Taking off where Part 1 left off, this article discusses what happens after the master plan team (MPT) moves on-site, outlining the process of data collection and analysis as well as solution planning and implementation. It also builds off of my September Tomorrow’s Environment column, “How To Create HVAC Master Plans for a University.”

From the site, the team will finalize the asset database, including barcode/QR code designation if applicable and begin to draft the Master Plan Report. If estimating and assigning facility condition index (FCI) to each building’s HVAC infrastructure, this will also be included in the final report. In addition, should equipment replacement and/or repair be included in the estimating scope-of-work, the results of the asset repair or replacement costs will be organized into a “differed maintenance master plan” spreadsheet.

The team should complete the following:

  • Achieve the client’s “contractor security” compliance criteria.
  • Receive a security badge and access key(s).
  • Arrange for parking at the site but encourage the team to consider carpooling to reduce vehicle emissions and company costs (e.g., reimbursement for gas, mileage, parking fees, tolls, etc.).
  • Assign access keys for designated surveyors.
  • Setup the on-site office, connect computers to a secure internet network, collect and organize HVAC record drawings, identify all equipment rooms, and make arrangements for surveyors to access rooms that require a member of the building’s security staff to be in attendance.
  • Procure an electronic set of architectural and HVAC drawings, if possible, to be uploaded to surveyors’ tablet computers.
  • Separate from the master plan tasks, the survey team members should take a moment at each equipment room to complete the equipment room checklist, video the room (if authorized/applicable), and use a standardized trouble-shooting checklist to identify potential deficiencies (with a photo and a brief statement of issue and/or concern — for example, a coil piped incorrectly).

The project manager will schedule team meetings weekly or biweekly at the site to keep current with the activities and to update the project schedule each week. Meeting minutes should always be issued within 24-hours of the session to avoid any potential delays or misunderstandings related to assignments. It’s suggested that at the end of each meeting, the project manager meet briefly with the client or the client’s representative to update the progress of the project.

Surveyor’s data collection will consist of the following:

  • Equipment room safety checklists
  • Individual equipment checklists with barcode/QR code designations (if applicable)
  • Photo log
  • Building automation system (BAS) trending data points to collect:
    • Occupant comfort
    • IAQ
    • Equipment operating logs
    • Energy metering if available
    • Other pertinent control points data
  • Equipment troubleshooting checklist(s)

Data input person(s) spreadsheets will consist of the following:

  • Asset database with column for barcode/QR code designations (if applicable)
  • Project schedule with weekly updates
  • Deferred maintenance equipment spreadsheet (if applicable)

Estimator spreadsheet (if applicable ) will consist of the following:

  • Individual equipment estimate sheets
  • Individual FCI calculation sheets
  • Differed maintenance equipment asset spreadsheet

An infrastructure category that frequently gets overlooked is the forecasting of infrastructure operation and maintenance staff. In-house staff can be sensitive to addressing this issue because they’re concerned the client will try and cut operating costs by outsourcing the support services department. At the same time, the client may not want to have this topic addressed because it represents added overhead. For the MPT, if authorized to provide this third-party assessment, it may require a sub-consultant added to the team, but it is truly an important part of any infrastructure master plan and should include estimating full- and part-time employees and service contractors for specific HVAC maintenance, e.g., refrigeration service technicians 

The final report

The report writer and administrative assistant will collect the document input noted above as they’re completed and begin the draft of the final Master Plan Report with the following table of contents.

  • Cover sheet
  • Executive summary
  • Introduction to HVAC support to the university:
    • Categories of responsibility:
      • Occupant comfort
      • Occupant security (if applicable)
      • Indoor air quality
      • Acoustic environment (if applicable)
      • Global environment (if applicable)
    • Operation and maintenance (O&M):
      • Utility benchmarks
      • School’s master plan growth impact on HVAC systems
      • Central plant capacity versus projected campus growth
      • Central plant system descriptions
      • Decentralized systems descriptions
      • Building-by-building facility condition index (FCI*) of HVAC asset database
      • Deferred maintenance database and master plan (if applicable)
      • Full-time employee per square foot (if applicable)
      • Carbon footprint reduction plan (if applicable)
  • Decarbonization
  • Electrification
  • Recommendations

Each master plan report will include an analysis and review of existing conditions and how these conditions can support the building site growth. With building growth and/or modernization comes the need to increase the HVAC capacity to support expansion. The analysis will require a series of recommendations, both short- and long-term with options for both scenarios.

