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At the heart of every building are the
mechanical and electrical systems that consume energy with a voracious
appetite. For example, the HVAC system is the single largest user
of energy in commercial buildings, accounting for more than 50 percent
of the total energy consumption in most buildings. Close behind is
the building's electrical system, which is increasingly complex and
power-intensive with the sensitive electronics and computer systems
being used in commercial and industrial buildings today.
The right tune-up and load reduction
measures, energy-efficient retrofits, and proper operation and maintenance
can reduce energy use and increase system reliability and efficiency
significantly. EMR's wealth of engineering expertise can help you
find the solutions to achieve these greater efficiencies. Look to
us to evaluate, design, maintain, and manage your mechanical and electrical
systems and equipment, whether you're modernizing or renovating your
commercial, industrial, institutional, or governmental facility. We
can work with you to upgrade equipment or to reengineer major systems,
and we can even help commission your systems to ensure that they operate
as intended.
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| ...Mechanical
Expertise |
- Feasibility studies of energy-efficient
technologies
- Energy-efficient and renewable energy
technology applications
- Mechanical systems design and specification
- Central chiller, boiler and steam plant
evaluation
- Automated control systems
- Indoor air quality assessment
- Thermal energy storage systems
- Zone and pressure control systems design
- Commercial refrigeration systems
- Thermal energy storage systems
- Life-cycle cost analysis
- Construction management
- Building commissioning
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| ...Electrical
Expertise |
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- Electrical systems design and specification
- Power quality assessment
- System and equipment grounding
- Power conditioning and harmonic mitigation
- Uninterruptible power supply
- Power factor correction
- Time overcurrent coordination studies
- Motor and process controls
- Emergency and standby power systems
- Regulatory compliance and code review
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| ...Projects |
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ENERGY
STAR
Showcase Buildings
Support
EMR provided design and engineering analysis support to 19 of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Showcase Buildings program
partners to help them implement energy-efficient technologies in their
buildings. The project involved upgrading buildings within two years
in the areas of lighting, building envelope, HVAC distribution systems,
heating and cooling plants, energy management systems, and operations
and maintenance programs. EMR's support included providing window film
analyses, evaluating severe negative pressure design problems that required
the troubleshooting of air-handling units, examining the cost and energy
benefits of using gas-absorption versus electric chillers, reviewing
and commenting on the combustion performance testing conducted on boilers,
lighting design, and occupancy sensor savings analyses, and developing
and evaluating equipment specifications.
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GSA
Central Steam Plant Analysis
EMR analyzed the operation and history
of the U.S. General Services Administration's Heating Operation and
Transmission District to recommend alternative options for providing
steam to the district's customers over the next 25 years. As part
of this work, EMR performed a value engineering study of 13 options
and narrowed the options to 5. We then performed a detailed analysis
on these options, focusing on net investment life-cycle cost, reliability,
and environmental compliance. Final recommendations were based on
the most practical and profitable options.
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HVAC
System Analysis Design and Modifications
At the GSA's multiple-tenant Wilbur Cohen Building in Washington,
D.C., EMR was tasked with determining deficiencies in the building's
HVAC system. EMR surveyed the existing area, measured and recorded
the amount of supply air from existing diffusers and the fan motor
volt/amp and static pressure, developed an as-built drawing depicting
the existing conditions, and made recommendations on modifications
to ensure that the system meets accepted industry standards for office
space air-conditioning and ventilation.
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NASA
Geothermal Heat Pump Feasibility Study
EMR determined the economic and technical feasibility of applying
geothermal heat pump technology at existing National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) facilities in a study that included a
detailed overview of how the technology works as well as the different
types of ground loop connections that can be configured to implement
this technology. A detailed case study exploring the installation
of a geothermal heat pump at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Building
88 in Maryland accompanies the report and covers heat pump selection,
loop design, and life-cycle cost analysis.
