The two-story field house includes a new football team locker room, a gymnasium with three full-length courts for basketball and volleyball, athletic offices, large boys and girls varsity locker rooms, a fitness room, a dance studio, a classroom and an alumni room.

Energy Air completed the HVAC scope of work for the facility including the installation of rooftop air conditioning units, split systems, VAVs, low pressure duct and return air duct.

Some of the design changes implemented that were proposed by Energy Air are listed below.

• Change RTU-1 from Trane Intellipak to a 40 ton-Voyager RTU
• Change RTU-2 and RTU-3 from Trane Intellipaks to 35-ton Morganizers
• Delete ERVs associated with RTU-2 and RTU-3 serving the Gym
• Change RTU-7 to 15-ton Morganizer with bolt-on ERV
• Change all low-pressure supply and return sheet metal ductwork to 1.5” antimicrobial fiberglass ductwork
• Provide fabric ductwork for gymnasium supply ductwork
• Reduce controls

As construction professionals, it is crucial to educate your owners about the importance of maintaining their equipment. Do they know that most warranties don’t cover failures to the system caused by lack of maintenance? Problems caused by dirty filters, dirty drains and drain pans, loose belts, dirty coils, etc. are not covered under the equipment’s warranty. These maintenance items are the owner’s responsibility and can result in expensive repairs if not done regularly.

We know how much upfront work is done to land a job. Add to that the preplanning, scheduling, staging, implementation and execution, and you and your team have invested a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears to ensure a satisfied customer. You want your owner to love the final product beyond move-in. And while punch-out and close-out occur prior to move-in, six months later, you’ll still get calls if something is not operating correctly. If an owner invests in something new, no matter how large or small, they expect that equipment to last. This is why it is so important to help them understand what they are personally responsible for. While many owners will say they understand the maintenance requirements of their equipment, once they take over the building, certain tasks begin to slip. We run into this every single day.

Often referred to as a “snot snake,” this sludge was recently pulled from a dirty drain line while an Energy Air Service Technician was on a repair call.

Encourage your owners to secure a maintenance agreement up front. Aside from helping to reduce the need for repairs and extending the overall life of the equipment, there are many benefits of planned maintenance. Keeping the HVAC equipment maintained will help your owner reduce overall operating costs – something every owner is hoping to do these days. Regular maintenance can also help improve indoor air quality. The comfort level of an owner’s tenants is extremely important. Something as simple as regular filter changes during allergy season can help improve productivity and worker satisfaction. Securing a maintenance agreement can also oftentimes help owners save money in the event a repair or service is needed. Like Energy Air, most companies will offer a parts and labor discount for their planned maintenance customers. At Energy Air, we even offer priority scheduling and no overtime rates for emergency service calls as additional perks.

General contractors are in a unique position to act as a valuable resource by educating the owner about the best way to properly manage their investment. With so much going on at the close of a new building, it can oftentimes be overwhelming. But small steps taken now can have a huge impact on the condition of the equipment for years to come. Encourage your owners to secure a maintenance agreement upfront to ensure they are protecting their investment the best way possible.

Located near the Mall at Millennia, this 22-building neighborhood has been undergoing a massive renovation with a complete makeover including new roofs, paint (inside and out), carpet, cabinets, counters, appliances and all new A/C systems. The apartment complex is near 100% capacity, so all work had to be coordinated with the tenants’ schedules, which limited our hours on the premises. We came across numerous challenges to stage and complete the job, but with teamwork and great organization, the Energy Air team pulled it off. This included pre-planning and staging of equipment and scheduling of deliveries by our warehouse over an eight-week period. With the help of our purchasing department, we were able to coordinate with our vendor to customize the packaging of grilles to create logistical efficiencies. This vital step helped the team prep the job quickly so that installers could “grab-and go” once we received the green light to start construction. Our residential installation team worked within the 10-week timeframe to complete this entire job. The biggest challenge was to complete two units each per day, within a limited timeframe. Whatever unit was started had to be finished before the end of the day.

