by Shane Henson — August 23, 2013—Aircuity recently announced that Appalachian State University of Boone, North Carolina, will be implementing the company’s energy efficiency solutions in three science facilities as part of a larger energy services contract with Pepco Energy Services. According to Aircuity, a company that works with educational institutions and big businesses alike to find solutions that reduce energy, energy savings in both laboratory and non-laboratory areas are expected to exceed 1 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually.
Aircuity and channel partner Hoffman Building Technologies have been subcontracted through Pepco Energy Services for the project, which is the second contract awarded to the firm. Aircuity’s centralized demand-based control solutions will be installed in the Chemistry, Astronomy and Physics (CAP) Building and both the north and south wings of the Rankin Science Hall.
In the CAP Building and the south wing of the Rankin Science Hall, Aircuity solutions will be implemented in both lab and non-lab spaces, and in the north wing of the Rankin Science Hall, Aircuity solutions will be installed in both labs and a small animal vivarium. The Rankin Science Observatory (RSO) and Observa-Dome are located in the south wing of Rankin Science Hall.
Aircuity’s installation within the laboratories and other variable occupancy areas of the buildings will help drive energy savings through optimizing the ventilation rates, the company says. Aircuity’s multiplexed centralized sensing system, OptiNet , continuously monitors critical indoor parameters, lowering the ventilation when the air is clean and increasing fresh air when an issue has been detected. The university will also be utilizing Aircuity Advisor Services to help in the continuous commissioning of these spaces and to proactively manage the labs.
“Continuous monitoring and optimization of ventilation in labs delivers a dual benefit: significant energy savings and tremendous insight into the indoor environmental quality of all labs,” said Chuck McKinney, vice president of marketing at Aircuity. “Airside optimization is quickly becoming the next big trend in energy conservation measures.”
