments to the control units and dampers.  And so, when an opportunity to upgrade the dampers arose, the hospital knew exactly where they would turn for the solution.

Solution: AEB & TAMCO Dampers

AEB was awarded the project to retrofit the hospital facility with new dampers. TAMCO low-leakage airfoil blade dampers are aluminum constructed and completely maintenance-free for 20 years. As TAMCO’s authorized Ohio representative, AEB worked with the hospital to plan and carry out the project.

“TAMCO certainly has a reputation for quality and we’ve always had good experience with their dampers,” said the hospital’s facility manager. “They seal up tight with precise and smooth functionality. For us, the choice to rely on AEB and TAMCO was a no-brainer.”

Results

Today, following renovation, uncontrollable temperature swings are a thing of the past. “The difference is nothing short of incredible,” said the client. “Today we set a temperature and know with confidence that throughout our facilities will be within plus or minus one-tenth of a degree.”

Aside from obvious comfort improvements, the new dampers are delivering a fast return on investment.  In addition to lower energy costs, cost-savings can also be tied to labor. “Because of the reliable performance of the new tightly sealing TAMCO units we no longer waste time, money and resources continually making adjustments to the dampers,” explained the client.  “This eliminates overtime costs and allows us to focus our resources and attention in other areas.”

And what was the client’s experience with AEB? “AEB was extremely professional and responsive throughout the entire project.  As an example, because of a contractor error one of the damper units needed to be remade.  AEB worked to get the replacement unit turned around very quickly.”

 

Blog

AEB & TAMCO: Slashing Energy Costs

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Accurate and reliable temperature control is important in any building complex as even minor variances can result in uncomfortable working conditions and excessive energy costs. But when such issues affect hospitals or other types of wellness centers, problems are more than a minor inconvenience.  Heating and cooling inefficiencies have a direct bearing on the comfort, health and wellbeing of patients and visitors alike. Additionally, energy costs associated with the inefficient heating/cooling of such massive facilities can quickly add up.  So when HVAC control and reliability became a problem at one of the country’s most respected Ohio-based hospitals, AEB and TAMCO stepped in to help.

Challenges

Because the facility’s aging air handling system was becoming increasingly unreliable and inefficient, wild temperature variations of anywhere from 8 to 15 degrees off set-point were the norm.  This resulted in:

  • Noticeably uncomfortable conditions for hospital patients, staff and visitors
  • Continuous adjustments to controls and equipment by maintenance staff
  • Excessive heating/cooling costs

Not only were energy and money being wasted; but the facility’s maintenance staff was constantly being called in during off hours or taken away from other duties to make adjustments to the control units and dampers. And so, when an opportunity to upgrade the dampers arose, the hospital knew exactly who they would turn to for the solution.

Air Leakage

It is not uncommon for outside air handling systems to experience some level of leakage.  But as equipment ages, gaps develop creating leaks or allowing outside air to invade the system. In a relatively short period of time this loss of hot or cold air will become exponentially greater further straining equipment and resources while taking a toll on energy cost. HVAC problems are not uncommon in older large buildings and have a detrimental and unrecoverable cost to the bottom line of any company.

“Air drawn from the outside must be conditioned prior to circulation; and this costs money,” explained AEB Technologies President, Joseph Moore. “Some estimates put this cost at $5 per cubic foot. Now, multiply that by the size of today’s sprawling facilities and you can see why companies are taking air handling equipment upgrades very seriously.”  Specializing in commercial HVAC instrumentation and controls, AEB is an Ohio-based company representing market-leading technologies essential to the design of today’s high performance building designs.

A typical damper in need of replacement may experience a leak rate of somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 or so cubic feet per minute.  Multiply this by just a 3’ by 3’ foot opening and the result will be 1,350 cfm of leakage.  At a square foot cost of $5, that’s nearly $7,000 of savings that a reliable damper can deliver. While this is certainly significant, AEB has seen even greater energy savings.

“There was a recent example of a damper in Chicago leaking at a rate of 230 cubic foot per minute per square foot.  Basically the broken damper was stuck to an open position. This 5’ by 5’ opening resulted in 5750 cfm of leakage or about $28,750 additional energy cost. Regardless of the size of the facility, it’s not hard to see the quick payback of a damper system upgrade.”

“A building’s air handling system is only as strong as its weakest link,” concluded Moore. “While dampers and actuators may not represent the same level of investment as rotating equipment, for example, they can quickly negate the efficient operation of the entire system when not functioning properly. When you consider wasted energy costs, quality dampers are clearly worth the investment.”