In addition to completing the installation within the tight schedule, our A/C installers helped the tenants better understand how the systems work. They took the time to educate those living in the units that flammable containers, such as gas cans, should not be stored in the air handler closets because of the possible dangers to their family.

We know that any time work is done in an occupied home, it is an inconvenience to those living there. Our goal was to make the interruption as minimal as possible. We accomplished this thanks to the great teamwork of the Energy Air residential group.

Mechanical systems installed will include three water-cooled chillers, two cooling towers, one condenser water filter system, seven water-cooled, self-contained air conditioners, 10 computer room AC’s, 27 chilled water fan coil units, 170 variable air volume systems, six pumps, one air separator, one expansion tank, eight fans, four electric heaters, one electric duct heater, air distribution, fire, fire/smoke and motor operated dampers, internally and externally insulated ductwork, 14 variable frequency drives and a controls system.

The general contractor for the project is Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors.

Learn more about Energy Air’s BIM experience.

Learn more about Energy Air’s office building project experience.

The Energy Air commercial team worked seven days a week and into the night to accommodate the owner. The logistics of working in a high-profile, downtown building required upfront coordination, including securing permits for road closures to lift the equipment 130-feet high onto the roof with a crane. The scope also required our team to install hot taps to tie into the existing chilled water lines. Our team started work on Saturday, February 18, and working on the weekends, was able to set both of the chillers by noon on the following Saturday. Start-up for the first chiller was complete on midnight Monday, and by midnight Tuesday, the second chiller was running. Great job to the Energy Air team for excellent coordination and a smooth execution of this project. In addition to the original scope, we recently received a request from the project’s general contractor, J.H. Sultenfuss Inc., to provide new, 16” welded steel piping to relocate the exhaust for three of the existing generators on the roof, as required for the chillers.

“This was a great job done by all involved. Energy Air’s team was the finest I’ve witnessed in quite some time.” Richard Sultenfuss, J.H. Sultenfuss, Inc.

Bridenbaugh brings with him more than 18 years of Energy Air experience as well as a vast knowledge of the commercial heating and air conditioning industry. His primary role is to lead the sales efforts of Energy Air’s Orlando and Tampa area offices.

“Dave was an integral part in building this company to become one of the top and most respected HVAC contractors in central Florida,” said Jeff Kulp, Energy Air Corporate Vice President. “We’re happy to have him back on the Energy Air team.”

Dave has more than 36 years’ experience in all aspects of construction phases. His specialties include oversight of engineering for design-build projects and cost-consulting at the preconstruction stage.

When the Energy Air team started work in June 2011, we were given the lead coordination role. Because of the concerted effort by our CAD department, led Scott Murphy and Crystal Byrd, we were able to develop a 3D design that was workable for all trades.

Our team overcame multiple challenges throughout the project through effective communication, planning and coordination.

All on-site deliveries had to be coordinated and scheduled with the contractor. The project was bordered by busy city streets, and the size of the site did not allow for onsite parking, staging or product lay-down areas. Because of Energy Air’s pre-fabrication capabilities and the support from Jason Tighe, Jeremiah Peterson, Jim Mikel and Donna Zeak, we were able to overcome the difficulties presented.   

The majority of equipment and piping material was installed on the roof, requiring upfront coordination to obtain access from adjacent businesses for early-morning/late-night crane sets.

The 25,000-pound chiller, two custom Trane air handling units, weighing a combined 28,000 pounds, and all remaining equipment were set on the roof by crane. This was successfully accomplished because of the Safety, Rigging and Execution Plan that was carried out by Carlos Ferrer and Roberto Aquino.

Our installation team did an exceptional job managing the challenge of extremely tight and congested interior build-out conditions. The project included a unique mixture of exposed, concealed, lay-in, wood and gypsum architectural ceilings and finishes.

Mechanical systems installed include (1) 350-ton A/C chiller, (2) rooftop air handling units, (3) mini splits, (1) computer room unit, (2) MRIs, fume exhaust hoods, a kitchen grease hood system, (5) rooftop exhaust fans and a Trane energy management system. The duct systems were comprised of exposed/concealed round and oval spiral, rectangular sheetmetal, welded stainless, aluminum and flex ductwork.