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Cool
Storage Assessment Study
For the Potomac Electric Power company,
EMR performed a cost evaluation of selected cool storage system. This
study was carried out in two phases: Phase I used the DOE-2 computer
program and evaluated the initial and annual maintenance costs and electrical
demand for major refrigeration components of two ice storage systems:
a chilled water storage system and a conventional air-conditioning system
using a central chilled water plant. The objective of Phase I was to
identify the cost difference between major cool storage systems and
those associated with a conventional system. Phase II's objective was
to compare one cool storage system (ice-builder system employing low
temperature air distribution) to a conventional cooling system.
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Power
Quality Reference Guide
The National Electrical Contractors Association and the Electric Power
Research Institute asked EMR to provide comprehensive guidance on
power quality fundamentals and recommended practices. The guide gives
an overview of electrical wiring systems commonly used in commercial
and industrial facilities, examines the fundamentals of power quality,
and describes the sources of power disturbances and the characteristics
of typical loads. Recommendations and criteria for the proper design
and installation of wiring and power distribution equipment are offered
to control and eliminate power quality problems and to achieve the
successful, reliable operation of sensitive electronic equipment.
And a discussion on mitigation devices such as noise and harmonic
current filters, line voltage regulators, power line conditioners,
uninterruptible and standby power supplies is included.
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World-wide
Electrical Services
Under a multiyear contract, EMR is partnering with Black & Veatch
to provide electrical engineering services to the U.S. Department
of State, Foreign Building Operations. The electrical engineering
services involve renovations, additions, upgrades, and demolition
in embassies, consulates, communication centers, residences, recreational,
and other buildings around the world. EMR's experts will conduct electrical
site surveys, test and evaluate existing electrical equipment, study
short circuit protection, overcurrent protection, energy conservation,
load utilization, power factor, and voltage/frequency/current, design
uninterruptible power systems, and produce electrical designs and
construction documents.
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Testing
of Circuit Breakers Under Harmonic Conditions
To establish guidelines for the application of circuit breakers operating
in conjunction with harmonic currents, EMR developed a test protocol
and conducted this test for the U.S. Amry Corps of Engineers, Construction
Engineering Research Laboratories. This project involved the testing
of circuit breakers rated under 600 amperes and 600 volts under varying
nonlinear loading conditions. The results include data on harmonic
current distortion for voltage and current, frequency, trip time,
voltage, and current waveforms, temperature, phase angle, root mean
square voltage and current, and phase angle variations. The results
of the test were used to prepare the Power System Harmonics Report,
which provides information on power system harmonics to engineers
and technicians who install, operate, troubleshoot, and maintain AC
power systems.
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Systems
and Equipment Grounding
EMR prepared a research report that offers an overview of system grounding
and safety concerns covered in the National Electrical Code. Topics
discussed include grounding existing ungrounded systems, static and
lighting protection, ground fault protection, and testing for effective
grounding.
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Power
Quality Reference Guide
The National Electrical Contractors Association and the Electric Power
Research Institute asked EMR to provide comprehensive guidance on
power quality fundamentals and recommended practices. The guide gives
an overview of electrical wiring systems commonly used in commercial
and industrial facilities, examines the fundamentals of power quality,
and describes the sources of power disturbances and the characteristics
of typical loads. Recommendations and criteria for the proper design
and installation of wiring and power distribution equipment are offered
to control and eliminate power quality problems and to achieve the
successful, reliable operation of sensitive electronic equipment.
And a discussion on mitigation devices such as noise and harmonic
current filters, line voltage regulators, power line conditioners,
uninterruptible and standby power supplies is included.
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Selecting Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts for
Retrofit
EMR conducted a technical study for the U.S. Department of the Army
Construction Engineering Research Laboratories to test and analyze
available fluorescent lamp and ballast systems and to formulate an
approach for selecting and implementing the retrofit technology. The
study included evaluating test results of selected fluorescent lamp
and ballast systems performed by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
The information collected from these investigations were used to develop
an understanding of fluorescent lamp and ballast performance characteristics
and a stepped procedure for the selection of the most effective retrofit
system for a given installation.
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Copyright © 2003 Enviro-Management & Research, Inc.
5500 Cherokee Avenue, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22312
Tel. 703/766-2670 Fax 703/766-2674
E-mail Webmaster at getinfo@emrinc.com
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