New TAMCO Dampers

AEB stepped in to bid on a project to retrofit the hospital facility with new dampers. TAMCO low-leakage airfoil blade dampers are aluminum constructed and completely maintenance-free for 20 years. “TAMCO certainly has a good reputation for quality and we’ve always had good experience with their dampers,” said the hospital’s facility manager. “They seal up tight with precise and smooth functionality. For us the choice was a no-brainer.”

Measurable Results

Today, following renovation, uncontrollable temperature swings are a thing of the past at this hospital. “The difference is nothing short of incredible,” said the client. “Today with our pulse DDC (Direct Digital Control) system HVAC functionality is automated and reliable. We set a temperature and know with confidence that throughout our facilities will be within plus or minus 1/10 of a degree.”

Aside from the obvious comfort improvements, the new damper system was delivering significant savings in other areas. In addition to lower energy costs, cost-savings can also be tied to manpower. “Because of the reliable performance of the new tightly sealing TAMCO units we no longer waste time, money and resources continually making adjustments to the dampers,” explained the client.  “This allows us to focus our resources and attention in other areas.”

And what was the client’s experience with AEB? “AEB was extremely professional and responsive throughout the entire project.  As an example, because of a contractor error one of the damper units needed to be remade.  AEB worked to get the replacement unit turned around very quickly.”

 

 

 

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BLOG: Q&A with… Steve Duerkop (Part 1)

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A thirty-year HVAC industry veteran, Steve is Vice President of Sales for Critical Room Control (CRC). Having spent several years of his career as a manufacturer’s rep, Steve knows first-hand the key role that AEB and similar companies play in delivering reliable solutions and helping CRC to reach its sales goals. Here is part 1 of our Q&A with Steve Duerkop.


Can you tell us a little about CRC?
Duerkop: “CRC is an industry leading provider of critical environment airflow control and monitoring systems providing solutions for the critical Laboratory, Healthcare Pharmaceutical and Clean Manufacturing environments. With a global network of sales representatives CRC systems are at work in many of the world’s leading research laboratories, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and educational institutions.”

So what makes CRC different?
Duerkop: “There are a number of things that set us apart.  First, we offer a total, scalable solution designed to meet the unique requirements of our clients – from lab pressure monitors to completely integrated room control systems. Something else that makes us unique is the non-proprietary communication design of our products. This open protocol platform provides customers the freedom to manage their critical systems eliminating the delay and expense of involving outside experts.”

Next up: Part 2

Case Study

Cleveland Clinic

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With more than 12 million sq. ft. of facility space including 13 regional hospitals and nearly 20 healthcare clinics, Cleveland Clinic is recognized as one of the world’s largest and most respected healthcare providers. Maintaining a sterile environment in 215+ operating rooms 24/7 was expensive; and so the organization set out to reduce costs without compromising patient safety.

Goals

To ensure a sterile environment medical gas is cycled through operating rooms at 20 changes per hour – all day every day. Cleveland Clinic sought to lower energy consumption by reducing air changes to 6 changes per hour during extended downtimes. This would cut costs dramatically while at the same time allowing safety and sustainability goals to be met.

Challenge

  • The OR staff needed assurance that a procedure would never begin in a room with less than 20 air changes per hour.
  • Doctors were concerned that air quality monitoring equipment would be complicated and an unwanted distraction.
  • Infection Control needed assurance of a sterile environment.
  • The solution had to effectively monitor air conditions, be easy to use, and interface with controllers and building management system.

Solution

Bridging the needs of facilities with those of the staff hinged on the ability to easily and effectively monitor air quality conditions. Following a 6 month evaluation of every major environmental airflow monitoring and controls solution providers, AEB Technologies together with Critical Room Control (CRC) environmental air-flow monitors and controls were selected. From a trial installation through project implementation, AEB was there every step of the way to help design, test, and validate the new system.

Results

While enterprise-wide implementation remains underway, its safe to say that the initiative is already delivering measurable results.

  • Reducing air change-over during extended downtimes was done safely without affecting the sterile OR environment.
  • Monitors are easy to use and allow air quality conditions to be confirmed at a glance.
  • Energy use was slashed from 432 kbtu/ft2 to 425 kbtu/ft2.
  • Energy savings associated with fewer air change-overs, fan horsepower, heating/cooling costs is resulting in a cost savings of approximately $12,000 each year per OR.

“We’re extremely pleased with the results and AEB was great to work with,” explained George Thomas, Enterprise Building Automation Manager at Cleveland Clinic. “The CRC system integrates seamlessly with our multiple controllers including Siemens, JCI and others while interfacing seamlessly with Tridium Niagara – our building management system.”