Installed mechanical value: Approximately $1.4 million
General contractor: Brasfield & Gorrie

Learn more about Energy Air’s LEED projects.

Energy Air, Inc., recently named fourth largest specialty contractor in central Florida, has completed the heating and air conditioning system installation for numerous LEED projects, including those built according to LEED Platinum, Gold, Silver and Certification design standards. The company has LEED Accredited engineering and project management professionals on staff. Learn more about Energy Air’s LEED project experience.

As we close out 2011 and move on to a fresh new year, it’s a time to look back and recognize the accomplishments of our team. We’re proud to share with you below some of these key milestones for 2011.

• We graduated 38 students from our in-house Florida Air Conditioning Training Program (FACT) at a graduation celebration on April 22, 2011.
• Energy Air, Inc. was honored with the prestigious Excellence in Construction Eagle Award for our work at Edgewater High School.
• We received two Excellence in Construction Awards of Merit for our work at the IKEA project in Tampa and the Gander Academy in Lake Mary.
• We were ranked as the fourth largest Specialty Contractor in central Florida by the Orlando Business Journal, and we ranked No. 31 on ENRSoutheast’s Top Specialty Contractors list.
• We once again achieved the Gold level for Associated Builders and Contractors of Central Florida’s Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP).
• Our residential division was recognized by Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) as a participant in the Quality Assured (QA) Program, which recognizes professional HVAC companies that install heating and cooling systems in support of the ENERGY STAR for Qualified New Homes program.
• We ranked No. 41 on Orlando Business Journal’s list of the Golden 100: Central Florida’s Largest Privately Held Companies.
• We once again received a prestigious Four Star TEAM award from Associated Builders and Contractors of Central Florida.
• We’ve been able to contribute to many local charities that have touched the lives of our employees, as well as families and individuals in our community.

While we celebrate these many accomplishments, through reflection, we also realize this year was met with many challenges. It is with great thanks to the hard-working Energy Air Team, our clients, vendors and suppliers that we have remained stable through this economic downturn. 

As the time of this draft, news has been released that the unemployment rate has fallen in many states. We are hopeful for a continued positive outlook. An election year brings about a sense of uncertainty, but there are many owners that are ready to take advantage of prime conditions for building. We hope we are the contractor of choice as these projects progress.

Remember that Energy Air has an in-house design department for design-build/assist projects and a full CAD team for BIM/3D modeling. Our preconstruction team has a complete database of pricing available, so please contact us for any budgeting needs.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012.

Now through December 16th!
In place of a tree competition this year, the Energy Air team is hosting a charity drive for Loaves & Fishes in Apopka.

If you’d like to help out, please click here for more information or scroll down for a list of items needed. We’ll be accepting donations at our office located at 5401 Energy Air Court, Orlando, FL 32810 until December 16, 2011.

Loaves & Fishes will help approximately 750 families with gifts and holiday food baskets this year. Learn more about Loaves & Fishes in Apopka.

Currently Loaves & Fishes is in desperate need of basic items such as:

Canned Foods (ex. soup, tuna)
Rice
Boxed Dinners (ex. Hamburger Helper and Mac and Cheese)
Pasta
Dry / Packaged Soup
Turkeys
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Chicken
Instant Potatoes
Ham
Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing
Gravy
Yams
Canned Fruit

Holiday items they are in need of include:

Toothbrushes & Toothpaste
Razors & Shaving Cream
Shampoo and Conditioner
Body Soap
Socks (Men’s and Women’s)
Blankets
Ball caps
Jackets
Gifts for younger children such as: Books, Stuffed Animals, Toys, Pajamas, Coloring Books and Crayons
Craft kits (everything included)
Teen gifts such as: Basketballs, Footballs, Soccer balls, Jewelry, Purses, Makeup

Let’s all get together this holiday season and help make a difference in our community!