Like most major cities in the U.S., Philadelphia is enacting energy policies to ensure its sustainable future. The office of sustainability has announced the objective of providing clean, affordable energy to all Philadelphians, with the long-term goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80% and utilizing 100% clean electric energy by 2050. So, what does this […]

The Burns special projects team recently completed a delicate HVAC upgrade to a fully functional 24/7 clean room data center. Through a clever re-piping and phasing plan we were able to significantly boost system redundancy and efficiency, while keeping the facility online without interruption throughout the retrofit process.   Highlights: Pre- and post-project installed cooling […]

Written By Dan Kerr (President, Burns Mechanical, Inc.)   Keeping an eye on becoming a sustainable model for cities of the future, the Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) has taken the lead role to initiate an emerging 2030 District for the City of Philadelphia. Targeting building energy use, water conservation, and transportation issues, the […]

            Hospitals face ever-increasing scrutiny from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). We’re finding that enforcement of healthcare related critical space environmental standards are accelerating the capital planning timeline of HVAC upgrades, with a specific emphasis on air handling unit replacements. Air handler replacements are rarely cheap […]

In our concluding post on implementing a winter HVAC plan, we focus on Chilled Water and Hot Water Coils, Economizers, and Data Centers. As mentioned in Part 1 where we covered Cooling Towers and Closed Circuit Coolers, HVAC systems require special attention to ensure they are protected throughout the bitter cold months. There are a […]

With the Winter season fast approaching, HVAC systems require special attention to ensure they are protected throughout the bitter cold months. There are a few important considerations that should be part of the winter maintenance plan to ensure your employees, tenants and customers are provided with a comfortable environment. While winterizing HVAC systems for commercial […]

Since challenging ourselves to fund some clients’ HVAC maintenance costs through energy savings, we’re finding that operationally focused maintenance practices produce measurable outcomes. In one case, we reduced a client’s total facility energy use by 27% during the first six months of enhanced maintenance, raising their Energy Star score from 28 to 60 without the benefit […]

If the Philadelphia Energy Action Team (GPEAT) fulfills its vision of connecting the Marcellus and Utica shale gas reserves to a Philadelphia Energy Hub, the region’s healthcare, university, hospitality and industrial sectors would stand to benefit through large scale deployment of CHP clean energy plants. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) or Cogeneration is becoming the […]

Recently, I was asked at a networking event about the practice of annual coil cleanings. An owner inquired if he should be having the mechanical contractor clean the evaporator and condenser coils at his multiple office buildings every year. My inclination was to simply say yes! Of course! However, in truth, there are some factors […]

As new project delivery methods slowly get introduced to the Philadelphia region’s traditional construction market, I thought I’d share insights gleaned from a recently completed research project. Penn State and the University of Colorado Boulder recently collaborated on a two-year study of 200 capital facility projects. Sponsored by the Charles Pankow Foundation and the Construction […]