When it comes to priorities, the MPT will need to consider equipment that’s reaching its estimated “end of useful service life.” This can be very important when projecting future expansion plans. Think two 350-ton refrigeration units. One would not necessarily replace these antiquated pieces of equipment at the equivalent two 350-ton refrigeration units. Based on a growth in campus building square footage, it may make more first-cost sense, as well as projected chilled water management strategy to install two 500-ton refrigeration units, a waterside economizer plate and frame heat exchanger for a 300-ton “free cooling” unit, and a 200-ton spring and fall refrigeration unit. Topics such as equipment capacity and redundancy will also need to be considered to correct past deficiencies in HVAC capacities. One doesn’t want to overlook past system performance without providing a solution to previous chronic heating or cooling problems.

The anticipated HVAC infrastructure expansion will need to be evaluated as to where should equipment, like additional cooling towers, be located. Global warming and decarbonization can influence the decision-making, as well as the cost and return on investment, to replace and increase this infrastructure. This is especially important at colleges and universities where the student population can be very vocal as to how this master planning will impact the environment they’ll be inheriting in the years to come. Students have pressured many university administrations in the past and will continue to push this topic in spite of the financial cost. And, with the quest for decarbonization and electrification now a major topic of conversation in the general public, this should be included in the university master plan update.

With today’s technology, occupant comfort, IAQ, and acoustic environment can be monitored, measured, and benchmarked with relative ease and minimal costs. The same can be stated for upgrading the security system to include cybersecurity too. A general discussion with recommendations regarding the main BAS computer capabilities should address these topics. This should be included in the final report along with traditional HVAC operation, occupant comfort, utility consumption, and maintenance management.

Campus growth means an increase in population, which means more foot traffic and vehicle traffic too, especially if public transportation is limited/nonexistent. Community concerns relating to this should not be overlooked and may influence the master plan.

In producing the final report, it’s recommended that visuals, including barcode/QR charts, photographs, and other simple-to-understand graphics, be included. A good example of a comprehensive report from a different industry is the automobile brochure. While there is no executive summary, it does differentiate models of cars versus highlighting different HVAC infrastructure. Each page is brief yet informative. Technical data is typically included in spreadsheet form.

In completing the master plan, the executive summary will be the first section in the report but the last section to be completed because all of the required data collection/analysis and solution planning that will influence it. This summary also needs to be in sync with the business plans in the near future and five to 10 years from now.

Summary

Many commercial and industrial businesses may have short- but not long-term goals and expectations due to the rise and fall of the economy, changing technology, etc. Educational institutions and health care facilities are, more often than not, in business for the long haul and, so, master planning is quite common. Not only do they create them, but these types of institutions tend to update their master plans every five years or so for the aforementioned reasons.

It’s recommended the person in charge of the HVAC infrastructure management on behalf of the client review the report in the presence of the MPT project manager. This individual knows the facility better than any one person on the MPT and has a lot of historical data probably in his or her head. From this draft report, the project manager can adjust the executive summary as necessary.

With the HVAC infrastructure master plan submitted and accepted, the HVAC MPT can begin work with the operation and maintenance support services. Under a new authorization-to-proceed they can engineer the recommend solutions recommended.

Benjamin Franklin was quoted for saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” way back in 1790.

Master planning today will help you avoid future failure.

Howard McKew, P.E., FASHRAE

Reach Howard McKew at hmckew@bss-consultant.com or at www.buildingsmartsoftware.com

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